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Bute


Sue R
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Our silly, scrawny, homely little Bute passed away yesterday morning. A dog with not a great deal of natural talent but a big heart and desire to be a partner, he was my husband's special buddy who often saved the day when moving the cattle. He spent his evenings enjoying tug-of-war games, snuggles, or time behind the couch with his little "treasury" of toys and bones that he'd placed where the bigger dogs couldn't get them.

 

ButeOct2008.jpg

 

Bute and Megan loved tug-of-war, with Ed being the centerline for the game. If Ed moved, the game moved with him. It wasn't fun without Ed as the human line. The noises Bute and Megan made while playing this favorite game sounded ferocious, but it was all in good-natured fun.

 

Bute would steal toys that the other dogs were enjoying, and run behind the couch where he had his little hidey-hole, and arrange them in a semi-circle in front of his nose, where he could savor the joy of possession. The other dogs couldn't fit back there like flexible, skinny Bute could and so his treasure trove would be quite safe until I betrayed him by moving the couch to restore the toys to the other dogs or to vacuum.

 

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He was sensitive to some odd sounds. He always ran for cover when Ed sneezed (but not me), or when certain small clicks or other mechanical sounds happened. His safe spot if we were in the kitchen, livingroom, or bedroom was under our bed, where he slept most nights for his first two years (until he moved up to sleeping on the foot of the bed), or behind the couch if we were in the family room. Whenever one of those trigger sounds would happen, he would dive into one of those secure places.

 

As a youngster, Bute was always eager to be able to "do what the big dogs did" and his first day of being able to scramble to the top of a big round hay bale was a cause for celebration. Even recently, if we went to a field where there were bales, he'd run and get on top of one with a proud look on his face. He also liked the "haybale olympics" where he and Megan would race back and forth jumping along a line of bales (as Celt ran along on the ground). And, since big dogs stood for a hosing down after work or jumped into the stocktank, he was game for that when dirty or hot, whether he liked it or not at the time.

 

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Short on looks but long on character, Bute dealt with a number of genetic issues - he was overshot, cryptorchid, had immunity issues, and had digestive issues that we finally discovered involved malabsorption and possibly ulcers. Stomach and/or intestinal bleeding due to ulceration was likely the cause of his recent loss of energy and rapid fading away. I feel like I let him down, that I didn't do enough to try and find out what his problems were and try to help heal him, that I could have done more, that he deserved better from me.

 

What Bute lacked in physical beauty, he made up for with abundant personality, affection, and desire to be a partner. We miss him so very much, and always will.

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Sue - Once again, it breaks my heart to see a new post in this section, for I have endured the same heartbreak (too many times), and feel the loss of a fellow dog lover. What makes it harder is that Bute reminds me so much of my Annie, and I know that eventually her day will also come. I hope this thought is of some comfort:

 

I lost a treasured friend today,

The little dog who used to lay

His gentle head upon my knee

And share his silent thoughts with me...

 

He'll come no longer to my call,

Retrieve no more his favorite ball;

A voice far greater than my own

Has called him to His golden throne.

 

Although my eyes are filled with tears,

I thank Him for the happy years

He let him spend down here with me

And for his love and loyalty.

 

When it is time for me to go

And join him there, this much I know...

I shall not fear the transient dark

For he will greet me with his bark.

 

~ Author Unknown

 

Via con Dios, Bute...

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Sue

I am so sorry for your loss. BUt what wonderful memories that you have. Your post was heart wrenching or heart warming. Either way, Bute sounded like a wonderful little guy.

Run free Bute. Now you own all the toys!

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Thank you - I posted out of respect for Bute and because I knew that people here would understand what a loss we are feeling.

 

Ed and Bute were so close. He's a man and not so prone to tears as I am, but he has cried his share over losing his "bud". I only wish I could have been home to help him so he didn't have to face it alone, and so that Bute would have had both of us to comfort him.

 

I appreciate everyone's understanding and support.

 

Bustopher - You'd have thought that poet knew my Bute personally. Thanks!

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I am so sorry.

 

He has a wonderful smile in the pictures.

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He's a man and not so prone to tears as I am...

Show me a man who never cried over the loss of his dog, and I'll show you a man who never loved a dog. A dog can feel like a member of the family; the bond between a man and his faithful companion runs deep, and the loss of that companion can hurt as much as losing a human loved one. My sympathy to you both.

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I am so sorry, Sue. What his life lacked in length, it sounds like Bute more than made up for in enjoyment. I love the picture of him on the bale--it seems to capture many of the characteristics your affectionate tribute highlights.

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