My Dog Louis La’Moure 2nd generation
As I watched Evie, my two year old, climb on the back of my 6 year old dog I start thinking about him, his heritage, and my history with him. Louis runs away from the little cowgirl, and she falls off the saddle landing in the cushioned grass and laughing. My one year old comes up to him and he lays down and she sits on top of him and starts to poke his eye. Louis once more drops a girl in the soft grass and walks away, ever patient, ever gentle. I pat him on his head and scratch his tummy. Once again reminiscing I remembered when I was a 14 year old girl standing in my Mothers living room begging for a dog.
“We don’t have room for a dog; there is no place to keep him.” My Mom would argue. My brother Nathan and I would get out my Moms 30 year old encyclopedias and search through the “D” section till we’d find ‘dog’. Then we would read about each race, learning all about them and we would drool over the pictures. We decided we wanted a Beagle. Mom never wavered on decision for the no dog policy. When I was 15 a friend of the family who knew that Nathan and I wanted a Beagle dog called us from the bus station. “Your dog is here, he is a Beagle and he is very pretty. Come pick him up!” And so Nathan and I could barely contain our excitement, on our way to the bus station we decided we wanted to name him “Hunter”. My Mom even smiled some, our excitement was THAT contagious.
When I got out of the white suburban I saw him, in a tiny little dog carrier. Oh my! I wondered if there were two dogs, for I saw a head and a tail peeking at me through the carrier door all at once. Huh? My first glimpse of Hunter. He was doubled over in half because the carrier was really too small for him. He was tri-color with little black spots everywhere. We were not expecting him so all we had to feed him was some leftover fresh tuna that my uncle Mike had given us from one of his fishing trips. Hunter was so hungry and thirsty that he was going nuts over it. Unfortunately he was drugged for his 5 hour trip from Mexico City
As the years past by, I loved my dog, and although he was given to me, Hunter claimed Nathan as his personal owner. Nathan would take him rabbit hunting, and he just liked him better. Nonetheless, I loved him very much. I would take him to the local playground and train him how to climb up the latter and go down the slide. I taught him the usual tricks, shake my hand, give me five, give me ten, lie down, and sit, and so on. I would walk him everyday and defend him from the street dogs. Sometimes he would escape from the house and run off after a female dog and Nathan and I would get on our bikes and spend hours searching for him. I would be in tears until we found him, often times he would be beaten and bloody but he was happy to be home. Hunter was very smart but as stubborn as a mule and very disobedient. But I would love on him nonetheless.
One time he snuck in the house, ate my freshly made cheese taco and ‘layed claim’ on my bed (Yes, I am talking about using the bathroom in my bed!) I didn’t see him do it and I didn’t find out later on till I woke up in the middle of the night all wet and stinky. I never had enjoyed taking a hot shower at 2am before, well I did that night!
Some of the fondest memories of Hunter were traveling to the States with him in the car. He had his own doggie passport and doggie bed to sleep in on the suburban floor. We learned right away not to feed him leftover venison or half spoiled milk, unless we wanted to make good use of our automatic windows.
I was sad to leave him behind when I came up here to live, but I knew he would be better off down there where he had made a home.
This Is the last time is saw Hunter Dec. 2006
The last time I held him and I said good by to his grey haired doggy head.
He died in January 2008 at the ripe old age of 13
Nathan later on got some more beagles and started breeding them, and when he (Nathan) asked me what I wanted for a wedding present from him I told him I wanted one of Hunter’s puppies. So that is what I got. Nathan brought to me this wiggly, active, sweet puppy, and he even smelled sweet and gave him to me just days before I got married. I named him “Louis Lamoure” after my Daddy’s favorite author. (Louis Lamoure wrote many western books, my Dad loved to read them all). I was afraid that Louis was going to like Nubun more then he did me, just like Hunter liked Nathan better. But no, he claimed me as his rightful owner, he also is smart, but not stubborn at all and a lot more obedient then his daddy, and although I love him very much, as an adult now, I haven’t had the time to train him and play with him like I did with his Dad, but I do enjoy him and the girls love playing with him. He instantly became a part of our family!
Louis is also a very sweet dog, but afraid of his own shadow. He has run away many times when he’d get spooked by 4rth of July fireworks, thunderstorms, or boogie bears. I would always cry, and pray for his safe return.
Last year on Jasmine’s little birthday party he got spooked by a balloon popping and he took off when the gate opened. I cried and Nubun went looking for him several times, finally he found him and brought him back home.
Well, two stinking days later, our fence fell down and we had to put him in his dog carrier till Nubun fixed the fence. After a few hours I felt sorry for him and let him out to stretch his legs. And like a perfect idiot as I am I forgot about him for just two measly minutes. I remembered and ran outside, my heart started racing as I looked for him.
He was gone. Once more he got out. I cried and cried, I felt like this had been my last chance, I felt like he was not coming back. I had a bad feeling. I felt like an idiot. Nubun was not very happy with me and I was mad at myself. After a few hours wallowing in guilt I decided to get in the car and go look for him. I dressed up the girls and went looking for him in the car; afterwards I was going to the grocery store. As I went up and down the empty streets of my neighborhood I started getting anxious. I rolled down the window and called for him again and again. After a while tears of frustration started stinging my eyes. “Louis! Louis!!” and then “LOOOOOOOOOOOuis!!!!
I finally gave up on my own ability to find him and I started praying. “I know this is my fault, and I know I don’t deserve to pray for his safe return AGAIN, especially since it is my irresponsibility that he is gone but could you please return him home safely?” I begged and begged in prayer as I drove up and down the streets. After a while my prayer started getting more fervent. “Please, have mercy on me! I know that a lost dog is not the most important thing there is out there. I know that there are bigger things I should be praying about and spending my time with but I beg you to have mercy on me and return my dog!” and then I added “Your will be done, I will give You the honor and glory no matter what, I will praise your name if Louis returns, I will praise your name if he doesn’t” At that moment I had come to the end of my neighborhood, and I looked longingly all around and he was nowhere to be seen. I headed on down the road to the grocery store. I had given up on finding Louis, but I had peace in my heart and I started singing: “Praise the name of Jesus” and I couldn’t remember the rest of the words so I just kept on repeating those. I dried up my tears and immediately after I had repeated “Praise the name of Jesus” a few times my cell phone started ringing. I answered it and I could hear Nubun hollering on the other line: “Louis is back! Louis is home!!” I was so totally touched by my amazing God that I couldn’t speak, I just blubbered and cried hard and blubbered some more. God is the Creator and Savior over all, and he is so big but yet he heard my little humanly cries and answered my childish prayer. He really is GOOD!! And that is just how amazing He is. I cried hard all the way to HEB, I cried not only because I was happy that Louis was home but that God truly does care about little things, and He really does answer simple prayers, even undeserving ones.
So now as I look back on it all, I smile and dream about Evie and Jasmine growing up with their dog Louis, and maybe someday when he gets old I will keep one of his puppies and give it as a wedding present to one of my girls. Maybe?
