“Dogs come into our lives to teach us about love, they depart from our lives to teach us about loss. A new dog never replaces an old dog, it merely expands the heart.” – Liam J. Barnes
Ryan loved dogs and had a special bond with our family pets growing up. When he was 4, we got our first dog, Norm. Norm was a Shar Pei/Spaniel mix. He looked like a Shar Pei, but was energetic and wanted to work like a Cocker Spaniel. Neal and I asked my brother and his wife to watch him while we went on our honeymoon early in 1994. Norm ended up staying out with them for the remainder of his life as he became a beloved ranch dog.
In 1995 we got Jessie, our loyal yellow Labrador. She loved to run off when the door was open too long, but she was perfect otherwise. She lived until 2005.
Our golden retriever, Kodiak was born in 2006, and was a great dog. He was huge, 175 lbs huge! He loved hunting and swimming and camping with us every chance we had. He also loved to cuddle and just hang out. He let our little Yorkie (Lola) act like she ruled the roost. She would always bark and growl at him, but that never phased Kodi.
The love of Ryan’s life however, was Hammer! Ryan got his German Shepherd in 2010 when he was still living in Wyoming. Ryan made it real clear he wasn’t named after the song Hammer Time!
He would bring Hammer over to our house to play with Kodiak and Lola. Lola was never impressed with any other dog, but Hammer would just ignore her!
Hammer was definitely on the canine spectrum (assuming there is one). He was not very affectionate to anyone other than Ryan most of the time. He was hyperactive and quite honestly a pain in the ass. He always seemed to be searching for a big adventure, just like his owner. Ryan had him trained and he would listen to commands, he was very loyal to Ryan. He needed encouragement with a shock collar to listen to the rest of us. He didn’t ever need to be shocked, just a click and he would do great. If we left him alone for any period of time, however, we usually would have quite a mess on our hands!
Ryan would howl with Hammer saying “I wooooove yooooouuu!” They both would do it over and over in unison. It was rather loud and obnoxious, but still sweet and impressive. Everyone loved it so much, they would howl “I wooooove yooooouuu” with Hammer for the rest of his life.
When Ryan lived in Texas, he got Hammer certified as a service dog. He got the certification online, which seemed ridiculous to me at the time, but he really was an emotional support dog. Ryan needed him before he died and we all needed him after. I am so thankful Ryan had Hammer. Ryan and his adventures lived on through Hammer for many more years!
“You can usually tell that a man is good if he has a dog who loves him.” – W. Bruce Cameron
The end of May, 2014, Ryan made it home just in time for his brother’s graduation. I was so excited to see him. He came into town and joined us at a friend’s house for their daughter’s graduation party. That is where I took the picture of Ryan carrying Hammer on his shoulders. This “carry” became a symbol of Hammer’s ownership after Ryan.
In the month before Ryan died, there was a tick infestation at Ryan’s house in Texas. By infestation, I mean they were crawling up the walls, over carpet, on his dresser… everywhere, including on Hammer! Ryan had to shop vac them up and Hammer had to get treatments to get rid of them.
He called me to tell me about it all and started the conversation by saying, “Well this is probably the worst day of my life!” I remember thinking for a split second that I was sure there would be worse days, but hopefully not.
When Neal and my brother took a trip down to Texas to get Ryan’s belongings and his dog after he passed, there were still ticks on Hammer. They had to pick them off and throw them out the window as they drove home to Wyoming.
My brother and his wife kept Hammer with them until my niece, who was in veterinary school in Oregon, could meet up with them and be Hammer’s new momma. Hammer would run around a tree in my brother’s back yard. He had played there with Ryan from time to time when they would visit. Hammer always seemed to be looking for Ryan and my sister-in-law believes Ryan was actually there playing with him at times too.
My niece loved having Hammer. I love this post she put up on social media about a special adventure they had…
“We took Hammer sailing. It was pretty hysterical. He was upset the WHOLE time because he was certain that the boat was the stupidest idea EVER and we should all be swimming instead. Touché Ham Bones. We sailed to an island and Hammer was in heaven and surrounded by VERY enthusiastic (and slightly drunk) German Shepard lovers. This is totally a thing…German Shepard enthusiasts. I had no idea. Whoaaaaaa! DO NOT GET IN THE WAY OF A GSE and a GS!!! Passionate, if not slightly delusional, people. When Hammer whined they said he had the most beautiful howl. When he stole their steak they said he was wildly cleaver. When he pooed next to their tent they said he was toooo cute and super healthy. When he waited to shake off until he was within a foot of them…they found him ever charming. My kind of people!!!”
The disadvantage with my niece adopting Hammer, was that Hammer did not do well living in the city and being unattended for any amount of time. While my niece was very busy in school, Hammer was very busy destroying her home. Like I said, Hammer was always looking for the next big adventure, sometimes that included doctorate books and papers and sometimes included sugar, flour, and other kitchen items.
So, my sister who is the Equine Assisted Psychotherapist, decided that she needed Hammer with her. Hammer thrived with her and he became as much of a therapy dog to all of her clients as the horses were! He did need to learn not to chase the horses, even though, in his mind, they weren’t any different than deer, just a bit easier to catch up to. He loved living out in the country, always going on rides in the truck, and having new friends who thought he was as cute as anything.
Hammer broke his leg in November, 2018, the x-rays revealed a mass as well. He ended up having his leg amputated to give him the best chance of achieving recovery. It was a huge burden for my sister to take on, but she loved him with every ounce of his being and did not hesitate taking on this task. Luckily her daughter (the Vet now) was able to help her find the best care and share in the recovery efforts. My sister had to bear the financial burden, nurse him back to health, help him learn to do everything without a hind leg, and still keep up with her other commitments.
They both did so well adapting, and they bonded more than anyone thought possible. He lived another two years, full of spit and fire! His health declined the end of 2020 and he passed away in January 2021. It was an emotional time for all of us, but especially for my sister! He now runs free and happy with Ryan forever!
“Heaven is a place where all the dogs you’ve ever loved come to greet you.”
– Oliver Gaspirt
When I think about Ryan, I am sure he is surrounded by all of our dogs and many more that he loved along the way. I am sure they are all following Hammer’s lead and tolerating Lola’s bossy attitude.
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