Man's Best Friend

Now I know why dogs are said to be man's best friend. A couple weeks ago, the vet told us that my husband's dog Buster may have a year to live. He had a tumor in his left hip. My husband brought home pills to keep the dog comfortable. Susposedly the vet might be wrong and it was just a case of arthritis in this bouncy, curious, senior dog. We just barely had time to process the fact that someday he wouldn't be here when his leg took a turn for the worse fast over the weekend. Yesterday my husband had the dog put to sleep. He buried him in the corner of our pasture under a crab apple tree. My job is to decorate the wooden cross tacked to the fence post above the grave. I have the template ready, but no paint. Clearly, I wasn't prepared for this sudden passing. I always called this dog my husband's, and that's what he was - a loyal friend that wanted to be right where my husband was. They were so close I was sure the dog could read my husband's mind. I've lived with him 45 years, and I can't do that.
Buster was a one man dog. He wouldn't kennel for me, but also, he soon learned to respect a boundary between us. I am probably the only person Buster didn't jump on for attention. However, Buster couldn't never distinguish between what was his and what was mine. If I laid a flower shovel down or a garden glove, he carried it off. If he wanted a cool spot to lay he picked one of my freshly watered flower beds after he dug a crater which exposed bulbs and covered up plants. I soon made a fast rule if my husband gave him a bone, it was to be only in Buster's pen. That way the dog wouldn't bury the bone in the soft dirt in my flowers. My husband obeyed, but Buster found a way around that. He saved the bones until my husband turned him loose, then he buried it in my flowers. No doubt about it, this is a once in a life time, smart dog who knew he was the top dog in his domain. Never thought I would miss him, but when the vet didn't hold out any hope for him, I softened toward the dog. His last hole, with exposed roots, has been left untouched. I can cover the hole up any time, but it's going to take a lot longer to cover the hole in our hearts. Rest In Peace Buster.
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