THE HEART OF THE KENNEL
Meet my baby! Ryder is no longer with me, he was taken from me at the young age of 5 due to a very aggressive cancer, but Ryder is where the heart of the Gudari Kennel really lies, so lets take a moment to talk about him!
Ryder was born Jan 12, 2017. That same January our family dog passed away and as such I began the hunt for another boxer. My mother was currently looking for a female, and when Ryders litter was 12 weeks old, I stumbled across his sister in an online advertisement. My family fell in love with her at first click, and being in Missouri for vacation at the time, we decided to take a detour home through Ellisville Mississippi to pick her up. We got out of the car talked to the Breeder, looked over Bella, and then the Breeder took us around the back of the house to see her parents. On the right side of the yard were the kennels with the parents, and on the left a small indoor-outdoor style home for a litter full of pups. Everyone stopped at the litter of puppies, and immediately all the pups went crazy, jumping on the fence, yapping, etc.....all pups, except for one. A little red collar boy (formerly known as Apollo), gently belly scooted his way through the pack and lay there to get the love and attention he wanted. Needless to say, it was love at first sight, Ryder had captured our hearts, and there was no way we were going home without him.
And so my journey with my baby began, with my heart wrapped around his paw from day one.
Ryder and I's bond grew from there; from our first hike together where he laid down in the leaves and refused to walk any farther so I carried him the last 1/4 mile, to countless morning runs. Ryder and I played together, ran together, hiked together, slept, snuggled, did homework, cleaned, cooked, ate (he particularly loved this one), sat by the fire, went to get the mail, talked (he was a talker, he would jabber and jabber to you), kayaked, swam, ran errands and so much more together. Ryder loved being with me and more than all, I loved being with him.
Ryder was gentle and patient. He strove to make others happy and accepted anyone as they were human and dog alike. He constantly made others faces light up as he tried to use anyone and everyone as a lap to lay on; although 90+ pounds he believed he was the perfect lap dog size.
Ryder was obedient enough to be commanded by a child, and quite frankly he made the world a better place by just being in it. Ryder made me laugh, smile, and he would sit there and let you hold him as you told him every problem you ever had in the world. Ryder was perfect for knowing when I was sick and would lay with me, or just when I was sad and needed some extra loves. He was my perfect companion, and when he died, a great deal of my heart went with him.
Although I have met many dogs that I love quite dearly over the years, Ryder is a dog that no other could ever replace, to say I miss him dearly does not begin to describe how much I wait for the day when him and I are reunited again.
When Ryder passed in 2022, I decided that the foundation dog of my kennel would in some way of another carry Ryders memory; and so when I finally made the jump and bought a baby boy I named him Apollo. Not only the name that was Ryders when he captured my heart that Spring evening of April 14 2017, but also a name that represented the Greek God of Sun and Light. I hoped that Apollo would live up to be something of his names legacy and that he would bring light to a heart that needed pure dog love again.
