a tribute to one of the greatest dogs that ever lived

My parents had to make the hard decision and call us yesterday to tell us that our dog was going to have to be put down today.

Titania was a long promised gift from my dad. He told us before he left to spend a year in the Middle East that when he got home, we would get a puppy. My mom was hoping we would forget, but one year later we brought home a teeny weim puppy that we picked out because she was tearing through the garden beds with her twin sister! Instead of feeding her dog treats she got jelly beans (something that I hope my mom gave her last night) and when we couldn't find her we knew she was hiding in the rag bag next to the dryer because it was warm.  Unlike Nimitz who thinks cuddling is the greatest thing ever, Titania did not. We are sure it has something to do with three kids carrying her everywhere for the first six months of her life but she just knew when you were having a bad day. She would come up on your side and rest her head on you just to let you know that it was going to be okay. She also had a thing for peanut butter and I would save half my sandwich everyday to bring it home to her until I went to college.

I missed her so much in college that my parents drove her down on a Friday morning to surprise me. She opened a Christmas gift every year and ate birthday cake with us on our birthdays. Titania is the second person you give a hug to when you walk in the house because she wasn't one to be ignored. The last time I saw her she was bouncy next to Nimitz waiting to be walked and  even on her bad days she would somehow make it on those walks. Nipping at my pup to slow down and not to pull; when they got to the woods, off their leashes, Nimitz would always slow down to make sure she could catch up.

To her credit the first thing that all of us kids did when we moved out  was to get a dog but look forward to them each meeting Titania. She was one of the greatest dogs that ever lived, a lesson in responsibility, and a story of unconditional love.