to all the dogs i've loved before...see you later squirt

On Saturday when I was slogging through the first 6 miles of a long run, I saw Squirt's mom out in the yard. I wasn't sure if her name was Linda or Lori, but I knew her dog's name and I knew

that I hadn't seen Squirt for a while. A little golden retriever puppy was running around in the yard and I didn't see Squirt, my friend of at least ten years and maybe more. I stopped in front of her fence. I had chatted with her before so she at least knew who I was.

"Did Squirt die, Linda?" I asked, already knowing the inevitable but surprisingly painful answer.

"Yes" she said. "But my name is Lori".

I burst into tears. I didn't expect this reaction from myself even though I often cry over commercials on TV. I felt stupid and she got teary too. I think it may have made her happy to

know her dog had such an impact on people she didn't even know very well.

Squirt was one of many dogs I got to know on my running route over the past almost 20 years in this neighborhood. We ran at around 6 Am so most of the humans were sleeping. Squirt was awake on the porch and always came up to the fence to get a milkbone me or my friend Ron would give him, and let me pat him on the head and tell him what a good boy he was. Jack, my dog, liked him too except for the past few years, he would snarl and bark at him for some reason unknown to me. Maybe he didn't like to share his milkbones or my affection.

Squirt always knew we were coming when we were within a block of his porch and would greet us. He acted hurt at Jack's sudden hostility but took the milkbone anyway. Dogs know how to turn the other cheek way better than the rest of us.

My friend Ron moved away about 8 or so years ago. But before he did, we took a camera on one of our runs and took pictures of our dog friends along the route. Squirt was the last of them that Ron and I both knew. As I thought about it, Ron and I cried a few other times upon learning other dog friends had died. You can meet a lot of them in the span of 20 years and very few ever live that long.

I will remember Squirt like he looks in this picture - young and happy. Come to think of it, he may have died a lot older but I bet he was still happy cause he had a good life. Tomorrow I will take the picture and a card and put it on Linda's (or Lori's) fence. She might like to have it.

I petted her cute bitey little puppy, whose name was Teton, and hoped I would be able to get to know him and bring him treats. I told Linda or Lori or whatever her name was "You can't ever replace the dog, but you can replace the love". These were the words my vet told me when Bailey died - they were strangely comforting.

As I ran off, I was still dripping from the eyes. I thought of how much dogs add to a person's life and how much they have added to my runs - both the dogs I have run with and the dogs I have met on the run. Too bad they can't be around longer but too bad we don't enjoy our lives like they do.

I told myself I would enjoy this long run or else....but I never really did...it was a crappy run as some runs turn out to be - all 19 miles (or maybe 20) of it. But the next one will be better.

The one thing I did decide, other than to try to live like a dog does - which I have yet to be successful at - was to start blogging about all the dogs I have known, past and present. I will call it the "Dog Friends" series - a tribute to the best of God's creations.