Beau... Our Perfect Dog

by Rick and Mary Ann McCandless
(Butler, PA USA)

We got our Beau in July of 2000 (he was whelped 5/18). He was a yellow lab who was perfect in every way. He was my husband's dog but came to me when he was sick or scared.

When I say he was perfect, I mean he trained himself to go outside to do his business. He would hide himself in the bushes and woods so no one would see him. He was so smart that he knew the names I would give his toys and when I said them, he would go and retrieve them. If he thought he had done something wrong or that we were mad at him for any reason, he would banish himself to the basement.

He was indeed an intuitive, knowing when we were upset or sick. So patient was he. Our friends got a pup about a year later than we had Beau and the pup would bite on his soft lower mouth (all labs have that soft mouth) and he would just walk around with the pup attached to his lower lip. He tolerated and loved our grandchildren and their shih tsu, Hank. He loved the outdoors and our lake house at Deep Creek Lake, MD.

Everyone who knew Beau loved him. Even those who were not particularly dog lovers warmed up to our handsome Beau. At five or so years of age, he contracted Lyme's Disease and suffered some hip joint pain chronically, but he persevered and stayed as active as he could.

About a year ago, we had a cancer scare and had to neuter him. Again, he persevered, with dignity to the end. In recent years, he suffered respiratory issues. The heat of this summer put him into chronic panting and heatstroke. Even the slightest effort was torture. He withdrew. He was no longer the same dog.

As always, we loved him enough to let him go. Our furry angel went to heaven July 19,2011, 11 years and two months to the day. Rick and I loved that dog so much that we bought a Beaumobile for him and a house in FL because condos don't take 90 pound labs into their associations. Their loss, our joy for eleven years. And our sorrow for an unknown amount of time.

Hey pup, your fur even has flecks of gold in it to match your heart and the way we will always remember you, rubbing the tummy, scratching behind the ears, and kisses on the mouth.

Daddy and Mommy