About A Dog: A Tribute to Ringo

On New Years day Alan and I went to see Marley & Me. We loved it so much and cried like babies. We came home and hugged our dog and told him how much we loved him. I cried all the way home thinking of the dreadful day that looms in the horizon. We know that he is in the final stages of his life. It got me thinking about his story and how we came to inherit such a loyal companion. When we lived in Casselton, North Dakota, my neighbor had a beautiful dog named Keshia. She was white and had beautiful fluffy fur. I loved her from the moment I laid eyes on her. I wanted her so bad and admit I was a little jealous. Anyway, she was always in their front yard playing with the kids. Ammon and I would go for walks and he always wanted to play with her. He was about a year old. He would sit next to her and let her lick him and jump all over him. I got a kick watching them together. My neighbor told me that every boy needs a dog and I should get him one. She also said she knew where I could get one for free and there was even one puppy that looked like a Dalmatian. My girls wanted a Dalmatian after seeing 101 Dalmatians. I wanted so badly to get a puppy for Ammon. There was only one problem. Alan was dead set against it. He said he never wanted to clean after them or the expense of owning a pet. Since I already knew that, I didn't even bring it up. However, after so many times of watching Ammon with this dog, I decided to ask Alan again. He was pretty firm he didn't want a pet. I had no other option but to beg, plead and promise to take care of it with the kids. He finally gave in and agreed to let us have a puppy. The funny thing is that Alan grew up with cats and loved cats. I don't think he was too fond of dogs. Me, on the other hand, I'm not too fond of cats. I'm allergic to them and they make me miserable! I have always loved dogs.



The day finally came and we got to pick out our puppy. There were quite a few to pick from but I already knew I wanted the one that looked like a Dalmatian. When I reached in to get it, he just about bit my fingers off. It made me nervous to have a puppy that might bite my kids, so I decided to pick another one. They all seemed like nervous puppies but Ringo seemed the least nervous, so I picked him. I brought him home and of course, the kids were so excited, especially Ammon. Alan thought he was cute but he was a little standoffish. Well, as you can see, they became great friends. Leah picked out his name. His whole name is Ringo Starr Miller. We are loyal Beatles fans, so what a perfect name for a Miller dog. It scored brownie points with Alan.

Ringo always loved Alan. We would feed him in morning but he wouldn't eat until Alan got home from work. Ammon was his boy. He followed Ammon everywhere he went. That was his routine every day. Ringo and Ammon would wait at the window waiting for Alan to get home from work. They both greeted Alan at the door. Ringo loved and looked after our kids better than any babysitter. He was always concerned for their safety and still is. When Leah was living at home, she was out past curfew one night. Ringo woke me up and led me to her room. I opened the door to her room and found she wasn't home yet. I was so amazed that he knew what to do. I put Ammon on a merry-go-round once and Ringo freaked out. He barked and barked until we finally got him off. I went to put Ammon down on the ground and Ringo jumped on me and bit me on the nose. He was so mad at us for putting Ammon on the merry-go- round. I love this picture of him with Ammon and Leah. He was such a cute puppy and we have always taken good care of him. I'm pretty sure he has outlived his siblings. He was so blessed to come to our family. Now, we are not crazy pet owners who put clothes on our dog or treat him like one of our kids. But we do love him and consider him a big part of our lives. Right now we can't imagine life without him. Did I mention that Ringo is now 15 years old? This is Ringo wanting so badly to be outside playing in the snow. He stills loves to dig his nose in the snow. In his old age, he's not too fond of the cold weather.

Ringo had bad qualities as a puppy. He chewed a pair of my shoes and he would bark a lot, especially at night. He would want out about three or four times during the night. This did not sit well with Alan. He used to nip at the kids when they would run around having fun. It was starting to get out of hand. Our vet suggested we take him to obedience school. I'm pretty sure he was the most misbehaved. He was a handful. We did learn a lot about our responsibilities as pet owners and how to make him behave.

He came around and learned how to heel and sit. He was such a strong dog the kids had a hard time walking him. He once dragged Ammon across the yard. He just loved to run.
He passed puppy kindergarten. He stopped nipping at the kids. He learned to walk on a leash. We learned how to control his barking at night and his potty trips outside. We taught him how to shake hands, how to sit, and roll over. He still had issues running off when he got older, and getting him back was a chore. If anyone opened the door to go out, he would dart out the door. It was nice when we moved to Bismarck and got a house with a fenced-in yard.

Now, as I mentioned, he is in the final stages of his life. He's developed new bad qualities. He has smelly breath, he snores louder than Alan does. He passes gas constantly, he's deaf and is going blind. He not only eats our garbage but also the neighbor's if he get out of the yard. He especially loves dirty diapers. He can still be a pain in the butt!! I'll forgive his snoring, passing gas, and even ignoring me (at least I know he's really deaf). He's been more loyal than any human friend. He's a good listener. Over the years, he's been a good watch dog. He obeys better than my kids do and doesn't talk back. In his old age, he doesn't get around very well any more. We don't take him for walks because he can't make it even a block. It's a chore for him to sit and to get up again. He has a bad heart and has arthritis. It's sad to see him struggle. We know his days are short and can't imagine life without him. I know that when he passes, we will eventually get another dog but none will be like Ringo. There will only be one Ringo. Monica thinks he'll never die. Ammon thinks he won't die until all the kids are gone. Alan thinks this is the year. Sam doesn't say much and I think he may have another year. No matter how long he has, it will be hard to say goodbye. I'm grateful he's been happy with us, and he has been well loved and cared for. The miracle of it all is how much Alan has grown to love him.

Here Ringo is waiting for some love and attention from the one he loves the most!!
We love you Ringo! You are the best dog we have ever known. We're glad you're still with us. You are a very important part of our family. In your old age you can do whatever you want! Well....sort of!

One final note to parents with young children. I don't recommend Marley & Me for young (especially overly sensitive ones) children. It's very emotional movie and might be upsetting to young veiwers. I recommend going to see it before you let your kids see it.