The past few months there has been talk from my parents that the end is looking near for our family dog. Cody has been with our family since 1996. I never had an issue of not having a dog growing up. It was not a big deal to me. Friends of mine and dogs and I thought every now and then it would be cool and sometimes would say something to my folks; however, nothing ever came of it. Then my brother came along.
He wanted a dog. He had to find a way to make it happen. My dad started to side with him and get a dog too. That left my mom to be the one to get on board. The only way that was happening as if both my dad and brother agreed to sign a contract to take care of the dog and my mom had very little to do with him. That worked out for maybe a week.
My dad and brother decided on a dog they wanted and drove to Kansas to get him. The picked the dog up from a breeder and made the journey back to St. Louis. He was an instant hit. I was at work when they got back to the house. Neighbors started to come up to work and ask if I had seen the dog because he was so cute. I FINALLY got off work and went home. The dog came running to me and was going crazy. Hyper dog!! And then, Cody made his mark: He peed on the kitchen floor. I laughed and my mom started 14 years of clean ups.
We do not have crazy stories about Cody from the book and movie “Marley and Me” like a dog attacking a training and humping them. He would always follow my mom around, especially the kitchen when she needed to get food on the table. He did that pretty much every day of his life. The big holidays were his favorite days. He would hang out, in the kitchen while the food was prepared. Mom would ask someone to move him to another room; yet, he would find his way back. And then when that food would go to the table, he would not hesitate to just sit down, many times between my mom and me looking for food. When I would get up to go to the kitchen, he would follow me and of course, he got some good food. Not cheap tenderloin, but Cody was worth it.
My brother has since graduated from college and lives about five hours away now. He came in last weekend to see him as his health has gotten worse. It was a chance to see him one last time before Cody’s time will come. We had a wedding to attend last weekend and my parents were watching our son during the reception. Cody has yet to take my son on as a member of this family and has made his disapproval clear; however, at one point, my son leaned over and began to pet Cameron on his ear. I wish I could have seen it and it must be a magical moment for my parents.
Cody is going through pain and I support this decision for this tough weekend ahead. I will say my goodbye’s to not just a good dog, but a great dog. A member of our immediate family is going to be leaving us and not hearing him come down the stairs or sitting in the kitchen while making a sandwich will be so difficult for all of us when we go over there now. But, we have great memories of our Cody. He was the greatest dog we could ever have. Goodbye my friend.
You can read my dad’s blog regarding Cody: Tough Decision Ahead.
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