Telfer in his younger years and how he will be
remembered.
It took me a year to make this
page.
Late Winter and Spring in 2011 came and went and
Telfer did not change apart from the inevitable traces of grey hairs on his
face and a general slowing down in his behavior. He had mostly been very
composed and slightly 'regal' but now he showed his experience in many ways.
Luckily his health was still good and he was quite active, loving a
chase and a game.
A couple of weeks into July, when walking in his
favourite woods with my wife, Telfer suddenly collapsed. I rushed to join them
and we lifted him into the car to take him to the vet, who confirmed he had
died. It was a huge shock but quietly I think I had been preparing myself
for it for some time. It seemed he had had a severe stroke or heart attack.
We didn't want an autopsy but his remains were cremated and the cask buried in
a quiet spot near a bench at the top of our long garden where he had played so
often. It seems his presence is still there !
LOOKING BACK
WE think Telfer had enjoyed a wonderful life. He
had been well-loved and well-trained without being hit. Of course he was
punished at times which in Telfer's case meant being verbally scolded in a
gruff voice. He was well-fed without being spoilt so not over-weight. He knew
his place in the family 'pack' and never challenged it. He had a
well-established routine of daily long country walks full of games and some
training, which he loved.
Will we have another dog? We have never made snap
decisions to replace a loved pet, preferring to respect their memories by
'suffering' for a while. At first such a loss leaves a huge gap and it is
difficult even to look at old photographs etc. Favourite walks have to remain
unvisited because of the memories as Telfer was the sort of dog who stamped his
mark on everywhere we took him. He was a remarkable dog ! A year
later we are still undecided as some of our circumstances have
changed.
No doubt when the time is right and the scars of
losing our marvellous Border Collie have healed a bit more we will
decide.