The god dog was 15 years old — 105 if you multiply by 7 — when he left us today.
I made a tag — "Zeus the Dog" — and collected all the old posts, going back to his first appearance... in 2012, when he was 5 (35):
June 16, 2022
Goodbye to our dear friend Zeus.
The god dog was 15 years old — 105 if you multiply by 7 — when he left us today.
I made a tag — "Zeus the Dog" — and collected all the old posts, going back to his first appearance... in 2012, when he was 5 (35):
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106 comments:
It hurts so much to lose our pets, but you and the owners can take some small consolation that 15 years is a good run for a dog of that size/breed.
I'm sure that those fifteen years were happy ones for dear old Zeus.
He will be missed by all of us here chez Althouse.
A sad day. That last trip to the vet is gut wrenching, even though it's the right thing to do.
He looked happy and loved in every picture I saw of him. I am sorry for you, and I'm glad he had a long, good life.
"That last trip to the vet...."
The vet made a house call.
😢
Rest In Peace, Zeus.
oh no!
I'm sorry you lost your friend. :-(
Logically it may be the correct thing to do, but it's tough emotionally.
You'll think of Zeus everyday for the rest of you life.
You gave him a happy dog life. So sorry for your loss. He looked like a lovely dog.
So sorry. We lost Dot the Lab back in 2020. We have a new puo finally.
15 is a good long time for that size dog. I am glad you were blessed with him so long. I am sorry for your loss.
"Was I a good boy?"
"No. You were best boy."
We got Boomer a Jack Russell Lab mix, Jackador. Has Dot's face. Know it's too soon for you, but hugs.
The vet made a house call.
That's what we did when we had to help our cat (19 years) cross the Rainbow Bridge.
Much preferred for all, but especially for the pet who doesn't have to go through the stress of a trip to the vet.
Condolences.
It is a hard day indeed to bid goodbye to a furry family member. I remember several posts featuring Zeus, the dude had personality. Let yourself grieve.
Crossing the Styx instead of chasing them. Thanks for sharing him with us.
We have lost a few pet cats over the years and the occasions are always among the saddest days. Condolences.
George G. Vest
Eulogy of the Dog
23 September 1870
Warrensburg, Missouri
Gentlemen of the jury—
The best friend a man has in the world may turn against him and become his enemy. His son or daughter whom he has reared with loving care may prove ungrateful. Those who are nearest and dearest to us, those whom we trust with out happiness and our good name, may become traitors to their faith. The money that a man has he may lose. It flies from him perhaps when he needs it most. A man’s reputation may be sacrificed in a moment of ill-considered action. The people who are prone to fall on their knees to do us honor when success is with us may be the first to throw the stone of malice when failure settles its cloud upon our heads. The one absolutely unselfish friend that a man can have in this selfish world, the one that never deserts him, the one that never proves ungrateful or treacherous, is the dog.
Gentlemen of the jury, a man’s dog stands by him in prosperity and in poverty, in health and in sickness. He will sleep on the cold ground when the wintry winds blow and the snow drives fiercely, if only he can be near his master’s side. He will kiss the hand that has no food to offer, he will lick the wounds and sores that come in encounter with the roughness of the world. He guards the sleep of his pauper master as if he were a prince.
When all other friends desert, he remains. When riches take wings and reputation falls to pieces, he is as constant in his love as the sun in its journey through the heavens. If fortune drives the master forth an outcast into the world, friendless and homeless, the faithful dog asks no higher privilege than that of accompanying him, to guard him against danger, to fight against his enemies. And when the last scene of all comes, and death takes his master in its embrace and his body is laid in the cold ground, no matter if all other friends pursue their way, there by his graveside will the noble dog be found, his head between his paws and his eyes sad but open, in alert watchfulness, faithful and true, even unto death.
So sorry. It sucks.
Zeus is not dead. He’s in dog heaven.
The vet made a house call.
My vet made a house call when I report my Irish Wolfhound had collapsed. She had been treating him for cardiomyopathy for about a year, and knowing how difficult it is to transport a 140-pound, 6-foot long, 39-inches at the withers disabled canine, she volunteered to come to him. Her name was Dr. Diana B., a UW-trained companion animal veterinarian, and in my opinion one of the best animal physicians I've ever dealt with.
