Koa came to us in May 2003. Our then teen-aged children convinced us to get a dog. My wife, Tess, and I reluctantly agreed. They've been wanting one since they were small but we never gave in due to the diffulties of having a pet while we were in the Air Force. We figured, we owed it to them. So, after deciding on what breed of dog to get, we all got in the SUV and drove up to the breeder. We chose him from a litter of eight puppies because he literally stood out from among his siblings. He immediately softened my wife's heart, when he just cuddled in her bosom after she picked him up. From that day on, they had a very special bond, like a mother-son relationship.
Not having much experience with dogs, and despite voluminous Google-research and readings on dog ownership, it took us a while to house-train Koa. Part of it is that, typical of young Boxers, he was hyperactive. We took him to three obedience schools but none of them helped much. Thankfully, although he remained very playful, he eventually settled down.
He loved going to the dog park and to the beach. He was not much into chasing other dogs, on the contrary, he was always the one being chased; which he relished so much since no one ever caught up with him. Watching him run like a gazelle, his tongue sticking out like Michael Jordan's, and doing his evasive maneuvers, was always amazing. He preferred playing with the smaller dogs. He loved getting into the water and rubbing his face in the sand. Once we were at Haleiwa Beach, we thought he was acting weird barking at the ocean. It turned out, he actually sensed a pair of sea turtles five minutes before they came onshore! He also loved hiking, especially up to Makapuu Lighthouse where we would watch whales breach from a distance.
He was a very smart dog. When he was young, he was always playing with balls and running around the house. When unattended or when he's left at home by himself, we would confine him to a room - usually the garage or the kitchen - for fear of him knocking down figurines, damaging furniture or worse, hurting himself. But invariably, he would figure out a way to break free. Once, while he was confined in the kitchen and we forgot to fill his water bowl, he actually drank from the refrigerator's water dispenser! And to top it off, he unrolled a bunch of paper towels, in a futile attempt to clean up his mess on the kitchen floor!
When Ricky, our oldest, came back home from his four-year enlistment in the Air Force, he all of a sudden, had plenty of time on his hands. Koa was his constant companion. They frequented the dog parks and beaches on Oahu. Koa, like any other dog, loved sticking out his head from Ricky's car window with the wind in his face. He looked so cocky, riding shotgun in Ricky's sports car. And since he was always at home, Ricky let him loose in the house all the time. It turned out, Koa was very careful around figurines and other house ornaments. Never once did he trip over anything! We called Ricky, "Koa's Emancipator." They hung out in the basement into the wee hours of the morning. One time, RP, our youngest son, was with them. It was past midnight when I got woken up by muted sounds so I went downstairs to check. They must have heard me coming because when I got down there, they, including the dog, were all pretending to be asleep!
Koa was always the shoulder you can cry on. And Kristine, my daughter, soaked it up a lot while going through rough times in high school. He stayed with her as long as it took to get her dose of comforting. He did not like people arguing and raising their voices. When they did, he would bark incessantly and go in between the feuding parties.
He was always happy and glad to see everyone in our family; he was also very patient. His meal time was after everyone else was done with dinner. He would wait patiently for someone, most of the time Tess, to fix his food. And when it was served to him, he would stand in front of it, look up, and wait for the signal it was OK to begin eating.
He liked children and was very protective (and tolerant) of them. One time, Blaze, our oldest grandson with Kristine, who was not yet big enough to reach the door handle, was locked in in one of the bedrooms, Koa came to us barking and led us back to where Blaze was. Blaze would often be rough playing with him, like grab him by his ears or his cropped tail, Koa would simply walk away.
He knew his place in the family and he reacted to each one of us in a different way. With the kids, he treated them as playmates. With me, he was more reserved unless I initiate play or contact. With Tess, he behaved like he was the most special dog in the world. Wherever he was in the house, when he hears Tess's car, he would run and sit in front of the garage access door and wait, trying so hard to control his excitement. He knew that as soon as Tess walks in, she would lean down and give him a big kiss and a hug and that would make his day.
The patio deck is where Tess and Koa loved to spend time together. They both have their favorite chairs. She reading a book or browsing her iPad, and he basking in the morning sun or gazing at the stars, whatever the time may be. She talks to him; he listens. He always listens.
Koa was our number one fan. Tess says I'm a hopeless romantic and a frustrated musician. I like to play with my guitar and accompany Tess's singing whenever we're in the mood. The basement, a.k.a. "Rick's Man Cave," is where I jam and practice. As soon as Koa hears the guitar amplifier come on and the first chord is struck, he would run downstairs and take his place on the couch.
On August 9, 2011, before we left for Koa's 4:15 pm appointment with the vet, I took out my guitar and started playing to kill time. Koa, who in the last few days, too weak and frail, voluntarily confined himself in the garage not wanting to be too much of a burden. As soon as he heard me playing, he ambled his way and laid next to my foot. Obligingly, I played some of his favorites including, "Brown Eyed Girl," "Count On Me," and "House at Pooh Corner."
At the Vet Clinic, everyone knew him. They were all very sad to see him so frail. While we were in the waiting area, they told us stories of how Koa was during the many times that he boarded there while Tess and I were off-island. One young lady said, "Koa knew the drill, he was always the first to head out the door during play time." He sensed whenever we were there to pick him up and he would get very excited. These people have seen so many pets come and go and yet they were also touched by Koa.
There's a poem about a Rainbow Bridge, where at the foot of the bridge all dogs who have passed on patiently wait until the day their masters arrive and they would cross that bridge together. Here in Hawaii, we see rainbows almost everyday. Tess and I would like to believe Koa is in the foot of one of those rainbows, in a wide meadow, free from his earthly ailments, playing and eagerly waiting.
Dogs teach us so many life-lessons: to love unconditionally, to be patient and tolerant, to be loyal and true, to be color-blind, to bear no grudges. But the most important lesson I've learned from Koa is to live in the moment. Dogs do not have a concept of tomorrow, next week, next month, or next year. All they know is today, now. Dogs always make the best of and enjoy what they have - a stick, a ball, a wind in the face, a run in the park. A hug, a pet, a minute, an hour from their master is always special. We oftentimes get too preoccupied worrying about tomorrow that we forget to enjoy today. Tomorrow may not even come.
