More than just a dog

When we had to put Tate down, we knew it was coming, but it still seemed sudden and too soon. No amount of time would have been sufficient to say goodbye. As I was helping everyone navigate their feelings on losing such a dear pet I was struck with my own unexpected emotions. I eventually had to take a moment and reflect on how Tate had made such an impact on my life. This is our story:

I never grew up with a dog, and honestly I normally avoided them, but did one day want my own. When we first got Tate, Kevin and I had very interesting schedules. I worked odd hours being a hair stylist and Kevin worked full time about 50 min away and was also in school. Tate ended up not being left alone too often so it worked out pretty well. When we found out we were expecting our first baby Tate became my constant, he was always by my side, through what turned out to be a very tough pregnancy and my darkest days of postpartum depression. He was my buddy, I spent all my time with him and he was my loyal comfort. It made me anxious knowing he was ever home alone, so I didn't do much out of the house other than go to work. One thing he always did (six times now) is poke his nose into my belly when I'm pregnant, already creating that bond with the babies! He was a very energetic puppy and he really kept me moving, most likely keeping me active and helping me more than I know. When Kevin would travel for work, it was Tate there with me, keeping me company and giving me the sense of safety I needed at the time. When he was old enough to finally go hunting, I would find myself missing that extra comfort, and the much needed vacuum cleaner feature he had for after dinner with the kids. Tate did like when we were all home though, if Kevin or I were gone he would be a little more anxious and stare at the door. He was always most relaxed when he knew we were all there.

I was always very proud of Tate. When Kevin would get down about how much of a challenge it was to train Tate I was always just happy to see his tail wagging and knew he was just enjoying the attention. He turned out not to be the best duck hunting dog because of his pure excitement and readiness to retrieve. Again, what Kevin saw as a failure on his part, I saw as our dog having a blast doing something he loved. It was only after our move to South Dakota that we found his true passion for pheasant hunting that came so naturally to him. I only wish I would have had a little longer with him to finally harvest my first pheasant with my hunting buddy. More than anything though, I just wanted to bring him out there and see him in his happy place. 

Tate helped us welcome 6 kids into our home in his lifetime, his best trait was how good he was with them. I was always very cautious with him around the kids being he is a dog, but we never really did have to worry about him. He would play with them and eventually when he got sick of them (often) he would just leave and go lay on our bed where he knew the little ones couldn't get. It always gave us a good chuckle. When he would accidentally bump over a newly toddling little one he would go lay in his kennel with the “im sorry” look that we got so used to seeing. The kids all loved him and each had their own unique bond with him. Watching the kids grow up with Tate was a very special experience, from Eli as a newborn watching Tate eat, to walking with him on a pheasant hunt. These memories are something I will cherish forever as they are woven into my memories of my children.

But it would be a lie to say he didn't also make my life more challenging, especially in his last year. His whole life he would eat out of the kids hands, grab food off counters and bark at nothing. We had to keep everything out of his reach making baking/cooking much more of a challenge. He was eventually kenneled or put in a room every time we had food out. If I didn't immediately dispose of a diaper, while having to chase after a naked baby, or put someone in the tub quickly, Tate would chew them up and leave me with a new mess to clean up. I can laugh now looking back, but maybe he helped us all stay a little more tidy, while also leaving me wanting to pull my hair out. The last few years of his life, he really got stubborn and would just randomly do whatever he wanted.. He would wander off and we would be out searching for him, even with a newborn, then he would trot back over happy as can be acting like nothing happened.

Tate was care free and I think that rubbed off on us a little in a good way. He lived a very full 13.5 years of life, and he lived it to the fullest. We always would say he was a very spoiled dog, but we wouldn't have had it any other way. Running around with the kids, endless table scraps, any bed or couch he picked to lay on and plenty of balls to fetch, he didn't waste a moment of his life. When things were crazy in the house, kids crying, looking for shoes trying to get out the door, chaos around getting meals ready, we would look over and see Tate fast asleep on the couch. Tate was my first dog, and I was so thankful to have him. Even though he lived a long full life it's still hard to think of how short of a time it seemed we got to have him.

This will be an especially hard pheasant hunting season for me. I have had to step back from hunting a lot with having babies and caring for little ones. When Tate took to pheasant hunting so well I just had to get out there with him. Since it's at a more reasonable time of the day than duck hunting, this made it something we could actually make happen. Sometimes there was a nursing baby waiting for me back in the van or walking along in the stroller, but that just made it all the more fun. We could do this as a family, most of the time the big kids would walk right along with me, and that was the way Tate liked it the most. As hard as it will be to go hunting without him, it means more to me to continue on what he loved to do. There may be tears but I will someday get my first pheasant, all because of Tate.

So just a dog? No, much much more. A part of our story, woven into the seams and will be talked about for generations. He was there through the good and the bad, and that means more to me than I ever imagined at the time. I still run over to check the counter and make sure I didn't leave food out, or get inside fast to let him out when we get home, it always hurts a little when I remember he is gone, he was such an incredibly important part of my life.. W be will move on, possibly get another dog, but it will be Tate that taught us the most and left a mark on the adventure that is our lives. He lived a full life, but mostly taught us how to get the most out of ours.