{"id":555,"date":"2011-10-05T10:00:10","date_gmt":"2011-10-05T10:00:10","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/blog.beliefnet.com\/americainuniform\/?p=555"},"modified":"2011-09-15T17:32:57","modified_gmt":"2011-09-15T17:32:57","slug":"great-dog-story-reggie-aka-tank","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/americainuniform\/2011\/10\/great-dog-story-reggie-aka-tank.html","title":{"rendered":"Great Dog Story: Reggie aka Tank"},"content":{"rendered":"

Great Dog Story … wow!<\/strong><\/em>
\n\"\"<\/a>They told me the big black Lab’s name was Reggie, as I looked at him lying in his pen.\u00a0 The shelter was clean, no-kill, and the people really friendly.\u00a0 I’d only been in the area for six months, but everywhere I went in the small college town, people were welcoming and open.\u00a0 Everyone waves when you pass them on the street.<\/p>\n

But something was still missing as I attempted to settle in to my new life here, and I thought a dog couldn’t hurt.\u00a0 Give me someone to talk to.\u00a0 And I had just seen Reggie’s advertisement on the local news.\u00a0 The shelter said they had received numerous calls right after, but they said the people who had come down to see him just didn’t look like “Lab people,”\u00a0 whatever that meant.\u00a0 They must’ve thought I did.<\/p>\n

But at first, I thought the shelter had misjudged me in giving me Reggie and his things, which consisted of a dog pad, bag of toys almost all of which were brand new tennis balls, his dishes, and a sealed letter from his previous owner.\u00a0 See, Reggie and I didn’t really hit it off when we got home.\u00a0 We struggled for two weeks (which is how long the shelter told me to give him to adjust to his new home).\u00a0 Maybe it was the fact that I was trying to adjust, too.\u00a0 Maybe we were too much alike.<\/p>\n

For some reason, his stuff (except for the tennis balls — he wouldn’t go anywhere without two stuffed in his mouth) got tossed in with all of my other unpacked boxes.\u00a0 I guess I didn’t really think he’d need all his old stuff, that I’d get him new things once he settled in.\u00a0 But it became pretty clear pretty soon that he wasn’t going to.<\/p>\n

I tried the normal commands the shelter told me he knew, ones like “sit” and “stay” and “come” and “heel,” and he’d\u00a0 follow them – when he felt like it.\u00a0 He never really seemed to listen when I called his name — sure, he’d look in my direction after the fourth or fifth time I said it, but then he’d just go back to doing whatever.\u00a0 When I’d ask again, you could almost see him sigh and then grudgingly obey.<\/p>\n

This just wasn’t going to work.\u00a0 He chewed a couple shoes and some unpacked boxes.\u00a0 I was a little too stern with him and he resented it, I could tell.\u00a0 The friction got so bad that I couldn’t wait for the two weeks to be up, and when it was, I was in full-on search mode for my cell phone amid all of my unpacked stuff.\u00a0 I remembered leaving it on the stack of boxes for the guest room, but I also mumbled, rather cynically, that the “damn dog probably hid it on me.”<\/p>\n

Finally I found it, but before I could punch up the shelter’s number, I also found his pad and other toys from the shelter… I tossed the pad in Reggie’s direction and he snuffed it and wagged, some of the most enthusiasm I’d seen since bringing him home.\u00a0 But then I called, “Hey, Reggie, you like that?\u00a0 Come here and I’ll give you a treat.”\u00a0 Instead, he sort of glanced in my direction — maybe “glared” is more accurate — and then gave a discontented sigh and flopped down…. with his back to me.<\/p>\n

Well, that’s not going to do it either, I thought.\u00a0 And I punched the shelter phone number.<\/p>\n

