I wrote this 3 years ago, but am posting it today in memory of the love of my life, Rudy.

Rudy (January, 1991 - July 18, 2003)

Rude Dog (Rudy) came into our lives as a fluffy, 8-week-old puppy in early 1991. In spite of extreme cuteness, in her first year she was pretty much a "biting, eating, pooping machine." By the time she came out of adolescence, she had become a sweet and loving companion who grew sweeter and more loving each year of her life.

Rudy was full of energy, curiosity, and playfulness. She loved to go for rides in the truck; she accompanied her Daddy on many trips throughout the eastern United States and even went to Canada. When she got tired of taking in the sights, she fell asleep with her head on Daddy's lap. She also loved to play with her squeaky toys, running while one of us chased her and then turning around and chasing us, all while madly squeaking away.

Her results after taking a dog intelligence test: "This dog could be described as brilliant. A dog with this level of intelligence is quite rare, and fewer than 5 percent of the dogs in our standardization group reached this level." Sometimes she was too smart for her own good.

With her butterscotch-blond fur, long blonde eyelashes, lionlike mane and feathered tail, Rudy was beautiful. People stopped us in the street and told us what a pretty dog she was. She had very expressive eyes and we never failed to understand what she was telling us through them. Her nearly constant smile always made us smile.

Rudy loved everyone she met and everyone who met Rudy loved her. She drowned everyone with her kisses. To Mommy and Daddy, she even gave hugs (she pressed the top of her head into the front of our shoulder and placed the opposite paw on our arm). Rudy adored her Mommy, who gave into her every whim. But, she had a special bond with her Daddy, never wanting to leave his side.

Rudy was the love of each of our lives and we miss her more than can be put into words. We take solace in knowing that Rudy was a unique creature who contributed much joy and love to our lives and to the lives of others.