Diana had two young daughters who knew and loved my gentle giant. When they heard the news they insisted to come along with their mother. While the two girls stoked and spoke to Bran, their mother examined him. She was frank about the diagnosis -- the time had come. She gave Bran a strong injection of pentobarbital. He passed within a minute, releasing his bladder and bowels almost instantly. The daughters wept inconsolably. Later that day her husband came by with his backhoe tractor to help me with the grave.
Ironically, Dr. Diana passed away herself from a coronary condition 18 months later.
Doggie heaven must be the most fun. Condolences.
I sobbed like a baby when we lost our dog. My sympathies to you.
Goodbye Zeus.
A sad day, yes. We had two black Labs who died within a few months of each other. We hold out hope that they found each other in Dog Heaven.
Now, years later, we have finally gotten another black Lab. In addition, we do fostering for the local Labrador rescue society. Last month we had a young boy named Zeus! He was skittish but learned some zen calmness from the Mother Dog, and has gone on to a good home.
I may have said this before here, but it seems worth repeating:
"Millions of grieving pet owners attest that "He was the best dog".
---And they are all absolutely right."
My favorite Zeus Moment was the vignette of him bounding up the hill, through the snow, then up the stairs to greet Althouse/Meade.
There must be dogs in Heaven or none of us would want to go.
Condolences Ann — I had a house call vet do the same for my collie in 2019 and it was a blessing.
I miss Simon still, every single day. Peace to you and to Meade.
Vicki Hearne Oyez a Beaumont
The expert advice is another dog, same breed, as soon as possible.
That is sad. I still grieve for the the dachshund that was our once-in-a-lifetime best dog. Not helpful but 15 years is a good run for a Lab.
Better to have loved and lost . . . and ADGTH. I had been wondering if I had missed some Zeus neus.
We've had our 20-lb dackel for almost ten years, but weren't sure when we got him exactly how old he was. Anywhere from two to four, so he's getting old even for the breed. He has greyed in places to a most distinguished appearance, and we watch anxiously for evidence that he feels as old as we do.
Our previous hound, Bloomer, a big (60-65) stupid (but beautiful!) mutt who resembled a Holstein, succumbed to a bad liver and heat exhaustion at age 14. We took her in to the vet--she was so far out of it by then we needed to end it. Took us two years to be ready for another pooch.
Before that, we had to cut short another dackel life, when Waldi lost the use of his back half. Only five, he was.
My boyhood friend, Heinie (a dachshund) ran free for nine years and was killed crossing the street over towards Monkey Mountains.
Good dogs all, except for Bloomer, who was stupid, crazy, and evil but we loved her.
Obviously a good boy. RIP.
We pay a price for love. Thank you, Zeus.
Took that trip last year with a 20 year old cat that ran the house. To have nothing to lose is to have nothing.
Ahh! I loved the dog park pictures of Zeus before the sunrise pics.
I hope Zeus is not disappointed, now that he’s in Doggy Heaven. He had heaven on earth with you.
Ohhhh, I am so sorry to hear this.
Condolences. That is a tough one.
C'mon people, Zeus is/was the neighbor's dog who occasionally came to visit Althouse/Meade. While Althouse took the pics, I think Zeus actually came to visit Meade. I especially enjoyed Meade's short lived blog from the dog park, I know Zeus enjoyed his trips there.
Deepest sympathies. The loss of a beloved companion, and one who gives so much in exchange for so little, is one of the hardest things about being a human being - be kind to yourselves, and if your belief system allows it, have faith that this faithful friend is nosing in the grass and chasing the squirrels of a place where he will always have the energy and the joie de vivre of his puppy self.
(I know Christianity doesn't hold with animal souls; I have concluded for myself that they do, just simpler ones than ours.)
Dogs are great. But you have to be okay with having your heart broken every 5-12 years....
Sorry for your loss. He was a good boy. He will be missed.
To have nothing to lose is to have nothing.
Thank you for that. I'm in tears now over the loss, to a coyote from which she was trying to defend the house, of my little Chili during the pandemic. Our new dog is wonderful but I still miss my gallant little girl.
I'm currently on my fifth basset hound.
