About two months later I lost Brewsky.
Over the last few years my blogging has dwindled down quite a bit but I managed to get at least one post up a month. That is until I lost Brewsky. I think that's because I wanted to recognize him but it was hard to talk about and I didn't want it to be a sad post that would make me cry.
Okay, probably going to make me cry anyway but I want to talk about the kind of dog he was, and why I loved him so much and still miss him today.
Brewsky came into my life a few months after I'd lost a doberman I had. Max had loved her dearly and he went into a serious depression when she died, to the point I honestly believed I was going to lose him too.
Enter Brewsky.
I was taking Max on several walks a day, trying to keep him engaged and active after we lost Cleo. Then one day this cute little puppy followed us home. It took more than a little encouragement to get him to come play with Max, once we reached our house, that first day. But after that, he was content to play for as long as I would allow him to and then he'd go back home until the next time.
It got to where Max would stop and sigh if his little friend didn't come out to play. That's when I decided to talk to his owners and talk about regular play dates for our dogs.
Turns out that they were looking to get rid of Brewsky because he was always getting loose and disappearing for days at a time. I wasn't really looking for a new dog but Max was so in love with him that I offered to take him in.
I learned quickly that the reason he would "escape" from his former owners is because he did NOT like being locked outside. I have a doggy door and he was perfectly content being left home if he could get in the house. And, despite what I'd been told, he was housebroken. But if I left him locked outside (it only took two times for me to see the issue), he'd break free somehow. I always referred to him as my little flight risk. :)
Anyway, Brewsky was different than any dog I've ever had in my life. He did things I'd never seen before - or since.
Max had grown up playing tug of war with Cleo. Brewsky didn't like to share his toys. So Max would try to engage Brewsky to play with him and he'd get nothing. That is until Brewsky decided to take the toy away from Max. He did this so effortlessly. He'd lay down under Max and take his little penis in his mouth and suck. I'm not kidding. Max's eyes would roll back in his head and he'd groan in pleasure and the toy would fall out of his mouth. When that happened, Brewsky would snatch the toy up and run outside with it. Worked every single time.
Brewsky was so independent and fearless. We used to go visit my step-father in Arkansas (the two pictures above and one below are taken there). He lives at the top of a mountain and the dogs would have the run of the mountain. His neighbor has cattle on his property. This one day I had gone for a walk with the dogs and they'd slid through the barbed-wire fence and around some brush that I couldn't see past. I wasn't overly worried until I heard a cow moo.
All three dogs came running from the behind the brush. Max came and hid behind me. Harley took off up the road that leads to my step-father's house - never looking back. But Brewsky stopped as he came around the brush, turned around and went back.
I hear Brewsky bark at the cow. The cow mooed back. "Woof." "Moo." "Woof." "Moo." back and forth until finally Brewsky rounded the corner again, chest all puffed out. He'd "tamed" the cow and came out the victor! :)
Brewsky also loved to play chase. If he got out the front door at home, he'd take off down the street. I'd call his name and he'd stop, look remorseful and then tear out running again with a huge doggy smile on his face when I got close. Because of this, I wouldn't let him go out with me to get the mail unless he was on a leash. I could let Max and Harley but I didn't trust Brewsky. Then about a month before I lost him I decided to test him and see if he'd run. I'd just gotten off from work and the garage door was open, the house was unlocked and my purse was sitting on the passenger side seat of the car. Oh, and I was dressed in work clothes (obviously).
He reluctantly came out with me. I mean I literally had to force him to come out because he knew he wasn't allowed. But once I'd convinced him, he wasted no time in running down the street. I took off after him, as fast as my work shoes (fortunately I don't wear heels but still not the best running shoes to be chasing a dog down the street in) could carry me. He rounded the corner, looking over his shoulder to see how far behind I was.
He crossed a street and kept going. I crossed the street but kept thinking about the unlocked house and purse on the front seat of the car and wondered if I should go back and get the car or at least lock up the house. He ran another block and crossed another street before I decided I had to turn back.
I looked back in time to see his body sigh in defeat and he came trotting back towards me. Once he reached me, the chase was on again. Only this time it was towards the house. For seven and a half years I always thought it was about being "free" and running wild. But for Brewsky, it was all about the chase. The game. And winning.
He was my little snuggler. But it had to be on his terms and his timing. And almost always in the morning. I'd wake up and stretch and he'd come curl up under my arm with his head on my chest and be so sweet. He was the only one of my dogs to do that, and I still miss that. It was our time and our thing.
So, my little flight risk was the first to fly the coop. It was unexpected and devastating but I'm so very grateful for the time we had together.
And with that in mind, and National Dog Week upon us, for those of you who have four-legged furry friends, go hug them and appreciate them because you never how much time you have with them.
Brewsky (May 2003 - October 31, 2011)
