Remembering Albert

I don't know how or why, but my thoughts were suddenly filled this evening with memories of my old dog, Albert. Living with my sister and her family at the time, Albert was nearly 14 years old when he passed on in a peaceful way at a veterinary hospital right before Easter of 2002.

Obtained as a puppy from a dog pound in July of 1988, Albert-- a mixture of German Shepherd and Chow Chow breeds-- was the "family dog" for a long while until I took him on as my house pet when I moved to the Oregon Coast in 1997. But, even before then, Albert had always been more particular to being around me-- always preferring to be beside me even when other members of the household were around or available. He would be in my bedroom while I hung out there, would sit at my feet while I watched TV in the family room or while online in the den. It seemed I was always in his periphery even when he wasn't immediately beside me, that if I made but a small gesture, Albert's ears would perk up or he would lift his head to look in my direction.

He was a funny dog, who agreed to almost every prop or costume we could put on him. On one of his birthdays, he agreed to don a colorful, conical paper hat while enjoying mouthfuls of his birthday cake fed to him on a plastic fork. There is also that predictable "dog-wearing-sunglasses" picture of Albert, a version of which every household would seem to have in their photo album. And it was always loads of fun when I would ask Albert, "Where's the fly?", which made him look up and around him, hoping to spot the pesky insect that was never there in the first place.

He was a loyal dog, a trait he never once compromised the entire time he was with us. Some would say it was because of the German Shepherd in him; others would swear it was because of the Chow Chow part. But, for us, it could only boil down to a strong sense of family.

It was difficult for all of us when Albert died, especially since we were in various parts of the county when it happened. But it would be even more difficult for our memories of him to escape our immediate recollection. And, although he's been gone for a while, Albert-- also fondly known as "Bubba," "Teggy-Bert," "Bertolucci," and other ridiculous nicknames-- will forever be loved and remembered.