Something About Conrad and Einstein

I saw Conrad for the first time through a store window while having coffee with my Ex at The Second Cub, now the "Dancing Goat Coffee Kabin", in Nanaimo's Rutherford Mall, which has also been renamed to the 'Nanaimo North Town Centre'.  In any event there we were sipping our Java's watching people mill about the display window at the pet store "Jaws N Paws".

We could see these white little puff balls bouncing up and down against the store window in the puppy display.  They were five (10 to 12 week old) Maltese - Poodle crosses, or Maltipoo's, as they are commonly known.  They were all boys. 

A life long animal lover, I was keen to try and get one of these little bundles of joy.  However, more than 10 years earlier, while I was away 2 weeks out of four up in Canada's Arctic, we had tried getting a kitten.  My Ex lasted no more than a week with it while I was away before this experiment failed; not least of all because she had been highly allergic to cats and because she knew next to nothing about how to handle animals; let alone, a young kitten.

Nevertheless, after explaining to my wife that the Maltese and Poodles were both hypo-allergenic dog species because they had hair instead of fur, I was able to convince her to get a puppy, with the clear understanding from the stores' owner that if my Ex was allergic to it in any way that we would be able to return it after one or two days with nearly a full refund. 

And 'Voila', puppy Conrad entered our lives forever.

By the second night, Conrad was sleeping less than a micrometre from my ex-wife's nose each and every night.  She was the one that came up with the name Conrad, saying that a small dog needed a big name.  I liked it too because I was able to tell my dad that we had named Conrad after him, using his middle name.

Like all proud parents, we thought that Conrad was the cutest, smartest and fastest ball dog alive.  We had more pet names for him than you could shake a stick at.  Names such as Short-stop, because he always knew where the ball was going; Half-pint, because of his small stature; Floppy, because of one ear that kept falling down; Bugaboo and Shadow, because he stuck to us like glue and you wouldn't notice that he was already right there before you even called out his name; Sir Sniff-a-lot (no explanation needed); and besides blessing every bush and blade of grass known to man, with his personal essence, we called him "Einstein" and "Diablo-Blanco".

We called him Einstein because of his shaggy hair, like that of Professor Albert Einstein and because it made others think he was a very smart dog.  But, if the 'truth be told', our Conrad wasn't exactly the sharpest knife in the drawer, even if he did learn a few tricks. 

A month ago today, I had to put Conrad down.  It damn near ripped my heart out.  I bawled like a baby and was inconsolable for several days.  I learned more from that dog than I have from most human beings.  Conrad was utterly and unconditionally loyal to me.  Though Conrad may not have been as bright as Einstein, he was to me, because he saved my life five times.

I have severe obstructive sleep apnea, where my breathing stops for up to 2.5 minutes and my blood oxygen levels plunge to below 55%; below 90%, doctors put you on oxygen.  My heart will stop for up to 4 to 5 seconds and all this will happen while I am fast asleep.  That's why I use a CPAP machine or a Continuous Positive Air Pressure machine.  However, despite this life-saving medical device I sometimes fall asleep before putting the mask on my face or before turning the machine on.  This is not good!

On five occasions I was awoken by Conrad frantically barking in my ear.  On each of these occasions, I ended up in an ambulance and in Emergency at the hospital with a full-blown case of tachycardia, a rapid irregular heart rate in the order of 175 to 180 beats per minute.  At this rate the blood hardly gets a chance to leave the heart and it can lead to a full-blown heart attack or heart failure, especially if you don't wake up.  I was lucky that my buddy, my partner and my best friend Conrad a.k.a. Einstein was there to save my life.

It was my honour to have known this dog and it was my honour to have been with Conrad and to have shown my love for Conrad by staying with him while he was put down so that he would not have to suffer any more.  I need to thank a wonderful Veterinarian, Dr Foley of Nanaimo's Island Veterinary Hospital, who helped give me the courage to see it through and who made a huge difference to me on the day Conrad died.

I miss the little bugger as does his junior little buddy, my other dog Bandit, whom I got so as to keep Conrad company when I went out since Conrad suffered from anxiety.  This was over 5 years ago.  Einstein will be sorely missed, but always remembered with love and fond memories.