Some years ago, I read a short piece by one of our long-time contributors, Barbara Dobbins, talking about dogs she knew, including one of her own, who had achieved the age and status to have earned a “permanent hall pass.” I was so charmed by the piece that I asked Barb if we could publish it here as a blog post and she agreed.
At the time it was published, my darling Otto was five years old – in the absolute prime of his well-behaved life. And today, he is 13 years old, and I renew his permanent hall pass every few months, as it gets stained and torn with use.
Don’t get me wrong: Otto is still a Very Good Dog. If dogs are being asked to perform a variety of behaviors on cue and the prize is treats, he can still sit, down, stand, and back up faster than any other canine on the property. He wouldn’t dream of chewing up our human things, or jumping up on people rudely. And he’s always going to be WDJ’s top model – knowing just how to jump up on an object and hit a pose and even find his light.
But there are a number of things that dogs are not allowed to do here in my home or on my property, and Otto has decided, “To heck with it, I’m doing them!” And, precisely because of his long and distinguished record, we now look the other way when he sneaks a cookie off the coffee table, snarfs down the horse poop we come across on the trail, digs in the winter vegetable raised beds, or chases the mail truck along our fenceline, barking furiously the entire time. Oy! That last one is hard for me, especially because I am hosting an impressionable young foster dog who would absolutely love to join Otto in this fun activity (Coco now gets shut in my office at a certain point in the afternoon when the mail truck usually makes its rounds). But he has earned these privileges, in honor of his many years of near-perfect behavior.
I don’t know how much more time I will get with Otto, but I’m not going to spend any of it yelling at or even being annoyed by his new naughty behaviors, that’s for sure.
Do any of your dogs have a permanent hall pass?
We were gifted Morgan when we drove to Alaska and back, stayed at a lovely Provencial park in the Yukon where the rangers had a litter that needed homes. The sweetest, cutest Husky mix. At 5 weeks she was roughing up her siblings, so we took her. Actually, we were sitting around the campfire when the ranger arrived with her, her blanket, a bag of puppy chow and worm medicine. They really needed to find her a home!
We said goodbye Nov. 10, after 15-1/2 years of joy. Like everyone else in this post she was the best–ball fetcher, friendly, got along with the cats. Was kind to my elderly yellow Lab in his senior years (he was my heart and soul dog), but she got a pass early on. Too good to ever hope for another, but I rescued a pup 3 years ago who has nothing but fear so I have my challenges to keep me from dwelling too long on the girly-girl in Heaven.
We rescued Sara a couple of years ago and she has always had a pass and always will. She was so afraid that she couldn’t walk out of the shelter. Someone had to carry her to our car so we could take her home. She has always been a good girl at first because she was afraid to come out from under the dining room table to do anything. But then this year she is finally coming out and letting us touch her. If she wants to eat under the table that’s ok with us. She has also developed a voice and is using it. She is quite funny and we love her. We will never know how old she is we can only guess or what she went thru but we will give her the pass with all the love we have to give.
My dog earned her pass 1 year ago and till now I can’t believe she when to heaven..
Our Field Springer-All American, Sasha is now 16 Years & 261 days old. She earned her “Pass” at the beginning of this year when my husband started purchasing for her a weekly quart of chow mien to get her to eat. She’s been such a good girl her entire life, helped to raise two “big brothers” and is an amazing first dog.
If she wants cat food, its her’s no questions asked!
Yes, indeed. All three of our dogs received the “pass”, each in her unique way, as exceptional spirits. All three have passed away now, and I’m waiting the next one to find me…soon, I hope. Sharing life with these wondrous beings make us better people, allowing us to accept our own quirks. Our dogs inspire me to one day receive the same kind of “pass”!
Thank you, Ms. Kerns, for your great publication. PS. I have subscribed to WDJ since the early days: what, over 25 years? I still have some of the early printed copies.
Because Jane is a Presa, even in her physically diminished capacity she is still a formidable dog, so the only real hall pass is moving to accommodate me (small house with narrow walkways and she no longer tries to stand up as I’m trying to step over her, so it’s safe). Counter surfing/sneaking chow is still strictly forbidden but in 30+ years of having Working/Guardian breeds I’ve found they usually don’t try to push those boundaries. She’s got cataracts and is losing her hearing so I’ve adjusted my approach to her (more clapping than calling)… and we get up in the middle of the night so she can relieve herself (a mishap from a 130# girl is a LOT of urine). She’s such a wonderful girl (rescue, so we don’t know exactly how old she is – maybe 10+?)… I love her to bits and hope we can be together in health and happiness for awhile to come!
I had one too. My Aussie Brumbie was a brilliant fellow. From when he was about five until he died at 16, he was soo good that he was entitled to any little trespasses he enjoyed. He was a delight, and five years, I still miss him so much. My current dogs have their good moments, but he was one in a million.
My Saffy (Yellow Lab/Golden Retriever) was the official Best Dog Ever. When we moved to our 2 acre property, there were no fences but Saffy never roamed off the property. We got chickens and she let the baby chicks sit on her. She loved kitties, other dogs, people. Even people that ‘didn’t like dogs’ were won over by her sweet personality. She lived to be 14-1/2. It was one of the hardest things I ever did when I helped her pass to the other side. I still miss her every day.