Saber our beloved family pet died of old age. He was sixteen, but still a puppy in our hearts. Saber litereally listened to every command you would tell him. Without ever really having proper training. See the one time my mother decided to take Saber to get trained she took him into the Pet store for the classes, got in the ring and Saber decided he wanted none of it so he took a poop right in the middle of the place. My mother walked out and that was the last of the formal training he would ever have.
What he was trained in though was undconditional love. Saber would come up to you and love you no matter what. HE would wag his tail and play with you if it meant just a few minuets of your time, I knew it brightened not only my day but made his. Saber was in no way able to be constrained by fences, borders or boundaries. This dog leapt a chain link fence in a single bound. My mother had installed a fence around the whole property at my old house to keep in the dogs but allow them plenty of room to roam. Not long after it was installed Saber started jumping fences. Not to get out and never come back, no that was not his style, but to go and play with the neighbors kids. It would go down something like this.
The neighbors kids would be outside playing and Saber would spot them. He would walk over to the fence line and stare at them. About the sam time he got to the fence line the kids would see him grab their ball and yell SAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAABER. Saber with his ears perked up would run back from the fence line turn and run full force back towards the fence. Within feet of the fence he would leap UP and over the fence.
Now, one would think that with all this ability to have freedom he would take advantage of it, not one bit. As soon as the children where getting their names yelled for it was time to come in Saber was running back towards the fence. All the while thinking he snuck out of the house like a teenager. He would slowly walk back towards the garage attached to the house. Once there lie down like nothing had ever happened. seemingly with a smile and a warmer heart.
Saber loved young children and was so gentle around them. It was like he knew how fragile and vulnerable they where. He was not pushy nor demanding of them or you for your time. If you had the time to spend with him it was wonderful, almost magical because of how you could talk to him and he almost understand what you need and that certain time. But he could lay in wait for hours to get to see you and be just as happy to see you then as if it was for the first time.
Saber probaly was the most comic relief from a dog that you could get. One time early on in living in my house in urban Atlanta, Ga he saw someone walking down the street that he apparently did not like. He ran over to the telephone pole that seprated the property to the next and stood behind it trying in a vain attempt to hide from the person walking down the street.Peeking around the other side of the pole as if concealing his entire body and with 3/4 of Saber's body hanging out from the side of the telephone pole he let off a deep and menacing bark. Only one because he did not want to be noticed in his ideal hiding spot.
My mother got Saber from a breeder at work. His other siblings where plagued with faults ad defects but Saber shown through. Such a wonderful dog and he will be missed tremendously. There will never be a replacement in our hearts and minds for the love and the memories that this kind soul gave us.