My condolences. We lost our 15 year old Heidi a few years ago. The hole she left hurt a long time.
i only knew him through your posts.. But he seemed like a Real Good Dog
“Ain't but three things in this world that's worth a solitary dime
But old dogs and children and watermelon wine"
Sorry for your loss. He was a very good boy.
Photogenic dog. Glad he had a long life.
Oh, Jamie, you have me in tears just reading about your gallant girl.
Casa Althouse and neighbor, peace to your hearts. Our Dex loved to visit so much that he hung out at the vet on his last day, so happy to be with people and other dogs, before they put him down at the close of business when my husband came from work.
Condolences to you and Meade and Zeus's "owner" humans. We lost our black lab 11 years ago at the ripe old age of 17. She had many friends - dog and human - and hardly a month goes by without a story being told of that girl. Cherish the memories.
So sorry. Lost my girl about 3 years ago and it feels like yesterday sometimes. But mostly warm and happy memories.
Here is one of my favorites. I expect with so many dog-owners responding to this post, you have probably come across this one as well.
“Being a veterinarian, I had been called to examine a ten-year-old Irish Wolfhound named Belker. The dog’s owners, Ron, his wife Lisa, and their little boy Shane, were all very attached to Belker, and they were hoping for a miracle.
I examined Belker and found he was dying of cancer. I told the family we couldn’t do anything for Belker and offered to perform the euthanasia procedure for the old dog in their home.”
As they made arrangements, Ron and Lisa told the vet that they thought it would be good for six-year-old Shane to observe the procedure. They felt as though Shane might learn something from the experience.
The next day, the vet felt the familiar catch in his throat as Belker‘s family surrounded him. Shane seemed so calm, petting the old dog for the last time, that the vet wondered if he understood what was going on. Within a few minutes, Belker slipped peacefully away. The little boy seemed to accept Belker’s transition without any difficulty or confusion. They all sat together for a while after Belker’s Death, wondering aloud about the sad fact that dogs’ lives are shorter than human lives. Shane, who had been listening quietly, piped up, “I know why.”
Startled, they all turned to him. What came out of his mouth next stunned the vet. He had never heard a more comforting explanation. He says that it changed the way he will try and live.
“People are born so that they can learn how to live a good life — like loving everybody all the time and being nice, right?”
“Well, dogs already know how to do that, so they don’t have to stay for as long as we do.”
Live simply. Love generously. Care deeply. Speak kindly.
https://www.goodthingsguy.com/opinion/why-dogs-live-shorter-lives/
Sorry for you loss. Ours is 14 1/2, so we're bracing ourselves for some sadness in the near future.
Very sorry for your loss.
A handsome gent. I think you were lucky to have him wander into your lives.
Such a loss. It’s so rough losing a member of the family.
So very sad to say goodbye to best friend.
I am hoping God will recreate our best near human friends in the next life.
Big hug to Althouse family.
A friend of mine had a black lab like Zeus that was poisoned by a neighbor.
Sorry for your loss. Dogs are everything people aren't.
When G*d created all things- he pronounced them good.
All good things come from Him &are called home again to Him.
Their souls are just different than ours- &Zeus had a valiant soul.
His wings will be added to the morning skies, no doubt. A young and bounding handsome fella, once again. I know they’re up there!!! All of them.
I’m so very sorry for you& Meade and the great people w/hearts big enough to share their dog! It’s going to be lonely:0(
I am so sorry, Ann. It's been about twenty years since I had to say goodbye to our black lab, Bob, and I still miss him. God bless you.
Fifteen years for a lab is exceptional. You were part of those years. Cherish the time you spent together.
I have lost a lot of great dogs in my life and it never gets easier to deal with the loss.
Regrets and best wishes for the two of you.
What a lovely being.
Ahhh. I too remember the video of him racing into the backyard to come visit his neighbors. A good, long life.
Prof. A: my condolences on the loss of Zeus. For what it’s worth, here is the poem I wrote when our Lab, Cooper, left us.
Dog, Dying
He lies on his good side
Half-asleep under blankets
We draped against a chill
This Indian Summer day
Fourteen and some of our years
Gives him a hundred plus
In math that is harder for us
Than ever before
Every day of his life here
I have asked him
In absolute seriousness
What do dogs think
And he has always
Answered me
In his own language
Wagging his whole body
memories of great dog(s)
Thats a well lived life
I’m sorry.
