I figured I'd better write this before I get
Alzheimer's and can't remember the details. |
|
How Clyde came to be a part of the
Budde family? |
|
Just after graduating from Washington
University, we had to put our dog, Blackie,
down. I wanted another dog right away. My
mother who had had a stroke did not feel
that was a responsibility she wanted or
could take on. I was not happy with her
decision.
Several years later, she decided that she
wanted a dog. For some probably very stupid
reason, I told her I did not and would not
give her any money to buy a dog.
She looked through the paper (no internet in
those days) and found a lady who had a
litter of pups she wanted to sell. My mother
had a few dollars squirreled away and
bartered this along with some costume
jewelry to purchase the dog. I drove her to
this ladies house but stayed outside while
the bargaining was going on.
We put the dog in the car and drove home.
The dog was filthy so the first thing we did
was give him a bath. We then wrapped him in
a bath towel and put him on a chair in the
living room where he went to sleep. |
|
How Clyde got the name "Clyde"? |
|
Clyde was a mixed breed terrier. As an
adult, he weighed perhaps 25 pounds. I had
had two cocker spaniels prior to Clyde but
had not realized how inbred and "dumb" they
had been. Terriers are smart dogs.
At the time we got Clyde, President Johnson
was in office and their family dog was named
"Yuki". Mom wanted to name him with that
name.
I thought that was a stupid name for a dog
so I lobbied for another name. During that
time, The Steve Allen Show was my
favorite TV program. I liked it because it
was goofy. One of his continuing things was
to refer to things as "Clyde" such as "I
fell and broke my Clyde". Thus Clyde seemed
like an obvious name for this new family
member.
The name stuck. Later on, I started
referring to him as Clyde The Wonder Dog. No
other reason for this other than I thought
it was funny. |
|
How Clyde became my best friend? |
|
As my mother bought the dog, it was
initially HER dog. He kept her company
during the day while I was at work.
When Clyde was going through the "potty
training" stage, he was fond of peeing on
the carpet in the dining room by the bay
window. One time I got frustrated with his
lack of progress in learning that was not
the proper thing to do. I was on my knees
trying to make my point and I picked him up
and put him back down pretty hard. He
squealed and I immediately picked him up and
hugged him.
From there on out he was MY dog. |
|
Clyde loved to play with the neighbor's dogs |
|
The Helfrich's were the neighbors who lived
behind my house. We shared a wire backyard
fence. Over Clyde's lifetime, the Helfrich's
had two dogs. Clyde enjoyed playing with
these two dogs so much that he figured that
he could jump the wire fence and be able to
play up close and personal.
At the end of the play, both dogs were
usually full of doggie saliva. |
|
Clyde loved his popcorn |
|
Some evenings while watching TV, I would
make a huge bowl of popcorn. Clyde would
wait alongside me as I was popping the corn.
We would then proceed to the TV room and I
would scoop up a big handful of pop corn and
throw it in the air. Clyde would furiously
eat the pop corn off the floor. |
|
Clyde goes for a swim in the Webster Groves pool |
|
For a number of years, I coached swimming at
the Webster Groves Swim Club. Our summer
practices would begin at 8:00 PM after the
pool closed to the public.
We were at the time of the season when we
had an important meet coming up that weekend
and I had our workout planned to peak the
swimmers for that meet.
We all arrived at 8:00 PM but the pool had
people in it. In talking with the pool
manager, he apologized for forgetting to let
me know that the pool had been rented that
evening. As the rental was to be complete at
10:00 PM, I told all of the swimmers to come
back then for their workout.
I didn't want to leave Clyde alone that
long, so I drove home and brought Clyde back
to the pool with me. This was his first time
at a swimming pool. In fact, I did not know
whether or not he knew how to swim.
The swimming pool was 50 yards long and the
deep section was built in a "T" fashion to
accommodate diving boards. The gutter system
was what was termed "wash over" gutters. As
the kids were swimming laps, Clyde would
bark at the swimmer in the lane closest to
the edge... Kevin Kennedy. Clyde would
occasionally venture into the gutter to
harass Kevin.
Well one lap, the inevitable happened. Clyde
was so intently harassing Kevin that he
walked into the pool. It was then that I
found out he could swim as he climbed out of
the pool and continued to harass Kevin. |
|
One Nut / Uni-Ball |
|
It was my swimmers that bestowed upon Clyde
another of his nicknames. Clyde had a
physical infirmity where he only had one
testicle thus the two nicknames "One nut"
and "Uni-ball". Thanks Chuck Reller! |
|
Clyde drinks gin and gets drunk |
|
I had a friend over and we were watching TV
and drinking Tanqueray on the rocks. I had
set my glass on the floor for a bit between
swallows. We were deep in conversation when
my friend points out that Clyde was lapping
away at the "Tanq". By the time we stopped
laughing and I bent over to pick up the
glass, Clyde had consumed the remaining
liquid.
