Ted is gone. He was a yellow blockhead Labrador. Ted was huge, 115 pounds. He wasn’t fat, just big. He looked like “Old Yeller”. He was born in 1989, the year we were married. We called him our first born. Ted wasn’t the smartest dog I ever had but he was the sweetest and happiest. He always had a smile on his face, even at the end. He was my shadow. Even when his hearing and eyesight failed, he could track me with his nose that never failed him. He could follow directions with hand signals.
Ted loved everyone. Our grand children grew up with him. They would run and jump on him, sometimes when he was sleeping. He was always gentle. He had a pet cat. The cat showed up at our house and wouldn’t let people near him, but cuddled with Ted. Ted didn’t seem that excited about the relationship, but he tolerated it and allowed the cat to use him as surrogate parent. He trained our second born, a chocolate lab. He taught her how to protect the house, be kind to the cats,not chase the squirrels, chipmunks and deer, but to bark at the Coyotes. He showed her the safe way to our Grandpas house a mile away, through the fields, avoiding the road.
Ted had a good life. He lived in the country and had a dog door to come and go as he pleased. He had a comfy bed at the foot of our bed. He had two sister dogs to keep him company when we were gone. Ted loved pizza. His spot at the foot of the bed will always be saved for him.
I miss him so much. I have a hole in my heart for the best dog I ever had. There will be others to fill the hole in the house, but none to fill his shoes. My husband says “Ted was a dog with a capital D”. And I say he was a “once in a lifetime dog”. We were so blessed to have him in our lives. It was just not long enough.
As a tribute to Ted, I am going to try to always smile, even when I don’t feel like it. I’ll just think of his goofy smile and it will be for him that I smile. Goodbye Teddy dog, we love you, thank you for your love and your everlasting smile. We will see you later.
Always
| Ted Redman |
| 14, Sep 2002 |
| Cathy & John |