Today I had to say goodbye to my favorite dog of my adulthood. His name was Colin and he was a Sheltie (or mini border collie) and was the coolest, smartest dog I know. I've never had a good memory so I don't remember what he looked like as a puppy beyond the picture I have, but I do remember the first trick I ever taught him. I believe my sister, Courtney was with me and we would point our index finger at him with our thumb up in the air and yell "BANG!" Then we flipped him over and told him to stay on his back. He did. Then we did it again and he did exactly what we'd just taught him. He played dead. As he got older, it took 3 shots to kill him. The first one he'd bark at, the second he'd lay down to, and the third he'd roll over for. :D I loved that. He's a tough dog.
I also won't forget how much of a loner he was, but he had some deep love for me. I don't know what I did to deserve that, but then again, how often do we deserve how well dogs treat us? He often laid alone away from everybody but always in sight and then out of the blue, with no prodding, he would come up to me and lick and lick and lick and smother my face with his furry body. That's how I knew he loved me. He's not much of a licker, but he would even whimper while he loved on me like he couldn't get enough. And when someone would come in the back door, he would get up from wherever he was and jump on me and bark at the door. He was my protector from the big bad step-dad or mom. And he wouldn't leave my lap until he knew who was in the house. I love him and will remember him forever. No pet will ever compare, but I know every animal has such a different personality so it's just like a child or friend.
Here's my biggest problem. I've had very few loved ones die. I think this is more a curse than a blessing because I take it harder when someone close dies, but it is what God wants it to be. My uncle died when I was 7 so that never effected me too terribly. My great grandmother died two weeks before my wedding and that was sad, but she didn't remember me much anyway her last couple of years. Other than that, it's been people from church that I knew but wasn't too close to. I cried a lot when my grandparents' dogs, Buster and Chance, went and when my two hamsters, Jaws and Henry, died it was pretty sad too. But Colin was different. I was much closer to him. At least I have tons of good memories and can't think of a single bad one right now. He was a good dog. So with a very heartfelt adieu and lots of tears in my eyes for the 3rd time since I heard the news at about 5:00 today, I leave you with my own memories of him. It was worth the 11 years we had with him. I love you with all my heart, Colin.
