A dog is truly man's best friend. One of my favorite books I've read growing up was a book called "Where the Red Fern Grows". Yes, it is an older book and yes, it is a cheesy story, but I hold that story close to my heart as I had a similar relationship with my dog Gus. For those of you who haven't read it or don't know about it, I highly suggest you read it or look into because I don't want to ruin the story for others. But for those of you who know about it, you can imagine the kind of relationship that I had with my dog, Gus. He was a solid brown, German Shorthaired Pointer with a white patch on his chest. I picked him out of a litter of thirteen only two weeks after he was born. Once we got him home, we waited a few weeks before picking up his brother, Colt, from the same litter, and sent them off to what I like to call "doggie boot camp". After three months, well for poor Gus it was one month because of a broken leg but after it healed he went back, they were back at home and two well-trained hunters. Gus, however, was not just a hunting dog, he was my best friend and I was his.
Now, by this point, you're all probably wondering why the title of the post is 'Father and Son', and I'm here talking about my two, now deceased dogs but the relationship Gus and I had was one that I won't ever forget. He would follow me around, listen to, really, only me; even when my dad would try to scold him. Gus would also only play fetch with me, he hated to retrieve anything but if I told him to get it, he would. Now, I truly loved that dog and he taught me something that some people never truly understand. The bond between a boy and his dog is impenetrable, but the bond between a son and his father is unbreakable. For reference on where that last part came from, my father was the one who allowed me to pick Gus out in the beginning. After a couple weeks, my dad would then pick up Gus' brother Colt. After getting the two of them back from their training, we would all go out and hunt together. What my dad didn't notice, I was always watching him when we hunted. Not because I was scared he was going trip and shoot himself in the foot or anything, but as a son would always watch his father. He was my idol and still is. Every son's idol should be their father. I'm sorry for those of you who don't have that type of relationship or any relationship with your dad but to put it in words, I say that Gus was my best friend, and he WAS, keyword there. But my dad IS my best friend and that will never change.
To the few who read this and think that my dad and I have always gotten along, I hate to break it to you but we don't always see eye to eye. Heck, as seven year old, I told him I would never play baseball again if he was going to continue being my coach. I'm sure he didn't like hearing that or hearing that I broke his four-wheeler or that I didn't do this or whatever but no matter what, we forgave each other and moved on. That's honestly the best thing to do and is what everyone should do not just with their dad. I have said things to my dad in spite of anger that I honestly regret and he has done the same. However, no matter how angry or annoyed I might get with him or he with me, we always move past it. I always look back at what I learned with Gus. Gus was not a perfect dog by any means. He was terrible at hunting by himself, the laziest German Shorthair pointer I have ever met, and I'm pretty sure he was part deaf so I think the only reason he listened to me was that I was a loud kid. But Gus was my dog and my responsibility just like I am my dad's responsibility. Everything I do reflects on what my dad taught me. He doesn't care about the mistakes I make, he cares about me not making the same mistakes he did growing up. He wants the best for me and wants me to be the best. Which is why he IS my best friend and why nothing can change that. I love my dad and my family, but the bond between a father and son is unbreakable. Everything I am, I owe it to my dad for getting me here.
