Rocky: In Rememberance

Sunday, October 4

I couldn't make my last post about Rocky how he died.  So, I figured I would reflect back on how he lived.

Rudy and I got Rocky on Valentine's Day in 1998.  We were in Lubbock.  I remember telling my parents that we got a dog and they were not too happy.  I told them that was fine, I wasn't coming home for Spring Break then.  About a week had passed with no phone calls from me, so they relented and said I could bring him home... of course. :)

Rocky was the smartest dog EVER.  Most people who knew him would agree.  This dog was potty trained in less than 2 weeks.  His vocabulary was amazing.  He knew all kinds of words, different kinds of animals, and he even knew how to spell... W A L K!  He would get so excited to see you.  Would howl and howl!  He wasn't always the nicest dog.  He was known to start fights with other dogs and to bite every now and then!  Which is why when I lived in Houston, he was my protector.  I felt safe living there alone as long as he was with me.  He was fiercely protective of his mom.  He loved riding in cars, going for walks, playing ball, being outside and following me around.  He would chase squirrels and even caught one on one occasion... poor squirrel died of shock.

Once we moved to Grapevine, he would wait for Rudy to get out of bed in the morning and then he would jump up on the bed and walk around by my head until I lifted the covers so he could get under them.  He let me dress him up for Halloween, much to his dismay.  He even took pictures with us when we were engaged.  He was very photogenic.

When Angelo came along, Rocky lived with us for about 8 more months... or until Angelo started crawling.  I just couldn't risk what he might do.  So, he just sort of started staying with my parents.  I saw him still pretty much every day.  I always felt a little guilty leaving him behind, but I knew it was best for all.  He had friends over at my parents house.  I think he understood why he wasn't coming home with me.  He will be greatly missed by me and my family.  I hope to see him again one day.