Cole'

[Anne & Mr. Haley]

Sixteen years ago today, even though I knew nothing about it at the time, Cole’ (Co-lee) was born.  DH and I were trying to buy our current house which was a 35 mile commute to work for him as opposed to the 80 mile one way trip he was doing at the time.  This house is in the country and I wanted to have a large dog to keep me company during the day and the several times a year DH had to be away from home for a week at a time.

As time neared for the move I still had not found my companion.  I started going to the local SPCA every morning to find a puppy that had just been brought in.  Finally after a month of this routine I found him, a little black ball of fluff.  He and his littermate had been turned in that morning.  The one I chose was the livelier of the two and just 8 weeks old.  He was a Chow/Brittany Spaniel mix.

Cole’ went everywhere with me.  To the moving company to buy boxes, grocery store if I was to run in for only a minute.  Then the move came.  We had to stay in a friend’s house for a week between selling our house and the closing on the house in the country.  Cole’ was not house broken yet.  I knew nothing about crates but we went to the pet store and purchased one to keep Cole’ in at night or when he couldn’t be taken out. 

The closing came and we went straight from the closing to the house, Cole’ and me in the pickup and DH and Ollie (the cat) in the moving truck.  DH dropped off the truck and had to go to work.  Cole’ and I cleaned and sanitized the house which hadn’t been lived in for many years.  That night DH and I were having White Russians and one spilled on the floor.  Cole’ was on it before we could stop him!!!

Cole’ grew, first his head would grow then his body would get to long for his head.  At a year old he was 101 pounds and had to go on a diet which lasted his entire life.  He supplemented his kibble on his own, gleaning the fields after the harvest for peanuts, soy beans and corn.  He would eat the whole corn cobs discharged by the combine.  He had guts of steel!  We had to be very careful when the farmer planted peanuts.  Cole’ would eat seed peanuts if given a chance.  They have chemical on them which caused immediate drooling, vomiting and diarrhea.  Cole’s vet, who also was a peanut farmer , said we were lucky it didn’t kill him.  He also learned to crack pecans from the ancient tree in the yard and eat the meat out of the shell. He loved apples and all veggies and would pick his own.  We finally got Cole’s weight down to the ideal 75 pounds and kept it there.  The popping from his hips quit.

For those of you living in Richmond, VA, we often wondered if Cole’ was a son of the famous Black Dog.

Cole’ would go to town for the day with us.  He rode in the back of the pickup truck which had a white fiberglass shell with windows on it.  We would leave him in the truck and go antiquing, to lunch or whatever.  He was always ready to ride.  He would get in the back of the truck and just lay there when the tailgate was down.  As he got older arthritis set in and it became more difficult for him to jump up.  Every two weeks we would take him to vet (40 miles away) to get his nails trimmed as DH and I couldn’t do it ourselves at the time.  Cole’ had to be muzzled and DH held him while the vet tech cut his nails.  Finally the arthritis got so bad that the ride to the vet was hard on him so we got a muzzle and starting clipping Cole’s nails ourselves. 

The last year of Cole’s life he started getting sick and the long ride to the vet was too much for him.  DH also had to lift him into the truck as he couldn’t jump in any more.  We started using a vet much closer to our house. 

Cole’ was a good companion for almost 14 years.  He passed away in my arms December 30, 2008.  I still miss him and think of him often. 

Six months old

 

Cole' loved Christmas

A handsome boy

[cheryl & oliver]

Thank you for sharing Cole's story, it is so wonderful that even when these very special friends pass on, their wonderful memories stay with us, and they stay forever. 

[Laurie, Fudge, and Vern]

Cole sounds like he was a one of a kind dog. He was also a beautiful boy. Thank you for sharing your story here.

[Nina, Phil, Harlow & Lacey]

Thanks for sharing Cole's story.

[F, Calla & Luca]

What a lovely tribute to Cole', who sounds like he was a terrific dog.

[Allyson, Peri & Taquito]

Thanks for sharing Cole's story. He sounds like a wonderful dog.

[Jane, Guinness and Murphy]

Dogs like Cole never really leave us.  Their "stories" and their love are unforgettable.  Thanks for sharing Cole with us.

[Jane, Rooney & Stuart]

Isn't is beautiful that they always live on and on in our hearts?!