Dog of the Day
BackBack January 11, 2015 ForwardForward

Today's Dog
Nominate Your Pet
Previous Dogs
Pet Talk
Poll
Search
Links
Why?
About Us

Today's
Dog of the Day
Today's Dog of the Day
 
Baron, the Dog of the Day
Name: Baron
Age: Deceased, Ten years old
Gender: Male Breed: Newfoundland, German Shepherd
Home: Arnhem, the Netherlands, Holland
 
   My Baron was very special, loved by all people and kids in the neighborhood. He was a quarter Newfoundland and 3/4 German Shepherd. Now he's passed away and everyone misses him a lot, like I do.

    I had cancer seven years ago and Baron was three years old then. He was used to walk for hours with me, and we played a lot in the garden and inside my house. He could throw a tennis ball to me with his mouth and I threw it back and he could catch it almost all the time. He loved that game! When I was very ill from my chemotherapy, he didn't want to walk with any other person, he just wanted to stay with me. He didn't ask for walks, didn't ask for games, he just lay next to me on my coach to watch over me. He could feel that I was seriously ill. When I became better he knew it immediately and wanted to walk and play again. Without him I don't know if I had been able to manage!

    He was born with elbow dysplasia and the veterinarian found out he had it when he was just five months old. We had to wait until he was seven months old so he could have an operation in an animal-clinic because our veterinarian could not do this complicated operation himself. The animal-clinic said, after the operation, that I should have to be glad if he lives five years, and with very much luck he might live for six years because all his bones, joints, knuckles and ligaments were very bad, but he would be an old dog.

    His mother had nine puppies and he turned out to be the only one with this condition. Both his parents were tested for ED and HD but they did not have it. When I had to put him to sleep because he was in too much pain, my veterinarian told me it was only because of my good care that he had reached the age of ten years and four months old that he did.

    His whole life he was my "problem child" because throughout his life, I had to take him many, many times to the veterinarian and every time I was scared and worried it would be "the beginning of the end." That's the reason why we had such a strong connection: I took care of him when he was sick and he took care of me when I had my cancer.

    We loved each other very much and I made him swim as much as possible because swimming was very good for him. That strengthened his muscles so that released stress on his joints and ligaments. We had a very strong connection: all people who live in my neighborhood say "when we saw you, we saw Baron at your side" because he was always with me. I took him with me on busses and trains too, and everywhere people told me all the time he was such a special and friendly dog.

    If two dogs were ever fighting, he separated them from each other, even when he did not know these dogs, so he was (like me) a peace-maker. He himself never ever fought, he was friends with all animals and people, and very much friendly with children and they all loved him a lot. Once he rescued a small puppy out of the water. The puppy had fallen through ice and Baron crushed the ice with his paws and grabbed the puppy in his neck and put him back on the ground.

    And a very special thing about Baron was, he once dragged me on his leash towards an old man sitting on a bench. He never pulled so hard on his line and I did not understand, but then he put his head on the old man's lap. I excused him to the man, but the man said, "No, I understand your dog: I'm very sad because my wife has just died and your dog noticed that." I was so moved because Baron was really comforting that old man. The man and I had both tears in our eyes. And Baron did not even know that man!

    Normally, by the way, he always walked free without a leash, only when I was in the city with him I put him on his line. So you understand how much I loved him: he was a very special dog!

Baron, the Dog of the Day
See more images of Baron!
Baron, the Dog of the Day
Baron, the Dog of the Day

Talk about Baron in Pet Talk!




Cooper the Yorkshire Terrier Molly the Pug mix Prudence the Miniature American Eskimo Lucius the Black Labrador Retriever Leia the Chow Chow Della the Miniature Pinscher Luna the Elo Laci the Yorkshire Terrier
©1998-2015 Painted Turtle Productions, all rights reserved.
Privacy