When I started sending pictures of Mastiff puppies to Jess, she knew that she was in trouble. We had just finished moving into our first home and I got bit by the dog bug. I'm sure the idea of adding a dog to our family seemed crazy to most. I know Jess thought so. Deep down I knew too. We were both working long hours. But I also had a feeling that getting a dog was "right" in some way.
A steady supply of cute puppy pictures started to sway Jess. She knew that our home wasn't well suited to a Mastiff. As usual, she nudged me in a more "practical" direction. She found "Mikey."
Done. Where do we sign? Like most big decisions, Jess and I jumped right in. But we knew he wasn't a "Mikey." Look at those paws! He demands a large name. A strong name. "Titan" came to mind, and "Titan" it was.
The night we brought Titan home was a roller coaster. He was very timid and shied away from most men. He wasn't interested in eating or drinking or playing with toys. All very odd for a 12 week old puppy. Upon closer inspection, we found a tick burrowed into his skin. And another. And another. Our scheduled appointment at the vet for the next day seemed too far away.
We took him to the emergency vet clinic and anxiously waited. After what seemed like hours, the vet said we should consider putting Titan down that night. There were more than 30 ticks deeply burrowed into his skin which caused severe anemia. He had a stomach parasite that was difficult to treat. We couldn't believe what we were hearing. Even though we had only been together for six hours, there was no way we were going to give up on Titan that easy. Fortunately Titan pulled through and came home after a lot of fluid and meds. "He's so lucky," we thought. "We got to him just in time."
Titan recovered quickly. He was soon splashing in his water dish, inhaling his food and constantly wanting more. He was full of energy.
There were mandatory, two hour trips to the dog park every night. Jess and I worked long hours, but one or both of us always found time to spend with Titan.
Around three years old Titan started coming to work with me. "Ready for work?" became one of Titan's favorite things to hear. He loved getting scratches from coworkers, raiding their trash cans and announcing when someone walked in the front door. Loudly. I like to believe these distractions were his way of telling me when I needed to take a break.
While he could be a distraction, many of us took comfort in knowing Titan was around. He was always there to provide a pick-me-up when something didn't go as planned or when you were frustrated with a hard problem. When he sensed that you were stressed out, Titan would demand a quick scratch, which was as enjoyable for him as it was for you.
Titan spent four years at work. This experience helped him become more comfortable around humans. He started trusting and befriending people quicker. By the end of his work life, I believe he genuinely enjoyed being around humans as much as other dogs. Friends would regularly comment about how fortunate Titan was to be able to go to work everyday.
An office move caused Titan's retirement from work life. For the next two years he'd spend his days at home perched on the couch, looking out the window, watching the children on the playground. He became best friends with his dog walkers and the friends they'd bring to walk with Titan.
Titan and I were both excited when I started working at home. We'd go hiking several times a week in the foothills of a nearby mountain. He chased deer and turkeys. He thought a pack of coyotes would make for great playmates. He got tapped on the nose by a rattlesnake. He made new dog and human friends with other regular hikers. Titan climbed the highest peeks and dove into the muddy valley ponds.
Of Titan's many dog friends, Trooper was his absolute favorite. Trooper lived next door for three years and she and Titan became inseparable. When only one of the dogs was outside, they'd sit at the other's door waiting for it to open. And as soon as it did, they'd both tear off into the courtyard running at full speed for hours.
They played just as hard inside. Titan would steal her food. Trooper would steal his toys. At the end of the night we'd find them sleeping together, using the toys they fought so hard for as pillows.
Titan was quite well traveled. He made five cross country road trips to visit family on the east coast. He saw the Grand Canyon, the salt flats of Utah and the Arizona desert. He chased deer at my aunt's house in Texas, sampled BBQ in St. Louis and walked on Bourbon Street in New Orleans. He ventured into the Atlantic Ocean in Florida and into the lakes of Maryland. And he spent many months in Pennsylvania visiting his grandparents, aunts, uncles and cousins. All told, Titan visited 27 states. Everyone in our family always welcomed Titan with open arms, incredible hospitality and a ton of love. They always said how lucky Titan was that he could travel with us.
Titan charged through life at full speed. He had many great adventures and experiences. But he couldn't outrun time. He had arthritis in a surgically repaired knee and pinched nerves from two compressed discs in his back.
Titan fought valiantly through it all. He received regular acupuncture to relieve the pinched nerves. He took many different medications to manage the pain. And this helped for quite some time.
Eventually though, the pain became too much. Titan would never tell you. He was too proud for that. But we could see it in his face and in the way he would move.
On March 31, 2017, we made the most difficult decision of our lives. We said goodbye to Titan.
It wasn't until Titan's passing that I realized how mutually dependent our relationship was. For as much food, shelter and time as we gave him, for all the walks and the trips to the dog park, for all the toys thrown and the chicken strips provided, he repaid us tenfold in unconditional love. It turns out we were the lucky ones.
You are and forever will be missed. Goodbye Titan.