That is the only photo I have of my mom, BB, but you see where I get my good looks. It’s unusual for dog offspring to have contact with their mothers after the infant puppy stage. The Dog Mom does her job, does it well and then she bounds on with her human family. I saw my mom only one more time when I was about ten months old. I was all legs and panting and energy. And BB wanted absolutely nothing do to with my shenanigans. She had her family and I had mine.
Most dogs are tough. Chessies are probably one of the toughest. Pain, fatigue and injury all take a back seat to the love for our family, the love of a swim and just the love of life. That’s why, when my mom started limping a few months ago, the vet prescribed anti-inflammatory meds and she was on her way. It was her only symptom. Who knew how much she was hurting? After a few weeks, her humans began to be concerned. Tests began and that’s when they found the cancer.
BB passed away on Tuesday. She had a great life and her family cared and loved her very much. I don’t know if she had been a different breed, if they would have discovered her illness sooner. But that is the heart of a Chessie — strong, stubborn and full of love.
