Rufus the Cairn Terrier

By Robert Darnell [Date unknown]

It was always easy to get Rufus disoriented. In his younger days when he would wander off he would wind up on the porch of a house three or four blocks away situated on a street the same as our house was situated on our street.

We would put up a lost dog sign and he always was returned home. Some of the times he had his collar on with our phone number ans some of the time he didn't.

He dearly loved to dig in the grass for grub worms and prowl through shrubs for lizards. He delighted in snapping at flying insects, and sometimes when he would catch a wasp or a bee, the sting would make him dizzy for a spell.

He didn't really care much for other dogs and mostly just seemed to tolerate them. There was one exception, a dog named Poochie, who enticed Rufus to run off with him several times. They were great friends.

Rufus was a great digger, which was his nature, and if he wanted to get out he usually did. However, most of the time he was content with his own yard.

He had a large vocabulary and fully understood many things that were said to him.

He was sturdy and healthy most of his life, except for allergies and hook worms, things that were pretty easily taken care of. His thick hair required constant grooming and lots of times it was a hit or miss operation. However, in his later years Jerre took care of his grooming very regularly.

He was a great friend and comfort to all of us who lived with him. Especially a comfort to Jerre when I would be out of town. She was glad to know that old Rufus was out there guarding things.

It is a sad time. The sturdy little dog, Rufus passed away last Friday.

On Wednesday Jerre and I went out to play nine holes of golf. Rufus was lying by the front door and looked sick. Jerre remarked that he was probably frightened by gunshots that could be heard in the distance.

Thursday it was obvious that he was pretty sick, so Jerre took him to the vet. The vet said he would have to run tests and take samples. Jerre brought Rufus back home and he continued to sleep mostly.

Then he died Friday while we were waiting word from the vet. When the diagnosis came it was that he had [a rare disease] and there is really no treatment for that in dogs.

Rufus had a good life and enjoyed it to the fullest.

One of the things that got him most excited was going for a walk. He didn't really walk but spent his time nosing and smelling everything in every yard.

Another of his passions was barking at thunder. When there would be a thunderstorm he would dash madly about the yard barking at the sky. When the thunder stopped he would sit in the rain looking up at the sky until the lightening flashed. Then he would get poised for another dash at the thunder.

He always barked furiously at the garbage men and when they were coming down the street one would think that a lion was raging in the backyard.

Likewise with the postman by if he ever got out he just greeted the postman like a member of the family.