Beauregard
Summer of 2009 my wife Virginia and I decided we would like to have a Standard Poodle. We contacted a local breeder and made an appointment to see the puppies. When we arrived there were twelve puppies and both parents present. The father of the puppies picked up a tennis ball and dropped it in the middle of the group of the puppies and then quickly picked the ball up and ran. All twelve puppies chased after their father. Beau returned first and stood in front of me. This event took place three times, with Beau returning and standing in front of me and looking up at me. That is when I decided this puppy has picked me and we took him home. Beauregard was always at my side and we became close friends. Beau would give hugs by leaning against me with his cheek pressing hard against my leg and letting out a sigh. He loved to ride in the car and would always sit up and look out the window. Beau went on our three-week trip traveling Route 66. We went for walks every day. Beau developed kennel cough after a grooming appointment and it turned into pneumonia. I had to treat Beau by putting him into the bathroom when it was steamed filled and slapping him on both sides of his chest to get him to spit up the fluids in his lungs, and he did recover from pneumonia. Beau did well for a year. The last six months he could no longer walk the trail on the sandy river, due to hip problems. I took him outside in the yard and walked out along the roadway and he was OK with that. Until one night he had a lot of trouble breathing and was not able to stand, and refused to eat or drink. Beauregard was now 14 1/2 years old at this time, and I made the decision that it was time to put Beau to sleep. It’s been one of the hardest things I’ve had to do in a long time, but he was having a lot of trouble with his hips, and he could no longer stand up. I miss my friend very much and still think about him often.