In Memoriam: Champ (1998-2011)

In addition to the spiritual high of General Conference this past weekend, my family and I also dealt with the sad event of watching our family dog pass away.  

Champ and Annie

Champion Tanner Larsen, "Champ," became a part of our family in 1998.  My sister Ashley had been  begging for a puppy for years and my parents felt like the kids were all at an age to truly appreciate and care for a dog.  They found an advertisement in the newspaper for beagle-mix puppies for sale for $10.  The entire family (plus a neighborhood girl I was babysitting) trekked over to pick out our new puppy.

If we hadn't seen the mother, we never would have guessed these were beagle puppies.  They came in two color variations: brown and black.  I remember that one of the black ones quickly settled herself on my lap and was perfectly content to stay there the entire time.  Such a docile creature was not intended for life in the Larsen household though.  Instead, we settled on the brown boy puppy who was running around like crazy and didn't sit still the entire time we were there.

We brought home our little "clearance puppy" and began trying to figure out a suitable name for him.  Tramp, Nike, Socks, and Tanner were some of the ones we tested before finally settling on Champ.

As a puppy, Champ took particular delight in chewing on anything and everything that was left within grasp of his teeth.  This included, but was certainly not limited to, shoes, barbies, stuffed animal noses, washcloths, underwear, and dirty diapers.  It didn't even seem to matter that digesting such items often caused him pain later.  Even as an old dog, he would still riffle through an unattended garbage can looking for food scraps or wrappers.

Aside from chewing on these "delicacies," Champ also quickly developed a taste for table scraps. More than once, we'd be sitting at the dinner table when one of the kids (usually Ashley) would jump and squeak as Champ nipped their fingers while trying to grab whatever morsel they were trying to stealthily pass to him.  He quickly developed a sixth sense for whenever someone was eating and would plant himself firmly within their sights until the plate was walked to the sink (or placed on his "blue stool" table to lick clean).

Champ was originally slated to be an outdoor dog and my dad built him a well-insulated, sturdy dog house, but that didn't last long.  As soon as the weather turned cold, my sisters and I couldn't bear to hear him whine at the back door and would "sneak" him into bed with us.  As a result, he would forever have to sleep in one of our bedrooms, preferably right next to us in bed.

Champ was a loyal and territorial dog.  He knew those people who he liked (like his family) and would always yelp and be excited to see them.  He also knew those people who he did not like and was not nearly as friendly to them, even if they had never done anything to him.  He protected his family (and his yard) from all strangers, stray cats, and birds.

He managed to find so many ways to "escape" from the backyard and never missed a chance to go roam around the neighborhood if it presented itself.  This never changed throughout his life.  Thankfully, he would always find his way home and bark at the front door to let us know he had returned.

Champ and Jori

As my dad pointed out during our little funeral service yesterday, Champ was responsive to the Spirit of what was going on in the house.  During family scripture study, he would always be present and as soon as someone turned a page or closed their book, he would perk up and run to my dad.  We would then have to calm him down long enough to say family prayer.  But he would be back up and running as soon as we said "Amen."  My dad would then entertain all of us by having Champ run around the family room, bouncing off of the furniture.

During his lifetime, we've had 3 different cats: Cali, Nemo, and Dixie.  He developed a unique relationship with each of them.  Cali was an older cat when we brought Champ home, so they developed a very respectful relationship.  Mostly, they knew to leave each other alone.  

Champ and Nemo had one of the funnest relationships to watch.  They would "play" together frequently--which usually involved Champ trying to sit on Nemo.  We would also send Champ outside at night with instructions to "find Nemo" so that we could bring him in for the night.  He would race outside and frantically begin barking and looking for the cat.  Inevitably, Nemo would find him first and sneak up on him.  

Champ and Dixie had a similar playful relationship, but Dixie wouldn't stick around as long.  

Regardless, he knew the difference between our cats and the strays who liked to wander into our backyard/garage.  If he caught wind of a stray cat, or heard a cat fight, he would bark at the back door until we let him out to go chase after the trespasser.

Ashley with her puppies--Genie and Champ

He may have gotten along with our cats, but our hamster was a different story altogether.  One Sunday afternoon, I came home from a presidency meeting to find my mom holding Champ and telling him to "Spit him out."  There was only a little hamster tail sticking out of his mouth.  Thankfully, Sam wasn't physically harmed.

We took him camping with us to Wasatch campground once as a young puppy.  He would venture off the paths and go running through the underbrush.  As a result, he ended up with a beard full of burrs that took my mom hours to get out.  I think she eventually had to cut a lot of them out.

Mostly, he was always there for me when I needed a snuggle buddy, someone to vent to, or just someone nearby.  He loved unconditionally.  

It has been difficult to watch him age, especially as his health deteriorated over the last few months.  So while his passing wasn't unexpected, he still left a hole in my heart that, in time, will not hurt but that will never fully heal.  

I am grateful that he was a part of my life and that we were able to be with him when he passed (as the Mormon Tabernacle choir sang "God Be With You Till We Meet Again" at the conclusion of Conference).  I know it was his time to go and that he is comfortable and at peace.  

I will always love you puppy!