My husband (at the time) tried to give me diamond earrings for Valentine's day, but all I wanted was a puppy. He finally said, "Fine! Take back the earrings and go get yourself a dog."
And that's exactly what I did.
I still remember the first time I laid eyes on him in that cage. He was playing with 4 other puppies and he was the spunkiest one in there. I had predetermined that I was going to get a small dog, but give it a big name. The options were Zeus or Maximus (think Gladiator!). They explained to me that he wouldn't get very big and that he was a "long haired" chihuahua. Who knew? And I thought they all looked like the Taco Bell dog! He was such a good puppy.
Tough to houstrain, until I got a dog door put in...that was the key to potty training. Before that, it was "treasures" under the bed until he was too big to slide under there anymore. I also purchased one of those super expensive vacuum/carpet cleaners from those door to door salesman because it got the pet stains out of the carpet.
He favored me. He must have known my ex husband was my nemesis because he used to spray the corner of the bed skirt on the side where my ex slept. When we went to bed at night, Maximus slept in the middle, curled up in the small of my back. Once, he was walking on top of the couch and started to lift his leg on my ex's head. I look back now and chuckle. He was such a smart dog.
He made the drive out to California with me after my divorce and I remember pulling up to the rest stop and a lady next to me got all excited, pointed at him, and said "Hey, your dog is smiling at me. He's really smiling at me!"
My mom called him "Grandson-4-legs." Everyone loved him. He was sweet and playful and I'm pretty sure he thought he was just one of the kids. He was definitely one of the family.
I traveled alot and I had to drop him off at my Mom's for some long term babysitting one year. I returned from my trip abroad and phoned up my Mom to tell her I was coming to get him. In her cute little broken Asian accent she said "Ummm. You get another dog?" And then she convinced me that her and my dad had fallen in love with him and he was such a good fit for them, and they should keep him. She's my mom...of course I said okay :)
She walks him regularly, spoils him terribly and talks to him like he's just another person in the room. I remember visiting for Christmas one year and I could hear her from down the hall. She said "Would you like some toast?" Silence. "Would you like some jam on that too?" Silence. "Eat it all now." Silence. Who the heck was she talking to? I peek around the corner and I see her holding out the piece of toast to Maximus.
Toes. He loved to lick Stephen's feet. My nephew is a stinky footed kid- and Maximus would sit for hours under the covers licking his ingrown toenails. I know, gross, but hey, he liked it. It's no wonder that dog's sniff butts.
One time my Dad was really sick. Maximus crawled up in to bed with him for a couple of days. It's like he knew. He would lick my dad's face, as if to say "I can feel the heat of your fever, let me cool you down." Dogs really are little angels sent to make us feel better.
He knows my Dad gets home at 3:30 every day. So by 3, Maximus takes his place about 5 feet in front of the front door in the middle of the living room and he looks up at the glass window above the door. He waits. He knows Papa will be home soon. It must really screw him up on those days when my Dad doesn't come straight home.
My Mom comes to visit me often. My Dad would talk about how Maximus looks around the house for my Mom. He searches every room, every day, until she finally comes home.
Last Friday my flight was delayed out of New York and I missed my connecting flight to Houston in Dallas. I decided to spend the night at my Mom's and just fly home the following night (gratis American Airlines.) Maximus greeted me with his usual friendly tail wag. He curled up on my lap on the couch and put his head down on my arm. Later on, he crawled in to bed with me and stayed all night. Same old Max. My son-4-legs. I took pictures. He's so cute.
My parents called me last night from the vet hospital. It was late, around 10:30 p.m. Maximus was in the living room and he had collapsed. They rushed him to emergency, the vet ran tests and found that he had fluid around his heart, caused by a tumor combined with congenital heart failure. His tongue was blue and he was weezing. The vet said she could try to remove the fluid, but because it was so close to his heart, there was a likelihood that she could puncture the heart and kill him. He was suffering. My Mom was crying in the back ground. I heard her tears, and my own began to flow. It was time to say good bye to my old buddy.
Thanks for 7 great years Maximus. Maxipoo. Mack-a-doo
You were faithful, you were true
It's so sad that now you're away
We keep looking around for you to play
You saw us through the ups and downs
The laughs the giggles
The weeps the frowns
Fly up to Heaven and wait at the gate
And I'll join you one day if you'll just wait
Howl with the angels, bark at St. Mark
Walk, run and play in God's dog park
My first companion, you knew unconditional love
And God must have wanted you for Himself up above
I can't say I blame Him, He knows a real friend
But let Him know it's just a loaner until I ascend!
R.I.P 06-01-09
Mary Dee