Black Dog Sunday

R arrived in our family shortly before Christmas of 2007. For most puppies, having Christmas celebrations within a week of arriving at their new home would be overwhelming. For R, it seemed to be nirvana. From Day One, he loved people. He wanted to meet everyone and shower them with puppy kisses. As a tiny puppy, that outlook meant that he did truly meet everyone who crossed his path. They could not resist his playful and friendly demeanor.

Samson, R, and K

 

Over the year before R arrived, we'd been dog sitting my sibling's yellow Lab, Samson (left in photo), sometimes for long periods. His family had two toddlers and lived in the city. They were overwhelmed with family life, and were always short of time for taking care of everyone. We'd have Samson stay with us to give them a break, and we loved him dearly.

K adored having Samson stay with us. She was really sad about having no siblings - and seemed to develop fears without an older dog to guide her. So, a few months before R arrived, we officially adopted Samson. He was about 13 years old in the photo.

In contrast, R was about 2.5 months old. Perhaps you can see by the look on his face, that he was not going to "stay" for any more photos after this one. Just after this frame, he leaped off the walkway to do one of his frolicking sprints on the driveway.

R rocked our world when he arrived. His love of *absolutely everything* made him a pure joy but also a whirling dervish of puppy energy. He'd bite Samson's ankles and leap onto K's head, and then he'd sprint a few laps around the inside of the house. His frantic energy was hilarious.

Eventually, he'd fall deeply asleep in the Runner's or my arms. We'd breath in his puppy breath, and we'd know that he was ours forever. And he is, even now. I can feel him nearby.