Today would have been Angel Lemmy’s 17th birthday. Coincidentally, November is also Peanut Butter Lovers Month. No one loved peanut butter more than my older brother. Please join me for a stroll down memory lane as I share Lemmy’s lifelong love of peanut butter.
Lemmy had his first taste of peanut butter just days after his arrival home. After enjoying a walk in the woods he had the “misfortune” of finding himself covered in pine sap. Luckily Lemmy’s Momma Butter was a very patient and wise dog when it comes to new dog parents, and suggested using peanut butter to remove it. Apparently the oils in the peanut butter breaks down the sap, and makes it easy to comb out, or lick out as in Lemmy’s case. I’m pretty sure this incident began Lemmy’s lifelong love of this tasty treat.
When Lemmy entered puppy kindergarten, his teacher quickly realized peanut butter was his greatest motivation to learn his commands. So she instructed Mom and Dad to use a tube of squeezable peanut butter. The concept was simple. Lemmy sits, he got a lick of peanut butter. Lemmy lays down, just a squeeze and he gets a taste again. But patience wasn’t Lemmy’s greatest virtue, which proved obvious one day when Grandpa was puppysitting. Mom gave Grandpa the tube of squeezable peanut butter to reward Lemmy when he listened to his commands. What Mom neglected to mention was not to give Lemmy the entire tube. Well sure enough, Lemmy was a good boy and listened to Grandpa that day. But instead of just giving Lemmy a lick of peanut butter as a reward, he handed him the whole tube, thinking he would squeeze out just a taste! Thankfully Lemmy had no interest in eating the plastic tube and simply ripped it apart so he could lick every ounce of that delicious treat.
That training method may not have gone as intended, but somehow Lemmy made the connection between his commands and that favorite treat. As he got older just the mere mention of peanut butter and he would perform in rapid succession every trick he ever learned. He would “sit pretty,” give high paw, and even swoon and play dead! And repeat over and over again without prompting, in the hopes of getting peanut butter!
I know in my heart that as Angel Lemmy celebrates his 17th birthday, he is getting all the peanut butter his heart desires without having to perform a single trick. I also know that Grandpa and our Great Uncle are spoiling him today and every day!
Happy Heavenly Birthday, Lemmy! We love you, and miss you. See you at the end of the trail, my friend.
