Missing Zune

verabear Zune 5 Comments

Just a few minutes ago, I saw this post from the I Heart Photography Blog:

It’s a wonderful idea actually, to photograph from Zune’s perspective.

If only Zune were still around.

Perhaps it is time I wrote about it. It’s been three months after all. Three months since Zune left to live with another family. It was really painful but we had to give him up. He’s been getting more aggressive and we just didn’t know how to handle him anymore. He bit AJ on Christmas Eve, while we were handing out presents. Before New Year, he also bit my sister-in-law. Both happened pretty quickly, and unexpectedly. At both times, the humans were stepping over Zune so as not to step ON him. Unprovoked, and unexpected.

He was probably quite anxious that night before Christmas. He didn’t understand why AJ kept coming and going (he was my little elf delivering presents from under the Christmas tree), and he was excited on the afternoon he bit Diane because of little Amir being around. So yes, he had his reasons. But it was still unacceptable. Specially since these weren’t the first incidents of biting. Cute and loving as he is, our Zune can be really feisty when stressed/anxious.

But with Amir coming here every weekend, and already learning to walk on his own, it would be dangerous to have both babies in the house. Putting him in a kennel wasn’t an option, it stresses him even more and might lead to more aggression. We’ve tried a lot of tricks, and given him a lot of understanding and affection. We finally owned up that we probably weren’t the kind of humans he deserved.

So on New Year’s Day, Alfred called his cousin to pick up Zune. They took him and now he has a loving home with Gaiety and her family. We still hear about him, and his new mommy has posted a few photos. But we haven’t seen him since. I didn’t even really say goodbye to him, didn’t see him off. Alfred brought him and his stuff out of the house, and he was gone.

We want to visit him, but that might just confuse him. We didn’t want to mess up how adjusted he already is in his new home. Took him a few days, but he eventually warmed up to his new family. I am sure he is well and getting lots of love.

I didn’t cry that day, because I knew it was best. It could be worst right? But the next day I read a Facebook post from my Mom about him leaving, and it really broke my heart.

I’d always known that both my parents loved that dog very very much. In truth, they took care of him better than I ever did. He was the bunso. Whenever they had out of town trips, Zune would miss them and be so happy when they arrived.

I guess that was part of the problem. We babied him too much and didn’t always treat him like a dog. But we all cared for him the best way we could.

Alfred was hardest hit. He was never around when Zune bit somebody, so he always laid the blame on me. Why did I bring him down? We should have let him know who was boss. He’d make all sorts of excuses for Zune. He would get upset at talk of sending him away. Until he heard it straight from my Dad that it was best to give him up. Eventually, he accepted it too. Even when my brother cozied up to the idea of taking Zune back and just putting him in a kennel whenever Amir was home, he said no. He didn’t think we should bring Zune back home anymore – he already was home.

We had Zune for 4 years. Do we miss him? We sure do.

I would sleep on the couch and drop my arm by the side, expecting to touch his long hair as he took his 2nd favorite sleeping position: he’s head on my slippers right next to me (or whoever was on the sofa). His first favorite? His head on my shoes/slippers on the first step of our stairs to the 2nd floor.

The first weekend Amir was home, I think he was looking for Zune. He kept peeking over the back and side of the sofa where he used to find Zune guarding him. When you said dog or called Zune, he would look, but find nothing. I wouldn’t say he got sad though, he just didn’t see what he expected to see.

Yesterday we had McDonald’s delivery for the first time this year. I had fries. French Fries from McDo were Zune’s favorite treat. When the delivery guy arrives, he’s at the door and he just knows that there’s French Fries. He would wait for what he sure was coming. As we settle down to eat, he would settle down too. None of that yesterday. I felt that memory hanging in the air but neither I nor Alfred brought it up. It was best left unremembered. But remember it I did.

This evening I met up with friends and they asked about my dog. And then we talked about the Dog Whisperer. Alfred talks about that show a lot. He’s realized a lot about being a better dog owner. A more responsible one. He’s realized too what we didn’t do right, how we could have done a better job training Zune. When we got him we thought we were read. As it turns out, we weren’t. And 4 years with him weren’t enough to give us all the knowledge we needed to be good humans for dogs to live with.

Again, Zune is probably happy now. He has a loving family who understands his past and is patient enough to give him the time and maybe the training he needs. I always pray that he behaves well and doesn’t end up biting anyone. That he eats well and sleeps well.

Thank you Zune, for all the happiness you brought us, and the love you gave us. We miss you!