My poor ol' guy. Walter left us around 8:30AM on August 5th, 1998 in Oakdale
California. He came all this way with me, supported me, licked my wounds,
and snuggled close when I needed his furry body for comfort. I was not
able to find a home for us before his passing so he died a homeless dog.
He still had the van for his bed and my love for his own, but I was driving
all the time and looking for a home, I wasn't able to give him the attention
he would have liked those last days on the road. I did what I could, when
I could and he slept close to me at night. After his final night, I knew
something was wrong. He died the next morning of bloat.
He was about 10 years old.
I got
Walter in 1994 through the Collie
Rescue League of New England. He was a foster dog at first but we became
attached so fast. Finally, he just had to stay. Originally, he was Wally
but at the time, I was living with someone who had a collie named Molly
(who ultimately became Walter's "wife"). Molly was bad and we would yell
at her. Poor Wally thought we were yelling at HIM and he would go away
dejected. Poor guy. Something had to change. He had a noticeable slight
limp due to some injury before I got him but it rarely slowed him down.
As he got older, he seemed to get better. He limped a bit after long walks
but I'm sure he didn't mind too much. If he was tired, you knew it. He
would just PLOP down right where he was. He also liked to go into the water,
about knee deep (dog knee, that is), then plunk down to cool off...and
take a drink. I called it "wog ballowing". He would never swim, though,
and I'd never make him at his age. I would just lug him out and dunk him,
but never let him go. I didn't do a lot of obedience training with Walter.
I really didn't need to. He was so laid back and just wanted to please
me. He'd earned his Canine Good Citizen
award and was also a Therapy
Dog.
I
will always remember Walter for his charm and personality. He was so attached
me me. I was his and no one else's. I would put him outside to pee, and
if I didn't stay to supervise his doing his thing, he would just lay down
on the ground and wait for me to come out with him. On our walks, he did
something affectionately called "collie marching". No matter where we went
together, as soon as we turned around to go back, the "collie marching"
went into effect. He would start nipping at my feet, grabbing onto the
tongue of my shoe, biting my pant leg, or even jump up to latch onto my
shorts. He would jump up and bark his excited low gruff "RUFF". I can still
see his rump swaying and tail wagging wildly as he charges up ahead of
me. He always had a LOOK on his face when it was feeding time, too....a
cocked head and "well? is it time now?" look. He did that cocked head a
lot, especially if I teased him with, "Wanna go for a WALK?" Sometimes,
he'd sing for me, too. He'd go into a long, drawn out whine/bark that displayed
such pleasure. He usually did that when I scratched his rump or when I
came home from a long day away from him. He looked so elegant or regal
when he laid down on his belly, too. Just an air about him. He was one
good looking dog. One of my favorite things about him, and this may just
be a collie trait I never noticed, was when he looked at me straight on,
his bottom two teeth would show through his "lips"...it made him look like
he had little buck teeth. It was so cute. He was a happy dog and he was
all mine.
I miss
Walter a lot. Not only was he a joy to have around but he was also my comfort.
He was my teddy bear and my bolster pillow. He was going to help abate
my pangs of loneliness I knew I would have moving to California. Cold and
lonesome nights remind me of him all that much more. Walter, wherever you
are, I know you miss me too. I'm sorry I didn't know enough to help you
when you needed it. What happened to you must have hurt and I apologize
for not being able to help. I learned too late. I'm sorry. Wait for me
and I'll be there with you someday. I'll give you all the cookies you want
and we'll walk, romp, wog bollow, and collie march through those pearly
gates together. If there is a heaven above, I'm sure HE knows that it wouldn't
be heaven for me without you.
 | Walter and his "wife" Molly at Collie Rescue Day. Special thanks to |
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| Walter is a member of the Waiting for us at Rainbow Bridge webring. He romps and wog-bollows until we can be together again. Previous Next Previous 5 Sites Next 5 Sites Random Site List Sites Do you want to join the ring? |
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