I'm keeping the dog

I’m keeping the dog!

I’m keeping the dog!

I exclaimed into the phone. I had just returned from my friends’ apartment to mine the day after we adopted a pair of Dalmatians. I was still in a state of shock, realizing the responsibility that I had signed up for. There were times when I considered returning the puppy to someone who could care for him properly, but the walk back to the apartment with my 10 week old little buddy changed all of that. He always attracted attention. See a puppy, especially a tiny Dalmatian whose spots haven’t fully come in yet, is a woman magnet. Turns out I couldn’t walk him anywhere without strangers coming up to him and by default me. During this particular trip through the apartment complex a woman stopped to say high, petting my little puppy with the white fur and floppy black ears, while making polite chit chat. Before I knew it she had asked me out. Thus leading to the excited, “I’m keeping the dog” being yelled to my friends.

In the following weeks I even volunteered to walk their puppy with mine, an activity to which my friends accused me of ‘fishing with two poles’.

While the date with the parking lot woman didn’t work out, it turns out that keeping the dog was an unexpected adventure that I’ve loved for the past 16 years.

Auckland Tekapo Steele, was his registered name, though everyone just knew him as Auckie, (aka Auckie-dog, Buddy, Auck and occasionally damn-dog). His name itself caused issues over the years. While he was named after the largest city in New Zealand, a country that had left quite an impression upon me six months earlier, most people didn’t quite catch his name on the first go around. One of the more memorable stories about his name confusion is when a little boy came up to pet him and asked his name. I said his name is Auckie, to which the boy very loudly said back in a questioning and startled tone, “You Named Your Dog Honkie?!?” to which numerous people turned around staring holes through me in disgust.

I would like to take this opportunity to apologize to the passengers of flt 6514 from Cincinnati to Pittsburgh in December of ‘97. See our initial flight from Dallas into Ohio was delayed. The first gate agent coached me to make sure I tell the gate agent for the next flight that I’m traveling with a dog. After racing through the terminals I was the last person to get on the plane. The crowd was getting restless due to the delay in departure. Right then I saw out of the portal a single luggage car quickly navigating through the falling snow towards our plane. The only thing on the cart was Auckie. After getting him loaded, the ‘maintenance issues’ were mysteriously corrected and the flight was cleared for departure.

The early years with Auckie were trying as his spotted A D D would kick in, leading to destructive activities that typically resulted in the couch being turned insight out or the vertical blinds from the patio door ending up in a twisted linguini pattern on the floor. The wallpaper wasn’t safe, neither was the carpet, dry wall, paper currency or potted plants. If you have some time, ask me about the night Auckie and his sister free-style decorated my friend’s apartment.


Auckie and I transitioned from our little apartment to our house in ‘98. It was there that we met Jill. It was our second or third date when Jill took the leash to walk him, trying to show me that they could play nice together. She wandered off the sidewalk (her only source of traction and leverage) down the slope toward the water. I had just started to say, “I wouldn’t do that” when Auckie accelerated from 5 to 80 mph, yanking her to the ground and pulling Jill in her khaki shorts down the grassy slope towards the ducks. His spotted cuteness and Disney persona masked the Underdog strength he possessed.

While living in the new house, Auckie mastered the art of stealth counter food acquisition. His notable successes included a full rib-eye steak (medium rare), a half a loaf of bread, two dozen cream puffs, multiple PB&J sandwiches right out of the girls’ hands, a sleeve of Girl Scout cookies (Tagalongs) and assorted other unknown foods whose wrappers ended up indistinguishable.

I have really liked that my two girls have grown up with Auckie. Nothing quite like a little one to quickly sum up a relationship. “Dad, Auckie sure likes to follow you around. He goes with you everywhere.” my Sarah said to me. From his early days as a puppy Auckie shot to fame as the star of many a Christmas letter, while earning the title of the world’s most laid back Dalmatian most other times. I was very pleased to hear that an old friend of mine carried one Christmas letter with him for a year, occasionally pulling it out and laughing at Auckie’s escapades.

Most recently, Auckie’s world was shaken when two new roommates showed up. It has been very interesting to see the ‘puppies’ defer to him, even now when they tower over him. For the most part Auckie just ignored the puppies and dealt with the changes to the family environment in stride. This picture captures the breaking of the ice between the generations.

One of the really good things about a dog is the consistency. They are always happy to see you, they are always excited to go for a walk and they think every meal is the equivalent of a great greasy cheeseburger, fries and a thick shake. For Auckie the sleeping arrangements were yet another happy dog habit. Each evening he would find his way to our bed room and come to my side, curling up in a ball on the floor – settling in with a heavy end of the day sigh. This reminds me of the Jimmy Stewart’s poem about his dog Beau. I hope you enjoy this video treat from years gone by: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qUNJjIwlHk8

As time passed Auckie started to feel his age, especially over the past year. His keen hearing escaped him and he slowed down having trouble with his hips and legs, old age robbing him of his nimbleness and power. The simple act of jumping into his chair became a hit or miss proposition. Though while in his chair, he always accomplished his favorite activity of napping. In his dreams, ah, in his dreams he could still run like the wind.

This week Auckie couldn’t outrun time. He is now waiting at the rainbow bridge – jumping around, leaping for bubbles, chewing on rawhides and getting into a little trouble for chasing ducks right up to the edge of the pond, but no further since he is afraid of the water.

Yep, I’m keeping the dog!