Letting Maverick Go

 

By Julia Gates

Recently we lost our beloved Maverick at New Skete. Typically I do not write in the newsletter, but I thought a view I’ve expressed to most dog clients would help as you read about his passing.

Maverick was brought into the world as a gift. He was a little special because he could not operate his legs when he was a young pup.  With much dedication and physical therapy and commitment from my family and our Battenkill Veterinary vet, he was able to make it to the breeding world and complete many of your homes and our monastery with much life that will continue through many years.  Maverick lived a great life with many dog companions throughout his lifetime.  He touched many children at the school with his therapy work in the reading program, as well as many veterans,  nursing homes, and others.  He was a true gift.

I want to touch on the topic of dogs in general but using my own experiences throughout my work to continue the gift of love for our dogs.  Our dogs give their unconditional love throughout their lifetime.  They never ask for anything in return.  They greet us every morning no matter what our mood is or what our breath smells like. They never say, “Go brush your teeth!” or “You need a shower!”  They eat whatever we give them; they may protest and go on a hunger strike, but whatever we choose, they have to eat.  We give them selected toys they can play with on a daily basis. We choose when and if they can go out to play and whether they can have a companion. They also give us unconditional love no matter what we do.

That love never asks for anything in return during all the months or years that we have our beloved dog.  They accepts us for who we are and what we are today, tomorrow, and beyond.  They do not judge us. They never tell us, “I do not like your outfit.” As a matter of fact, they give us a kiss, and we smile and think, “Wow, I must look great for my Monday meeting at work.”  Dogs have a sense like no other. They are sometimes misunderstood, and sometimes we create the behaviors in the dog by our commitment to training or lack of training and follow-through. But no matter what, they never complain.  With all that said. the dog has been great for many years. 

As our German Shepherd dogs become seniors. we start giving joint supplements and arthritis medication to make them comfortable. We notice they can’t walk as far over the years, or they may no longer be able to get in the back of the car without assistance.  Our beloved dog has aged so fast—and it seems like just yesterday we were picking him up from our breeder and taking him to dog classes, touching the lives of so many, and now our dog has to have visitors come visit him.  As the time nears his passing into the next beautiful world, we as their humans have to decide with our vet if it is the right time.  What is the outcome for the dog, and what will his longevity look like if we choose a procedure to prolong his life? We have to make the decision. My question to many of you is this: When we make these decisions, do we make it for ourselves or for our dogs?  Remember that unconditional love we spoke about before, that our dog has always given us?  Now comes the time to do the most selfless act that we humanly can.  At the same time, the kindest act we can do is to choose to let the dog go if necessary.  It’s a choice that we will not let the dog suffer. That means we might not bring the dog to say goodbye to the family because the ride can be too painful. It might mean doing a most selfless act and everyone else will have to understand.  

Just as we received unconditional love from our dear friend all those years, now we have to give that friend unconditional love in return, with no waits and no second thoughts. Know that you give the dog peace in return for the gift of their whole life with no demands, no complications, no conditions on their love—just pure love. The most selfless act anyone can give is what the dog gave to you their whole life.

At the monastery sometimes we get minutes of pure love before the passing of a puppy, and some of us are fortunate to get a lifetime of it. There is so much unconditional love roaming the monastery and your home that we sometimes forget to stop and appreciate it before time gets away from us.  When that happens and it’s time to make these decisions, remember to be selfless and not selfish. Ask yourself one question—what’s best for my dog?—and take yourself and others out of the equation. Remember that whatever decision you make for your dog during that time, whenever it comes about, it will be the right decision. There may be heavy hearts and many tears, but if we know we did the best for our dog, we will feel peace and the heart will not feel as heavy because we gave unconditional love and only thought of our beloved dog.