BUDDY   

2/7/99 - 2/19/13

Buddy, my Border Collie, born 2-7-99, passed away on Tuesday, February 19, 2013. 

He had turned 14 years old 2 weeks before.  For months what we thought was progressive arthritis was weakening his back end, to the extent that he sometimes fell down while trying to get around and we had to pick him up.  But he hadn't lost any of his spirit and mental acuity, even though his body was getting weaker.

That morning, after breakfast while the dogs were outside playing, he fell down.  This was nothing new, and there was some ice outside that morning so didn't seem unusual that he slipped and fell.  But when I picked him up he fell down again.   I repeated it, he fell again.  He just couldn't hold himself up.  So I carried him into the house and laid him on his dog bed.  Every time he tried to move he whined in pain, and Buddy was not one to show pain, so I knew it was bad.  I gave him a pain pill and called the vet, then went in mid morning.

By noon the diagnosis was that he had lost most of his control of his back legs.  He only had partial feeling in one of them.  Xrays showed that there was something abnormal on his spine in the area that controls the nerves to the back legs.  The vet said every hour counted in terms of getting the use of his legs back, so Buddy stayed there and got doses of steroids, both to relieve the pain and to (hopefully) get some functionality back.  The vet said there was likely a tumor impinging on his spine, something that couldn't be removed and the damage couldn't be reversed.

The vet called at 4pm, giving the bad news that the steroids, while removing Buddy's pain, did nothing to remove the paralysis.  So I went to the vet's office and helped Buddy go peacefully.  When I arrived and went back to see him, and he saw me, he smiled the biggest, happiest grin.  I could tell he was in no pain.

Buddy would not have been happy being an invalid for the rest of his life, and at the age of 14 I didn't want to do that to his dignity.  He was always a proud and independent dog, you know. 

He was always a serious agility dog, wanted to please me and get it right.  But he also enjoyed being in the agility ring and performing. 
In CPE he got the CATCH-3 and CATE titles, and participated in 7 national events, including winning high scoring border collie in 2002.  He also competed in USDAA and NADAC nationals. He achieved the USDAA MAD title, NADAC NATCH title, and ASCA Elite Regular and Jumpers titles.

In addition, he loved Rally Obedience, and was a natural at walking beside me and heeling around the ring in different, interesting patterns.  We didn't get to do much rally, but In APDT Rally he achieved his Level 3 title before I retired him.

Rest in Peace, Buddy Boy, a.k.a. Bud Man.  We all miss you.

             2008 CPE nationals

  2001

       2002 USDAA nationals

           August 2005

On October 13, 2007, Buddy got his USDAA MAD!

On January 19, 2008, Buddy got his CPE C-ATE!  - watch the video

USDAA:

CPE:

C-ATCH

C-ATCH2 - 5/11/08

C-ATCH3 -  9/20/08

 C-ATE