Picture of the day - January 18, 2007

"Sage"

I'll never forget the first time I met Sage. Shortly after Cheria and I started dating, her daughter Amy brought him in for a visit. I knew they were on their way, but I wasn't at all prepared for what I would see when they finally arrived. All of a sudden the door sprang open, and through it trotted this 95 pound solid black German Shepherd with a mouth full of teeth that could easily rip a man to shreds in a matter of seconds. I almost had a heart attack right then and there! I grew up in rural Widener Valley, Virginia among several brothers and uncles who always had dogs around the house, so I thought I was pretty much an expert on which dogs were safe to be around and which ones would love nothing better than to take a chunk out of my backside. But after I got my breath back and my heart stopped trying to burst through the wall of my chest, I realized that there was no need to be afraid of Sage. It took just a few seconds to learn that this imposing creature was really just a big black teddy bear. Cheria and I have had the opportunity to "baby sit" Sage on numerous occasions over the years, and each and every time he was the perfect "grandchild", never getting into trouble and following our "orders" better than any human youngster I have ever seen. We would say "Sage, plutz!", and he would immediately lie down and not make a sound except for an occasional low-pitched growl if he happened to fall asleep and start dreaming. If we wanted him to sit, we simply said "Sage, sitz!" - and he would. In my opinion, there has never been a better, more well-mannered or more loving canine than Sage. Sage was different from other dogs in another important way as well. He lived his entire life in Amy's home right alongside her cats, and to the best of my knowledge not one of them was ever harmed in any way. In fact, he seemed to genuinely love his feline "brother and sister". A couple of years ago, Tami's cat had kittens and Amy decided that she would like to have one of them. Cheria and I ended up delivering "Spike" to Amy's house, and to be honest we didn't know what would happen when he met up with Sage. After all, one good bite and the tiny Spike would be history! But Sage immediately fell in love with the furry feline, and before we knew it he had the kitten's entire body in his mouth, carefully carrying him from room to room. Poor Spike must have stayed drenched with Sage's saliva for at least a month! It was always fun to see the reaction when someone met Sage for the first time. Many were like me, scared half to death of the possibility of being eaten for lunch. But others seemed to instinctively know that this whopper of a German Shepard was as friendly as he could be. It never ceased to amaze me how easily people fell in love with Sage, even if they were initially scared to death of him. Amy trained Sage to be a wonderful companion, and he never disappointed her in that respect. He spent his entire life being respectful, loving, and a joy to be around. Quite simply, he was Amy's "son" - and my "grandson". This wonderful member of our family passed away yesterday, and we're all still in a state of shock. We didn't just lose a pet - we lost Sage. He was a beloved member of our family, literally one in a billion as dogs go. Today he lies in eternal rest beside our beloved 'Nook, helping her keep watch over the nearby cows and numerous squirrels that play in our back yard. He will forever be missed and loved, but he can never be replaced.   "Picture of the Day" archives             Submit a photo of your own!            Why I publish the "Picture of the Day"