Sunday, January 24, 2010

R.I.P. Ruby

We lost our dog Ruby today. Yesterday she was fine, and today she was just dead, with no warning. She was getting to be fairly old for such a large dog, but still, apart from a little stiffness in her hips lately, she hadn't shown any signs that anything was wrong, so this came as a surprise.

When Ken and I first moved to Virginia, long before we bought our farm, we rented a house with a lot of land, and before long started talking about getting a dog. We discussed what kind of dog we would like, looked at all the pictures in dog breed books, and still couldn't quite decide what kind of dog we'd like.

Finally, after much debate, I said, "It doesn't matter what kind of dog we get. When we're ready for a dog, the right dog will come along."

The VERY NEXT DAY a litter of puppies was abandoned on our property. We figured one of those must be "the right dog." Out of the four, we picked Ruby as the one we'd keep.



She was smart, a little bit shy, and (usually) very obedient. I taught her many tricks. The normal ones, like Sit, Stay, Down, etc. But also others like Shake Hands, Speak, Growl, Crawl, and Shut the Door.





After about a year, it was obvious that Ruby was lonely, so we went to a shelter and got her a border collie cross, Jesse, as a companion. They made friends instantly, and have been companions ever since that day.

When we moved to the farm, they shared the large shed and 1/3 acre run we gave them, and spent many happy days romping together.

So, sad as it may be that she's gone, she had a good life and appears to have had a quick, relatively painless death, since we found her just lying in her shed as if she was resting.

Could be a lot of worse fates for a dog. Could be a lot of worse fates for any of us. And we'll always remember her fondly as "The Right Dog."

Goodbye Ruby. Rest in Peace.

11 comments:

Lisa said...

Rest in peace, Ruby.

Luster Canyon said...

So sad, but sounds like she had a great life.

Made by SwirlyGirl said...

What a sweet looking dog. So sorry for your loss. Very sad.

PaperOnParade said...

What a beautiful way to look at Ruby's death! Your family gave her love and a home, othewise she could have been left to die as a puppy.
I hope Jesse gets along alright.
This coming from someone who loved and lost a precious doxie after 14 years with our family. I do understand!

Michele Mallory-Davidson said...

So sorry for your loss. I have gone through the loss of a wonderful dog companion too. You gave Ruby the best life any dog could ask for, I am sure she was happy to have found you!
~Michele from By Your Side

Unknown said...

Oh I'm sorry for your loss. A good day is a true gift and it sounds like Ruby was a wonderful companion and shared in many wonderful memories with your family.

Twisted in Texas said...

Ruby is a testament to the good dog type the book, Edgar Sawtell promoted. I have had blessed canine friends that I have lost. Thanks for sharing Ruby with us.

Anonymous said...

Nancy,
I am so Sorry to hear about Ruby.
I just lost My 10 yr old great dane Delylah on the seventh of this month the exact same way.. She was fine and then in the morning she was gone.. I hate you suffered such a loss ,but at least she was well cared for and happy her whole life after finding you!
Brooke

ALMA said...

I'm so sorry for the loss of your sweet and loving companion RUBY.. I hope Jesse is doing well, she lost a best friend too.

~Alma from Muy Chic

Anonymous said...

I'm sorry to hear about Ruby. She sounds like a great friend. Given her start in life, you gave her a wonderful life on your farm.

Pat said...

I am sorry for your loss.
Adieu, sweet Ruby xx