Stan

Whether we called him Stan-a-lama ding dong, MC Stanner, Stan-a-saurus-rex, or just plain sweet Stan, we’re so grateful this pup abandoned his aspirations of becoming a service dog to choose a different career path and us as his humans.

Stan was the canine version of Usain Bolt, a friendly greeter throughout our neighborhood and a lively watcher of his nemesis, squirrels. He never met a squeak toy he couldn’t dissect without surgical precision or a tossed goldfish cracker he didn’t make a valiant attempt to catch. Did any pup enjoy a backyard mud puddle as much as Stan? Nope. Did anyone despise a bath as much as our pup? Doubtful.

While recreation may have been Stan’s main interest, he took his household responsibilities seriously. His precise morning collar shake was just as reliable as any wake-up call, and his fierce announcement of delivery drivers alerted both those in and outside of our home that he had verbally signed for a package. Stan also did his best to recreate that office water cooler/time to stretch your legs environment at home with his demand for a 3 p.m. cheese stick or a pup cup while his humans got a caffeine boost.

All of his Stantics (antics), Stancidents (incidents or accidents, depending on the situation), and what the fluff moments filled our hearts with love. No matter if Stan was walking around the neighborhood or leading the way on hikes, his tail wag-to-sniff ratio was equal, and since he was one happy pup, every bush, downed tree limb, rock, leaf remnant, snow pile, animal track, and trail post was investigated with enthusiasm. He was a lacrosse groupie who proudly sat on the sidelines and watched his two-legged brother on the field, was always up for every adventure with his dad, and was the best work-from-home co-worker his mom could want.

What Stan wasn’t was with us nearly long enough.

Our Stantabulous pup will stay in our hearts as long as his magical fibers of fur are on our clothes, in our cars, and throughout our home, so forever.