Loyalty
The FT Family lost it’s most trustworthy and loyal friend this weekend.
Kiarri was loyal to the point of being a pain in the butt, in a comforting and enjoyable way.
She was always under foot. Always under the dinner table, back pushed up against your feet as you attempted to pound out another blog post or curled up in a little ball on the foot of the bed each night.
It was as if she knew if she took up too much space she’d lose her prized position on her master’s bed. Better to be safe than risk being treated like a dog I guess she thought.
She was smart that way. Smart in many ways.
Smart enough to leave her normal nighttime position in the event of house guests spending the night. In every case she’d leave to take up a position outside the guest room door to stand guard against who knows what.
Smart enough to straddle my chest with all 50 pounds if I were 5 minutes late rolling out of bed on school mornings. Somehow her inner canine calender queued her to the fact it was a school day for the kids and I better get moving or risk the wrath of about a half of a pound of wet sloppy tongue.
Smart as she was, she wasn’t above being the clown. Always the clown and always with that patented Labrador smile afixed to her face.
Like any dog in the retriever class she loved to play. If you tossed it she would return it. Didn’t matter what it was. Sticks, empty plastic bottles anything she could get her teeth around would be returned to the dumbass that kept throwing it away.
She’d return the object, sit at your feet with a quizzical look that seemed to say, “hey stupid I know this is yours why do you keep throwing it away?”
When she couldn’t find a human playmate she’d go off on her own.
She learned real fast our Feinting Goats were a source of enjoyment and a good replacement for those “evil owners” who didn’t provided enough play time for her.
So off Kiarri would go to a place central to all six of the goats. When located to her satisfaction out would come a bark. Followed very shortly by six goats toppling over like four-legged Weebles.
Not content with one episode, Kiarri would back off wait til all six recovered than charge back barking all the way until all the goats were in various poses of frozen animation.
Yep a very smart loyal clown she was. And one that will be missed very badly.
Forgive us for suspending our normal subject matter, but for the moment we have too many tears to shed. Tears for a clown. A lovable, loyal clown.
R.I.P. Kiarri
Thanks TinaRenee, where ever she is I know she’s just as happy as the day she was born.
I just wish myself and the kids could say the same, its been a tough couple of days.
I know how much it hurts to lose a loyal, four legged friend like that. I had a Yellow Lab for sixteen years. She followed me home from work one day, and her owner never claimed her, even though I tried very hard to find her previous owner. So she adopted me, and did everything I did. She would heel without a leash, and when I stopped to talk to someone, she would automatically sit and offer her paw. She loved her pet cat, and was always on alert to protect him from other dogs or cats.
It is hard to take a loss like that, and although I have cats, I have never found another dog to replace her.
May you always have fond memories of your four legged friend.
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Yea, but did she understand daylight savings time?
Best regards - it’s tough to lose your best buddy.
phastphil - Not sure about DST, there’s no such thing here in the P.I. but she knew within a 5 minute time frame when the kids would be home from school.
Just before the appointed time she’d be laying by the door leading to the garage. If they were late by a couple minutes Kiarri would move to the garage door and wait.
Rev Jim - Thanks, your Lab sounds very much like Kiarri. The breed is loyal to a fault and all they ask for a pat on the head, a little play time and a few, (did I say few?) kibbles.
Needless to say a Lab Pup has moved to the top of the Christmas list. Maybe chocolate color this time. Of maybe two pups chocolate and black.
Marc, I am truly sorry for you and your family. Take care.
Labs are such a great breed, I was about to ask if a pup was on the Xmas list as I read post. The kids must be heart broken.
In the mean time, think of their faces when a new pup comes to the home. 
Thanks to all who have commented on this post, but to be honest I’m kinda sorry I posted it.
In answering each comment I’m reminded of what is missed and having her smiling pus looking back at me each time still hurts.
But it’s that least I can do to honor her memory.
I’m so sorry, man. One of my friends lost his dog recently too, and I know it’s hard. I cried and cried and cried when we lost our childhood dog. It’s really hard.
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Thanks Stephen.
Sorry to read about this, the four legged family is still family.
Thanks verasaki, in some ways the four-legged variety of family is more trustworthy than the two-legged versions.