This got me to thinking about Meade’s old blog. I started searching because of spelling. Delving into the the past I ended up at
https://althouse.blogspot.com/2012/05/at-puppy-dog-cafe.html?m=1
Which made me smile. Then I started looking at commenters who don’t post anymore.Then I got sad again.
Full circle.
I’m sorry for your loss.
Our Vet came out to put down our big rottweiler cross. Had cancer eating him up.
But that was?...12 years ago. That means the fury little poodle mutt curled up on her fuzzy blanket is 11 years old. Cycle of life.
Good friend, good times, good dog.
Condolences.
Probably the best thing I've seen on the internet in the last few years. Thanks for sharing.
Our dog Ace died at the same age back in 2011. He was staying with my parents when he died. We were on vacation at the time. We had them have him cremated.. when we got back we goat a sack with his supposed ashes that said "Ace Stege, paid in full." Ain't that the truth..
H still sits on our bookshelf. Think about him often.
We grieve with you.
Malesch
I always thought it was a great idea to share the care of a dog. Zeus had a home to live in and a home to visit and at each people who cared for him. I shed some tears - not for him because he is where he can run without pain again. They were for me because he touched my life through his appearance in your blog. And because the pictures you shared showed enthusiasm for the moment he was living when it was taken. We all should live life as thoroughly as he did.
Always felt like Zeus was in the background with this blog. He's been a part of it for so long. I'm so sorry for your loss, Ann & Meade. Even though he wasn't officially 'your' dog, he was your dog, and by extension, a part of all of our lives as well. In a small way, perhaps, but there nonetheless.
Dogs are great souls to have around us. They love us unconditionally. Even on our bad days when other humans may not.
RIP Zeus. I hope you get a large field of green grass with multiple fire hydrants scattered in key places, and an unending bag of rabbit jerky.
So sorry. I lost my beloved
Wojapi in February.
A loyal Labrador is the best of the best.
Awww, Zeusie (that's what I always called him in my mind). I'm very sad to learn that he won't be making any more appearances on the blog, or on this side of the veil. Sigh.
Rigel (immortalized in my screen name) was a black Lab, too. I say "hi" to him every time I see Orion in the night sky and it's still hard for me to think about him without tearing up, some twenty years later.
Dogs are the best. Condolences on your loss.
Since someone else broke the seal - here's what I wrote about my Chili:
Her Best Dream
For Chili, small and valiant
Ears up, tail up, nose to the breeze,
She plunges into tall grass, seeking small beasts
She can't quite catch. No matter –
The hunt is the end.
Some furry thing flushes! She pursues!
Stretched long and sleek she runs
Out of the tall grass, over cool green earth
Under wide whispering trees –
The little beast, just ahead, escapes up a trunk,
And she lunges up, grinning, panting,
Giving her quarry her challenge for next time.
There is always a next time.
Now others like her are running,
Shouting an invitation: she accepts.
Here, even the biggest of them is no threat.
They race together, flat-out,
Taking turns at winning.
And now, a pause to drink
From the gentle-sloped lakeshore,
The water always clear and cold.
Food happens too, somehow,
Perhaps with the hot blood she was born to want,
Perhaps simply what she knows,
Easy and crunchy, ample and uncontested.
Next, she explores. There is a path.
She travels far but not too fast,
Feeling the familiar tug of a Someone behind her,
But now there is no hurry, no agenda but her own.
The Someone never urges her on,
But waits, eternally patient,
as she learns every blade of grass she stops for.
She does not look back. It is probably one of her Someones.
She feels the Someone's tender love for her
Through that light and constant connection encircling her neck,
That thing that means she is not quite wild, but something more:
That she belongs.
Sometimes she is tired.
Not weary, only happy to find one of the soft places
And curl tight, tucking nose to tail,
Or roll onto her back, belly to the sky,
Either way, feeling the Someone's hand warm on her
As she dreams inside her dream.
So very sorry. I’ve seen this several times over the last few years, but don’t know to whom it should be attributed.
————
he last thing I remember is My Person bringing my to the Sharp Place.
I never understood why My Person would bring me to the Sharp Place. The smells were sharp, and they poked me with sharp things. That's why I called it the Sharp Place. It was a bad place. I didn't like it.
