A story from Candace about My Teddy posted 07/06/2010 I used to think that a dog was just a dog!! I never understood why someone would let their dog lick their face or sleep in their bedroom or hold off on doing things like holidays because they couldn't take their dog with them. This all changed for me when my family got Teddy!!!! My parents got Teddy 11 years ago. At first I was scared to get attatched because we had a couple other dogs that we always ended up giving away about 2 months after we got them when I was a lot younger. We got Teddy in strange way which would take me too long to explain but obviously it was meant to be!! When he was a puppy and my brother and I would head off to school and my parents off to work, Teddy would drag a shoe out of the closet at the backdoor that was each of ours, drag them into the living room and place them in a circle. Then he would lay in the middle of them and go to sleep. When he started doing this, the first thing that my brother and I did when we got home from school was growl at him. This became our way of greeting him and it has comtinued to this day. Teddy also became my mom's shadow (literally)! He follows her anywhere. He is our so called "Walmart Greeter" at my mom and dad's business (he gets paid in treats for his work that he does LOL). And the customer's have come to know and love him. She goes to work and he goes with her, she cleans the house and he's right there with her. My mom is such a night owl that Teddy would stay up with her all night but would growl at her when he thought it was time for bed. But if she wasn't ready to go he wouldn't leave her side and my mom never sits still long enough for him to lay down to have a nap beside her. These are just a few things that have never left my mind. I'm watching "Marley & Me" as I am writing this and in a way it is helping me deal with the news we found out today. Tedddy has tumors all throughout his stomach. We have been told that he has 2 weeks - 3 months and I'm hoping we can make him better with a homeopathic remedy if nothing more than to make him comfortable!! I guess what I really wanted to say is that I can tell he is not ready to go yet and Marley is a testament to that!! But when the time comes, we'll all be there with Teddy. I'm not sure how to explain to my boys who are 6 and 4 what is happening and what is going to happen when the time comes so I have decided to let them watch Marley and Me tomorrow to prepare them a little better. I would like to say I'm sorry to those people that I've said " It's just a dog" because it's not just a dog. They are a member of your family and sometimes you realize it right after you get them and then other times it takes you a while to realize it. Thankyou Teddy for making me realize. He's not an extordinary dog, or the "world's worst dog" but he was our dog and nothing could ever take the memories away!! Read More Stories > Begin Sharing Your Story >