In Memory of Makel 5/22/93 to 11/17/08

Makelrein Von Herzenhugel, pup of Baron Hulk von Hogan and Terry's Fraulein Elke, was born May 22, 1993 in the mountains just north of Chattanooga, TN. One of two males in a litter of 7, Makel was stubborn from birth. The day we drove up to pick him up, July 11, 1993, he wanted nothing to do with the sun and kept running into the shade. He sat on Bill's lap the entire way home, and had so much extra skin that at a rest stop on our way home, someone asked if he was a shar-pei. Funny, huh?

Makel, whose name in German roughly translates to pure Spot of Harthill (he had a white spot on his chest, and Harthill was one of the Leith family castles in Scotland), was such a happy puppy. He loved going to the Chattahoochee National Recreation Area almost daily, going for walks along the river and playing in his puppy play group. He especially enjoyed playing with Maxine, a German Sheppard pup, whom he met on his first day at the park. Makel loved to play chase in the field, swim in the river, and hike in the woods with his friends.

He was an incredibly smart dog. As a puppy, when we lived in the apartment, I made the mistake of teaching him to ring a bell when he needed to go outside to relieve himself. Makel soon figured out that one of us would take him out whenever he rang the bell, so he would hit that bell with his nose all the time so he could go outside and play. Later on as an adult, Makel had excellent word discrimination skills. When playing fetch, Bill and I could say "On your mark, get set...." and any word that started like 'go' (ghost, gopher, goat, etc), and Makel wouldn't move a muscle until he actually heard the word 'go'. He loved to open presents, and could easily open gifts with his teeth and paws. Makel also preferred to sleep under the covers, and could get himself completely covered up in his own blanket on his bed.

There is so much to say about our first 'child'. He always wanted to be where people were, and refused to be delegated to dogdom in the back yard. He loved cuddling up next to someone on the couch or bed. He was truly one of the best dogs you could ever ask for. Very stubborn, yes, but so sweet, gentle, and loving. He was always so patient with his human 'cousins' and was very gentle, even when taking food from them when they weren't really offering it!

Makel suffered some kind of stroke or seizure on Sunday night, November 16. It wasn't likely that he would fully recover, so with a very heavy heart, Bill drove him to the emergency vet clinic to have him put to sleep. Makel went peacefully a little after midnight on 11/17. He was 15 1/2 years old, and lived a full, happy life. We got Makel the day after we got married, and he was such a major part of our lives. We are still in shock, and will continue to grieve for a while. I can't possibly put into words what a special dog he was and how much he'll be missed, but this is a small start.

Pictures: Makel in various stages of life; we have so many more, some of them great, but these were ones I had on the computer. I don't have time to scan others to share
Videos: Makel talking to Daddy