I remember the first time I saw his picture on Craig’s List. The ad had a non-descript subject line – something about “take me home”. I opened it up and fell in love at first sight. He was laying on a bed with the sweetest face I had ever seen. His pink nose is still as pink! We decided we would call the number and I prayed that if it was meant to be, we would get a call back and have ourselves a new puppy.
Later that day we got a call back and found out the family that bought him had a 4-year-old son who was deathly allergic to the puppy and had to give him up. They had bought him from a breeder the prior weekend for $400 and asked for $180 for a rehoming fee. We agreed to meet them in Elk River in the Target parking lot the following morning. I remember the man laying him in the grass and I grabbed him with vigor. He was super cuddly and HUGE already! He was 8 weeks old that day (July 6, 2008). After a short conversation we decided to bring him home. He sat in my lap and cried the whole way home. I have to admit, the anxiety kicked in immediately. I knew my life would never be the same again. What I didn’t know is that the next year would bring horrible heartbreak, infinite tears, intense anxiety and worry, a closer relationship to God and the most intense love I have ever felt.
My purpose in writing this blog is to forever capture my life with Barkley and to honor the immeasurable blessings God has given me with this chapter in my life. Words will never be able to convey the whole-hearted love I feel from Barkley. He gives to me the unconditional love that my heart seeks and did not fully experience until this dog’s life was entrusted to me. I am organizing this blog in “byte” form as the stories are just that – tidbits of humor, chaos, laughter, joy, anger, frustration, soul-searching, and above all else, love.
The first night, Barkley was left in his crate to sleep. He cried all night as did I – he cries rarely now, but it still tugs at my heart. The next night and every night since he slept on the floor in my bedroom. When he was small enough he would crawl under the bed. Every once in a while he still tries to get under there, but his lunkhead won’t make it very far.
When we would walk him as a puppy people would always comment on him. He still gets a lot of attention and loves every minute of it. He has great big lion paws that used to be oversized for his body. It was fun to watch him grow as each body part went at different intervals. His snout is much more pronounced and his ears much longer. His weight in the beginning would go from 17 pounds to 25 pounds to 32 pounds to 45 pounds within just the first few months and increased with each vet visit. By his first birthday he weighed in at 82 pounds. I believe his weight is protective as he falls UP stairs, trips on carpet and lands on linoleum with brute force. He is a loveable lummox. Now at the age of 2, he is a big strong boy of 102 pounds.
His first summer was full of frustration as I attempted to walk him. He grew more uncontrollable as he grew in size. I didn’t realize how important early training was. Consistency, the experts say, is key in successful dog training. At that point, the only thing I was doing with any consistency was getting frustrated. I was amazed at how difficult and all-consuming puppies could be. Looking back it was the single most important life experience I have had to date. I wish I had been more patient, but now I am a much wiser person and dog owner. I am still learning every day, but I have learned how to take things in stride.
Barkley had occasional accidents, but for the most part he was easily potty trained. I believe we just didn’t know the signs in the beginning. He did have a bad case of worms a few months upon entering the family. That caused him to poo in the house, but medicine quickly took care of the illness. Ironically it was as we were asking the question “where did he pee?” that a bare foot would step into the "puddle". I soon realized that my lawn would be a yellow mass of dead grass soon. That is only the very beginning of the wrath of Barkley’s destruction… The list is long and my memory is short, but I remember infinite piles of toys (and the stuffing) dotting the living room carpet much as a stormy sky is littered with cloud clusters. There are still limbs all over the house - a blue bunny arm here, a pink flamingo beak there.
Just tonight at the dog park I was reminded of how sweet, gentle-hearted and personable Barkley is. Watching him interact with humans and dogs alike makes my heart warm. He is most content to just fetch for hours, but when humans and dogs approach him they usually receive a sniff and nice sloppy kiss in return.
Today is the first entry into Barkley Bytes, but there will be much more to come. Life with a 100-pound lab (a la Marley and Me) is, by far, the most interesting, silly, wild, goofy and loving thing that could happen to me. I am so thankful and look forward to many more stories. I hope you all enjoy...
