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Duncan's
"The Golden Recliner"
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PageDUNCAN as Santa-Doo
My boy Duncan was born in 1998. He was a pet-shop puppy. My (ex) wife, Vickie and I were out buying Christmas gifts for our other dog children, Cookie and Sparky, when he caught Vickie's eye. It was, what they call, love at first site. He was a tiny ball of golden fur that captured our hearts. A short time later, this baby golden was on his way to a new home and family. Vickie kept him inside her coat to keep him warm. He took to his new family instantly. Cookie the oldest, was cool to him, but Sparky who was still young himself, now had a new playmate. My son Cary, and my daughter Rebecca, were crazy over him..
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As a young boy he was adventurous. Climbing onto the back of the sofa and racing around the yard. He loved stealing dirty socks and falling asleep in the laundry basket. he would lay on the exercise mat whenever anyone tried to use it. He was a lover. He never had a problem in the hugging and kissing department. He would often fall asleep in my daughters arms.
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Duncan was an angel from day one. He never did anything wrong. He house trained quickly (thanks to Cookie & Sparky) and never went through those "terrible-twos" Yes, he was perfect.
Every weekend he would go with Sparky and me to the local park where we lived in Whitestone, Queens. He loved seeing all the other dogs and their owners. "The dog-people" as we're called. He loved running and playing. Then one weekend he began to limp. After many e-rays by his vet at Maspeth Animal Hospital, we found that Duncan was born without any hip-joints. Devastating news. We were able to get him hip-replacement surgery on his right leg (thanks tax return check). He learned to place all his weight on that leg, and soon was running like the wind again. He would never let the bad hip slow him down. He never whimpered or showed any signs of pain. He had an amazing spirit. In later years he would use a special harness to keep his left leg from turning out. He never wanted help in the car (he loved going for rides or onto the bed. If you tried to help him, he would tell you about it. He would do it himself. I still smile when I think how he would get onto the bed. He would use his head and neck to lift himself up. Then his front paws, then the good leg... He was up and on your pillow! Laying like a person.
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One of his favorite gifts was a read and green soft flying disc (frizbee). It was given to him one Christmas by Nancy B. He loved chasing it in the park. He had many over the years, always the same brand and colors.
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Duncan had many different names over the years. In fact, it was very rare that any of us ever called him Duncan. He answered to Dunca-Do, Dunca-Doodle, Doo-bug (most used), Doodle-bug, Doo-bug Shakur - The Rappin' Golden Retriever and Dun-kee (my favorite). He as also known as, put never called by, "The Love Sponge" and "The Golden Recliner". As any parent of a Golden will tell you, they love to recline,upside down for hours. He loved comfort.
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Dun-kee loved being outside and had a thing for digging his "dirt hole" and laying in it. He favorite past time (besides his frizbee) was swimming. Dun-kee loved the water. He swam many times in our pool in Queens, He would swim, get tired, swim to the steps, turn around, sit on the steps in the water and place his head on the edge of the pool and sleep. Comfort should have been Doo-bu's middle name. In his later years when he came to live with me in Westchester, I would take him to Nancy B's big pool in Yonkers to swim. He was a Golden Fish.
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The doo-bug loved his holidays. Father's Day and Fourth of July for the Bar-b-ques. Halloween because of all the people who would visit. He was sure to see Ivy, Cathy, Teri, Yvette and "Uncle" Mike. These are times he would get to see his kids again, Cary and Rebecca. And with them would come Samantha and Toby. Dunkee had a large family. He loved Thanksgiving and Christmas. Good food, family and yes, presents! He loved his stuffed toys which we called "babies". There is a large basket in the front hall full of stuffed toys. Toys that have not been played with since he left us) He would stand in front of his basked, bury his head into the toys and fling the "babies" everywhere until he found his favorites, which he would line up in front of the television in a row. He would then lay in front of the daring our other dogs, Emily, Sparky and Snowy to steal them. July 4th, 2007 was Duncan's last holiday.
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It was in July that his new vet, Dr. Nick (DiRusso) informed us how sick my boy was. It was confirmed. Dooey had cancer. There was no saving him. 4th of July was bitter sweet for all of us. Cary and Rebecca came over as did many friends. There were tears and laughter. Duncan always seemed to make you feel alright. Nancy and I were told by Dr. Nick that Doo had three to six months to live. He was on special antibiotics and Nancy got him special medicine that was used on the rescue dogs that saved lives at the W.T.C. after 9/11. Nancy was determined to keep Doo-bug alive for a year. No one really knew how bad he was inside. for about a week before he past, Duncan would climb up on the couch and lay on Nancy, hugging her, I would wake in the middle of the night to find him sitting next to my bed, a big grin, the tongue hanging out. I'd ask "are you alright Dunkee?". He would kiss my face and leave. He would do this two or three times a night.
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It was always a love fest with Duncan. He loved Emily and Sparky. His new little buddy Snowy, who would play with him on the hill behind the house. He loved his mom, Vickie and Cary, Samantha, Toby and yeah, he loved me, but it was Rebecca he adored. There aren't many words to describe his love for her. He got to see Becky a week before he died. He was thrilled to see her because he knew his time was nearing. He got to swim in the big pool one last time, and on Sunday, August 5th he made one last ride to the park in Queens to play with friends and chase that red and green flying disc he craved. Monday night he wouldn't eat. We decided on Tuesday , my day off, I would bring him to Dr. Nick. Tuesday morning arrived, but not the way we expected. I heard Nancy yelling for me "He's dying" . I raced from my room to find my Dun-kee on the landing of the stairway. He couldn't make it to the top. He labored in his breathing and I tried telling him that I was taking him to the doctor to hold on. Everything just went racing forward from that point. I was sitting on the steps in front of him, Nancy was at the bottom of the stairs. Duncan looked into my eyes and took two last breaths. He moved his head backward and he was gone. I was screaming "Don't die Dunkee" but his courageous fight had ended., He had enough strenght to stay alive until we got up for work. At 5:30 am on Tuesday, August 7th, 2007 my, our, Duncan had passed. He was my best friend. And I admit it, I am lost without him.
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Duncan will never see another cool Autumn day, or greet trick or treaters. his big head will be missed at Thanksgiving dinner and it will feel strange not bying the Doo-bug a toy for Christmas. He won't run with us in the snow, or enjoy the warmth of a new Spring day. His frizbee will never fly agian. It rests with him now.
But duncan didn't die, only the body died.
Duncan will live on in mine and everyone's hearts and souls forever.
My boy had a great life... he had LOVE
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