The best dog

"Everyone thinks they have the best dog and none of them are wrong."

A close friend recently told me this quote in leau of National Dog Day this past Monday.

It resonated with me, especially since over the past month my husband and I have seen a decline in Guster's health. And it got way worse over the past 48 hours.  It was inevitable on the course we were about to head down.  To us, he was more than just the best dog, but again.. isn't that's how it should be?

James and I got married a little over 13 years ago.  3 months later Guster joined our family.  I remember sitting on the steps inside our former home, watching this approximately 5 week old pup scurry around our hardwood floors as James and I threw out names on what to call this crazy brown hurricane. We both love the band Guster, and perhaps a song of theirs was playing at the time. He had so much energy.  He also had what we thought was an oil stain on his back, and we bought a handful of expensive shampoos to try and wash it out. But when this black brindle spot started to grow with him, we realized this was just something extra special that made him unique, while offering a funny story to tell.  People who know me, know I like to tell stories.

Guster was a very strong willed lab-pit-boxer-mut mix. At 8-weeks, it took two grown adults kneeling on him so he could submit during a puppy preschool class. He was spunky and poor James lost a lot of his belongings to his aggressive jaw and puppy bite. He never tore anything of mine.  And in fact prior to buying any toys for him, you'd see me use force to bend, rip or break the select few that I thought could withstand my efforts in the pet store aisle before going to the checkout.  Kongs were his favorite, especially the Frisbee kong.

Guster fit in well with us newlyweds and gave us so much adventure. Hiking, camping, swimming in Corbets Glen and walking down the canal path to watch the sun set were some of his favorites.  Our favorites. His smile was the best when he got running at top speeds, while his jowls just flapped in the wind.
He met James and I when we were in our prime.  Young newlyweds that turned into parents eager to see life's next milestone. He watched us grow into the people we are today.

 He was the first to know I was pregnant with Madelyn. He sat on my feet in the bathroom while getting ready for work 3 weeks before I found out the conventional way.  He welcomed Madelyn as if she was part of the tribe from the very beginning. Probably relieved to find out why I was changing and growing over the past 9 months. When it was Elijah's turn, he probably thought to himself, "Here we go again".  He cared for those two and immediately accepted his new promoted "protector status".  You'd often find him sitting closer to me on the nights when James was out, or impatiently pacing next to a screaming baby as he tried to get my attention to fix the current situation.  One time he was even able to be there for my father when waking up my mother to alert that dad was having a low sugar attack during the night.

He always knew what we needed, when we needed it.  But that's what everyone who has ever owned a dog or pet understands.  It's that unspoken language and sense of "knowing" that it too powerful for words.  It's just there.

Guster was loved by many and met so many people during the past 13 years. Friends and family that were timid about dogs, or didn't like dogs, said Guster was the exception.  He loved back without question.  When we needed him, he was there.  When he needed us, especially in his final hours, we were there. He told me with his eyes, twice.  And while sitting alone with him after the kids said their final goodbye, Guster took a huge breath and his head collapsed in my hands.  He was ready and a sense of peace and calm fell across the room.
We will always remember you, Guster Buster Brown and can't thank you for being such an amazing dog.  You were the BEST!