But I hung up when I saw the sealed envelope.\u00a0 I had completely forgotten about that, too.\u00a0 “Okay, Reggie,”\u00a0 I said out loud, “let’s see if your previous owner has any advice.”
\n____________ _________ _________ _________
\nTo Whoever Gets My Dog:
\nWell, I can’t say that I’m happy you’re reading this, a letter I told the shelter could only be opened by Reggie’s new owner.\u00a0 I’m not even happy writing it.\u00a0 If you’re reading this, it means I just got back from my last car ride with my Lab after dropping him off at the shelter.<\/p>\n

He knew something was different.\u00a0 I have packed up his pad and toys before and set them by the back door before a trip, but this time… it’s like he knew something was wrong.\u00a0 And something is wrong…which is why I have to go to try to make it right.<\/p>\n

So let me tell you about my Lab in the hopes that it will help you bond with him and he with you.<\/p>\n

First, he loves tennis balls.\u00a0 The more the merrier.\u00a0 Sometimes I think he’s part squirrel, the way he hordes them.\u00a0 He usually always has two in his mouth, and he tries to get a third in there.\u00a0 Hasn’t done it yet.\u00a0 Doesn’t matter where you throw them, he’ll bound after it, so be careful – really don’t do it by any roads.\u00a0 I made that mistake once, and it almost cost him dearly.<\/p>\n

Next, commands.\u00a0 Maybe the shelter staff already told you, but I’ll go over them again:\u00a0 Reggie knows the obvious ones — “sit,” “stay,” “come,” “heel.”\u00a0 He knows hand signals: “back” to turn around and go back when you put your hand straight up; and “over” if you put your hand out right or left.\u00a0 “Shake” for shaking water off,\u00a0 and “paw” for a high-five.\u00a0 He does “down” when he feels like lying down — I bet
\nyou could work on that with him some more.\u00a0 He knows “ball” and “food” and “bone” and “treat” like nobody’s business.<\/p>\n

I trained Reggie with small food treats.\u00a0 Nothing opens his ears like little pieces of hot dog.<\/p>\n

Feeding schedule:\u00a0 twice a day, once about seven in the morning, and again at six in the evening.\u00a0 Regular store-bought stuff; the shelter has the brand.<\/p>\n

He’s up on his shots.\u00a0 Call the clinic on 9th Street and update his info with yours; they’ll make sure to send you reminders for when he’s due.\u00a0 Be forewarned:\u00a0 Reggie hates the vet.\u00a0 Good luck getting him in the car.\u00a0 I don’t know how he knows when it’s time to go to the vet, but he knows.<\/p>\n

Finally, give him some time.\u00a0 I’ve never been married, so it’s only been Reggie and me for his whole life.\u00a0 He’s gone everywhere with me, so please include him on your daily car rides if you can.\u00a0 He sits well in the backseat, and he doesn’t bark or complain.\u00a0 He just loves to be around people, and me most especially.<\/p>\n

Which means that this transition is going to be hard, with him going to live with someone new.<\/p>\n

And that’s why I need to share one more bit of info with you….<\/p>\n

His name’s not Reggie.<\/p>\n

I don’t know what made me do it, but when I dropped him off at the shelter, I told them his name was Reggie.\u00a0 He’s a smart dog, he’ll get used to it and will respond to it, of that I have no doubt.\u00a0 But I just couldn’t bear to give them his real name.\u00a0 For me to do that, it seemed so final, that handing him over to the shelter was as good as me admitting that I’d never see him again.\u00a0 And if I end up coming back, getting him, and tearing up this letter, it means everything’s fine.\u00a0 But if someone else is reading it, well… well it means that his new owner should know his real name.\u00a0 It’ll help you bond with him.\u00a0 Who knows, maybe you’ll even notice a change in his demeanor if he’s been giving you problems.<\/p>\n

His real name is “Tank”.<\/p>\n

Because that is what I drive.<\/p>\n

Again, if you’re reading this and you’re from the area, maybe my name has been on the news.\u00a0 I told the shelter that they couldn’t make “Reggie” available for adoption until they received word from my company commander.\u00a0 See, my parents are gone, I have no siblings, no one I could’ve left Tank with… and it was my only real request of the Army upon my deployment to Iraq , that they make one phone\u2026 call the shelter… in the “event” … to tell them that Tank could be put up for adoption.\u00a0 Luckily, my colonel is a dog guy, too, and he knew where my platoon was headed.\u00a0 He said he’d do it personally.\u00a0 And if you’re reading this, then he made good on his word.<\/p>\n

