gordon

i was made to believe that to convert dog years to human years that you just multiply it to 7. according to what I've read dog ages actually vary depending on the following:

*size of dog - small dogs live much longer than larger ones

*breed - it is a strong indicator of its life expectancy

*gender - females generally lives one to two years longer than male dogs

*neutering - they tend to live longer than intact dogs

*living conditions 

*individual characteristics

i still remember my dad bringing over my new black dog. he was the cutest. the had white areas at his muzzle, his paws and at the tip of his tail.  i named him gordon after jgl. (yes, sue me. i liked joseph gordon-levitt way back then) i taught him to fetch a stick, roll over and shake my hand. when he does it perfectly i feed him some bread. he played with the grass on our small lawn. we were living on a subdivision back then. he then got fleas from the neighbor's dogs. my mom told my dad to bring him to our provincial home and dip him on seawater and his scab will eventually dry up and the patches will soon grow hair.

i would see him everytime i get home mostly on weekends, sembreaks and family events almost every month. he has tons of friends: dogs and even humans. he was called "itom"by neighbors. he was black afterall.

i loved gordon. he was sweet. he likes hugs. he can also sense that i am sad or upset. he would come near where i was sitting and offer his neck for me to hug. i sometimes think that he has doggy instincts to know that i just got home from the city.

when we finally moved to our province and i can see him all the time. he would be waiting at the gates for me everyday. he would then peek at the passing vehicles. hoping i was there and see him wag his tail when i get to the gates. no matter how many times i tell him not to pounce on me when im wearing my white nursing uniform he can never get that instructions quite clearly. this goes on everytime until he gets the hots. the doggy hots. the time of the year to copulate. he would be gone for days to a week. he would return smelling really bad that i had to use 3 packs of shampoo to remove all the pheromones he was covered with and who knows what.

i love bathing him. he was a big dog. he liked to take a bath compared to my other dog. he would stay still and he liked it when you scrub his flank and his muzzle. he liked water. he would bathe with other dogs on the beach. he loved the beach. he liked fetching and chasing me on the seashore.

i left for cebu. i wish i could bring them with me. i can't . they stayed over with my mom. they guarded the house and kept my mom company when i was not around. i would call home and tell my cousin to move the phone near him and watch him as i talk to him through the phone. they say his tail would wag. 

i was able to come home lat july. i took a photo of him. he was really growing old. he was still strong though. he still pounced at me, wagged his tail. i missed him too.

me: i miss you too.  

yes, i kissed him. i missed him so much. gordon and oli  pounced me altogether. licked me and barked euphorically. i missed them so much. i know they miss me too. before i left i was able to get photos of them. 

i called my dad today. he said gordon was dead.  i didn't know what to feel. he was dead a week before. i loved him so much. i miss him all the time. i miss him more now. i wish i could remember that he is already gone than wait for him to come home. 

he lived for what seemed like 45 years or less.

he was called "itom" to others,

to me he was 

and

forever is

gordon