Temper passed away as he had had lived, surrounded by those who loved him. He was by far the best dog I have ever had in my life. So in-tune to our moods he was always there to lick tears away, and nudge my arm away from the computer when I was working too much. He always sat right behind my chair in my craft room, so I couldn’t slide out. He licked the water from my bathtub as I bathed. He slept between me and Tyler for 10 years, always kicking randomly in the night and scooting Tyler to the edge of the bed. Anyone who met Temper immediately changed their attitudes towards pitbulls. He loved people and kids. Last night our good friends James and Angelica came to say goodbye to him and brought there baby. Temper got right up to him and licked him right in his open mouth! I felt some comfort in that Temper gave a little of his life to this new life. I am not sure where we go from here, this is a profound change in our life. How will his little sister Juno react? Regardless, he touched our lives in a way I will never forget. I will miss you Temperdogg. If you have a dog, you will most likely outlive it; to get a dog is to open yourself to profound joy and, prospectively, to equally profound sadness. And today is that day for our grieving family.
{his favorite spot on the couch}
{he was always begging for food, always}
{stating to show his age, he lived to 16 years old, 10 years past the normal life expentancy of a pitbull}
{his other favorite place, my wing back chair}
{one of my last pics of him}
Now he is peace, you will be missed sweet Temper, I love you
My heart breaks for you and your family. He was a beautiful dog. We have 5 dogs and each of them bring such joy to our lives.
ReplyDeleteMuch love and healing to you and your family,
LuLu
thank you lulu. This is the hardest part of owning a dog for sure.... thanks for your kind words
ReplyDeleteSuch precious memories.
ReplyDeleteOh Sweetie,
ReplyDeleteI am so very sorry for your loss. Temper was such a beautiful boy and you gave him an amazing life. To live such a long life just shows how you took such good care of him and how he loved you and wanted to stay with you. He was such a pretty boy, Denise. I love the photos where you can see his jowls and loose skin around his neck. I’m sure all that skin was fun to grab and hug. :) It gives them so much character. Hang in there Sweetie. Know that I'm here if you need to talk. You were so sweet to me after Albie's passing. We are so fortunate to have all the love and support from our blog friends. I truly believe that all that love helped me get through Albie's passing just a little bit easier. Make art. Create a tribute to your beloved boy. It will help with the pain, Honey.
Lots of love,
Holly
Oh, Denise, I am so sorry to hear about Temper. He was such a sweet dog--he was so loved by your family. Poor Juno, she will miss Temper, too.
ReplyDeletethanks everyone, and thank you holly for the suggestion to create something in his honor, I am thinking of what I could make.
ReplyDeleteand yes I am concerned about Juno, she seems to be looking for temper and is a little less energetic. I know she will bounce back though, she will be getting all of the attention now!
Hi Denise, I am so sorry to hear about Temper. We have two cats and I get teary just thinking about life without them. Hold onto Juno for support! Your new friend, Jess
ReplyDeleteDenise & Tyler,
ReplyDeleteWe are all so sorry for your loss! We loved Temper very much, and will miss him tons. He was such a good behaved dog, and I cherish all the times I got to babysit him when he was younger and Tyler would go out of town for the weekend to go rock climbing or skiing. All the things you talk about that he did, like licking your tears and sleeping between you and Tyler remind me alot of our pitbull Rocky. They are Great dogs, and we feel your pain. Try and hang in there, and please let us know if there is ANYTHING we can do. Hugs & Kisses! Tammy, Jim, Travis, Tommy, Jaime & Jeremy
P.S. Please let me know when and what you decide to make. I would love to see pics!
I am so sorry my dear friend! I am bawling my eyes out, knowing how much you loved him!!
ReplyDeleteI don't even know you but we just lost our 7 year old German Shepherd yesterday and we loved her so very much.....so I feel your pain. I can barely imagine not thinking about her and missing her every moment. She was our baby big scary dog and the day just doesn't seem right without her. My thoughts are with you.
ReplyDeleteKate
Oh, this is a hard time to lose a loved one! Our animal companions are as close to us as they get - I think sometimes closer than our people friends. If there is a big place in your heart, I have some friends that do pitbull rescue. I know Juno is looking for a friend, and so many are looking for love! My 16-year-old cat passed two years ago, and his buddy was VERY lonely until I got two more little ones. Now my other older one is starting to fade... taking care of a sick animal is a journey all unto it's own. I wish you joy and peace at this time of year! Wanda
ReplyDeleteDenise,
ReplyDeleteWhat a joy he brought to you and your husband’s life. You have such great memories to hold on to. Love this tribute to him. What a beautiful part of your family he was. Love seeing all these wonderful pictures of him! I am so very sorry for your loss. You know I am near by if ever you need me. Your friend Nan
Denise, What sweet words for your special friend Temper. What an adorable face. I am thinking about you and your family and I am glad that Temper had such a long and wonderful life.
ReplyDeletexo Jane
Such a touching tribute! Its a lovely thing that you had this terrific furbaby & friend for such a long time. Lucky you, lucky Temper.
ReplyDeleteMy condolences on your loss.
My heart break for you ~ thank you for sharing this loving tribute to Temper ~ such a lovable boy ~ lived a long and wonderful life ~ had such a loving family! ❤
ReplyDeleteMay God Bless