Copper ~ My Dog

As my brown Chesapeake Bay Retriever laid in my arms, laboriously breathing in her final few breaths of air, my mind traveled back years ago to my favorite memories of her. It was when she was only a couple years old. She was constantly running into things, and I sometimes wondered if she hadn’t had brain damage when she broke her leg. I was pretty sure she had, and it showed that day. I was walking towards my horses, with my pitchfork in hand, ready to feed them. Copper was walking behind me like the faithful dog she was. In fact, she was walking so close to me, that she stepped on the end of my too large flip flop, and pulled it right off! I stuck my foot back in, and kept walking, but she stepped on my other flip flop, pulling it right off also. I pushed her back so that she was no longer stepping on my heels. Three steps later, I felt something hit the end of my pitchfork that was practically dragging on the ground. I stopped, and looked back in surprise, wondering what could have caused such a big jolt. I couldn’t help bus smile as Copper walked into it again, not noticing that I had stopped. The impact made her stagger back a few steps, and she looked up at me with a question in her eyes, wondering why I stopped. My grin grew as her tongue lolled out of her mouth, and she cocked her head a bit. Then, I kept going, her right on my heels again. My flip flops came off three more times that day.

      My mind jumped ahead to about a year later. We had a visitor, and Copper ran up to his truck, barking her deep, loud, bark, alerting me that he was here. I called her away from the truck, and my visitor stepped out cautiously, eyeing Copper suspiciously. I told him that she was really friendly, just didn’t like the familiar truck. He came up closer to me, stepping lightly, as if afraid to frighten my dog. Copper went running up to him, and my visitor was so surprised he didn’t move. He tensed up, waiting for Copper to bite him, but the bite never came. Instead, Copper wedged her nose in between his legs, begging to be petted. After I convinced him that she was all bark, no bite, he tentatively stuck out his hand and scratched his ears. Copper pushed her nose at his legs, begging for more scratching still. As he walked towards the house, Copper followed, trying to get more scratching in. I could tell that he didn’t want to stop petting Copper, and Copper didn’t want him to either. My visitor made a new friend that day.

      My mind traveled even farther in the future, to a day that I tried to play fetch with Copper. I’d get ready to throw the ball, and she would crouch down. It looked like she was laying down, except her muscles were tense, and she was ready to jump up as soon as she saw the ball fly. I threw the ball, and she went running, catching it before it hit the ground. She’d come racing back towards me, coming close to me, but not close enough that I could catch her, and get the ball back. I chased her, and chased her around the yard, waiting for her to give the ball to me. I never got it back. She wouldn’t let me get close to her when she had the ball. The whole time though, her tail was wagging ninety miles per hour, and her eyes were bright with joy. I’d always looked forward to playing fetch with her, but now, I no longer could.

     I hadn’t cried yet. I was trying not to. Trying to be strong for my doggy, but the tears started to steadily fall, traveling silently down my cheeks, and onto Copper’s wet nose. The tears kept falling, and soon, the sobs came too. My shoulders shook, and I couldn’t hold Copper anymore. I was afraid my shaking would hurt her fragile body more than it already was. The sobs racked my body, and I curled up into a ball, not thinking of anything except my favorite memories of Copper. I was so absorbed in the recollections of her that I almost missed her final breath and the final pulse of her heart. Luckily, her last few breaths were unnaturally loud, and I stared at her. She breathed in one loudly one last time. It was so loud that it drowned out my feeble, “I love you Copper.” Her tense body went limp, and I cradled her head in my arms, my tears making steady tracks down my cheeks. “I love you,” I whispered again.

      I dug a deep grave in my backyard under my favorite tree. Before I laid her in it, I put her favorite ball next to where I planned to rest her head. She needed it more than I did now. I stared into her lifeless brown eyes one last time before I closed them. As I laid her down for her final rest, I could barely see, my eyes were so full of tears. “I love you!” I practically shouted to nobody in particular. With each shovelful of dirt that I lowered onto her, the world around me became more and more blurry, until I was going more on the rhythm of shoveling the dirt, then actually seeing it. After her grave was just a mound of dirt, I laid a flat stone that I had lovingly written her name on. It was my final ‘goodbye,’ my final ‘thank you’ to her. By now, I couldn’t see even my hand right in front of my face, and I submitted myself to the crying. I cried out my tears, and once I could see straight again, I stood up, and left her grave. Halfway back to my house, I turned around and whispered, “I love you,” one last time, knowing deep down inside that somehow, somewhere, I would see her again.

Author's Note

This is for my writing group, One Title Every Week. First revision, so still not that good. Any suggestions would be awesome, and thanks for taking the time to read it, and please review!
And yes, I do have a dog Copper who has done all of that, but didn't died. That is fictional to make the story better. The picture is of Copper.

Reviews

[PyroKitty24]

I told him that she was really friendly, just didn’t like the familiar truck.
I think familiar should be unfamiliar?

After I convinced him that she was all bark, no bite, he tentatively stuck out his hand and scratched his ears.
The last his should be hers, if referring to copper

I chased her, and chased her around the yard, waiting for her to give the ball to me.
I just suggest rephrasing this just to know that you did the repetition on purpose. Maybe to 'I chased and chased her'

She breathed in one loudly one last time.
Random word?

With each shovelful of dirt that I lowered onto her, the world around me became more and more blurry, until I was going more on the rhythm of shoveling the dirt, then actually seeing it.
Then should be than from the way you're using it

And yes, I do have a dog Copper who has done all of that, but died. That is fictional to make the story better.
Did you mean this to say that she didn't die?

I thought your story was overall cute and sweet though. I love animals, even if dogs aren't my favorite, and I've lost a few so I can relate.

[Archia]

It's sweet the love for Copper, but sad that he died in the story. I love the way you described his actions.

[etxcp]

AAAAAWWWWWW!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! very good!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[rae52]

amazing and so touching

[LunarSong]

How sad, almost made me cry. I like all your dogs, you should write about them too. You could make the best stories with them as characters.

[...]

I really enjoyed your story, I don't read too many stories, but since it was about a dog I had to. I miss my dog. I had a German Sheppard. She was the sweetest. wonderful write.

[WynterPhoenix]

I love animals =] I once had a goat named Copper. I named him after the dog from The Fox and The Hound!