Sweet Memories of Champ

Champ was a jokster. And he knew when he was being funny. We would go for a walk in the woods, we would play this game – he would pretend like he was the alpha and lead off. I’d let him get far enough ahead and engaged in sniffing something. I’d flip around and run quietly the opposite direction. He’d look around, realize I wasn’t there and come running toward me – often overshooting me – running by with a mouth wide open grin. We would play this “game” over and over. We both thought it was super fun.

Champ was full of drama – when I would discipline him/do dominance training (lay on top of him until he submitted), he would holler up a storm. It sounded like he was being tortured, and he would carry on for a really really long time. Champ always pushed the limits – just to see if I was really truly the boss (and I was!).
Champ loved to chase sticks – and to play keep away when he got close enough for me to grab the stick. He loved, loved to play tug-of-war and would play with his rope toy for as long as I would go along with it. He loved to bound down the stairs to retrieve his toy, and to bound back up as fast as he could go.

Champ loved me, and was so absolutely loyal, and for me. He always knew exactly where I was, and was always looking out for me. He’d post himself 30-50 feet from me – between me and any threat that might be around.
He loved Elise. When he got to see her – and only for her, he would do his best to smile a human smile, and his delight was written all over him. Champ loved Celeste too, and I’ve seen him smile the human smile for her too.
Champ was very gentle and tolerant of little kids – letting them lay on him and put stuff on top of him without moving a muscle.

Champ was afraid of little puppies. When my friend, Joy, got a new puppy and I brought Champ over to meet him, the puppy couldn’t move a muscle towards Champ but that Champ would run away.
Champ loved to chase deer. He would see one – from inside the house, or when he was hanging out on the porch, and he would take off like a shot. He never caught one, but oh, he loved the chase.
Squirrels were his nemesis. He longed to catch one – but they would run up the tree, and he would jump on his back legs trying with all of his might to reach it as it taunted him from above.

Champ always longed to mix it up with other dogs – when he saw them while we would be in the car, he would moan and whine and cry – he did that with deer and turkeys, too.
One of his signals of affection was to stick his nose down between my legs for a good ear scratching. He also loved to have his haunches scratched. If I was sitting on the floor near him, Champ liked to lay one of his paws over my leg. He would often lay between Ben and me with one paw on Ben’s foot, and one paw on mine.
Champ was always kind to me. Just in the way he approached me and hung with me. He was a great friend and went through my really tough times of feeling sick and alone. He gave me the oh so needed gift of being touched and letting me touch him. He was beautiful and elegant. His fur was a joy to touch – and it was mostly clean – in a funny way the dirt just seemed to fall off of it. I loved to run my fingers through his fur and to feel his warmth and the softness of it.
I loved exploring new places with Champ – and he loved exploring too. We had so many adventures in our four years together – hiking Crane Mountain, and alongside Bug Creek Road. Getting lost together in the woods (but always getting ourselves found).
Champ was a great friend to some of our neighbors. Mike and Carrie especially loved to see him.
Champ went everywhere I went. Each time I made the drive to Seattle, he went along with me. He loved to ride in the back seat, and he didn’t mind sleeping there when we were on the road. We would stop and explore on the way – the Coeur d’Alene River trail was a great discovery. We walked such a long way – and he explored alongside the trail with great pleasure.

Champ was such a beautiful and special dog. I’ve had dogs all of my life, but never never have I had a dog like him. My heart breaks at the loss of him. Yes, I’ll most likely have another dog, but right now I feel like I’ve lost my very best friend and companion. So, so terribly sad.