The Best Freaking Dog Ever.
It was 2004, around late November. My husband Brian and I had been together for over 5 years. Since the day we met, he was an adamant cat lover. I’m an all animals lover with favoritism towards dogs. I had been bugging him about getting a dog for years, and we finally lived in a house with a large backyard perfect for a dog. One day he told me “I don’t know what to get you for Christmas so you can get a puppy!” I freaked out with excitement and started my research for the puppy I wanted.
I couldn’t find a young dog at the animal shelters near us and being the impatient person I am, I needed the puppy NOW! So I found one outside of Las Vegas. Where my dad lived (we were in Sacramento at the time). He had planned on coming to visit us anyhow, so I asked him if he would kindly go pick one out for me and I would pay him when he brought the pup to me.
He brought us an adorable seven-week-old golden retriever and we named him Barley (for Brian and Charlie). Barley had traveled nine hours in my dad’s truck from Pahrump, NV to Sacramento, CA like a champ. My dad had scored a deal on him and decided he would give him to us as a gift. He was the best gift I ever received.
He was the best dog. He was easy to train, super sweet and we spoiled him. He never chewed up anything or really did anything bad. We took him to the river all the time, Brian walked him every day and he was always so well behaved. All our friends who met him, loved him. He seemed like a wise, beautiful soul that just loved everyone.
We had our son in 2006 and he was so well behaved around the baby that tugged on his fur and took our attention. He would snuggle with Hayden and when Hayden started to walk he was there next to him offering a sturdy back for support.
When we moved to Las Vegas in 2008, he traveled so well in the truck and never seemed at all put out by the new adventures.
After fourteen and a half years of being our best dog ever, we had to say goodbye to him on June 10th.
He just got old, his legs were bad and his health had declined. It was the most difficult thing I had to do as an adult and still makes me cry just writing about it.
He was the best dog, for real. The other two dogs we have weren’t even a fraction of how good he was.
We were lucky to have him for over fourteen years and will miss him dearly.
A few nights ago I had a dream of a large field with tall grass and a stream running through it. Barley was there, happy as can be and looking young and healthy again. He was running through the grass, came up to me for snuggles and then ran off.
If there’s a doggy after-life I think that’s it.
