Goodbye to my first son, Logan

I'm still very much grieving the loss of Logan, my first puppy, baby, and son. Joe summed up the events really well on his blog, and I don't feel like re-hashing that day or reiterating exactly what Joe wrote. So, in Logan's memory, I will write about some his quirks and my favorite memories of him.

*Before Delilah came into our world, Logan was a very SLOW eater. He frequently would leave half of his breakfast in his bowl, and snack on it throughout the day. However, when he would eat, he would pick up a mouth-full of food, walk 3-4 feet away, drop the food on the floor, and then proceed to eat it one kernel at a time.

*Logan was a butt-sniffer. And, fortunately for him, he was just the right height to perform his "duty" whenever he saw fit without any effort. Logan would sniff your butt EVERY time you walked into the house, even if you were only gone for a few minutes. He also saw fit to sniff my butt EVERY time I put on a new pair of pants. He would sniff my butt when I got dressed in the morning, and when I put my pajamas on at night. And, if I wasn't prepared to push him away, he would sniff my butt after I put on underwear. He definitely was a butt man.

*When we lived in Kalamazoo, MI, Logan and I used to go on walks EVERY morning before work. We walked in the rain, in the snow (which is why I bought him a coat), in the sleet, in the sun, and in the dark. I used to complain that I don't know why I even bothered to do my hair for work, because the weather would always destroy it on our walks. But, we would go every morning. Logan wouldn't have it any other way.

*Logan loved ice cream. It was one of his favorite treats. Joe and I used to take him with us to Dairy Queen and get him his own vanilla cone. He'd eat it so fast, and then longingly stare at what was left of our treats. We finally got smart, and would feed him his ice cream off of a spoon, to make it last longer. After his ice cream was gone, we'd give him the cone, and then let him lick our blizzard cups. This was one of our favorite things to do as a family in the summer.

*Logan was very peculiar about the toys that he liked. He didn't like ropes, rubber squeaky toys, or balls. He liked stuffed animals that had squeakies in them, and he liked them in the most vibrant colors available. Joe used to joke that Logan was gay, because his favorite toy was a purple and green monkey. Logan would allow us to play fetch with him SOMETIMES, but usually he preferred to lay on his back, hold the toy between his front paws, throw the toy in the air, catch it with his mouth, and then squeak the crap out of it. Logan would play with his squeaky toys so much that eventually the squeaker would break. I remember spending many long, pain-staking, love-filled hours replacing squeakers and sewing the holes in his toys.

*Logan hated going for rides in the car. We'd put him in the car and he'd shake like a leaf for the entire trip. He also refused to eat in the car. Joe and I used to say that Logan didn't know how to act like a dog, because he showed no interest in sticking his snout out an open window, like most dogs do. Eventually Logan did enjoy the wind in his face and his ears flapping in the breeze, after Delilah showed him how it was done.

*Although we went for many, many walks in Logan's lifetime, and we have always lived in the city, Logan had a (valid) fear of street-drain grates. One time (the first fall that we had Logan), when Joe, Logan and I were on a walk, Logan stepped on a drain cover that was partially covered with leaves, and his foot fell through. From that moment forward including the last walk we took together, Logan went out of his way to avoid drain covers. Some of my favorite evasive maneuvers were walking around the drain cover as wide as the leash would let him and jumping over the cover with a nice little hop.

*Logan had a hole in his chin. Well, he may as well have had one, because every time he took a drink of water, more water ended up on the floor by his bowl then what he actually swallowed. And, there was always a trail of water leading away from the water dish after he was done.

*Just like me, Logan loved autumn, but for very different reasons. Logan loved to pee on piles of leaves. Why? I never knew, but I think it had something to do with the leaf-covered drain cover mentioned above. Joe and I also used to make fun of the way that Logan peed. Sometimes, he half squatted like a girl dog. And, when he did lift his leg, it was always awkward looking, with an aim that was far off of his target.

*Logan wasn't overly affectionate. He didn't really snuggle with you and he rarely gave out kisses, but when he did you felt like a million bucks and you knew that you were special. Joe and I used to brag each and every time that Logan would kiss us.

*Logan was never happier than when he was outside. Besides walks, Joe and I used to take him disc golfing, roller blading, and on bike rides. Logan loved to bask in the sun for hours at a time, he would chase snow balls in the winter, play chase with Delilah around our garage, or stare out the window wishing that he was outside.

*Logan shed like a mad man. To this day, I have no idea how he wasn't bald. I will be vacuuming Logan hairs out of my carpet until the day that we move out of this house.

*Every morning, after he went outside to do his business, I would scratch Logan's butt at the exact spot where his tail connected. I don't know what it was about that spot, but he loved to have it scratched. We did this EVERY morning.

*We couldn't even utter the "w" word (that's walk, for you non-pet owners), without Logan going berserk. He had a 6th sense when it came time to go for a walk. He knew the moment after I had decided to go for a walk that it was what we were going to do. It was a struggle to get your shoes on and grab the leash, because he would use his nose and shove it under your arms, wag his tail, get in your way, and of course... the red rocket would be out (ewh!).

*It's true, Logan was spoiled. And, I was the one that spoiled him. He had a basket filled with toys and bones, a variety of dog treats, and a collar/do-rag collection that any dog would envy. I loved dressing him in do-rags, he looked so freaking cute! He had a collar/do-rag combination for all seasons, holidays, and even sports teams (U of M and Detroit Lions).

Logan, you are missed. You will always have a special place in my heart and my memory. I hope that you are on a long walk, peeing on leaf piles somewhere special. I promise to never forget you.