When I first bought my house twenty years ago, I go the kid a dog. My wife actually picked him out. The dog was born in the dead of winter, in a doghouse with a hole in the roof. No matter how we tried to civilize him, the dog was just as mean as I like to think I am. I loved him. When he died I had him cremated and his ashes sit on the entertainment center in my living room to this day. There are so many stories about this dog that it is hard to choose one but I will anyway.
So max was just emerging from puppyhood. We liked to have him in the house whenever we could but none of us wanted to walk him. So I screwed in a ong curly stake in the yard, with a long coated wire cable on it. When he needed to have a bodily function, we hooked him up in the yard and let him have plenty of time for it.
I had no idea that he had become strong enough to break his leather collar. He had and off he went to do what male dogs do. I followed his trail of destruction through the neighborhood. I found him at the base of a tree pacing back and forth. There was one of my neighbors looking rather angry at me and at Max.
In the top of that tree was a cat. The cat did not look very happy, but max had a huge dog smile. Gave me one of those "look what I can do dad" looks. I walked over and put a rope around his neck and turned to leave.
"That dog is dangerous," my neighbor said. "He is going to hurt someone."
"To be honest, I don't think he would hurt you unless you tried to hurt him. Then I think you would be in a world of trouble." I said honestly.
What I didn't say was if the dog can't handle you, I can figure out something. You don't jump the dog for being a dog. You jump the owner for being negligent. I admit I under estimated his strength.
"So what about my cat?" he asked.
"When he gets hungry he will come down. The cat isn't going to run away. When it comes down, it is going to run for your house." I said it with confidence. Of course I really meant. The cat is your problem, this big old brindle ball of fun is mine.
We bought max a new tie out restraint. After he died I cut it off the cable and kept it in my shop. The cable was the same kind they use in pulleys to lift engines out of cars. It is the same thickness and strength. The hooks had also failed a couple of times. You know the kind that came with dog chains. so the hook I bought was the same one used to secure motors to those cable. It is huge. The collar was red about two full inches wide and made of parachute nylon harness material. That collar was meant to hold up to a thousand pounds.
The hole rig is intimidating to me even now.
He is also the dog that would tree any man who came to my house friend or foe, but would walk up to my wife or daughter's girlfriends and lay his head in their lap. In other words he was the four legged equivalent of who I wanted to be.
Rest in peace Max. I hope you scouted out a good spot in heaven or wherever we are all going. I know that was your last job for me. To go on ahead and be our guide.
thats why i don't really like having pets, like someone said they're a tragedy waiting to happen.
