Goodbye old friend...

I have been wanting to print my blog into a book for sometime now and it's just one of those things that gets pushed aside.  I now know why, it needed to wait for this post. 

As a puppy just a few weeks old.

Tomorrow we say goodbye to our dearest, oldest Rottweiler, Yukon.  His time has arrived to be let go, he is in pain and can't get up and down anymore.  He has given us over 10 years as part of our family.  This morning he looked up at me with his big brown eyes, and his grey muzzle and I knew, he was telling me he just couldn't do it anymore, he couldn't go on any longer for us.  I made the call to John, and the call to the vet.  Tomorrow is going to be a very sad day in our house.

Yukon came to us a puppy full of life, energy and a playful spirit.  I remember I was terrified of getting a Rottie, but they were John's breed.  He loved them.  One of our first Christmas' living together in 2000, I decided to get Yukon for John, as a gift.  We went over to the breeders house, and I remember going into a pen of what seemed twenty little puppies, all looking like little bear cubs.  They all had different color string on them, to tell them apart.  John knelt down and this little guy just bolted right over to him.  He had chosen his Daddy.  John attempted to check out all the pups, but he had already been chosen.  That was it, the little bear cub was all ours.  He was "our" first dog together (I already had Schatzi), so Yukon was kind of like our first child!  We loved and adored that dog, especially John!  He was so sweet, right from the start.  John promised me a kind, loving, protective dog and he worked hours with him to make him exactly that.  You have never seen such a big 'ol lump of love in your life.  He'd HELP the bad guys into our home!

Soul mates, no joke!

A funny story.  My parents came to visit after Yukon was a couple years old.  John and I were both at work and we had not anticipated them arriving so early.  So my step-dad, Bill decided to simply "jump the fence" and crawl through the giant dog door we have to get in.  Of course, Yukon comes bolting out the dog door upon hearing 'intruders' - takes one look at some strange guy jumping our fence and what does he do?  He RUNS back INTO THE HOUSE!!  And hides.  Oh, he was vicious alright.

Yukon has been part of our lives for almost 11 years.  He has been here through the first year of Rhett's life and has seen our son grow.  Yukon keeps his distance from Rhett, I think he is afraid of being hurt since he's been stiff and tired for a few years now.  He watches Rhett, sits by his Daddy and generally just gets love day in and day out.  Tomorrow will be our last loving act as we send him up to be with John's Dad in heaven and to run and play with Schatzi and Ellie again.

He loved to play with the balls, any size or color would do.

  

Momo loved to sneak up on the sofa.

Yukon with Ellie

He didn't just carry little sticks.



We love you MoMo - forever in our hearts....