“Dogs’ lives are too short. Their only fault, really.”
-Agnes Sligh Turnbull
As I sit at my typewriter this morning, I am grieving. Our beloved family dog, Kep, died this week. He was the sweetest dog I’ve ever known, and we loved him. And he loved his family.
Kep was a big dog with kind and intelligent eyes. He was a ginger, red and white in color (he looked orange), with lots of curly hair. He was a handsome boy of good breeding and came from an old line of working dogs. Kep was an English Shepherd. Years ago, dogs of his type were typically known as Farm Shepherds, or Farm Collies. You could find them on almost any ranch or farm in America until the early 20th century. They are less common today. We acquired him from a breeder in Ben Wheeler, Texas 13 years ago.
We named him Kep after a dog in the stories written by Beatrix Potter (our three kids loved these). Kep is the faithful dog that guards the henhouse and protects his chickens against the marauding fox. Kep was also the name of one of Potter’s actual dogs kept on her farm in the Lake District of England in the early 1900s.
Our Kep had a wonderful and warm temperament, amiable, intelligent, and kind. And like the Kep in Beatrix Potter’s stories, he was good with chickens. We made a point of exposing him to baby chicks early, when he was a puppy, to ensure that he was poultry friendly.
Kep had many endearing qualities. Among these he was attentive and respectful. He would always wait for permission to leave the yard when we opened the gate to go do chores. A simple nod or word told him it was okay to pass. Ever obedient, he would patiently wait for that okay each time, even when the other dogs raced right through the gate leaving him behind.
Kep was a good-natured dog, and a friend to our children. He enjoyed music and liked being read to. He was a comfort for the family through our hardest times. My friend Colby always joked and called him our spiritual dog because on occasion I would share Kep stories when drafted to teach Sunday School. Kep was an example to me. His greatest desire was to simply spend time with his family – to be with us. I am convinced that we are called to have that same attitude and posture with God, and with those He has given us to love.
Kep enjoyed and would participate in any escapades we planned. We once snuck him into our church talent show. He sat happily in front of the audience, wearing his red bandana, while our youngest daughter and I played O! Susanna on our harmonicas. Kep was the star of the show.
Kep loved to go on walks. He would often accompany my wife when she walked around our little community. Ever the good dog mom, my wife would make Kep sit and wait patiently by the mailbox when visiting with the neighbors, especially if there were cats in the yard. Perhaps Kep’s only vice was his proclivity to chase Mrs. Medart’s cats on these walks. Mrs. Medart was our colorful neighbor from down the road, and she and her sister Kay had cats. Lots and lots of cats. Kep had his own cat, his best animal friend, at home, so I think he was only trying to play. Such was Kep’s good nature that he would even allow his cat, and the chickens, to enjoy a meal with him from his supper dish. I’ve never known another dog to share his food like that.
As he aged, Kep grew to dislike storms. If left in the yard at home and alone during a thunderstorm, he would run and hide in fear. We lost him once during a bad storm, but he returned a day later, riding happily in the front seat of a neighbor’s Jeep.
Kep always loved to go for rides. He spent his last days on the ranch, and his favorite thing to do was ride along with the other dogs on the Ranger to help with chores. A five-minute ride down to the sheep barn was the biggest thrill of his day. Even on his last trip, on a beautiful December afternoon, cold, clear, and sunny, he eagerly limped to the truck, happy to ride, for his final visit to the vet’s office and an end to his suffering.
Dogs are examples for us. Happy, loving and positive, they show us how to be better people. The thoughtful Gilda Radner once said, “I think dogs are the most amazing creatures. They give unconditional love. For me, they are the role model for being alive.” Kep was a good role model for all of us.
We laid him to rest along the back fence in the big yard out at the ranch. On his small headstone, along with his name, we will add the Biblical reference – James 1:17. “Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and cometh down from the Father of lights…”
A faithful dog is a good gift. Rest in peace Kep. We love you…
© 2024 Jody Dyer