Max the WonderDog

We lost a beloved family member this past week. His name was Max and he was our dog – a Chesapeake Bay Retriever (commonly known as a Chessie). He entered our lives 15 and a half years ago as a rambunctious little puppy and he left this week a venerable old dog. For those unfamiliar with the Chesapeake breed, they are water dogs that originated in the Chesapeake Bay area of Maryland and Virginia in the 1800s. They are one of only a handful of dogs bred exclusively in America. They look somewhat like a Lab but with a wiry, waterproof coat. They are very bright dogs and very loyal to their owners. 

Max was loved by our entire family and was usually the center of attention, either because we gave it to him or he demanded it. He was always in the middle of it in our house. He was a tremendous retriever and swimmer, a real dog-athlete.

Every morning, he would go out to the sidewalk and get our newspaper and bring it back into the house. We were the envy of the neighborhood, especially on cold or inclement mornings. Neither wind, nor rain, nor snow would deter Max from going out and getting the paper. If, for some reason, the newspaper didn’t come, Max would be bummed out. It was his job and he was determined to go get it each day. 

I now realize the derivation of the word “dogged” – meaning “persistent in effort, stubbornly tenacious.” Max was a living example of it when it came to retrieving any object you threw, be it a ball, Frisbee, stick, etc. Once the item was thrown, there was no way he was not going to go get it and bring it back to you. And he would continue to retrieve it as long as you kept throwing it.

I read recently that they have concluded that dogs were first domesticated from wolves somewhere in the Middle East about 20,000 years ago. Wolves began to follow humans who at that time were hunter-gatherers. The wolves followed the humans to feed on wounded prey and at some stage, a group of smaller wolves developed a dependency on the human groups. The wolves also probably provided a warning system for the humans and eventually over time, humans began to intervene in the breeding process which led eventually to the first proto-dogs, the original ancestors to today’s canines. So a symbiotic relationship has existed between humans and dogs for a very long time.

It’s easy to understand why early humans developed a relationship with dogs, at least for anyone who is a dog lover. And we are dog people in our household. Max was not our first dog, and he probably will not be our last. But he was undoubtedly our best. He was a loyal and trustworthy companion, who gave us much love and joy.  

In the words of Neil Young - Long may you run Max. Long may you run. 

Comments

[Christi Stinson]

So sorry for your loss. I know how much Max meant to you. Even though I only met him a couple of times, I knew he was special. David remembers Max with fondness and a bit of envy.

[Ali Allie]

I never met Max personally but I feel like I have known him for as many years as John has been my boss because I heard so many stories about him. John knows what a soft spot I have in my heart for animals. I lost 2 of my precious 3 cats within 6 months. Max was given so much love and such a great life with John and Carolyn. I am very saddened that he's gone, but I know he's in a great place. R.I.P. Max.

[Colette]

Never having experienced the love of my own dog (since my parents deprived me of this pleasure), Max was the only dog I ever loved. I met him only twice, but he left a paw print on my heart forever. I too have fond memories of Max: doggy-paddling in the lake with him, racing in the pool, feeding him ‘people’ food when no one was looking…. I also remember the lovely Christmas card that Max sent me the year I was living abroad: a trace of his paw with the words, “whoof whoof. Come home soon”.

RIP Max.

[Donna Wesling]

R.I.P. Max.