Rudi

We said goodbye to our Rudi on August 3, 2024. She was 17ish years old. She spent almost exactly 16 of those 17 years as a member of our family. We picked her up from rescue August 7, 2008. What do you say about a dog who gave you so much for so long?

Rudi was our very first foster, so of course, we failed. The sweet little speckled scraggly girl captured our hearts and she and our dog Snoopy hit it off right away. She was the first dog we adopted together as a couple.

A foster sister to many that passed through our home over the years, Rudi was the most patient and tolerant dog you could imagine, especially with puppies. She never asked for much and didn’t need to be the center of attention. As long as there was a comfy place for her to nap and she got fed on time, life was good and she was content. But make no mistake, if you were late with a meal or she felt like you were taking too long getting her food ready, Rudi wouldn’t hesitate to make her displeasure known with her demanding little bark. Oh, how I miss hearing that bark.

Her ”piledrivers”, as we liked to call them, were classic. Rudi would saunter out in the yard, drop one shoulder down to the ground then just flop her whole body down, rolling around on her back before popping up and finishing it off with a good full body shake. So graceful she was, lol. We would often see a similar maneuver on display after dinner, except it would be on our living room area rug. You could even toss her a small toy in the middle of it and Rudi would grab it with her paws, flailing it around while rolling on her back. Every time it would bring a smile to my face and make me laugh.

While Rudi loved getting pets, scratches, and rubs, she was never one that wanted to sleep in the bed with us even though we tried. Her preference was a dog bed or simply stretching out on the floor. She would hop on the couch often, but you could especially count on her being there if you sat down with any kind of food. She would never miss an opportunity to get a nibble of whatever you had.

A lover of water, wading and splish splashing were more Rudi’s style. Actual swimming wasn’t her strong suit as we learned early on when we took her to the Doggie Paddle at a local park. But a nice cool creek or stream, you could count Rudi in!

Affectionately known as our “Tater Tot” or “TT”, everyone that met Rudi loved her. She was Grandpaw’s favorite of all our dogs, and she was adored by all the staff at our vet clinic and our long-time pet sitter.  

Rudi was kind, sweet, good-natured, and loving, sprinkled with just a little bit of spice. She was sister to Snoopy, Foxy, Chaya, Honey, and Chili. I’m sure there was a reunion with Snoopy and Chaya once she crossed the bridge. I know Honey and Chili miss her, but especially Foxy who was very close with Rudi and who relied on her for guidance when she came into our family as a terrified youngster from an overcrowded shelter.

To my little Tater Tot, I miss you every day. I miss hearing the click of your nails on the floor as you would follow me around the house. I miss seeing your snout pushing the curtain back so that you could take a peek in the shower to make sure I was still in there. As you got older, you wanted to know where everyone was at all times. I miss your demanding little barks as I got your food ready. I miss your cute little yawn and hearing your big snore right at the very moment I was drifting off to sleep. I miss watching you run full steam ahead when you saw me pick up your food bowl and start walking to the spot I always fed you. I miss hearing your "ruff ruff" as soon as I got you in the car to go somewhere. I miss seeing the tumbleweeds of your white hair scattered across the floor and the touch of your fur; it was so so soft. I miss looking over to see you peeking at me around the corner. I miss how you would sit or lay down in front of me when I'd sit on the couch and when I'd glance down, you would be looking right at me with those big brown eyes. I miss our little games of slap paw and watching you roll around on your back holding a toy with your paws. I miss watching your joy on all our outings together, and how peacefully you would rest afterwards. 

Rudi, you gave us 16 years of love, laughter, adventures, and precious moments. There are really no words that can describe what you mean to us. With us through so many milestones, you have just always been there; a constant in our lives. That will never change, but now it will just be so as you live on in our memories and in our hearts.

We've never been happy to say we've failed at something until we failed as your fosters. We cannot recall what our lives were before you. Our family would not have been what it was and what it grew to become without you.  Never forget the love we shared. We never will. You will always be a part of us. Thank you for being you. Thank you for it all. We love you, Rudi, our sweet girl.