Pets and Their People Blog

by Daniel H. Antolec

Editor’s Note: Since receiving the following message from frequent Pets and Their People contributor, Daniel Antolec, (three years ago!) I have contemplated ways to incorporate these stories into various posts. After reading the note again though, perhaps for the hundredth time, I finally realized it was time to share it with you, dear readers, exactly as Dan wrote it (with permission).

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I forgot to credit myself for the photographs, and while I am at it, I would like to share with you the stories behind them.

Max was a big, beautiful German Shepherd (GSD) and a favorite playmate of my Labrador, Buddha. They frequently engaged in play fighting, but Max lived with a female GSD named Ella, and she was the fun police. She watched Max and Buddha playing and barked at them, sometimes cutting in between to break up the play. 

When I worked in a dog daycare I sat behind Max one afternoon, wondering how he saw his world. I took the closeup of his face wondering what he saw and smelled, and how his interpretation of the world must have differed from mine. 

In a way, that was the kernel of the article I wrote 15 years later. [Learning – From a Dog’s Perspective]

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Julien was a big slobbery Boxer who adored people and licked them constantly. 

If you look closely you can see the reflection of his owner in his eyes. 

Julien was dying of cancer and this was the last time I saw him. He craved McDonald’s hamburgers, so on the way to his home, I bought ten plain hamburgers, which puzzled the employee at the counter, so I told her his story. Julien was happy to see me and through his slobbery mouth, air bubbles formed when he breathed, fueled by the excitement of being hand fed his yummy hamburgers. 

I took a series of videos and photographs and created a musical tribute to him, which I then gave to his family. Julien was euthanized the day after I took this photo.

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Charlie was my beloved Labrador and this was the first photograph I took of him. 

We had just adopted him from a family that was going through a divorce. The wife disliked Charlie and wanted nothing to do with him, and the husband adored Charlie and wanted to keep him, but had to move to an apartment and painfully decided to rehome his best friend. 

I remember the moment I first saw Charlie. It was a Saturday morning and I had worked a long and tiring night shift on police patrol. Friday nights were often the worst and I returned home feeling exhausted, and nervous about meeting the dog who would fill the hole in my heart after losing our dog Samantha, 18 months earlier. 

As Charlie hopped into our car, the husband asked if he and his young son could come to visit Charlie now and then. Of course, I encouraged him to do so. I never saw the man again and suppose it would have been too painful for him. Dogs give us the most joyful of days, and the worst of days.

We drove home with Charlie, where he sat on the kitchen floor looking up at me, cocking his head. Maybe he was wondering “What is happening?” 

It was the beginning of a long loving relationship. Charlie paved the way for Buddha, whom we adopted after losing Charlie at nearly 15 years of age.

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Each of these dogs was dear to me and they have all left this life, but so long as we remember our lost dogs, they remain with us. By publishing my articles, you are keeping Max, Julien and Charlie alive in the memories of those who read the articles. Now that you know the stories behind the story I think this will remain in your heart and mind as well. I am grateful that you invited me to submit articles, not only because I enjoy writing and sharing information, but because of the opportunities I have to breathe life into the many dogs I have loved over the years, so others may also embrace them. Dog Medicine can heal a broken heart.

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About the Author

Daniel H. Antolec, PCT-A, CCBC-KA, CPDT-KA began teaching dogs in 2011 and founded Happy Buddha Dog Training . He teaches dogs in a way that makes it fun for pet stewards and pets alike.