Sent:
Monday, December 03, 2007
Subject:
Chief
We had a dream 4 years ago - to
own a mastiff but without the drool. Is that possible we asked our
selves???!!!
We searched the Internet
endlessly until, (I still remember the day my husband called me at
work), and asked me to look at this amazing dog breed - the American
Mastiff.
I went to this
www.flyingwfarms.com web site. Could this really be? Is this a
hoax? Is our dream really going to come true? After asking every
question you can think of, and you know what I mean, because as an
American Mastiff owner yourself you asked them all too. We got on
the list, that infamous months long waiting list. The list we
thought we'd never get off of - with a dog. In October 2003 we got a
call that our puppy was born. Our dream was about to be a reality -
after all we had a daughter and decided no more kids we were going
to have a mastiff. December 24th 2003 we picked up our
new puppy. Just like every new proud parent we had the mildest
mannered, sweet, beautiful new addition to our family we could ever
hope for, BUT there was something wrong. We got home and this new
puppy would not leave me alone. He had a sense about things with
our family from the first day. It turns out that I was pregnant
with our son. Some how, some way he seemed to know. This was going
to be very interesting, a daughter, a rotty, a mastiff, and now a
son. Little did we know the affect that this little puppy would
have on our life.
From a very young age Chief
amazed everyone he came in contact with. He was known as a "legend"
at our vet, the local Pet Smart, the groomer and everyone on our
street. Kids from neighborhoods we didn't even know would come to
our house exclaiming, "You're the ones with "Chief" that big
mastiff, and he is awesome. He was an instant success.
Chief was one of a kind.
We faced trials and
tribulations with him . . . like the time as a puppy my husband
build a 4ft x 5ft kennel in the basement only to find that every
time we came home he was out - lying on the couch.
I can laugh about the loaves of
bread he would steel off the counter, sneak into the next room and
eat. An even most trying time was when I caught him red handed. I
had just put my daughters Barbie birthday cake on the counter. You
know - the kind that is dome shaped - with the doll inside. I left
the kitchen, I am sure for only 5 minutes. It occurred to me I
better not take a chance with that cake on the counter, because as
we all know mastiffs don't even need to get on their hind legs to
take whatever they want off the counter. I walked into this enormous
dog with his enormous mouth around the cake slowly pulling toward
the edge of the counter. I exclaimed, "What are you doing!!!" He let
go of the cake - unscathed and ran for the door. I laughed so hard
that he was going to eat the whole thing and yet ever so gently let
that cake go and ran out of the room. Hmmm I thought for a moment no
one else saw him . . . can I get away with serving the cake - should
I serve the cake?! In the end I didn't, I ran up to the store and
got a cake to eat. The cake he had his mouth around was for show.
Chief was also known as our
daughters dress up partner. It was not unusual for this gentle giant
to be sitting on the floor with our daughter;
Chief dressed in a kitchen towel saddle, beaded necklace, earrings,
and princess tiara.
Chief was also a hero.
I had just had our son my
husband was traveling and I was home alone with the kids. A man
tried to break into our home in Chicago - all I can ever think about
is "what if". We have rottweiler as I mentioned above - he too is a
sweetheart but I think with a pat on the head he would of let the
man in. Chief was at the door on his hind legs, through the screen
on the storm door, chasing the man off, our hero.
Of all the mischievous things
he did and trouble he got into he never once raised a lip, bared a
tooth or failed as protector of my family.
Chief was our best friend,
companion, protector, baby sitter, and when I looked into his eyes
he had nothing but endless devotion and love and I felt it everyday
he was alive.
This house is quiet, and
unfamiliar to us. No big clunky toe nails on the floor, no groaning
every time you rubbed his ear, no earth quakes from him deciding to
"flop" on the ground for a nap and finally I can go to the bathroom
alone - and that truly makes me sad. When people say their pet is
truly part of their family then we hope they mean it the way we felt
it.
Someday, maybe the time will be
right for a new friend but there will NEVER be another "Chief".
Wherever you are Chief we love you, we miss you and we are glad
you are not in pain anymore. Someday we will all be together again.
The
Smith Family
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