By Jerry duPhily
They say you can’t teach an old dog new tricks. I now know why.
Tricks are beneath old dogs. It would be like asking LeBron James to perform a layup.
Tricks are for puppies, card sharks, David Copperfield. Old dogs have much more important things to do — like helping set the rhythm of our lives.
Last month, I was dealt a painful reminder of that role when we were forced to put down our beloved Gillian, two months short of her 15th birthday.
A Rhodesian Ridgeback rescue from Texas, Gillian’s arrival was the handiwork of our son, who overcame every obstacle we threw in his path — there were many — during his pursuit of a family dog.
And though I grew up with dogs, this time was different. Gillian was the dog our kids brought into the home. The dog they grew up with, slept with, shared every family gathering with. In a sense, she was our third child, except she never grew up and moved out of the house.
Instead, she helped fill the void when our two kids did. That void has re-emerged now that Gillian has passed, no longer there to provide her calm and comforting presence.
Bowen duPhily and Gillian in the fall of 2010 — early in a 14-year adventure. Photo by Lindsay duPhily.
Faithful companion? You bet. Who else greets you as if you were rescuing them from a shipwreck each time you come home? Who else acts like they’d just won the lottery when you simply suggest a walk? Who else will stay tirelessly by your side, regardless of the circumstances?
Of course, my side was the last Gillian would seek when she had an option. On her short ladder of favorite family members, I occupied the bottom rung. But I was OK with that. She completed our family — what more could a dad ask?
And on those occasions when I wanted to climb the ladder, there was always the not-so-secret weapon — a treat in my pocket. Learned that from Jack Nicholson in As Good As It Gets.
And I have also learned how a dog can add immeasurable warmth to a household. Which is a perfect segue to the announcement of a new partnership Out & About has formed with Humane Animal Partners and Tito’s Handmade Vodka. Tito’s is one of the most dog-friendly corporations on the planet.
Beginning in January 2025, each edition of Out & About will feature a HAP Pet of the Month presented by Tito’s. It is our hope that at least one reader will find that month’s featured pet a perfect fit for their household — and realize Humane Animal Partners has many more dogs looking for a home to warm.
Sure, adopting a dog is a significant commitment. You shouldn’t consider it if you think otherwise. But then consider the commitment a dog makes to you… and the joy they bring. Trust me, it’s a joy you underestimate — until your Gillian is no longer around.
