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max my chocolate dupa-dog!

two years have come and gone....

since I last rubbed your soft fur...you are still in my heart big boy and I think of your often. take care of Harley for me (July 27th 2008) you and our fatboy kitty may have had your scraps, but he is at the bridge with you now and yet again my heart is breaking...you were my first dog and he was my first cat.....I close this chapter of my life with tears in my eyes.........

in 2 more days it will be one year........

My sweet boy...I can't believe it has been a year since you went to the bridge. I miss you so much. Each time I think of mom and dad you are there in my thoughts...remembering all the good times before you all left. you may be gone, but you will never be forgotten!!!!

good bye my sweet boy......you will be sorely missed!

Max was a character.....typical labradork ( I say that with the utmost affection). my parents found an ad in the paper for choc. labs in east troy. so my mom and I, and my then 4 yr old son, went to have a look. now the word "look" is the key word here...lol dad had sent us to look at them and report back to him....yeah as if that was gonna happen...lol he should have known better, especially taking me along. max had the biggest feet and he was the one my mom chose. when we walked into the house my dad was curious and asked right away about the puppies.. that was then mom pulled max out of her jacket and handed him to my dad.
he spent 8 years in their home and he adored my mom and would follow her everywhere she went.
when mom became ill, you would always find him in the bedroom with her sleeping on the bed. he wouldn't leave her side. he knew something wasn't right, so he stayed with her throughout the day and night.
upon her death and the death of my dad we took max into our lives. he wasn't the brightest crayon in the box due to lack of training, but my husband and I worked hard to turn him into the family dog he needed to be. the training and patience payed off. Max was a special part of our family; he became best buddy's with our youngest kids and learned to be patient with their hard loving. never once did I see him growl or role his lip up....until one day he snapped at our youngest. the only thing I could think of for that snapping was that he wasn't feeling well that day and nick was playing too hard. from then on Nick was supervised around max. I couldn't blame him, it took alot to upset him . I took him to the vet to have him checked out and they discovered he had a paralyzed larynx as well as severe arthritis in the spine. we tried pills but nothing seemed to work. the only option was surgery for the larynx...I couldn't see putting a 12 yr old dog through that much trauma, especially when we were told that his arthritis would continue to get worse and he would lose feeling in his legs more and more, and there was nothing they could do for that. so I took him home. max lasted another week suffering the entire time while I was being selfish trying to hold on to him. you see he was the last link I had to my mom and dad....and I didn't want him to leave me.
On July 25, 2006 max took his last ride in the truck. I sat by his side looking into his eyes as he was put to sleep...I couldn't be selfish any longer. I had to do what was right for my buddy. In the truck on the way home I just sat there as if I was numb to everything. It wasn't until my husband placed max in his grave that I cried....seeing my big boy laying on his blanket is a memory that is burned into my mind forever.
With each passing day the hurt is slowly subsiding and I still catch myself looking in the corner where his bed used to be, but Max will always hold a special place in my heart one that is filled with great memories of a very special dog.