We have a Saint Bernard named Duke who passed away this morning. What a joy and delight to have such a gentle giant with a heart so big that he just loved everyone. When I started to date my husband I got to meet Duke for the first time, he was so big I shook in my shoes. He knew it. Slowly but surely I said to myself I had to get to know him and that was really so easy. He liked me right off. We had an understanding right off and it was smooth sailing from then on. Well my husband and I moved in together after we married and had to join his two dogs, my two dogs and two cats. Oh so easy. Duke said "Oh Well" new digs and I'm happy to be in a home with lots to do.
It was so funny to see him, about 175 lbs of hair, feet and head with a big smile, or at least that is what it looked like to me. He always seemed to be smiling. Now his roommate before we all joined is a small palmaranian, mine are a setter type and a yorkie. Just imagine this gang running and playing. My yorkie loves to run the fence and yelp at everyone that goes by. The kids in the neighborhood were used to him and my setter running to the fence and they would bark back or laugh until one day when. Yep you guessed it, our beloved Duke came bouncing down to the fence and in his deep deep voice gave out a loud happy bark. The looks on the faces of those kids was priceless. They didn't laugh anymore but say "Oh S----" or something to that nature. They weren't expecting a gentle giant to come running toward the fence and greet them.
We have a neighbor who has triplets, she walks the babies in a stroller every day and one day I noticed they stop at our fence. They wait for all the dogs espcially our Duker to come bounding down to greet them. They would giggle and scream when Duke got there and everyone would laugh. They just loved to see him.
Now Duke wasn't raised with cats but no problem. He took to my cats like he always knew them. He usually ignored them and they did the same toward him, it was like they had an agreement. What a fantatic dog.
In his last few weeks he was in a lot of pain, he had cancer and it was spreading. He lost the use of his right rear leg, that made it so very difficult for him to get up and down or climb stairs. He struggled so much, he lost a lot of weight but he seemed to always put on a happy face. He seemed to smile a lot more. I never have seen a dog who just wanted to be happy and make you happy. He tried up until his last hours to be normal, to let you know how much he loved us. He was one of the most gentle, sweet dogs I have known. He has created a place in my heart and will always be with me. He will be missed so very much. My beautiful Duke. Pets are so wonderful it so sad that their lifespan seems so short yet in dog and cat years they are older than us. Maybe that is why he smiled so much he had insight and understanding what his humans needed.
