My dog is the coolest because...
Wally, our best boy, just crossed over the rainbow bridge earlier this past week. While he is no longer with us, he will forever be the Top Dog in our hearts.

Wally was truly the most special dog, everything a dog should be and so much more: joyful, curious, loving, loyal, goofy, playful, gentle, adventurous, friendly, unwavering, determined, intelligent, affectionate, and above all, unconditional. He always wanted to be included in whatever we did, regardless if it was exciting like a car ride, boring like watching tv, or even just following every little step we took.

While anyone can say much of this about their dog, our Wally still stands out in other ways:

-At the dog park—one of his favorite places—he would shoot off like a cannon after unleashing and run with all the other dogs until he tuckered himself out; if it had rained recently he would cool off in the nearest mud puddle despite our protests. While he was normally quite obedient, the dog park was where he got to practice his selective hearing skills.

-Wally was playful, energetic, and loved to have fun elsewhere too. Even in his old age he would romp around with the younger dogs and get confused when they lost the energy or interest to keep going. In the morning before we had to leave for work, Wally loved to play fetch and always wanted to go for one more, sometimes making us late because we couldn’t resist.

-Wally could also leap with the best of them: he’s been known to jump over furniture and, at least once after a long car ride to visit Grandma, had to pee so bad he bolted out of the car when we arrived and bounded over the fence to let himself into the backyard.

-Car rides were another favorite activity. He learned the signs of when we prepared to leave to run errands and would try to sneak out the door with us in the hopes we’d bring him along. In the car, he enjoyed serving as our copilot, watching intently from the backseat to make sure we went the right way. If we rolled the back windows down though, we were on our own as he would stick his head out as far as he could get, enjoying the breeze flap through his ears and his jowls (no matter how cold or wet the weather). Anytime he saw another dog from the car, he would yelp with desperate glee to say hello and would lunge forward in futile attempts to go play. His favorite part of car rides, however, was the hope that we’d go through a drive through. If so, he would make sure the workers noticed him in the dauntless hope they’d give him treats, pets, or even compliments.

-Wally was also pretty smart, too. He was quick to learn a trick and always eager to show off what he knew. His favorite trick was “Bang Bang!l (play dead), but he also knew how to bow, high five, boop the nose, switch paws to shake, and roll over (in addition to all the other staples, of course). We bought and made for him many puzzle toys over the years, but none of them lasted very long: not because he’d destroy them but he figured them out so quickly that they lost the challenge and he would essentially get free treats.

-Wally was not above the occasional mischief either. If we happened to leave him out of his kennel for too long, he sometimes tried his paw at interior decorating: deciding that certain items he found up on counters belonged on the floor, in a different room, in several pieces, or all of the above. He once decided that the linoleum flooring in a rental we lived in a few years ago was outdated and took it upon himself to tear it out to make way for a new design. We lost the security deposit that year, but he reminded us of how cute he was and made it all OK.

-Lastly, Wally was such a loving dog. While he was bony as all get out, he was a cuddle bug. He loved cuddling with his Momma on the couch and occasionally, with his sister Cocoa. He always knew if either of us were down and was always ready to offer his consolation, staring into our souls with his deep brown eyes and laying his head on our lap or between our legs. He enjoyed every pet and leaned into every ear rub or butt scratch, sometimes nudging us to remind us we weren’t finished petting him yet.

While Wally is now gone from our lives, he will forever remain in our hearts, and we hope this little memorial brings even just a little joy to your heart as well. If you ever got the chance to meet Wally, you know just how truly special he was and how lucky we were to share our years with him. We look forward to the day we can be with him again, but until then, we hope his memory can bring joy to others.

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