Ode to Chester

Today we put down our 12-year old puppy.

Chester was a rescue dog, probably the product of a puppy mill. 100% Brittany, his lineage was ignoble at best. That was probably why he developed all the fatty masses under his skin. It would explain why his eyes were clouded with age, and why he was not the watchdog he should have been as in his ears failed him in his later years. It would explain why not one, but both of his ACL's had to be replaced. It's probably the reason it hurt you so much to do such mundane things like sit up or go up the stairs. But I don't think that is how I will choose to remember him.

My first memories of Chester was the day that ended up being my first date with my future wife. A group of us were supposed to be meeting at Alesha's house to go see a Twins game. As I stepped in the door, Alesha pretty much had to drag him off of me as he bounded up to greet me. I always thought he was full of energy, but then again, I was told he had already mellowed out by the time I met him. Chester was always a quivering mass of potential energy, waiting to go kinetic on you any second.

As I continued to woo my wife, I learned how to bake Chocolate Muffins. Alesha was so surprised when she came home! We left for dinner that night, and when we were about a block away from her place, she asked me where I left the muffins. "In a sealed container in the middle of the table with a weight on top of it." Alesha didn't even ask me anything else; she immediately turned the car around. In the 3 minutes we were gone, he had found the muffins, opened the container, and finished each and every. That night I learned not only that dogs shouldn't eat chocolate, but how to make them vomit as well. The tables were turned after we got married when I found out I got into pharmacy school. Alesha baked me a congratulatory cake. When I got home, she came downstairs to greet me. That's all the time it took for Chester to get a hold of and start eating my cake.

Chester's greatest strength was his strategy of cunning: play stupid. Sure, he might look at you funny when you say "heel", "play dead", and "roll over", but pull out a treat and he knows exactly what you're saying. He really did know what "go upstairs", "go downstairs", "go outside", "sit", "wait", and "off" meant. I didn't think dogs could really understand commands before this one.

Chester always thought he was a great hunter. He would even point when he thought he had spotted something. I think the highlight of his life was August 26, 2006 when he fulfilled his lifelong ambition of finally catching a squirrel on one of our walks. He was so excited as he spotted it, stalked it, and grabbed it. I think he even brought it over to me. His only disappointment was that he couldn't keep it.

But as much as I would have liked to think Chester was my dog, he was never really my dog. Chester chose Alesha on the first day they met. He was always a great and treasured companion for my wife. And that is how I will remember Chester. Thanks for looking out for my Alesha all these years, buddy. We will miss you.