In Memory of Rudy

"If you've never owned a dachshund,
no explanation is possible.
If you have owned a dachshund,
no explanation is necessary."

Rudy (Rudolph Von Brossart) was born on March 13, 1992, and was my birthday gift that year. "Miniature Dachshund Puppies, 3 males" had been advertised in the newspaper, and when we arrived, we immediately saw that this was nothing more than a puppy mill. I know that reputable breeders discourage anyone from buying from such a place, but once we saw this little runt of a puppy, we could NOT have left there without him! And from such humble beginnings came the best dog that anyone could ever have hoped to have in their lives.

When we first saw him there in that little trailer, the breeder told us that we were the first people to see the puppies, and that we could have our choice of the three. There they were in a very tiny little cage, and she opened the door. It seemed like the smallest of the three just pushed his brothers out of the way to get out of that cage, almost as if he were saying, "Move over, Boys ... this is MY family. I'm going home!" And so we always told everyone that in actuality, Rudy chose us.

My husband Steve looked at the three puppies and said, "Three little boys, just like the Gatlin Brothers!" Well, there's Larry Gatlin. Larry's just not a good dog name. And there's Steve Gatlin. But that could get confusing with my husband Steve. That left Rudy Gatlin ... and that name just seemed to fit our new puppy to a tee!

We brought Rudy home when he was only six weeks old, and he knew nothing but love from then on. As he's got older, he just got sweeter. He was truly our BABY! He loved to be cuddled, and he loved it when we sang him to sleep (Yes, you read right!). Every step we took, Rudy was right there ... to the point of almost being stepped on a lot of the time!

He enjoyed his many nicknames ... Ru-Ru, Little One, Red, Rudy-Two-Shoes, Little Hot Dog ... and he enjoyed any and all attention that came his way. Other than his Mommy & Daddy, he adored his Gam-Gam and his Aunty Linda most of all. Rudy never knew a stranger, and he went out of his way to make people love him. That wasn't hard to do.

Rudy loved when people came to visit us. He enjoyed company because that meant more people to pet him! And his favorite time of the year was his birthday, March 13th. We always had a party for him (complete with party hats and gifts) and he loved having the Happy Birthday song sang to him. He'd get right up in our face as we sang, and then snuggle in close for hugs.

Rudy after some surgery in 2001

With his Mommy

With Mommy & Daddy at a birthday luau. 2000

Many dogs love toys, but Rudy never did. His greatest enjoyment was just sitting on the sofa with us, watching television. And at the mere mention of "bedtime," he always beat us into the bedroom to assure his place in the bed ... on my pillow, as close as he could get to me. And when it was cold, he would put the blanket in his teeth and pull most of them over on himself! He was truly a little freeze-cat!

Rudy's best buddy was his older brother, Oliver (our Turkish Van cat that we had for two years before Rudy joined us). We felt that in his heart, Rudy believed that he, too, was a cat! He enjoyed hanging on the arms of the sofa, and he even preferred cat crunchies over any dog food that we gave him. Rudy and Ollie ran and played and chased each other all day. And when they occasionally tired-out, they would curl up together on the sofa and take a "cat-nap" in the afternoon.

When Oliver died on February 18, 2005, Rudy was really never the same. For the first year, he would run to the front of the house to look out whenever he heard a cat outside, and when he realized that it wasn't Oliver, he would just give one of his long sighs and go lay down in the spot where the two of them had always napped together.

Rudy & Ollie ... Brothers and Best Friends

For the last year-and-a-half of his life, Rudy had lost both his sight and his hearing. But he was still his happy-go-lucky little self. We just couldn't move any furniture or put anything new down on the floor, or he'd go bumping into it. But he still knew when Mommy & Daddy were in the room with him, and he could still find his way into our laps.

We moved into a new house in mid-July, 2007. Rudy was very fragile by then, and he mostly just layed on his little cushion and slept a lot. On July 31st, he didn't eat, which was very unusual for him. And then on August 1st, he didn't drink any water out of his little crock-bowl. We noticed that his breathing was becoming very shallow and his heart seemed to be beating extremely slow. On the morning of Thursday, August 2nd, we knew that Rudy was in his final hours. He couldn't even get up off his cushion, and he just layed there unresponsive. At 7:00 AM, Steve and I each went in and had our own time with him ... there were kisses and I wiped his precious face off with some water, as he always loved. In just a short time, our beautiful little boy was gone.

An afternoon snooze

Our hearts are broken, yet we have found so much to be thankful for, even in his passing. Rudy couldn't have had a more peaceful death. He died on his favorite cushion, in familiar surroundings and we didn't have to make the difficult decision to "put him down." He went as peacefully as we had prayed he would. This little soul who had brought nothing but happiness to anyone who knew him deserved nothing less. And we feel that he closed his eyes here, only to open them in a better place where he was met by his old pal Oliver. Rudy can see and hear again now, and he and Oliver will run and play together until we join them.

Steve built a beautiful little casket and lined it with Rudy's favorite blanket. Oliver had been cremated, because we knew that one day, we would want them buried together. So we placed Ollie's urn in with him. We buried them in a beautiful shaded area in our back yard. And their remains will rest peacefully there together until one day when we are all reunited.

Whenever I left the house, I always kissed Rudy and said to him, "Mommy will be home soon." Or "Mommy & Daddy will be home soon," when Steve and I were both leaving for awhile. Then he would go lay down and be content to wait for me, knowing I'd be coming back to him. And if I could have one more minute to spend with Rudy, I'd tell him one last time that "Mommy & Daddy will be home soon" and when we see each other the next time, we will NEVER have be away from each other again.

You are listening to a song that I found a few years ago. I couldn't imagine a more perfect song to express what we are going through as we face life without our darling boy! We hope it will touch your heart, too.

Bless the Road
Songwriter: Steve Cooney Recorded by: Mary Black

Remember when we walked on hills of heather
Singing weaving mystical rings
Now in a while my precious child
You will unfurl your wings
And I'll have lost what I believed
Had promised everything.
But before you go my friend, my kind companion,
Listen to this song I sing

Then go in peace and grow in grace and goodness
Know that you have nothing to fear.
And dry your eyes my little one
And let there be no tears
Send me a dream from away beyond
I promise I shall hear.
Oh beautiful beloved soul companion
Thank you for those beautiful years.

And Heaven hold and watch your way forever.
May your every dream come true.
Forgive all wrong, always be strong
And do what you must do.
You stand before this open door
And you must now go through.
My precious friend, my own, my sweet companion,
Bless the road that carries you.
My precious friend, my own my sweet companion,
Bless the road that carries you.

       

Mmmmm ... Pizza!

Rudy in his stateroom, looking forward to a cruise!

Praying for my friend, Babybear

Pet Rudy to Go Back