Dog Years

Based on the song “Dog Years” by Hardy.

HARDY - Dog Years (Lyric Video)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ITc1RvfOdKw&list=RDITc1RvfOdKw&start_radio=1

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This cool soft spot of bare soil under the old oak tree was my favorite spot to lie, now that it has become harder and harder for me to walk. From there, I could watch my friend Jason when he was in his rocking chair on the porch, and also keep an eye on the driveway so I would be the first to know if anyone came. As the only dog in the family, it was my job to be sure everyone knew when someone was coming.

My life had not always been this easy. I can trace my problems back to my mom. She was a beautiful pure bred golden retriever who fell for the advances of a mongrel. It was a tale older than stories themselves. She told all of us puppies from the time that we were barely old enough to see that the humans she lived with were not happy about us. She complained that they had never treated her the same after we came along, like it had all been our fault.

I was the clumsy one of the litter. I was always going too fast and stumbling over my own paws, so I quickly earned the name Rolly Poly from my brothers and sisters. Of course, they shortened it to just Rolly. My mom never bothered to tell any of us our real names.

While we were still very young, some men came and separated all of us puppies into cardboard boxes and took us in separate directions. I never saw my mother or any of the others again.

It turned out that I was to go live with a man who I discovered was called Nick. For some reason, he insisted on calling me Muttso, even though I told him repeatedly that my name was Rolly. Since that proved useless, I eventually gave up trying to explain it to him.

In any case, that part of my life did not last very long, only one cold season. One day, while I was out searching for rabbits, the man disappeared and I never saw him again. I was left all alone. I could not even get back into Nick’s den.

Thinking about rabbits brought my thoughts back from the past. My eyes might have been drooping in the heat of the summer day, but I still noticed that darned squirrel ten feet away as he taunted me with his swishing tail. I had long since given up chasing him and he knew it. My hips and knees were no longer up to the task. But still, he had better be careful. I still could be as fast as I once was for a few feet. If he wandered a little closer, we would see.

When I glanced back to the porch, Jason was there, rocking slowly in his chair. He was looking at me and seemed sad, but he had not signaled that he wanted me to come over. I considered going to him anyway. He had done so much to make my life better, I always tried to make him feel good when he was sad, but when I started to get up, it was hard and I decided to wait.

As I put my head between my paws and watched him, my thoughts drifted into the past once more. 

I remembered the day we met. I was a young dog not long out of being a puppy. I had been scrounging on my own for food for many days since Nick had gone.

I was a mess. I was covered in mud and scratches, limping down the edge of the blacktop road because of a run in with a cat. When I saw Jason standing by his truck, I dipped my head down and sidled up to him. I’m embarrassed to admit that I may have whined a bit, as I crawled the last two feet on my belly to lean against his feet.

Jason knelt down and rubbed me and asked, “Hey Buddy. You look like you’ve had a bad day or two. Are you lost?”

I wasn’t sure, but I said yes with my most pitiful look in my eyes.

I cannot explain how happy I was when he put the truck’s tailgate down and lifted me into the back. I was sure that he was going to help and he did.

“Let’s go get all that mud off you and have a good look at you Buddy.”

I tried telling him my name was Rolly but he didn’t seem to understand any better than Nick had. There was no way I was going to argue about a free ride that might end in dinner though.

Jason made one stop where he went in a big building and came out carrying the most delicious smelling bag, then we got to his den. A nice big one not too close to any others. There was lots of space and a wooded area nearby with intriguing smells and sounds coming from it.

He gave me some of the contents of the bag and it tasted even better than it smelled. I was so pleased that I didn’t even complain when he filled a big tub with water and picked me up and deposited me in the middle. He rubbed me with something foamy and when I got out and shook the water off, I was cleaner than I had ever been.

“Well Buddy , I was pretty sure that you were a goldie,” Jason said with a laugh. “I’m gonna call you Yeller until we find out who’s looking for you.”

Of course, he ignored me when I told him no one was. Several days later he seemed to have decided that for himself because he showed up with a super soft bed for me and invited me to spend the night in his room. I’ve slept there ever since. We did everything together after that.

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My eyes pulled open when I heard Jason’s voice.

“Here Yeller! Come here buddy.”

He was out of his chair and down on one knee on the porch. I struggled up and wavered on wobbly legs for a moment trying to get the momentum to go over. He decided to come to me.

Jason got down on both knees next to me. It was amazing to me that he could still move like he was young while I had such pains.

He wrapped me in a big hug saying nothing for a while. When he let go and looked deep into my eyes, I could see that his were all wet.

His voice sounded different, deeper and broken when he said, “I think it’s time Buddy. We need to go see the vet. He will make your pain go away.”

I had been to the vet many times. It was usually not such a bad place. Sometimes you got stuck with sharp things or got poked in embarrassing places. But it wasn’t all that terrible. Certainly nothing for him to worry about.

When we got there, Jason carried me in so I wouldn’t have to walk. We waited in the first room for a while, my head in Jason’s lap, him scratching that good spot between my ears.

Eventually someone came and escorted us to a little room. They placed me on the cold metal counter as usual and looked in my eyes and ears and other places. Jason talked with the vet person for a while and then they stuck me with the sharp thing. I had expected it, but Jason seemed to be bothered by it. He was crying again.

“I’ll leave the two of you for a while,” the vet person said and left the room.

“We had a good run, Yeller.” Jason said to me, giving me another big hug. “You really made my life.”

I tried to tell him that this had been the best life I could ask for, even though looking back on those dog years, they seemed to go by seven times too fast.

I told him, “You and me made a good team. We had a great time riding around in your truck with my feet up on the dashboard, picking up the girls, not a worry in the world.”

“I still remember that first kiss with Wendy. I’m sure I’m the one that caused it.  After I laid one on her cheek, she laughed and asked if you were next.”

For some reason, I just could not keep my eyes open. I wanted to keep looking into Jason’s eyes. I wanted to tell him it was all right. I wanted him to be as happy as I was.

Jason might have finally understood me. I heard him whispering, “You were my best dog ever.”

My heart swelled with pride, but my mind was starting to drift. I seemed to be floating, then I was running through a big field of grass. Wow! I was running again, like when I was young. There was that pesky squirrel! I turned on a dime and the chase was on!

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Jason was standing near the old oak tree. The spot that Yeller had worn in the grass was now replaced with a little statue of a golden retriever, outlined by an oval of colored rocks, under which Yeller’s ashes had been placed. The tears in his eyes made it difficult for Jason to read the words, ‘Best dog ever’ that were inscribed on the base of the statue.

“I’m gonna miss you Buddy,” he said as he turned away to walk inside. He stopped for a moment before continuing and cocked his head. He could have sworn that he heard a deep barking in the distance.