Products

Some might say he was "only a dog." But most dog owners know that a good dog is much more than "just a dog." He is a loyal friend, a reliable guardian, a faithful companion. Reuben was all of these and more. He embodied the best characteristics of the golden retriever breed.

Sadly, he also fell victim to a golden retriever malady. He had a massive tumor on his spleen that ruptured last Thursday, leading to major internal bleeding. We got him to the hospital in time for surgery, but his eleven-year-old system was just not up to this much trauma, and he passed away on Friday.

Reuben had a unique personality that we came to love in the eight plus years he lived with us. He had a way of generating a low, almost melodious growl at times such as when we were a little slow getting his dinner ready, or when we had just returned home after a long evening out. We called it "singing," and it was like no other sound I’ve heard from a dog. Sometimes he would "sing" when approaching strangers in the park, but everyone seemed able to interpret this as a friendly greeting. Probably the wagging tail gave that away.

Reuben made friends everywhere he went. When meeting another dog owner with their dog, he was always more interested in meeting the owner than the dog. When encountering people without dogs, he always seemed to be able to identify the dog lovers. He would walk right up to them, and expect to be petted, and he usually got his wish. People often spoke of him as "what a sweet dog." And that very well described his personality – always sweet, always loving.

It seems particularly unfair that this sweet, loving dog was beset with medical issues throughout his life, including torn ligaments, colitis, and intermittent seizures. Whatever he had to deal with he accepted with patience and calm. The veterinary professionals who treated him all looked forward to seeing him, and so he received outstanding care.

Although Reuben was most happy when he was with people, I knew that I was special to him. I took him for most of his walks and fed him most of his meals, and he reciprocated with his love. If he was napping on the floor, all I would do is walk towards him and his tail would begin to wag. Whenever I returned home, he would always be there to greet me at the door. It didn’t matter whether I was gone all day at work or simply went down the block to buy a newspaper; he would meet me at the door, tail wagging. And on those rare occasions when I was out of town and had to leave him with a friend, upon my return to pick him up he would almost jump straight up and down with excitement.

Reuben had an abundance of those qualities that are so lacking in this troubled world – patience, acceptance, and pure joy in being with people. His presence would brighten a gray day. And now that light is extinguished. And the world is just a little darker than it was last week.

Sadly, he also fell victim to a golden retriever malady. He had a massive tumor on his spleen that ruptured last Thursday, leading to major internal bleeding. We got him to the hospital in time for surgery, but his eleven-year-old system was just not up to this much trauma, and he passed away on Friday.

Reuben had a unique personality that we came to love in the eight plus years he lived with us. He had a way of generating a low, almost melodious growl at times such as when we were a little slow getting his dinner ready, or when we had just returned home after a long evening out. We called it "singing," and it was like no other sound I’ve heard from a dog. Sometimes he would "sing" when approaching strangers in the park, but everyone seemed able to interpret this as a friendly greeting. Probably the wagging tail gave that away.

Reuben made friends everywhere he went. When meeting another dog owner with their dog, he was always more interested in meeting the owner than the dog. When encountering people without dogs, he always seemed to be able to identify the dog lovers. He would walk right up to them, and expect to be petted, and he usually got his wish. People often spoke of him as "what a sweet dog." And that very well described his personality – always sweet, always loving.

It seems particularly unfair that this sweet, loving dog was beset with medical issues throughout his life, including torn ligaments, colitis, and intermittent seizures. Whatever he had to deal with he accepted with patience and calm. The veterinary professionals who treated him all looked forward to seeing him, and so he received outstanding care.

Although Reuben was most happy when he was with people, I knew that I was special to him. I took him for most of his walks and fed him most of his meals, and he reciprocated with his love. If he was napping on the floor, all I would do is walk towards him and his tail would begin to wag. Whenever I returned home, he would always be there to greet me at the door. It didn’t matter whether I was gone all day at work or simply went down the block to buy a newspaper; he would meet me at the door, tail wagging. And on those rare occasions when I was out of town and had to leave him with a friend, upon my return to pick him up he would almost jump straight up and down with excitement.

Reuben had an abundance of those qualities that are so lacking in this troubled world – patience, acceptance, and pure joy in being with people. His presence would brighten a gray day. And now that light is extinguished. And the world is just a little darker than it was last week.