May 27 1993 - Aug 18 2006
Buddy was suppose to be my daughters next obedience dog, but as things turned out Bud became my best dog ever.
At 6 months old I trained Bud to do tracking, and 8 months he took his test in AKC. It was really a remarkable feat. He looked so young compared to all the other dogs that were there to be tested. He was so happy to be there, saying hi to everyone even though the day was next to miserable. It was raining, and did it rain, just poured. By the time it was our turn, we arrived at the track and found the ground was covered with about 2 inches of standing water over the entire field. The judge was very nice and said to give it a try, he said it was not really fair but there was nothing we could do about it. We went to the start peg and I showed him the scent mark covered with water and off he went. I was sloshing behind in a heavy rain coat and could barely see as the rain just poured down. Bud went on and on in a straight line, I thought for sure he had missed the first turn. But I remember my teacher saying to trust him, so I did. Suddenly he came to an abrupt stop. I stood still, he looked back at me and I said Find it, he did a big cast and suddenly off he went in another direction, another turn and then another and he stopped again, picked up the glove and came running back to me. The judge was over the top with excitement and yelled out...Hurray! Buddy heard him and looked his way and started towards him. The judge said let him go, so I did and Bud ran straight to him glove in mouth and they celebrated in the pouring rain! Bud was one of only two dogs that passed the test that day. I will never forget this, as it was everything my Buddy was about....he never let the problems that life gave him get him down!
A few months later Bud suffered some kind of an unwitnessed injury, he was in terrible pain down his right front leg. Two vets and three orthopedists could not figure out was wrong with him. After 7 weeks of constant pain, even after receiving the strongest pain meds, my vet was recommending to put him to sleep. A friend called that night to tell me she had heard about an Acupuncturist who was also a vet. I called him and took Bud to see him the next day. Bud was in a very bad way, I was ready to tell the vet he could not examine him if it ment any more pain. But he just stroked Bud all over and then asked to take an xray of his neck. Sure enough Bud had two fractures in his cervical spine. The vet order some medications, bones cooked a certain way, and did acupuncture. Seems silly but I swear he was a little better that very first night and 6 weeks later he was a lot better. After 6 months he was off all meds and moving around pretty well. He was never really right again, he always favored his right leg and could not really run well, but he was happy, really happy. I also found out at this time that he had hip dysphasia. Not good as he already had a bad front end and now he also had a bad rear end. But he never showed any lameness in the rear during his entire life.
About this time I got Pepper and Bud was so happy, he loved her so much and was the best big brother any pup could have had. All the years I trained and trailed on sheep, flyball and agility, Bud was there. He always got to do as much as he could of all the activities, which was not much, but he always looked so proud and happy with himself. He really wanted to be a sheepdog, but he could not outrun the sheep, so he helped me in the pens. He could play flyball, but was very slow and the jumps had to be at the lowest height, but the smile on his face when he came back with the ball said it all..he was the best!
He played once at a tournament. At that time I was doing rescue and often would show up with a new rescue dog I had just trained. So when we got to the tournament I went around and told everyone..I had the best dog ever! We had played a couple of heats and then in heat 4 we brought in Bud. Everyone lined up to see the new dog and then realized it was Bud I had been talking about. They all cheered him on as if he was the most fantastic flyball dog in the world. Off he went and he did it great! Of course he was slow over the little jumps, came to a stop to put one foot on the box to release the ball, then picked it and came back. But he was so proud! He earned his title in that one heat and he truly was the best dog ever!
Buddy then took on a full time Job. I took a teaching job at a nursing home and we implemented the Eden Program. This is a program where you attempt to make the nursing home more home like by having animals and other activities that you would see in a normal home. Bud took on the full time job as day shift Eden dog. Every day he came to work with me. He loved to trot around tail held high and wagging as he visited with everyone. He was always perfectly behaved. We also did little shows where we would dance or do tricks. He had a little wagon he would pull around. At xmas he would dress up like a rain deer and pull his wagon full of gifts around to each patient. He work every day at his job for 5 years and he brought a lot of joy to everyone he had contact with.
Not too long after this I retired and we moved to Australia. He loved it here at Blue Moon Farm and they were the best days of his life. He would go around with my husbands older dogs Joey and Honey, but it was Sally he liked best. They would go investigating, barking at the magpies and generally having a great time together. He loved to lay in the sun on the lawn and watch out over the sheep in the paddocks below, you could see he thought they were all his sheep and this was living at it's best. The hot weather really agreed with him and he was more fit here than ever before. These last years it was so good to him truly happy and content.
I love you Bud..
and I will never forget...
the best dog ever!