I don't know why My Person brought me there, that day of all days. I already hadn't been feeling good. I'd been throwing up, and my hips hurt and my paws hurt. Even eating grass didn't help. And then My Person brought me to the Sharp Place. I tried to be mad at him, but he seemed so sad about something, so I tried to wag my tail to cheer him up. I didn't even really notice when the Sharp Man poked me.
Then my eyes got heavy and that was the last thing I remember.
Buddy, a voice said. Buddy, wake up.
I opened my eyes and got to my feet, and I realized my paws didn't hurt anymore. I tried a wag, and that was fine, too. I sniffed the air. It smelled like the Play Park and like Our Home and the Car Window. I liked it a lot.
Welcome, Buddy, came the voice again, from behind me.
I turned around, and there was a person there. He wasn't My Person, but he was all safe and good smells, so I trusted him.
Where am I? I said.
You're in the place that Good Boys go, the person said.
I was a Good Boy? I said.
You were a Very Good Boy, he told me.
That was good. I always tried to be a Good Boy. Where's My Person? I asked.
He's still down there, the person said. And he waved his arm and all of a sudden we were in Our Home, and My Person was sitting on the Forbidden Chair and looking sad. Every so often, he'd look over at the Okay Couch, where I was allowed so sit, and his breath would catch because he was very sad. I tried to nuzzle him, but my nose just passed through his hand.
What's happening? I don't understand, I said.
The person sighed. You can't be with him right now, Buddy. I'm sorry. It's the way of things.
I thought about this. So it's like My Person is on the Person Bed, and I'm not allowed there? I said.
Exactly like that, the person said. But he can be with you someday. If you choose to wait for him.
Of course I want to wait for him! I said. Not wait for My Person? Who did this person think he was talking to?
Hold on, Buddy, the person said. He seemed sad about this for some reason. It's not that simple. You have a choice. He got down on one knee and he looked into my eyes. There are bad things in this world, Buddy. Very bad things.
Like Neighbor Cat?
So much worse than her, Buddy. He waved his hand, and I saw what he was talking about. He showed me dark things, that were like snakes and rats, only worse. Worse than the Sucking Machine. Worse than the Sharp Place. They smelled evil.
These are the things that want to hurt him, Buddy. They want to hurt everybody. So you can wait for him, or you can keep him safe. But if you choose to keep him safe, then you can't see him again.
What, never? I said.
The person nodded. Never, Buddy. I'm sorry. Those are the Rules. It's a terrible choice.
I looked at my paws. I didn't want to not see My Person ever again. But I wanted to keep him safe even more.
I know what I have to do, I said, and the person waved his hand, and all of a sudden we were in a place with there were as many dogs as I have every seen before. More, even.
These are all the Good Boys who chose to keep Their People safe, the person said.
I looked at them all. I couldn't believe it, still. But there's so many of us! I said. How many Good Boys are here?
The person looked down at me. He smiled, but I could tell he was also partly very sad. All of you, Buddy. Every single one.
Condolences. Old family members, RIP.
Condolences on your loss.
I had a black Lab who hunted every day during duck season until I moved from the mid South to California where Jake made the trip, the wrenching trip, to the vet. A couple of weeks later a pkg arrived from the vet with Jake’s ashes. California!! I decided to scatter his ashes in the bayou where we hunted all those years and so when duck season began I put him in my luggage for the trip East. Delta lost the luggage. I phoned and told the lady from Delta lost luggage that the ashes of a loved one was in the bag and the funeral was in the morning. She gasped. When I told her I would simply get ashes from the fireplace she broke into a sob. Several hours later a messenger arrived with my luggage. I couldn’t bear to part with Jake who came back to California with me. My ex wife got him in the settlement. Dear Jake. A super friend and a great retriever of ducks which, by the way, he brought to his own spot in the flooded timber and not to the successful shot, nor to me. Great dog, Jake.
Zeus looks just like Molly (our 18 month old black lab who is asleep in her crate). I am shedding tears for Zeus. Molly will get extra hugs tomorrow. Dogs are the best. It is the saddest thing ever when we have to say goodbye to them.
I have been reading this blog (and the comments) for years (thank you btw) but have never posted a comment until now. I enjoyed the tales of Zeus and I’m sorry for your loss as well as that of Meade and your neighbors. Losing an animal you love is so very sad.
