Article Contributed on: 4/2/2007 9:07:34 AM
I promised
Austin a dog once we moved into a house of our own. That day came in 2000, but I worked too much and my new house had new hardwood floors. I couldn't say no for long.
We finally made a trip to the Denver Dumb Friends League in September 2001. I had a list of qualities. No shedding, no barking, no drooling, and no puppies. There were all kinds of dogs barking for our attention that day, but not Teddy, a 4-year old cockerpoo with attitude. He sat with his curly butt to the crowd and refused to show off.
He was a sad little thing behind the glass, but we fell in love with him anyway. We renamed him Ted E. Bear and brought him home.Teddy took up residence at the foot of my bed and followed me around the house. He loved to go on car rides, and learned many tricks, as long as it involved a cookie. Teddy was a ferocious guard dog, mostly barking at the doorbell sounds on television. He always looked like a girl because he usually came home from the groomer with bows in his ears. He had several nicknames: Fuzzy Butt, Ferocious, T.B. and Teddy Bear.
Teddy sat next to me on September 11th, while I watched the world change forever, and I was grateful for his company. He protected my son at the park, when another dog tried to attack, getting wounded in the fight. Teddy never complained when he lost his place on the bed to new babies and a new puppy, named Pepper. Teddy and Pepper became best buddies. He showed her the ropes, but let her rule the roost.
Teddy loved to run, but over the years, he developed terrible dysplasia in his hips. He started sleeping more and didn't feel like eating or playing. We knew we had to make a decision, once we realized he was sick. We put it off for months, but finally took him to the Buddy Shelter in Castle Rock, so he could be euthanized.
As we watched him waddle down the hall with the vet, I laughed through tears. The last thing we saw of Teddy was his chunky, curly butt. As it should be.
Ted E. Bear was born on October 18, 1997 and passed away March 17, 2007. He was a loving dog, and we'll miss his stinkiness, snoring and sniffing.