With heavy heart, we have to share the news that Lestat, our beloved pet, had to be put to sleep in late November. It was a tough decision we hated to make. He was the best dog you could ask for.
I would like to share some moments...
we picked him up from the Humane Society way back in March or April of 1993. They said he was somewhere between 9 months and a year old. His name when we picked him up was Nevada Snow, so we knew we had to improve it, naming him....Lestat!?
Right away, we realized he was a very smart dog, pretty well behaved, and, best of all, potty trained (is that what they call it for pets?) He never grew anymore after we got him. He started with us at 45 pounds and in his heyday, he was up to 51 pounds.
He was fast as lightning and loved to play fetch/catch. He was so smart, that when he played catch and got tired (yes, he actually did get tired) he would lay down AFTER he chased the ball but BEFORE he returned it to me. I would take a ball on the ground and he would stand "ready", down on his front paws and hind quarters in the air, waiting for me to flick the ball with my foot/toes. Which ever way I shot the ball, he would snatch it right away, catching it like a good shortstop. If I flipped it over his head, he would catch it "with his back to the infield"
He was so well behaved, also. For instance, if we were having company over, he was never bothersome after the initial contact. And, if we were having appetizers, put them on the coffee table (just at the right level) and we would leave the room, he would not bother the food. However, if we came back and gave him the food, he would eat it then.
One of his tricks was for him to lay down, with his paws in front of him, and then for him to "stay". I would put a treat on his paws, tell him "NO" and he would not touch the treats. If I held him too long, he would look down at the treats, but still wouldn't touch them, not until I said "Okay".
When we traveled, he knew when we were getting ready. He'd be following us around, keeping an eye on our progress and when he figures it was time, he would climb into the vehicle, lay down in a small area and we would never hear from him. When we would stop to eat, we'd leave him in the car/van (with the windows cracked, of course). While we were in eating, he would sit in the driver seat and watch for us, looking like he was driving the van. Later on, after he was knocked down a notch or two on our list (read: once we started having children), when we traveled, the kids would drop things on the floor, and he still wouldn't move, almost to the point of being covered completely with "stuff".
He had unbelieveable control of his facilities, to the point of us taking advantage of it. There were many times when we would leave him alone all day, for over 12 hours, if not longer, and he would NEVER have an accident. Not until the last 6 months.
He never snapped at anyone, wonderful with the kids, smart enough to just get up and walk away if the kids got too friendly.
Our kids go over to my brother's house, where he has a young dog, around a year or so old. The kids have so much fun with him and his energy. I keep saying it was too bad they missed Lestat in his prime, they would have had a blast with him, too.
We were so lucky with him, we will never find another pet like him.
We'll miss him!
Laura and her friend Joyce modeling their skirts. Laura and Joyce arrived for a sewing class with the same fabric and the intention of making a skirt!
More skirts!
