Max by Caroline & Family

Max
Jan. 19 1990 – May 26 2001

My dearest best friend Max where do I begin to tell the story of my beautiful German Shepherd. I miss him so much since he has left me and still find it hard to believe he actually isn’t around to greet me at all or be with me.

He lived a super long life and he was my family’s first time with a puppy. My mom picked him out from amongst about 10 puppies there. He was just a small bundle of black fuzz. He fit just nicely in the cat bed and loved to play. It was amazing to watch him grow and get bigger every day and the colour in his coat change to become so beautiful. His ears popped up and he turned out to be the most beautiful German Shepherd I have ever seen. He was so much fun all the time to play with and so many people would pay him compliments on how beautiful and well behaved he was. He grew to love and protect the home and family.

He became a real important member of our family. He became my walking buddy and helped me to shed 80 pounds. It kept him fit too and that was most important of all. We walked through the woods swam in the lake. We had a consistent walking route every day. I knew when I came home from work he would be waiting and willing to go. No matter what the weather did we still went out although some of the hotter days we went later in the evening or early morning. It didn’t matter when you only had to say the word “walkies” soon you could spell it and he knew what you were talking about it seemed.

Max was very intelligent. He was a quick learner. He learned quickly how to behave sit shake a paw lay down. He loved his treats and earned every one of them. He would walk right by your side even when he wasn’t on a leash and would come back to you when you called him if he was running for a stick. He loved when you threw the stick for him and always brought it back to play again and again. The frisbee was his favourite though. He also loved to chase the water hose and loved it when you sprayed him. On many a hot day the hose came out for him and he loved that game the most. Max was always making you laugh and always there to be your friend. He loved the company of the family the most.

We also took Max out on our boat on many occasion and he loved to swim in the water. He got so excited when we went for a) a car ride and then b) a boat ride. He was spoiled in every way. Like I said he was family. My mom was home from work as well and spent time with him every day which I know he enjoyed the most. He was never alone and nor was she.

When I went away to college it was the hardest time for me to leave him and only see him on weekends. He went crazy when I came home on the weekends to see him. Everyone in town knew us because we were always walking. So many people would ask if I was the girl who walked that German Shepherd. We lived in a small town so many people knew each other. It was nice that way. But we had many routes that we would take on occasion.

At the age of 10 Max’s right knee bone was slowly wearing down and we had to walk him less and so we walked every other day. It was difficult for me. Walking with Max was my stress relief and my time with him. It was the thing I looked forward to each and every single day. The days I didn’t walk him I started to jog. He couldn’t understand why he wasn’t coming and would watch at the window as I left down the street. I would always tell him that the next day would be his turn. Later that same year one day Max started to lay down on our walks at times and once he couldn’t get up and was whimpering. We took him to the vet and Max was diagnosed with hip dysplasia (Aug 2000). He got some medication so that he wouldnÆt be in pain and soon he was back to normal acting like the dog he used to be. His condition did deteriorate and soon his hips had worn completely away (November 2000) and he was on steroids. The steroids made him gain weight and he couldn’t go for his walks any longer. He needed lots of water and lots of trips out in the back.

He occasionally needed help with the stairs but he still seemed to be in bright spirits. We knew soon we would have to make a decision. But one day Max made his own decision and said that’s it. He was 11 +. That day was strange. I had come home early for a wedding and spent most of Friday with him. He seemed like he always had been but later that night he was in a lot of pain and couldn’t get up and wouldn’t even move for a treat (which was unusual). Mom gave him some extra medication in hopes that it would help but by morning Max still couldn’t move and was still in quite a lot of pain. The vet was nice enough to come out to the house to be with him. He was in his home and not disrupted when he went to sleep one final time. Only to wake up in a brighter place I hope. A place where he is pain free and free to romp and roam and just waiting for all of us to play with him again.

To me Max was my best friend. The best friend anyone could ever have. I miss him so much. more every day and still find it really hard to cope. I wish he was here with me and I really hope that one day I get to see him again. I will never forget you from my heart or my memory. Your pictures are around me all the time and I have looked at them many times remembering all the fun that we had together.

I hope my dear Max that you are running in the fields up there and that you have found Winky and Binky and Duchess. They were all waiting for you. One day I will come and see you all and be with you all again.

All my love Max!

Caroline and family