Buck is our November 25, 2012 Pup of the Week

Every pack has a primary barker.  In our pack it’s me.  Occasionally I will let Pocket bark if she has something important to say ~eye roll~ or if I need a break, but, for the most part, when you hear barking from us, it’s me.

I think there are a lot of packs like that.  Tommy barks more than Freddie Girl.  Hattie more than Jackie Lynn.  But that doesn’t mean that the quieter dog is any less loved, it just mean they have a slightly smaller personality (editor’s note from Pocket:  and ego).

When we were first trying out this dog networking thing one of our initial friends was Erin.  Erin knew everything we didn’t know.  There was no one better at explaining how to upload pictures, videos, and design a page than Erin and her Mom.  And she was always open to answer our many questions.

Some of us thought that Erin was an only dog because she was the only one who barked but Erin had a brother Buck.   We didn’t hear much from Buck but Erin would tell tale of him and post a darling picture or two.

It is ironic that Buck was so quiet because it was Erin who first coined the phrase “Freedom to Bark.”  At that time many of us were having problems with the old management at DS because some of our comments were being removed and our private messages were being read.  When we started the Tanner Brigade we borrowed the phrase Freedom to Bark as our motto because we believed if you let dogs bark what they wanted to bark everything would be fine because dogs never bark a bad woof.

As of late, because of the human issues that happens to all our humans from time to time, work, illness, family, the other problems of daily life, Erin and her Mom have not been barking much, but there would be no Tanner Brigade without them, and a lot of what newer members of DS take for granted like when someone teaches them how to post a picture or a video or do a new layout, they should know that many of those doing the teaching today have learned from Buck, Erin, and their Mom.

So the wonderful Mom who gave us the phrase Freedom to Bark bark had a pup who didn’t bark much, but he was loved very much by his Mom and will be missed very much by all of us.

There are lots of different ways to go to the Bridge and none of them are good.  At least for Buck it was fast and he didn’t suffer, nor did his Mom have to spend a lot of money on testing and treatments that failed.  Buck spent a pleasant Thanksgiving with his family but on Saturday he tumbled down the stairs.   He could not stand up, he had no reaction to any touch and had labored breathing.  His Mom made an appointment for the vet but Buck went to the Bridge before she could get him there.  He had made his choice to leave this earthly realm from the home he loved.  As his Mom put on her Facebook page.  “Don't cry because it's over. Smile because it happened.”

So here is to Buck, who helped create the Freedom to Bark even when he chose not to bark.  And for all the quieter dogs who are strongest in heart and loyalty.