The "Statesman Arnold" Story

It was an ordinary day. We had just made a family purchase. At the SPCA. The cutest little guy. He was part dachshund and part beagle. As soon as our daughter saw him she said, “He looks just like Arnold on Different Strokes.” OK, his name was Arnold. He was being lifted from the trunk of a car in the parking lot. We followed the person taking him into the SPCA where we told them we wanted him. Quick turnaround time! It wasn’t quite that easy. He had to be examined, given his shots and bathed before we could take him home. We were told to come back the next day to pick him up. No one, including myself, could wait to bring him home. He was adorable, and he grew to be our most favorite friend. He wasn’t always that much of a favorite. For a while he was a chewer. Chewed a hole in the basement paneling, chewed a portion of the basement carpet and chewed the corner off of our love seat. He was smart though. When he heard it was called a love seat, he started humping the arm of it. That he never stopped until we got rid of the loveseat. He also had a hard time controling himself. When anyone would come to visit he would get so excited he would bark, greet them, roll over and hit them with a stream of pee. That he did throughout his life! He went everywhere with us. Really enjoy the Chesapeake Bay. Loved swimming and enjoyed riding the intertube with you. His all-time favorite doggie friend was Casey. Casey, a mixed breed, was my friend Wayne’s dog. They would walk up and down the back alley to visit and see who had the best bones laying in the yard. His favorite all-time Christmas present was an “Ultimate Warrior” sleeping bag. He slept in that sleeping bag on the floor every night next to Carol. I he got up to stretch, he would whine until Carol reached down and helped him get back in the bag. He was very good at whining, but we kind of made him that way. We fed him off the table when he was a puppy and he would beg and whine whenever we would have a meal. After the meal he would hop on the door of the dishwasher and give the dishes a pre-cleaning. He was also our maildog. When the mail was delivered he expected a treat from Gary, our mailman. If he didn’t get one or Gary wasn’t on the route that day, he would tear into our mail. When we went on some trips, Arn would have to stay with my parents. Grandma and Grandpa lived right down the street, so all we had to do was cross him and he knew exactly where to go. Always got the right house. One time he was staying with Mom and Dad and they left him out to do his business and when they went to let him back in, he was gone. Boy, were they worried. Then it hit them. Up the street they went and there was Arn sitting on our front door step. He was homesick. He moved to Harrington Drive in the late 90s with us and found all new surroundings. Strange, but he always stayed right by my side when I was outside. By now he was in his later years and having some problems hearing and seeing. The only time he strayed was one day we heard a terrible screeching noise along the street. Out we went and there was Arn in the middle of the street looking over some roadkill. A car was about a foot from him, but he was oblivious to his surroundings. Last time he was outside by himself! ADub lived to be 15 years old and was my true friend. He loved watching me pull weeds and rake leaves. He was always forgiving and never held a grudge. I only hope I am like him! It was another extraordinary day in the life of an ordinary guy. PS - Top pix is with our kids, next is at the Chesapeake, next he greets his friend Casey and bottom is Statesman Arnold