Goodbye My Friend.

There is NEVER a better time.
But NOW is by far the worst time for your friend to die.

Armani, aka "Munkee", was twelve years old this month. He passed away in his sleep with us at home this morning.

Armani

March 2003 - March 23, 2015

Armani's Gallery

He taught us so much worth sharing.

1. Live life fully even when you don't feel like it.
2. A cute smile will get you more treats.
3. If somebody is getting in the car, go with them.
4. Be happy every time you see someone.
5. You don't need big ears to listen better.
6. Miss everyone when they leave, even if only for a few hours.
7. Meeting people is the only way to make more friends.
8. If its not a good bath, don't take it.
9. Keeping an eye on your surroundings helps keep everyone safe.
10. You can hold people's hearts even without thumbs.

Munkee?

When I first met Armani he was prancing around in Angela's backyard with his tail curled and raised up high. It just reminded me of a monkey's tail. Over time Armani became Ar-monkey, then Munkee for short and it stuck, at least as one of his names. Armani. Mah-nee. Armonzo. Monkey Tail. Ar-monkey. Munkee. Santa's Little Helper. Position One. That Guy. All which fit better than "Giggles", the name he had at the Humane Society before adoption.

9pm is Bed Time

Armani has always been an old soul and his bedtime was 9pm. Watching TV in the living room at night, we'd look up he would have disappeared. He would be found having tucked himself in bed either in his crate or on the front corner of the big bed.

Jet Pack

When jumping into our bed to circle and plant himself at our feet, he would often "leak air", timed perfectly for lift off. This became known as "Jet Pack".

Use Your Pillow

At some point, we noticed Armani would twist and turn while lying down trying to get comfortable to sleep. We decided it was time to teach him about pillows. Using a small bed pillow and case, we worked with him until he was used to laying his head on his pillow. He learned so well he began using our pillows too. You could walk into the bedroom and he'd be lounging in our bed like a little person, head on the pillow sleeping or watching the squirrels out the window.

The Tapper

For not having any thumbs, Munkee sure liked to use his paws like hands. When we were sitting in front of the TV eating dinner, he would be laying close by in case he needed to "Vacuum" up any crumbs. To remind you he was there in case there was any food you wanted to give up, he would tap your foot with his paw. Every few mintues he'd repeat until you acknowledged him or dropped a bite. The gentle taps later evolved into "Punches".

Bellies

When Munkee laid on his side on the big bed and you walked by, he would lift his front leg in the air towards you. This meant "Please rub my belly" which was always appreciated. If you moved in for the belly but pulled your hand back, he would lower his leg. Then you could be a "Puppeteer". By moving in, he lifted his leg. Move out, he lowered his leg. Then you waved your hand back and forth and he'd raise and lower his leg like it was on invisible puppet strings.

Drive by Snuggler

In the last few years, Munkee started a new tradition. Once everyone was in bed and ready for sleep, he would plop down between us. He put his head on our pillows and snuggle by throwing a leg on you and giving kisses. After a few minutes, he would roll over and do the same to the other to keep it fair. After a few more minutes, you turn was over and he would head back down to the foot of the bed for some "baby go night night".

Get Off That Laptop

Many nights we end up snuggling up to our laptops and iPads in bed, watching TV in the background. Munkee was never a fan of laptops and would come over and lay by you, warning you with his eyes. If you did not take the hint and get off the computer, he'd swipe a paw on your keyboard. This would either type gibberish in your document or put your Mac in some bizarre five-key-combo state like Inverted Colors or Sticky Keys.

Sweet Eyes

His technique for acquiring treats were masterful. He'd start with ears up but the tips leaned forward so they looked like they were "ears over a coat hanger". Phase Two hits you with "sweet eyes" where his eyes became more almond shaped and he looked extra starving. Phase three was ridiculous. He would slide over to where you were sitting, put his head on your knee, and look up deep into your eyes so you could contemplate just how hungry he was.

