I don’t think I’ve written a blog yet about Carl, our (Weimaraner) dog out at the Villa. Carl originally was Betsy’s dog, but he came out to the Villa about 2 years ago. Carl adapted to life at the Villa extremely well. There was a lot of space, plenty of food, and a ton of kids to give him love.
Sadly, Carl died on Tuesday morning. I am currently at home in De Pere, but apparently Hae Young found him Tuesday morning; she thought he was sleeping, until he didn’t get up.
Losing a pet is never a fun thing, and I am actually very thankful that I wasn’t there for the whole ordeal.
I wouldn’t really call Carl “man’s best friend”. In fact, he didn’t really seem to like men at all. It makes sense. He was raised by Betsy and her kids and then came to the Villa to live with Hae Young and a bunch of kids. Not a lot of men in that mix.
But Carl was a fantastic guard dog. He always came on our hikes and always had to be the leader (even if it meant running ahead of everyone and pushing the little kids out of his way). When I went walking alone during the day, he always stayed by my side and wouldn’t let anyone get close to me. By the time Carl had arrived at the Villa, he had lost most of his teeth (due to eating chicken bones), but his 80-pound frame was enough to keep strangers at bay.
I have one memory of Carl that shows his true colors. One day I was in the shed looking for paint and was struggling to get the lid off the paint bucket. A construction worker was walking past, saw me struggling, and offered to help. Of course, his helping meant that he’d have to enter the shed as well. Carl stood in the doorway (between the two of us) and refused to let this man enter. It wasn’t until I exited the shed that the construction worker could get in to help me. That’s how Carl always was when I was around strangers; he’d put himself between me and the other person as a barrier!
It will be sad to return to the Villa without my "little" dog there to greet me, but I guess that’s a part of life as well. We’re in the process of looking for a puppy of the same race; the kids want to name him Carl!
Sadly, Carl died on Tuesday morning. I am currently at home in De Pere, but apparently Hae Young found him Tuesday morning; she thought he was sleeping, until he didn’t get up.
Losing a pet is never a fun thing, and I am actually very thankful that I wasn’t there for the whole ordeal.
I wouldn’t really call Carl “man’s best friend”. In fact, he didn’t really seem to like men at all. It makes sense. He was raised by Betsy and her kids and then came to the Villa to live with Hae Young and a bunch of kids. Not a lot of men in that mix.
But Carl was a fantastic guard dog. He always came on our hikes and always had to be the leader (even if it meant running ahead of everyone and pushing the little kids out of his way). When I went walking alone during the day, he always stayed by my side and wouldn’t let anyone get close to me. By the time Carl had arrived at the Villa, he had lost most of his teeth (due to eating chicken bones), but his 80-pound frame was enough to keep strangers at bay.
I have one memory of Carl that shows his true colors. One day I was in the shed looking for paint and was struggling to get the lid off the paint bucket. A construction worker was walking past, saw me struggling, and offered to help. Of course, his helping meant that he’d have to enter the shed as well. Carl stood in the doorway (between the two of us) and refused to let this man enter. It wasn’t until I exited the shed that the construction worker could get in to help me. That’s how Carl always was when I was around strangers; he’d put himself between me and the other person as a barrier!
It will be sad to return to the Villa without my "little" dog there to greet me, but I guess that’s a part of life as well. We’re in the process of looking for a puppy of the same race; the kids want to name him Carl!
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