Bruiser had the kind of ears that were so soft, you could just pet them all day. I would often say to Sam, "I just want to pull his ear off and keep it in my pocket." Odd, I know, but I think it's related to that primal instinct that wants to bite babies for being so cute too. I remember the day I met Bruiser for the first time - July 3, 2008. He had been born just a few weeks earlier on May 6. His mother's name was Alba. I remember the breeder calling me on the phone to interview me and saying, "This pup loves the water so if you can get him to swim that would be great, also just to warn you, he is high maintenance - he needs a lot of love and will attach himself to one member of the family."
High maintenance, indeed. Those are fitting words to describe the Spanish Water Dog breed. But I had a lot of time and a lot of love to give, and naturally, I fell in love with Bruiser at first sight. He looked like a stuffed animal. On that warm July day, my pup didn't want to come out of his kennel, so I had to coax him out. Immediately he snuggled into my lap and didn't want to move. I remember Sam gave me grief because I bought him a bright red collar with some bling on it. "He's a boy dog, he's gotta be tough," Sam said.
Bruiser as a young pup
howling
That day I had a hard time thinking of a name for my adorable pup. Since he was a Spanish Water dog I wanted to give him a Spanish name, but nothing was fitting. I remember being at my mom's house in her bathroom with him and I had a moment where I remembered my mom's friend who had three dogs that I was obsessed with when I was little: Bruiser, Bonzai and Buckeroo. I looked at my pup and called out, "Bruiser!" He immediately turned and looked at me and cocked his head to one side. And that is how he was named! Naturally everyone thinks I named him after the dog in Legally Blonde since I am a crazy Reese Witherspoon fan, but that is the true story of how his name came to be. I chose "Chago" for his middle name for his Spanish flair.
I took him home to Cleveland on July 4 and he met Sam for the first time. That night we took him down to the water to see the fireworks, but he was too startled with all of the noise so we took him back to our downtown apartment.
We lived downtown for two years with Bruiser and it was quite nice in that I could walk home for lunch, walk him around, and then walk back to work. He also made a lot of dog friends downtown, including a Great Dane named Jameson and a mixed breed named Cookie. The three of them would often play off leash down by the water, chasing each other around. Bruiser was always the slowest one.
As a young pup Bruiser was obsessed with ambulances. Whenever he heard them downtown he would stop and howl loudly on the sidewalk. It was hilarious. He didn't do this as he got older, so it's a fond memory of his puppy-hood for me.
playing fetch
Bruiser playing with some downtown friends in 2008, including Jameson
Bruiser chasing the other dogs
Good Times Together
For obedience training I took Bruiser to puppy class at PetCo down the road and together we learned the basics together. I quickly learned that he loved peanut butter and it would be his preferred treat over the years. Some of my fondest memories of Bruiser include taking him to the beach in 2009 and 2011. He loved swimming in the ocean and chasing balls in the water. Often times it appeared that he was trying to catch fish, although he never came up with one!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Wrts019je8k
Video of Bruiser swimming at Topsail Island, NC
man's best friend
It was true what the breeder said. Bruiser attached himself to me and followed me everywhere. If I went upstairs, he followed. If I came downstairs even a second later, he was at my heels. This didn't bother me at all actually. It only became a problem when he was too ill to do the stairs anymore.
my sweet boy giving me a saltwater kiss
The entire family in Cape May, New Jersey (July 2011)
In 2010 Bruiser suffered from a fractured vertebrae which included lots of vet visits, seeing a specialist down in Akron, and an MRI. The specialist, Dr. Vogt, was amazing and so kind. He understood how important my dog was to me and took good care of him. The MRI showed that the fracture was not able to be operated on. The doctor's orders were rest and no more ball playing. From there on out we had to be a bit more careful with him whenever we lifted him in and out of the car, and soon we purchased a set of doggy steps that allowed him to get in and out of the car more easily, and into our bed of course. We were told that the fracture could heal on its own, and while sometimes Bruiser would get sore if he ran around too much, it never seemed to be a huge issue for him.
When I found out I was pregnant in late 2012, incorporating Bruiser into the announcement was a given!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Co_q8Srp-5E
"Bruiser's Big Reveal"
It took a few takes to get this shot with Sam holding up treats and saying "Speak" quietly in the background while I filmed with my new camera. I am so happy we were able to pull it off.