Well, this letter is getting downright depressing, even though, frankly, I’m just writing it for my dog.\u00a0 I couldn’t imagine if I was writing it for a wife and kids and family… but still, Tank has been my family for the last six years, almost as long as the Army has been my family.<\/p>\n

And now I hope and pray that you make him part of your family and that he will adjust and come to love you the same way he loved me.<\/p>\n

That unconditional love from a dog is what I take with me to Iraq as an inspiration to do something selfless, to protect innocent people from those who would do terrible things… and to keep those terrible people from coming over here.\u00a0 If I have to give up Tank in order to do it, I am glad to have done so.\u00a0 He is my example of service and of love.\u00a0 I hope I honored him by my service to my country and comrades.<\/p>\n

All right, that’s enough.\u00a0 I deploy this evening and have to drop this letter off at the shelter.\u00a0 I don’t think I’ll say another good-bye to Tank, though.\u00a0 I cried too much the first time.\u00a0 Maybe I’ll peek in on him and see if he finally got that third tennis ball in his mouth.<\/p>\n

Good luck with Tank.\u00a0 Give him a good home, and give him an extra kiss goodnight – every night – from\u00a0 me.<\/p>\n

Thank you,
\nPaul Mallory
\n____________ _________ _________ _______
\nI folded the letter and slipped it back in the envelope.\u00a0 Sure I had heard of Paul Mallory, everyone in town knew him, even new people like me.\u00a0 Local kid, killed in Iraq a few months ago and posthumously earning the Silver Star when he gave his life to save three buddies.\u00a0 Flags had been at half-mast all summer.<\/p>\n

I leaned forward in my chair and rested my elbows on my knees, staring at the dog.<\/p>\n

“Hey, Tank,” I said quietly.<\/p>\n

The dog’s head whipped up, his ears cocked and his eyes bright.<\/p>\n

“C’mere boy.”<\/p>\n

He was instantly on his feet, his nails clicking on the hardwood floor.\u00a0 He sat in front of me, his head tilted, searching for the name he hadn’t heard in months.<\/p>\n

“Tank,” I whispered.<\/p>\n

His tail swished.<\/p>\n

I kept whispering his name, over and over, and each time, his ears lowered, his eyes softened, and his posture relaxed as a wave of contentment just seemed to flood him.\u00a0 I stroked his ears, rubbed his shoulders, buried my face into his scruff and hugged him.<\/p>\n

“It’s me now, Tank, just you and me.\u00a0 Your old pal gave you to me.”\u00a0 Tank reached up and licked my cheek.\u00a0 “So whatdaya say we play some ball?”\u00a0 His ears perked again. “Yeah?\u00a0 Ball?\u00a0 You like that?\u00a0 Ball?”\u00a0 Tank tore from my hands and disappeared in the next room.<\/p>\n

And when he came back, he had three tennis balls in his mouth.<\/p>\n

\n

Loyal Subscribers!\u00a0 We need some help.\u00a0 The purpose of our “Heart” section is to publish stories of the experiences, contributions and sacrifices of our military (Army, Navy, Air Force, Marines and Coast Guard) and public service personnel (police officers, fire fighters, EMS, merchant marines and others in the public sector) as well as stories of their families.\u00a0 Please search your memory and computer for a few and\u00a0send them to Bill\u00a0(CPT Otis) O’Quin at boquin@ix.netcom.com<\/a><\/strong> for possible publication. \u00a0Thanks!<\/em><\/p>\n

\n

Important links for updated military\/defense information:
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\n U.S. Department of Defense:<\/a><\/strong> Military Defense News.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Great Dog Story … wow! 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