So many kind words, personal stories, lovely poems and beautiful memories. Thank you, everyone. Dogs bring people together, teach us to be humble, to be better humans, to be more humane.
It was our lucky day when Zeus wandered over to explore our backyard and then led me back to meet his kind, generous, trusting and trustworthy humans. Our lucky day indeed.
Thank you, Zeus. I hope we did you right. I know you blessed our lives.
My deepest Condolences on the loss of Zeus.
It brings to mind the Chris Stapleton song, “Run, Maggie, Run”, about a beloved rescue dog. So I bid, “Run, Zeus, Run!”
Godspeed my friend.
https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-rYedD4-XDhA/WtAk34ermtI/AAAAAAABReY/QnzS1DHsYJ4foFWQ8FYVRgVCGDp0MPGFgCLcBGAs/s1600/Profound%2Bdogs.jpg
Sigh, salty tears on the keyboard and some far away looks out the window as I remember our own recently passed devoted "best girl".
Sincerest condolences to all who shared in Zeus's very good boy life. Dogs are such a treasure and live on in our hearts.
I am sorry for your loss.
The Power of the Dog
Rudyard Kipling
There is sorrow enough in the natural way
From men and women to fill our day;
And when we are certain of sorrow in store,
Why do we always arrange for more?
Brothers and Sisters, I bid you beware
Of giving your heart to a dog to tear.
Buy a pup and your money will buy
Love unflinching that cannot lie—
Perfect passion and worship fed
By a kick in the ribs or a pat on the head.
Nevertheless it is hardly fair
To risk your heart for a dog to tear.
When the fourteen years which Nature permits
Are closing in asthma, or tumour, or fits,
And the vet’s unspoken prescription runs
To lethal chambers or loaded guns,
Then you will find—it’s your own affair—
But… you’ve given your heart to a dog to tear.
When the body that lived at your single will,
With its whimper of welcome, is stilled (how still!).
When the spirit that answered your every mood
Is gone—wherever it goes—for good,
You will discover how much you care,
And will give your heart to a dog to tear.
We’ve sorrow enough in the natural way,
When it comes to burying Christian clay.
Our loves are not given, but only lent,
At compound interest of cent per cent.
Though it is not always the case, I believe,
That the longer we’ve kept ’em, the more do we grieve:
For, when debts are payable, right or wrong,
A short-time loan is as bad as a long—
So why in—Heaven (before we are there)
Should we give our hearts to a dog to tear?
On my phone, that last picture looks like Zeus is in the palm of a giant hand.
Sorry for your loss.
Condolences to his humans and his faithful friends. Thank you for sharing him with all of us. He was one super cool dog.
Good on you and Meade for organizing a dignified death in the arms of comfort and familiar surroundings. A big, blocky, large-frame Lab like Zeus does very well to have such a long life, and that is also thanks to you. Best wishes and God speed to Zeus. I'm sure you will see him again, all dogs go to heaven.
You have my condolences. Losing a beloved pet is one of the hardest things in life. James Lilacs summed up the experience thusly.
http://lileks.com/bleats/archive/14/0214/020314.html
Sad news.
May he rest in peace, chasing squirrels in Doggie Heaven.
jvb
That's tough. Handsome guy.
Got two buried in the yard, but it never filled the hole.
Stoutcat @ 10:46 - that was beautiful......so sorry to hear of your loss Ann & Meade. I am nearing that time with my Cocker :-( I used to have Labs too. Dogs always comfort our tortured souls.
I know you don't parent dogs but I've seen how you aunt and uncle the heck out of them. I know a loss like this is still very hard. I'm sure you carry a string of loss stretching back in time like those who have dogs. I'm also sure you're a comfort for those who've lost the pets because you really understand their sorrow.
It's a sad day when a dog moves on from your life. You have my sympathy, and Zeus' owner has even more. Bless them (and you) for giving a dog a happy life.
Always a sad day... our lab/husky mix Sophie will be 13 in November, since in OK health for her age & size.
So sorry! Losing a beloved pet is very hard
He was a very beautiful dog. I'm so sorry to know he is gone.
Zeus seemed like a very good dog; thanks for sharing him with us over the years. My sympathy is with you and all of Zeus' people.
Goodbye, Good Boy.
Good boy.
Good vet.
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