Just a Boy and His Dog - Day 227
Grayson,
For as long as I can remember, I have wanted a dog, or a wolf, depending of what age I was at the time. There was something about an animal companion that seems so much better than sisters could ever be. He would obey my every command, and we would go on epic adventures saving the world many times over.
When I was about 6 years old, I got my first dog. I named him Ruff. Oddly enough, Bentley reminds me a lot of Ruff. They have very similar facial features and the same color fur; they’re about the same size too. But they have some major differences. For starters, Ruff wore a blue t-shirt everyday. We never took that shirt off, not even in the bathtub. Bentley, on the other hand, hates clothes. Another difference is that Ruff could speak English. Ruff would repeat every word I spoke to him verbatim. “I love spiderman.” “I want more french fries.” You name it, Ruff would say it. Amazing, I know. Then Ruff died, at least his batteries did. Oh, I forgot to mention Ruff was a stuffed animal.
That lost stuck with me until my 9th birthday. That’s when I got Jordan. He was actually a pretty good dog to be a turtle (tortoise). He would follow me around and chew my shoes, not very good at fetch though. Jordan is still alive and well, but he never turned into the dog I wanted. In 2002, I got Shadow. Now, Shadow was a beast. He would attack my enemies and bring me their guns and ammo. He was the exact dog I dreamed about all those years of not having one. Little-known fact, Shadow helped me beat a murder charge and avenge my pops. Alas, Shadow lived only in a video game.
Then, there was Enyce. She was my first living, breathing canine. She didn’t live with me, but she was mine more than any other dog in my life. She was your PopPop’s dog in actuality, a beautiful white German shepherd. I met Enyce in her prime. We played fetch with large branches instead of sticks, soccer balls instead of tennis balls. She was the perfect guard dog and companion, loving, intelligent, strong, and fearless all at once. I remember one time I was sitting on the couch watching a movie with your mother. Enyce was walking from the kitchen to go downstairs, but the door was closed. I started to get up and assist before Enyce stood on her back legs, placed one of her front paws on the wall to brace herself, and used the other to press down on the door handle and pull it open. Then she very quietly went downstairs. My mind was blown. She survived coyote fights and snake bites. Sadly, like all dogs, Enyce got old and passed away. I made sure she had one more hotdog (her favorite) before she went.
Finally, there is the dog, the myth, and the legend, Bentley. He’s the dog you know and love. Your mother got Bentley from a coworker. Believe it or not, I was against her getting a dog. After all my years of wanting a dog of my own, I finally had the chance to get one via my significant other. Yet, I was having the time of my life partying and having fun. We were both staying out all hours of the night. “I’m not taking care of a dog for you!” With a statement like that, one would suspect your mother heeded my advice. She got him anyway, and we fell out for a bit. First time meeting Bentley, I headed over to your mother’s and we needed to go to Kroger. He howls every time she leaves him at home, so she would basically bring him everywhere. He tried to sit on my lap on the ride to the grocery store, and I had none of it. “Get in the back.” He still hears that till this day. We came out of Kroger and he was unusually quiet. We get to the car and he has dropped logs on both front seats. He was now chilling in the back, no poop around, silent as a mouse. So disrespectful.
After a couple months, we became best buds. He still has some bad dog in him, but he’s the dog I always wanted and now he’s your dog too. If he gets his life together, he will be around long enough for you two to have your own adventures and make lasting memories. He loves you very much, even more so now that you throw your food on the floor when you’re done eating. He goes to check on you when you’re crying, and joins you on the bed when mommy or I step out of the room. He will always protect and entertain you. Keep a firm voice and a loving hand, and he’ll forever walk by your side. Great dogs come along more often than you would think, but they also leave before we’re ready for them to go. Always remember that and love them while you have them.
I love you son,
Dahdah
P.S. I want to give a shoutout to my dawgs who have come and gone. #FetchInPeace FIP BrownieAndPaws, FIP Rockie, FIP Juice, Fred, and Rex, FIP Biebers, FIP Ditto and finally FIP Enyce. All dogs go to heaven, so I’m sure yall are living it up. Constant tailwags and unlimited table food.
