The Dogfather

My husband Joe was THE BEST DOG DAD. He had many dogs in his life including Bogey the Great Dane, Sammy the Beagle-mix, and of course Grace & Hope the crazy rescues that I still have today. Joe treated his dogs like royalty. They all lived indoors, slept in bed with him, loved his barbecue (and licking up spilled beer), and played him like a fiddle when they wanted something they really shouldn’t have. When we adopted Hope and Grace, Joe was home with them more than I was due to his work schedule. Hope loved to eat drywall and Grace chewed up anything that had stuffing in it. It took almost two years for these beautiful girls to really settle into their new lifestyle. Joe had the patience of a saint.

He was the kind of guy who sat on the floor with his babies at the vet, brushed them religiously when they were shedding, held them during fireworks and thunderstorms, and taught them where to strategically stand when he was slicing brisket in the kitchen.

The girls were quite the challenge after he passed away. In some ways it was like training them all over again. I know they are as heartbroken as I am that he isn’t here with us anymore. But they have settled into our new routine now. Every once in a while, one of them will even do something with me that they only did with Joe. Like jump up in my lap and flop over expecting me to hang on to all forty-five pounds of her dead weight so I can rub Hope’s belly. Or climb on our bed at the end of the workday and want to wrestle with me just like Grace and her daddy used to. And even still, I think Sammy whispers to them occasionally when she knows I need that extra love on the really hard days.

One of Joe’s favorite songs that I’ve shared before is actually about a dog.

I know that our Sammy ran as fast as she could and jumped into Joe’s arms when he got to heaven. And at 8-1/2 and 9 respectively, I know someday Hope & Grace will join them. It used to bother me to even think about that with these girls, but now, knowing he’s waiting for them gives me so much peace.

Until then I’ll keep talking to them about him. And just like my Joe, I’ll keep yelling at them for digging holes and killing bunnies, brush them when they are shedding, treat them with Cheetos or a sip of beer, and let them know that the best dog dad in the world loves them even though he can’t be here with them anymore.

I tell them every night to dream about him, and I’m pretty sure they do.