xavier

A few months ago I had a post about our black Lab Ben passing away. It's so unfortunate that today I make a new one for Xavier, our first Labrador. He had an operation the other day because we found out he had stones. Unfortunately his wound didn't heal well, and a day or two after the operation, Xavier died. 

Xavier is probably the second to Jako, as it was only Xavier and Jako that ever got the chance to live with us inside the house. It was when we moved to Hillsborough, got more dogs and Xavier got bigger that we had to let him stay outside with the other Labs. 

Everyday, Jako, Ben, Xavier, his brother Julio, and daughter Isa would roam around the garden and lanai area, jumping and running around. But Xavier was always the calm one, seated quietly in one corner. When the other dogs would pester him, he'd just always walk away and move location. And unlike our other Labs who would playfully run towards us or at the sight of any person, Xavier would simply look, and actually know the people he's looking at. And that's when he would slowly start walking towards our direction. Just like my dad said, Xavier was the most different one. "He was the most reserved. Loyal, and obedient. He knew his place." 

Now, it's only Julio, Isa and Jako around. And it pains all of us at home to see that Xavier is no longer one of the dogs hanging around the lanai and garden. 

Ben and Jako meet for the first time.

Xavier and Jako napping in front of the fan in our old house.

Xavier's first day with us at our old house in Yakal. 

The day we got Xavier

The last photo I took of Xavier, just a few weeks ago. 

We have a magnet on our ref that says, "A house is not a home without a dog." And indeed it isn't, for us. We've never had a dogless house, and we have given homes to 2 German Shepherds, a Rotweiller, a Golden Retriever, 4 Labs and a pug. But never before did we get attached to our dogs the way we are attached to them now, and seeing them go one by one really is heartbreaking. 

My dad says in his FB post on Xavier, "It's hard to have beautiful loyal dogs. It's expensive, and emotionally draining." 

And it really is.