Simply the Best

And just like the song says... "Better than all the rest!"

In the summer of 2005 we decided it was time to get a dog for the Monkey Man. We had a little 15 y.o. Min Pin who was NOT a big fan of the rambunctious 3 y.o. The boy needed a big, goofy dog that could be HIS pal. We contacted a local rescue group who thought they had a perfect match but he was in El Paso. They agreed to transfer him all the way up here just so we could see him. We showed up and I was stunned at what an amazing beast was before us. He was so cool looking, totally mellow and everything I could have ever asked for! We played hard-to-get though and decided we needed to go home to "discuss" the situation. Within an hour we were calling back telling them we'd come get him the next morning! So "Rexx" the rescue dog from El Paso became "Otis" the Uber-Dog of Austin! We took him to the vet, just to get him checked out and to see if they had any idea as to his breed. They had no clue. We quickly decided he was nothing but the finest example of a true Tex/Mex Shithound! We cleaned him up...

Wasn't he handsome after a bath? And my little boy proceeded to fall in love with the most loyal, loving and protective dog I have ever known!

One of my favorite Otis Potis stories happened 2 days after we brought him home. He was unaccustomed, to say the least, to Big Daddy's late night band rehearsal schedule. Daddy came home LATE that Tuesday evening to find his wife and child sleeping soundly upstairs while a snarling beast was firmly planted on the stair landing. He spent 20 minutes trying to convince Otis that he belonged here and was getting close to having to have me call him off. Otie eventually sniffed Big Daddy and re-assessed the situation deciding it was OK to let him pass. Although my honey wanted to cluck the damn dog for being such an ass, he had to pat him on the head in passing with a "Good Boy" thrown in there for good measure, knowing for a fact that this dog would protect his family with his life. I ALWAYS felt safe with Otis.

He was a severely mellow dog. He very seldom got overly excited and he was rarely obtrusive or underfoot. He would totally come and sniff your crotch when you came to visit, but what self-respecting dog of his size wouldn't, right? He liked to play ball, but was happy after about 4 throws.

He put up with ALOT! But I think he knew it was all in good fun!

Almost a year after adopting him, the Piglet arrived. I was worried at first about how he would react to her, you know, BIG dog, LITTLE baby, but it was love at first sight. There was hardly a time that he was with us and not within sight of his kids. If we were upstairs, he was upstairs, if we were downstairs, he was downstairs. It's just how he rolled.


This was how you'd find him most of the time.

He definitely took to the good life with us! He even had a motto, "It ain't for me if it ain't got A/C!" He was the only dog I ever knew that HATED being outside.

The Oatman was not only the object of my affection...

but the object of some of my favorite shots!


He constantly tormented and was constantly taunted by his Archnemesis... that bitchy, little cat!

Much to our great sadness, about 2 years ago, she succumbed to cancer, the biggest nemesis of all. I think even Otis missed his favorite foe. He learned the greatest lesson of all from her though... there is ALWAYS time to nap with a friend!

He always had a smile to brighten your day and lighten your heart!

He was always there to welcome us home!

And always happy to just lounge around.

He had a couple of his own good friends that he enjoyed spending time with...


But most of all, he was LOVED. The only thing I knew about his previous life, was his owners abandoned him after he was badly hurt in a car accident. Their loss was our gain! We shared our hearts and our home with this wonderful dog and our lives were richer because of it. And although he was a quiet and mellow soul, our house has an eerie silence without the vibration of his existence. I have endured these losses before, but have never had to share the sadness with a child. Seeing the Monkey Man through this has been so unbelievably hard. And the Piglet, she's so little still and wants to know when we're going to bring him home. It's just so damn hard to explain! But we will go on, and the infamous "Otis Potis Who Drinks from the Commodus" will forever live in our hearts. So I bid a final farewell to my faithful companion, hoping with every fiber of my being that if there is a heaven, his wagging tail and goofy smile will be waiting at the front door for me when I arrive! We love you, miss you and will never forget you!