He had me at hello. This bright-eyed, pudgy little black Labrador retriever puppy acted as if he owned the world as he wiggled his way toward us. My husband and I had made the two hour drive to meet the breeder half way to check out this puppy with “no strings attached”. I think the breeder knew it would be worth his time to drive two hours to meet us after hearing our story of heartbreak about the loss of our first black lab, Ansel. We knew we could never replace Ansel, but our wonderful experience with him made us desperate to own another black lab. We were looking for Weston. The name was selected as our second dog to be named for a black and white photographer, this time the famous Edward Weston. There was no question that this gregarious little puppy would be our next black lab. Our three year old yellow lab Scotty sniffed and examined him with a wagging tail signaling his approval of this wiggly little pup as his new doggie housemate. That is how our wonderful journey with Weston began.

Weston the gregarious little lab pup Weston wore his Happy Tails necktie with pride

Weston delighted us with his inquisitive nature and easy going temperament and Scotty amazed us in how he was able to impart the house rules to Weston. Scotty seemed to say, “Our people live in this house, I live in this house, and you do your dirty business outside”. After puppy class and obedience training, at six months of age, Weston passed his Canine Good Citizens test and temperament test to become a Happy Tails Pet Therapy dog to join his “big brother” Scotty as a volunteer to participate in animal assisted activities. Weston always seemed to know what type of doggie magic was needed by his clients whether it was an energetic walk around the recreation room with a child at the children’s shelter or sitting quietly with a stroke patient at the rehabilitation center. He welcomed the hugs and kisses from his friends at the nursing home sensing their need to give and receive the type of love and affection that can only be had through the sense of touch. He literally wiggled his way into the lives of hundreds of people during his nearly nine years of “work” with Happy Tails Pet Therapy.

Mr. Wiggles was his nickname because Weston not only wagged his tail but wiggled with delight from head to tail. His enthusiasm for life was infectious. He was the life of the party and on many occasions entertained the crowd not with fancy tricks on command but with his impromptu goofy antics. At one party he was reported by a very young guest to be “drinking beer and eating chips”. Fear not the report was not completely true in that he was not drinking beer but certainly enjoying chips he had coaxed from those susceptible to his seductive, big brown eyes. He was always a very polite little beggar but still a beggar. I think his love of food came with his breed.

As their “Mom” I loved to photograph Weston and Scotty. Sometimes it was poses to capture the essence of their character and other times it was to capture an image to evoke a smile. Their photos graced the front of many Christmas cards and birthday cards. One of the most popular was the Christmas card “Scotty and Weston, waiting for snow”. Weston was such a little clown and never seemed to mind whatever silly accessories I put on him, it was all just fun for him and he aimed to please.

Weston and Scotty:
Waiting for snow

Weston and Scotty: catching a few rays on St. George Island

When Weston was nine years old, I noticed that his wiggle factor seemed a little low one day so I took him to our skilled and compassionate vet. With Weston’s love of running through the woods and lack of dietary discretion, the enlarged cervical lymph nodes were thought most likely to be due to some type of infection. However the “Big C” was mentioned. I would not, could not even entertain that thought; after all, just six days before he had been running and swimming at the park enjoying the good life of a dog. The next two weeks were lazy days of walks and as always enjoying his favorite time of day, mealtime. Then it happened Saturday night, his wiggle factor dropped significantly and on Sunday the telling sign occurred, he refused the bread and peanut butter containing his medication. I had learned from our first dog Ansel, that when a lab refuses food it is a very bad day. It was a holiday weekend so it was three days before we got the dreaded diagnosis, lymphoma. By this time the wiggle was no more and there was barely a wag left in his tail. He had been stoic in his secret battle and did not want to let us down but now his beautiful big brown eyes said it all, “please let me go”. We had a pact from the beginning, until death do we part. As we held him in our arms, his spirit rose from his disease ravaged body and I like to believe went off to romp and play with those who had preceded him. He was at peace.
It was the end of the fantastic Scotty and Weston era. They say that “Life is a journey so enjoy the ride”, well this little black lab gave us a wonderful ride that we will never forget. He was the product of very impressive champion gene pools but he was just our little clown, my little shadow, and simply put a great dog that brought love and laughter into our home.

Weston
Jan.16, 1997 – May 31, 2006

“Those who touch our lives remain with us forever.”
From: Through Otis’ Eyes: Lessons from a Guide Dog Puppy, by Patricia Burlin Kennedy