{"id":3214,"date":"2020-11-07T19:25:02","date_gmt":"2020-11-07T19:25:02","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/har0ld.com\/playground\/?p=3214"},"modified":"2020-11-07T20:04:33","modified_gmt":"2020-11-07T20:04:33","slug":"buzz-the-wonder-dog","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/har0ld.com\/playground\/2020\/11\/buzz-the-wonder-dog\/","title":{"rendered":"Buzz the Wonder Dog"},"content":{"rendered":"

I\u2019ve never seen a dog with so much control of himself.  I\u2019ve never seen a dog that gentle and respectful.<\/p>\n

I mean\u2026<\/em><\/p>\n

I do love dogs. I grew up with one. We\u2019d both arrived in the family at the same time, me as a six year old boy and him as an energetic puppy. I\u2019m fairly observant and always play with anyone\u2019s dog a little bit.<\/p>\n

Buzz was different. Buzz didn\u2019t bark for barking. Buzz didn\u2019t care much about hype and energy. Buzz wanted to explore and chill most of the time. And once he understood that he was in good hands, he wanted to play too. And then smell something and chill more.<\/p>\n


\nMorning sun for him and latte for me. And also morning sun.<\/em><\/p>\n

My ex-wife got him early in 2012. A \u201cfree\u201d dog, a rescue, a pit bull. I\u2019m in France and we\u2019re skyping and she tells me that she made the acquisition, after fostering him for a while. I\u2019m a little mad because that\u2019s a layer of complexity added to an already intense situation. I\u2019m also really happy because this dog will help her grief her brother who had unfortunately passed away a few months prior.<\/p>\n

Once I got back to LA, after my wife had done an amazing job at caring for him (he was a skeleton), it didn\u2019t take long for me to totally embrace him. Probably five minutes. At that time he\u2019s apprehensive and kind of depressed, still. I see him transform from a pouting dog who doesn\u2019t react to toys in front of him to having loads of energy and being very protective. This apartment in Silver Lake was his. The dog walker had to back off a couple times before I took over.  Anyone not us around, he would bark at. Walking him could be a serious challenge because he\u2019d jump at every single dog behind or not behind the fence, growling. Not to attack them, but to defend himself and us. At least that\u2019s how it felt. One time we were running down the street and he cut in front of me to go after the dog behind the fence, I tripped, fell, and he immediately stopped caring about the other dog. Looking at me like \u201cyou alright man? I\u2019m sorry you\u2019re upset now, my bad\u201d<\/em>.<\/p>\n


\nA majestic dog<\/em><\/p>\n

I was with him only for a few years, but it was 24\/7. Walking him two to three times a day. Playing. Feeding him. I can\u2019t not think of Bill Burr\u2019s skit about dogs<\/a> where he imagines what the dog thinks. \u201cthis dude is cool I love him! This guy feeds me\u2026\u201d<\/em> . I know I have the picture of him in my old phone where he\u2019s gauging me for the very first time. I can tell he\u2019s like \u201cI think this dude is alright and apparently he\u2019s staying around? Cool\u201d. <\/em>With that cute face of his.<\/p>\n

That\u2019s the picture. That\u2019s when our bond became solid. 2012\/12<\/em><\/p>\n


\n\u201cI feel good daddy!\u201d he expressed, pooping roughly at the exact same spot \u201cthat works 100% of the time\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n

That happy face after pooping. Sometimes it was challenging to get him to drop a deuce. No noise around, no rain, some privacy or otherwise he didn\u2019t #2. It could lead to frustrating moments of him about to do it and bam, there\u2019s a car speeding up and that\u2019s a wrap. He would raise his eyes, get his little trot on and I wouldn\u2019t be mad anymore. Next time, then.<\/p>\n


\nThe only time he ever did something mischievous (tearing up an empty bottle of milk) and oh boy does he KNOW<\/em><\/p>\n

Nicknames were made. His full name is Buzz the Wonder Dog. But then it became Buzz and then Buzzy Boi and then Bootses and then Bookeets, Da Beast, etc. After adding more exercise to his routine, he started to relax with the barking at strangers and was willing to play. Oh man.<\/p>\n

I\u2019d assembled a coffee table with a portion made of glass. He LOVED to jump over it and then he started to jump ON it. I was amazed that it never broke but even in his landing he would be so gentle. Jumping over the table to go grab the toy by the heater was his game and we did it countless of times. He would shake that fake lobster like he was fighting Cerberus. And one second later he would be his soft, careful, observant self. So adorable.<\/p>\n


\nThis is how Windows Phone got me hooked: with cute pictures of the dog in my life (pics show up randomly on the homescreen).<\/em><\/p>\n

