Cody

2006 - 2020

In Loving Memory of Cody

After 13 years of living life to the fullest, Cody passed away peacefully at home on Thursday, April 30 with his mom and dad at his side.

Cody was born on December 15, 2006 on a farm outside of Regina. When he was 8 weeks old, he found his forever home with his dad, Mike. Mike got Cody to be a companion to his other German Shepherd, Sam, who was two years old at the time and rather destructive when left alone. When Cody arrived, Sam stopped eating beds and dressers. Cody was obviously a good influence!

As Cody got older, he grew bigger. And bigger. And bigger. Throughout his life many people asked his mom and dad if he was a “King Shepherd” because he was so big. At one point he weighed 115lbs, with his ears and paws probably accounting for half that number!

When Cody was two years old, Mike met and married Shawna, who had a Rhodesian Ridgeback named Sasha. Shawna and Sasha moved in with Mike, Cody and Sam and they became a blended family of five. On one of the first walks they took together they forgot to take poop bags with them. So, Shawna stood and waited on the sidewalk with the dogs while Mike ran back to the house. Well, anyone outside that day would have thought Cody was being tortured by his new mom because as soon as Mike started running back to the house, Cody started howling and wailing and didn’t stop until Mike returned!

Right from the start, Cody and Sasha took to each other and loved playing together – until big brother Sam would get jealous and try to end their fun.

Yes, Sam was always the rambunctious one, Sasha was always the hungry one, and our “gentle giant” Cody was always the quiet one.

When Sam and Sasha salivated and stared at his mom and dad eating supper, Cody could be found lying on his bed sleeping. He seldom barked and preferred to follow the pack instead of leading it. Fetching a ball was never really Cody’s thing, but he always had to have a ball or some kind of toy in his mouth when he ran behind Sam, who could’ve played fetch all day long.

Cody loved to go for car rides, long walks, and in his younger years he bounded through fields of long grass and ran as fast as a bullet down country roads. Whenever his parents told him to “go and get” his sister who’d be dawdling way behind, he’d promptly take off and come back with Sasha.

We called Cody our “100lb lap dog” because he loved to snuggle and have his face rubbed and his ears scratched. But he never much liked being brushed, except for when Grandma Flo was the brusher!

After Sasha passed away in 2012 and Sam in 2017, Cody became an “only child.” At first, he was lost without Sam. But after three months of doggy daycare, Cody came into his own. And because of his gentle nature he was placed with the small dogs at daycare. Some days he’d play with the other dogs and other days he’d just sit like a stoic old man and observe everything. But he always got a glowing report from the daycare staff.

Then in the fall of 2017, a little black and white puppy named Gimli came into Cody’s life. At their first meeting, Gimli was so terrified of Cody, whose head was almost the size of Gimli’s entire body, that she hid under a tent trailer and howled! But after a few more encounters, Cody and Gimli became more than just neighbor dogs in our cul-de-sac – they became inseparable and it was evident they were in love. And we’re sure that it was Gimli’s youthful exuberance that gave Cody a spark and helped him to live as long as he did.

Cody stayed active in his senior years by managing the Hickling Hound Hotel where he enjoyed (tolerated?!) many overnight guests including Gimli, Charley, Harley, Dexter, Griffin, Jesse and Jake. The only thing he didn’t like was when his guests played with his toys. The toys that he never touched unless another dog touched them. Then they were his toys and only he could play with them.

Cody was always a finicky eater but even more so as he got older. Grilled steak and roast chicken had to be added to his kibble or he’d sniff his bowl and walk away. And every evening after supper he impatiently waited for his carrot and then his “white bone.” If either was late arriving he’d let you know with a nudge of his nose or a bark. We think Cody ate about 5000 carrots in his life and we’re sure that’s the reason the veterinarians always commented how good his teeth were. His favourite foods were hamburgers, french fries, ice cream, and anything left on our supper plates. Oh, and popcorn too – but it had to have butter on it.

He loved looking out the living room window and barking at the squirrels that made regular appearances on the front lawn. Speaking of squirrels, Cody once caught one in Grandma Flo and Grandpa Cy’s backyard. He was pretty fast for a big guy! But not fast enough to get away from a skunk at Grandpa Bob’s. That was the first time Cody and Sam had to “rough it” in a tool shed instead of a comfy, warm house. And when Grandma and Grandpa Dashney came to visit he enjoyed napping with Grandpa Dennis on the couch and keeping Grandma Sharron company when she went for her “health breaks” outside.

Cody was one of a kind. He was our Codykins, our Coldwell, our sweet, big boy. Our hearts are broken without him here, but we are comforted knowing he’s no longer in pain and that him, Sasha and Sam are together again.

In memory of Cody, we ask that you give your dogs a great big hug or a really good belly-rub and their favorite treat. And most of all, enjoy every second with your beloved companion because a long time ago I read a quote that said the only fault a dog has is they don’t live long enough. And it’s so true.