Weston 2005-2010

Dear Weston,

You know that you were the reason that I get up in the morning and the reason that my world was filled with so much joy. My whole world revolved around you and you were my best friend. I could tell you anything that was on my mind and you would look up at me with those beautiful amber eyes and I knew that you understood exactly what I was feeling at that moment.

When we had intruders that were outside of the gate at the bottom of the hill to our home, the other dogs would run along the fence line and bark at the people on the other side, but you would come charging back into the house and plant yourself right in front of me to protect me from anybody that might mean to do me harm. When we'd go to the park you wouldn't let any dogs come within 30 feet of me, you would chase them out to 30 feet and return to plant yourself again right in front of me and keep a watchful eye on any dogs that tried to get too close.

I would talk to you for hours on end here at home and you would sit watching my face to see what it was that I was going on about and you never quibbled about whatever the discussion might be. You loved all people and loved the praise that you would get every time that we would go to the street fair on Thursday nights. Oh how you loved the praise. It was because of you that we couldn't make it from one end of the street fair to the other end without being stopped a dozen times or more with people just wanting to touch you, or know your name. Then these complete strangers would dig into their own pasts and bring forth stories about their own poodles and how special they were and how they were not like any other Poodle.

But I know that you were the most special boy of all. When you came into my life at only 5 1/2 weeks old I could see the spark in your eye that told me you were not any ordinary standard poodle, there was something really really special about you and over the past 4 1/2 years you proved it time and time again. Never once letting me down, never once doing the typical things that other poodles do. I've never met a boy that was as special as you and don't think that I ever will again. I swear that you were the smartest kid I've ever known, I could show you how to do something just 3 times and you'd know exactly what it was that I was trying to teach you and would do it with only my having to ask you, I never needed to even try to bribe you to do what I asked with treats, although you certainly know that you were lavished in treats at every chance that I got.

One of the things that I cherish most in my heart dear Weston, was the years that we had together where you would sit on the sofa next to me with your head on my knee only because you wanted to be close to me. And when you became my permanent shadow and would never leave my side. The time that you tried to get into the shower with me had me holding my sides from laughter. I think at this point you decided it might be better to just lay outside of the shower door rather than try to join me in the shower.

I cherish the memories of us swimming together, all the times that I could take you anywhere and you wouldn't even need to be on a leash because you were so well behaved that if not for your looking like a champion standard Poodle people would have sworn you were a real to life little boy, but the most well behaved little boy, the best well behaved boy in the entire world.

All the times that we spent swimming, or hiking, or going up to the snow in the mountains, all the time that we would go out to the fish farm and sneak inside the back area so that nobody knew you were there as you lay quietly no more than 3 inches from me, all the times that we went to the dog park and showed up every last one of the other standard poodles. You know that when people talked in hushed tones they were talking about how magnificent you were but didn't want the other standard poodle owners to hear them. But we heard them, we heard them very well.

But most of all I think I loved it most when you would jump up on the bed and lay next to me, your breath calmly hitting the back of my neck or face gave me a very reassured feeling that you were there to protect me, to play with me, to listen to anything I wanted to talk about.

I remember the day that I brought you home after having that terrible car accident as I pulled into the driveway of your mother and fathers house, the accident that totaled my car, and how fortunate I was that the accident occurred on the way to pick you up, instead of on the way home since the crate that I brought for you to travel home with me in a safe manner was crushed by the airbag going off. And that night when I placed you into your sleeping crate, oh how you cried and cried. But as soon as I took you out of the crate and put you up on the bed you immediately ran to my pillow and planted yourself right next to my head and I could hear the soft breathing and even though you were only 5 1/2 weeks old I felt comforted and secure.

I remember that when it was time to potty train you, it took only 3 tries before you were using the doggy door and I could allow you full run of the house without fear of finding a mess. You were truly the smartest kid I've ever known, and the most loving. All you wanted from me was to allow you to be close to me, as close as you could get without laying on top of me. All the times that we would play here in the living room and do our simulated boxing matches. I want you to know that I know you always let me win.

Your love for me was unfaltering, your devotion to me couldn't be matched, your beauty and grace unsurpassed. People at the street fair would always stop us to ask if you were being showed anywhere, you were that perfect in every way. You were the epitome of your breed but your personality went so much further than that. All the joyful times that we had together are already being sadly missed, just coming home without you showed me that we are no longer living in a home but only a house now. I am so terribly missing you as my permanent shadow dear dear Weston, without you by my side almost 24 hours a day has left a terrible hole in my heart. It truly feels as if somebody has ripped my heart in half I miss you so much my special boy. It feels as if the world has come to a complete standstill.

Dear Weston, I hope that if there is an afterlife that you will be waiting for me at the gates as I don't know how I will bare the rest of my life on this earth without you but the thought of an eternity without you is too much to bare. Having you by my side since you came into our lives and were so tiny that you fit in the palm of my hand has brought me such happiness I can't even express the amount of joy you brought me with words. You made me laugh when I was down, you would protect me when you knew somebody approaching wasn't right, you let me spill my guts to you and never thought any worse of me. You were my best friend Weston, truly my best friend and you will be missed more than I can ever express and even more than you might imagine yourself.

But you already knew all of this didn't you Weston? I know that you did, all it takes is looking into your eyes to see that you understand exactly what was going on around you. Even though you are now gone, you will live on in my heart for eternity, I've never known anybody as special as you and likely never will again.

My special 'boo bear', I am utterly and completely crushed without you by my side, my life feels so empty without you here shadowing me.

I love you Weston and always will, there will never be another you. You were one of those special beings that only come along once in a lifetime and I feel as if my world has ended without you by my side. Dear dear boo bear, I would have gladly have forfit the remainder of my life if I could have just spent another 5 year with you, you really do mean that much to me. Most people love their 'pets' but you were so much more to me, you truly were my best friend and will be missed terribly.

I love you Boo