Our Labradoodle: The Love, Lifetime, and the Loss

Our Labradoodle: The Love, Lifetime, and the Loss

Remember to do everything with Love!

Our daughter Sabrina has always been relentless in her pursuit of the things she wanted. When she was nine, her tiny but powerful voice filled our home with an endless chorus of, "I want a dog! When are you guys going to get me a dog? Why can’t I have a dog?" Her determination was undeniable, and while I admired it, I also knew the responsibilities and the work that came with having a dog. More importantly, I was terrified of dogs—an old fear that stemmed from being bitten as a child. I wasn’t ready to entertain the idea.

In our family, decisions were made democratically, often by vote. And when it came time to decide about the dog, the vote was 2 to 1 in favor of Sabrina. Reluctantly, I agreed, and after much research, we welcomed Twixy into our family. A ten-week-old chocolate Labradoodle, full of love, energy, and affection, Twixy came to us all the way from Iowa. His boundless spirit was impossible to resist.

To make our arrangement official, we drafted a family contract: Vick would handle medical bills and vet visits, Sabrina would take on the daily responsibilities—walking, feeding, and playing with Twixy—and I would have "zero responsibilities" when it came to his care.

The early days with Twixy were chaotic. I was terrified of this bouncy, energetic puppy and his constant enthusiasm. I would scream when he jumped on me, but at the same time, I found myself stopping everything to care for him. I watched how much joy he brought Sabrina—her laughter as she threw tennis balls for him, their playful chasing games in the yard. Slowly, my fear gave way to affection.

Before I knew it, I was feeding him, cooking for him, playing with him, and even taking him with me on errands. Twixy, once Sabrina’s dream, had become my baby boy. My heart swelled with love for him, his gentle spirit, and the way he filled our lives with light.

Our shopping trips turned into mini-adventures. Twixy’s tail wagged with delight, and his soft, curly coat drew people in wherever we went. Strangers would kneel down to hug him, offering kind words and smiles as they petted him. He became the lovable, fluffy "big bear" that everyone adored.

But a few years ago, Twixy's health started to decline. His hips and arthritis slowed him down, and his diagnosis of Addison’s disease meant that his energy and mobility became more limited. His runs and jumps were replaced by short, gentle walks, and in recent weeks, even those were reduced to brief 10-15 minute outings. I bought him an orthopedic bed, took him for daily ice cream trips, and made sure he was always by our side, even during dinners at restaurants with friends.

Today, however, was different. Today, we faced the hardest goodbye. Twixy’s heart still wanted to keep going, but his body had reached its limits. The pain was too much for him, and he could no longer stand or walk. His once-joyful barks had become faint, and his eyes, though filled with love, reflected his suffering. My heart shattered as I cradled him in my arms, desperate to ease his pain.

As we sat in the quiet of that final moment, memories of our time together flooded my mind—the laughter, the joy, the unconditional love that he had given us so freely. I wished, more than anything, that I could see him running through the grass one more time, chasing after his beloved tennis balls.

With tears streaming down our faces, I whispered, "Goodbye, my baby boy. You will always be in our hearts." And as I let him go, I felt a part of myself slipping away with him, knowing that Twixy was finally at peace.

The loss of Twixy is deep, but so is the love. We loved him unconditionally throughout his lifetime, and in the end, that’s what matters. The love remains, even as we mourn, and in that love, we find inner peace.

Twixy will always be a reminder that, in life, love wins—even in loss.

Reminder always that love is a behavior of Values, Beliefs, Actions, Speech, and Energized by Emotions.

#lovealwayswin #loveyourdogs #lovealifetimecommitement

Colin Mackinnon

Former Technology Pro

3 周

Hi Lea. Longtime no contact. So sorry to hear about the loss of you sweet puppy. We too recently lost our dear Moka, a 17 month old havadoodle, cross between a havanese and toy poodle. He didn’t pass, though. Our travels affected him so much that his development suffered. As we watched him react, we realized that we were the wrong family in the wrong environment for his best continuing growth and maturity. With great sadness we rehired him to a wonderful retired high school teacher who lives nearby on two wooded acres near the ocean with deer and bunnies for him to chase every day. Thought you might appreciate a kind thought and insight from an old (now 82) friend and puppy lover.

  • 该图片无替代文字
回复
David Kang

宏偉電機股份有限公司 獨立董事- 股票代號4565

1 个月

Sorry to hear that I also have same dog experience both Taipei and Shanghai house, our dog name Cookie - schnauzer dog

回复
Mimi Allen

Founding Affiliate at MAKE Wellness, Bioactive Precision Peptides which are the next generation nutraceuticals revolutionizing the way people take care of their health and their body, and how we age from the inside!

1 个月

So happy I was able to get to know your sweet Twixy?? My heart goes out to you and your family.

回复
Ezra Hanono

RETIRED - Principal at Hoffman Hanono Insurance Services

1 个月

??

回复
Isaac Szmuilowicz

Principal - Consultant at Safety-R-US, LLC

1 个月

So sorry for the loss! Dogs are amazing.

回复

要查看或添加评论,请登录

社区洞察

其他会员也浏览了