Losing a pet is hard. Our dog, Traveler, died over a year ago. I miss him every day. How many times did I pet Traveler, murmuring, “You’re a good dog, yes, you are.” Traveler will always be with us, not only in our hearts, but also as a character in my Sailing the High Seas series.
Let me tell you about Traveler. He was mainly a golden retriever with some shepherd mix. In the series, he is an Airedale Terrier because that breed fits better on a ship.
When we retired and moved to Arizona, Ken was ready to get a dog, not just any dog, but a rescue dog. He now had the time to give a pet the attention and care he needed. So, off to the shelter we went. Traveler was the only dog not barking. He sat calmly, looking us over. Maybe not so calmly, thump, thump, thump went his tail. His big, brown eyes melted my heart. I’m not keen on animals, but Ken said, “You will love this dog.”
He was right.
On the way home, we put one-year-old Traveler in the back of the SUV tied with a leash. Not ten minutes later, Traveler poked his head between us. “Hey, what’s up?” he seemed to say. The leash he chewed through dangled from his collar. Okay, the dog is a people person and wanted to be near us.
Otherwise, Traveler was well-trained. For one thing, he stayed off the furniture. That is, until our daughter’s dog came over and exerted a bad influence. We found both dogs lounging on the back porch sofas when we arrived home. That was the first and last time Traveler sat on furniture, I think…
Traveler kept Ken fit walking him twice a day. He misses those walks.
Goodbye sweet dog.
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