He was so gentle and respectful. Like he didn\u2019t even believe in things. I would have his food ready and tell him \u201cgo!\u201d<\/em> and he would kind of wait there, nose hovering over his bowl and look at me like \u201care you sure I can dig in?\u201d<\/em> and if you had the bad kind of energy, he would have a bite and then just stick with you. Every. Single. Day.<\/p>\n

He also knew he couldn\u2019t get any of our food. We could leave a dog mind-melting, smelling good AF burger on the coffee table, right where he could get it. We would disappear in the kitchen and come back. The burger would still be there, with Buzz smelling it from afar like he\u2019s an art collector in front of the Mona Lisa. Just looking! I was amazed. I\u2019ve never seen any dog able to do that. Especially with some tasty red meat in front of them. That takes phenomenal control and discipline.<\/p>\n


\nWith his only girl, Bonnie. The only dog I\u2019ve seen him play with. Sadly, she passed away this year too. Yes, I walk them together, one at each arm and no, I didn\u2019t have to change side on the street.<\/em><\/p>\n

My ex could have a treat for him on the floor. He would listen to her and lay down next to it. Waiting for the signal to get it. He would wait. His tail wouldn\u2019t and it would start to slap the hardwood floor louder and louder while he was still (which would send me laughing my ass off; he\u2019s tryyyyin\u2019). He would eventually calm all the way down to not move at all. I was so amazed.<\/p>\n


\nMy dude in my cool room on West Adams. Taking the sun, as usual. Aww man.<\/em><\/p>\n

It was hard when we divorced. There was so much to deal with, Buzz was so much part of my life at that point that I didn\u2019t even think about him for months. As stupid as it sounds I was in we\u2019re all<\/em> together, forever<\/em> mode.<\/em> And then I saw him and realized that I was losing him too and I dropped on the floor because it was so good and painful to feel<\/em> him and he was so happy to see me too. He couldn\u2019t know that I wasn\u2019t going to stay more than a couple days. He just wanted to play.<\/p>\n

It\u2019s 2014 and I\u2019m staying for the weekend. It\u2019s Friday night and I\u2019m sleeping on the couch. He\u2019s on the floor, next to me. I\u2019m exhausted, just peeking at him from time to time, listening to music. He\u2019s chilling. My ex calls him to go to bed. He doesn\u2019t bulge. She calls him again and I\u2019m thinking, \u201cthanks for the vigil, Buzz\u201d<\/em>. He doesn\u2019t respond. He stays all night long with me. The next day, same scenario. At the first call, he stands up and goes to her bedroom.<\/p>\n

I think he just wanted to let me know that he had me.<\/p>\n

For the next four years, I would dog sit him from time to time. It would always be such an exciting thing to do and of course a bit bitter too. \u201cI left everything in France for a family here that doesn\u2019t exist anymore but here\u2019s my boy!\u201d<\/em>  type of thoughts. I have videos of myself opening the door to see his antics after not seeing him for months. So cute.<\/p>\n


\nIt\u2019s Christmas and Buzz just wants to cuddle. I am down with that.<\/em><\/p>\n

The last time I saw him, I was dropping him off after the last stay he had with me for 2018 Christmas. He was looking back, to see if I was coming too. I never stopped thinking about him ever since, but life (and his health) made it more complicated to visit him.<\/p>\n


\nProbably one of the last chilling session with this gentleman.<\/em><\/p>\n

I love you Buzz! You\u2019re the best and Bonnie is right there with you but I think you\u2019re the best though, no disrespect. You\u2019re also anchored in a very important part of my life and I\u2019ll never forget our greatest moments with V.<\/p>\n

I really hoped that you would live forever. I guess you are, in a way.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

I\u2019ve never seen a dog with so much control of himself.  I\u2019ve never seen a dog that gentle and respectful. I mean\u2026 I do love dogs. I grew up with one. We\u2019d both arrived in the family at the same time, me as a six year old boy and him as an energetic puppy. I\u2019m […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[3],"tags":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"http:\/\/har0ld.com\/playground\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3214"}],"collection":[{"href":"http:\/\/har0ld.com\/playground\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"http:\/\/har0ld.com\/playground\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/har0ld.com\/playground\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/har0ld.com\/playground\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=3214"}],"version-history":[{"count":6,"href":"http:\/\/har0ld.com\/playground\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3214\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":3220,"href":"http:\/\/har0ld.com\/playground\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3214\/revisions\/3220"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"http:\/\/har0ld.com\/playground\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=3214"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/har0ld.com\/playground\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=3214"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/har0ld.com\/playground\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=3214"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}