As I wrote about on a friend's blog, http://dogsinthecle.com/the-dog-owner-files-youre-having-a-baby-how-to-break-it-to-your-dog/, I was nervous about how Bruiser would react to a new baby. Luckily he seemed to understand from the get go the new pecking order. He would just sit and watch over Charlotte all the time. He was a guard dog to the very core.
Bruiser and baby Charlotte
Over the next year and a half, Bruiser continued to be our devoted "rat baby" as we often called him. Our family is infamous for nicknames and he had plenty of them! "Rattigan," "Swampy," "B Man," "Bruisey," "Bruise daddy," "Brew," and "B."
So many times when I would be walking Bruiser on our daily walk, I would get stopped by people walking, driving, biking, skating, etc. and they would always ask, "What kind of dog is he?" Everyone assumed he was a sheep dog and no one seemed to have ever heard of a Spanish Water Dog before. He was the only one his vet had ever met before too. Everyone always said how "beautiful" he was. Bruiser loved his walks. This breed really needs a task to keep them busy, and Bruiser seemed to take his walk very seriously. He loved to chase squirrels and look at the birds and bark at bike riders and roller skaters especially.
On one of our many walks over the years
Saying Goodbye
I will tell you that when I received the bad news from Bruiser's internist on Wednesday, Feb. 4, I took off work on Thursday and Friday. Thursday was deemed as "Bruiser's Bucket List" day and it started with early morning snuggles that were so precious to me, a car ride to PetCo for a new ball, stuffed toy and treats, two nice walks, a rotisserie chicken, vanilla ice cream for dessert, more snuggles, and homemade spaghetti and meatballs.
http://youtu.be/3M6vjYOavos
Bruiser enjoying some ball playing in the snow
lots of pets and snuggles
spaghetti and meatballs
last photo with Charlotte
ice cream for dessert
On Friday Sam took Charlotte to school and I spent the morning with Bruiser. I'd be lying if I said it wasn't extremely difficult. I cried a lot and pretty much just laid on the floor with him petting him for over an hour. Sam came home a bit later and got a chance to spend some time with him too.
our last photo with our beloved B
A little bit later we took Bruiser for his last car ride ever and it was the hardest hour of my life. I stayed with him until the very end and played him "Somewhere Over the Rainbow" by Israel Kamakawiwo'Ole (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fahr069-fzE), and just kept telling him how much I loved him and thanks for everything. It was peaceful and Bruiser did give both Sam and I several licks just before his final injection. I just kept telling him what a good boy he is and how he is my best friend. I think even harder than putting him to sleep was leaving without him. After awhile, I said a few prayers over him, covered him with a blanket, and looked at my baby for the last time and said a final "goodbye for now" to him.
I know it will be tough moving on without him. I am not an idiot and know it will take time to heal. My house seems too empty and quiet now. I keep expecting him to turn the corner, or to hear his footsteps on the hardwood floors. I find some comfort in knowing that he went peacefully and that Sam and I were both with him in the end. He was our beloved dog and I know that he's in heaven and looking down on us. Knowing Bruiser, he's already found the nearest beach and has gone for a few swims, and has had several ice cream cones. I just hope he thinks he had a good life and knows how much he meant to us all.
I would like to thank everyone who supported Bruiser during his ITP illness the last few months. The messages, texts, and Facebook posts really helped to keep me positive, and even the messages about his passing made a difference to me on that difficult day. So thank you.
Bruiser was my very best friend and I'll miss him dearly. I love you, Bruiser.
Some photos of Bruiser over the years:
Bruiser's first Christmas, 2008
Bruiser watching for Santa - December 2012
sleepy boy snuggled in my bed
daddy's boy
Bruiser has a new sister! December 2013
Mother's Day 2014 - my two babies and me
big brother is tired from baby guard dog duty
Bruiser and his sister, Bella
Charlotte loves Bruiser too
swimming in the bay with Bella
Birdy and Bruiser
fall fun
all the gals with Bruiser, Christmas 2014
How I'll always remember him - beautiful and happy