Clyde tried to scratch his head and of
course fell over. He also got pretty sick
that night. In retrospect, it was probably a
good thing he threw up so much. |
|
Clyde takes a trip to the Vet |
|
Actually Clyde took many trips to the Vet
but this one has a funny story to go with
it.
I would take Clyde to the Humane Society
when he needed to see a Vet. I came to the
opinion that many of the vets who worked on
Clyde were young vets doing their residency
work.
This particular time I asked the young vet
about Clyde's physical infirmity... you know
the "one nut" thing. Clyde was positioned on
his side on a stainless steel table. The vet
started feeling around for the missing body
part. He was very serious when he explained
to me that this was not uncommon and that
perhaps we should consider scheduling an
operation to remove it as it could become
cancerous.
He was still feeling around when he ran out
of his "speech" but he still had not found
it.
As I don't like it when folks are serious
for very long, I said to the vet: "You know
you and my dog are going to have to get
married now". |
|
My backpacking buddy |
|
|
|
I was really into backpacking both in
Missouri and on my two week annual
vacations. Clyde was my companion whether or
not I had another human join me or not.
We traveled to 26 different states during
our adventures together. Two stories come to
mind about our backpacking adventures.
The first story takes place in Flathead
National Forest in Montana. We were hiking
the trail and we came across a pretty
significant creek that would have to be
crossed to resume the trail on the other
side. I was not sure that I wanted to cross
it much less encourage Clyde to cross it
with me.
We sat down next to the creek to ponder our
decision. While we were a-pondering, a
mountain goat appears on the other side of
the creek to get a drink of water. Clyde
went nuts as he thought this was another dog
to play with (or whatever). We decided we
would not hazard a crossing and returned
they way we had come.
The second story involves our night in the
tent. We were camped a bit from a creek with
a bit of a rise between us and the creek.
During the night, Clyde woke me up and I
thought he needed to go out and "stretch his
legs" if you get my drift. I let him out
thinking he would do his thing and come
right back in.
Well, I misread his need and finally
realized that he was thirsty and had gone to the creek for a drink. I
panicked that he would either not find his way back in the dark or would
get eaten by some animal. Thus I hurriedly started to dress to go find
my dog. As I was pulling on my boots, Clyde wanders back into the tent
with this look on his face "Where are you going?" |
|
Gets lost in Concordia Seminary |
|
Concordia Seminary was our routine walking
venue. We walked it often.
Clyde was getting "up in age" and his
hearing had significantly declined (as has
mine). We reached the far end of our walk at
DeMun and he was taking too long smelling
things. I thought I would teach him a lesson
and hid. Well when I came out from my hiding
place, he was nowhere to be seen.
I panicked and went running back to where
the car was parked about one mile away. I
did not see him along the way nor when I got
to the car. After exhausting all ideas as to
where he might have gone, I drove home
without my trusty companion of so many
years.
Obviously I did not get much sleep that
night. I made up little notes to tape to
folks doors the next morning. To help me
cover more area, I enlisted the assistance
of Bobbie and Jimmy Scharff, two of my
godsons. We posted the notes on door's in
the DeMun area as well as at Fontbonne
University where we usually parked the car.
Bobby had a soccer game and I was to take
him to that game. We were at my house when I
got a phone call from a Fontbonne student
telling me that they had found Clyde. We
drove right there and I was reunited with my
best buddy once again. Mucho tears ensued
when I held him tightly. |
|
Our last walk together |
|
Clyde developed a problem where his kidneys
were failing and I made the tough decision
to end his life. At this time he was not
able to walk. I wanted to let him take one
last "walk" through Concordia Seminary
before taking him to the Humane Society.
I am pretty sure I was crying the whole time
as I am crying now as I write these words.
After our walk, we went to the Humane
Society where I signed papers authorizing
them to, put him up for adoption or, if they
deemed it proper, put him to sleep. They
were prepared to take Clyde as soon as I
signed the form but I wanted to sit with him
one last time. I don't know how long we sat
but I would guess it was 15 minutes or more.
More tears... then and now.
Clyde lived a total of 17-1/2 years. A
number of friends thought I would get
another dog right way. For quite a few
years, I never realized why I could not
bring myself to do so.
I had been on vacation and upon returning
home I was talking to my next door neighbor
who had to put one of their dogs down while
I was gone. It was in that moment that it
came to me why I was reluctant to get
another dog... I did not want to go through
the heartache of putting another dog down.
So to this day I remain dog-less. Here's to
you Clyde. We had a great ride! |
|
|