(GO REST HIGH ON THAT MOUNTAIN,YOUR WORK ON EARTH IS DONE!)
THE LAST BATTLE OR IF IT SHOULD BE
If it should be that I grow frail and weak,
And pain should keep me from my sleep,
Then will you do what must be done,
For this -- the last battle -- can't be won.
You will be sad I understand,
But don't let grief then stay your hand,
For on this day, more than the rest,
Your love and friendship must stand the test.
We have had so many happy years,
You wouldn't want me to suffer so.
When the time comes, please, let me go.
Take me to where my needs they'll tend,
Only, stay with me till the end,
And hold me firm and speak to me,
Until my eyes no longer see.
I know in time you will agree,
It is a kindness you do to me.
Although my tail its last has waved,
From pain and suffering I have been saved.
Don't grieve that it must be you,
Who has to decide this thing to do;
We've been so close -- we two -- these years,
Don't let your heart hold any tears.
Author Unknown
For more photo's please see Logan's gallery at the bottom!
  
Logan was born on 12/14/01 we bought him in March of 2002 6 months before the 1 year anniversery of the Sept 11th attacks, I was very upset and sad at this time and wanted to get a dog that maybe I could try obedience with.We brought Logan home when he was 9 weeks old (a very big 9 week old puppy he was) he came from German/American lines and was a very out going exhuberant puppy I fell in love with him when I first saw him! Always wanting a Doberman growing up, my dream was fianally coming true, I finally was getting my Dobie. Had I known at the time that my heart would be broken in 7 years I don't know that I would have chosen this breed! but, although I only had 7 years with him, it was the best 7 years of my life!
Logan tought me everything.. When I bought Logan it was only a dream to be in the show ring (obedince or conformation) though he was not of breed standard we quickly got started in obedience by enrolling at a local dog club. We finished all the levels of obedience and started doing agility! and for such a big heavy dog (at one time weighing in at 100 lbs), he loved it! (though he did not like the dogwalk).Though we never did any agility competitions he really enjoyed it! We then went on to doing competition obedience and some Rally O. He loved Obedience and Rally also, and I think we both enjoyed the one on one time we had together training! again we never competed, but we did do alot of match shows and always scored well, (except for his sits; he always sat crooked, we could never fix that LOL!) but we both enjoyed it and buy doing so, he tought me something I never thought I would ever be able to do, Go out and perform in front of strangers and having judge watch my every move and score me on it! it made me very nervous but with him I just blocked it out and over came my fear as if he was trying to say "Who cares who is watching we are having a blast! this shy girl is now a professional dog handler with pointed dogs of my own including the puppy I bred that has a major! and pointed dogs that belong to clients as well as one that I finished last summer.If it were not for him I would not be where I am today!THank You Logan for this valuable lesson.
As time went on Logan prefered to just stay at home and guard the property protecting the Collies from any one and anything including the Mail man,school buses,Garbage man,UPS and "the White kitty" that can be found roaming our neighbor's back yard on the other side of the fence.He loved to chase that cat so much we have ruts in our yard from him wearing out the ground Silly boy!! Along with his sweet nature, Logan was the ambasador of the breed everyone who met him, loved him and quickly changed their minds about Dobermans.He was the first dog I ever accomplished anything with, the first to finish all Obedience classes, agility classes and the first to earn his AKC CGC certificate... He was also a therapy dog regularly visiting a nursing home in Avon.. He loved that job so much and the people loved him too....
As time went on Logan got a bit older, last year he helped me raise my very first litter of puppies. He was there acting as a father teaching the puppies right from wrong yet being very gental he really loved the babies.As Vince got older these two really enjoyed a nice hard play wether in the house or outside! you would always see Logan on one end of the yard stalking like a cat and ready to pounce on one of the collies.. It was his favorite game.At times you could even catch him howling at the other dogs barking in the neighborhood! it was the funniest howl you would have ever heard!(I will miss this terriably).
Little did I know that our time together was coming to an end! Logan turned 7 on 12/14/08 and when he became sick on April 25th of 2009 I did not think that this would be the end! he was sick for a few days we tried treating him with rice and chicken as we thought he may have had a bug. On Tue April 28th he took a turn for the worse, when He stopped eating and was breathing hard and his stomach was hard and bloated, I took him to the Vet. They did Xrays and blood work and my worst fears were confirmed, Logan (my baby of 7 years) was dying and I never knew it! blood work showed he was in liver failure and Xrays told he had cancer in the spleen.. but because his blood was not clotting, he was not a canidate for surgery as he would not make it off the table. The only thing we could do for him was bring him home for a few hours and spend some quality time with him until the time came to let him go! I brought him back home aorund 12pm took him to his favorite place for a final walk (in which he had become to weak to do),we brought him back home after the walk made him a hamburger that he would not even eat! (he did enjoy 1/2 a chocolate bar with me)I could see in his eyes he was going fast, a couple of days he would not have made it! This struck very fast and with no warning signs we did not even know anything was wrong! He had just been for routine shots and exam the begining of April and had a clean bill of health! Next time I will be sure to do blood work on my senoirs 6 and up.
We took him back to the Vet at 6pm where I laid on the floor next to him as he had just fell down to the ground and put his head down! we rolled him on to the blanket where he would be more comfortable as I laid next to him with his head on my arm, talking, stroking him, petting him and kissing him until he was gone! I could see it in his eyes all day from the time I picked him up at noon til 6pm that he was just growing tired, and hurting I think he fell to the floor when we got into the exam room becuase he knew he was just done! he could not possiably do anymore... I cried so hard!
It is the next day! and I tell you it's not any easier nor will I think it ever will be! As I cleaned out his bowls last night I cried, as I passed his empty chair all day! I cried..As I look at photos and his collar.. I cry! I don't know that this pain will ever end! I miss him terriably! Today was garbage day (his favorite day)! God! I missed that barking and running around the yard to get them.. I cried at that too.
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Everyone who knew and met Logan, Loved Logan. He will never be forgotten, he was truly a special dog... Life will not be the same around here without him! but he will forever remain in my memories and my heart (though he took a big piece of it when he left this world).. I know he is no longer in pain, I just need to convince myself I did do the right thing and he's not mad at me and still loves me too.. I just could not bear to see him in pain anymore .
GOOD BYE MY SWEET SWEET LOGAN! UNTIL WE MEET AGAIN KNOW THAT I LOVE YOU AND ALWAYS WILL..
Instead of the tree, I decided to make a garden in the backyard as a memorial/tribute to Logan...here is the finished product. We are just waiting on a stone that will have his name and such on it with a poem.The 2 spotlights in each coner light up the bushes at night!
 
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