Rex was a German Shepherd. We got him as a puppy. What a pet, he was, smart and alert. We would hide different toys, or his biscuits and tell him to go find them. He would come back with everything we hid. He did heal, sit, stay, only with the move of our hand. As he grew older he was overly protective. With folks that knew him as a puppy. I would have to tell Rex it was OK and the folks could come into the house. Rex would be fine, but don’t walk into the house.
Then we purchased 2 Boston Terriers, at the age of 8weeks. Oh how they loved to bother Rex. He was so good with them. They would bite his leg or tail, and when Rex had enough, he would take his paw and just flip them over, never really hurt them. When it was feeding time, they would go to Rex’s dish and he always stepped aside and let them get their fill. He was so good to the 2 Boston’s. and believe me they kept him going in the day time while in the yard. That is what kept him going.
Rex, was having a problem with his hind quarters. Like getting up, or jumping into the back of the car, once we got him in,we had a problem getting him out. Tests were done on him and it was Arthritis. We gave him pills for inflammation. Helped some for a while and
the dosage of Mg’s was increased.
Up in the mountains there are mines. A train comes by every night about 10pm. Rex some how knew the time and out side he wanted to go. Being in the mountains and the canyons noise travels. The engineer would toot his whistle and stop, Rex would bark, the whistle would toot again and stop. This would go on every evening. Normally the train only gave the toot once, it was a game with Rex and the engineer toot and bark. We laughed about it as we felt the bark carried through the canyons and I guess the engineer thought it fun tooting his whistle,
then hear Rex bark.
A few years passed and Rex now 16years old. We could tell he was having a time getting up and down. We took really good care of him and visited the Vet all the time, to make sure he was not in too much pain. Then the day came, we let Rex out with our 2 Boston Terriers. I looked out the back window and Rex was laying down but not where he usually did. I asked Mac, my husband to go see if Rex was alright. The 2 Boston’s Frisky and Tiger were licking his face and then layed down next to him. Mac went out and came back into the house saying. Oh Jo Rex is no longer with us, really crying like a baby and I joined him. We had a man come over and he made the big hole to place Rex into with a blanket that was his. He is in the far south west corner of our 5 acres, we placed a short white wood fence around the area, and had a small marker made with a picture of him and his age. A big heart made of stones, painted red, are placed in the area.
There lies my Big Baby Rex. Our beloved Pet.
Now when we hear the train whistle we think of our Rex, and that is every night. As long as that whistle blows we will never forget our boy. There are time the train goes by and no whistle tooting.
It took awhile for our Boston Terriers to stop looking for their protector their big brother Rex.
My Big Baby Rex,
| Jo & Mac McCann |