Stop Punching Me

As Armani got older, the vet warned us about overfeeding, too many treats, and people food. His Phase Three begging didn't work anymore so he had to step up his game. While laying at your feet, he would punch you in the shin with his paw to get attention. Depending on how recently he'd had an oil change, those nails could be sharp.

Open Sesame

We swapped out the bedroom doorknob to a lever style so we could open the door with an elbow when your hands are full. Munkee usually stayed in the bedroom with the door closed. But he quickly and secretly learned to use the lever to Houdini out of the room. He would wait for us on the rug at the front door. It took a while before we actually caught him making his escape. He would rear up and use his right paw to push down on the lever and then drop down to catch the door edge with his nose to push it open.

Gas Bombs

While laying on the bed Munkee would pretend to nap and silently unleash waves of green stench. You'd yell "Gas Bomb" to alert anyone in the area to dive under the covers to avoid contact with foul air. He alternated by launching gas attacks with a hearty "Pffftttt" as a warning. He would look at his butt like he was not sure where it came from and was just as suprised as everyone else.

Don't Steal My Spot

He knew the spots at the head of the bed were the best. If anyone left their spot in bed unattended for even a few minutes when getting a drink from the kitchen, you would return to find Munkee had stolen your spot (or reclaimed his depending on your perspective). It was a fun game. He'd go back to his spot with a quick "Up" or hand signal.

Who's there?

Knocks and doorbells would send him into a barking frenzy and heading for the door whether actual or from the TV. Somehow the phrase "Who's there?" got the same attention.

Packing to Go Potty

Armani had a large collection of toys but only a few favorites like The Hotdog, Green Baby, iBone, Green Heart Furr Ever, Panda, Dogs Equis Beer, or Monkey. When going outside to potty he did circles at the door. When you opened the door he'd run to his basket and grab a toy to carry it out with him. He'd drop it to go do his business. Sometimes he'd remember to fetch it before returning. He'd retrieve it with a "Get Your Baby". But, more than one baby had been left outside overnight so we tried to get him to stop "packing".

Mmmm... Lotion?

We were used to Munkee eating almost anything, most dogs do. But he had a weird taste. After showering and as soon as the cap snapped open Armani would rush for the bathroom hoping to lick her legs where Angela had put on body lotion.

Munkee Ball

When laying down for naps, there were a few poses that were always entertaining. "Munkee Ball" was an amazingly tight curled up ball where he actually looked smaller. "Baby Deer" was straightened back, curved neck, and the pairs of legs held out straight but together that gave the impression of a tender baby deer laying down. "Feet Pile" is a Baby Deer mod where all four legs were stacked with his ankles together in, well... a feet pile. "Little Gentleman" was when he'd lay on his stomach, stretch out his front legs, and put his head on his forearms but he'd cross his legs.

Was that thunder?

As he aged he was increasingly concerned about Tornadoes and was alerted to their potential by thunder. This often resulted in "Dog Hat" where Munkee would rush to the head of the bed and sit on your head trying to avoid the weather. After the response spread to television storms and bass we started to wonder if his black and white coat was really a tuxedo like James Bond wore, not an Armani suit. He was confusing thunder with gunfire from his past as a retired secret agent and canine assassin.

Position One

Once we uncovered his military training, his behavior made perfect sense. As you walked around the house, he would shadow you, not just follow.

If two of us are in the bedroom, one in bed and the other in the shower, while "on patrol" he would carry out a "split the difference" maneuver and place himself in the hallway exactly where he can observe both. He would also do "Shower Patrol" and visit to make sure everything was alright in return for licks of your hand with the warm water dripping from it.

If the curtains or the sliding glass door was open, Armani sat in front of it to monitor the perimeter for intruders as "Position One". Position One would faithfully report any activity.

Rugs

The equipment required for Munkee's Position One duty was only a rug. Any rug. Any where. The five rugs in our bedroom, front door rug, side door rug, back door rug, and patio rug were in constant rotation.

Inspection Required

Another Munkee ritual we witnessed was inspection. When you removed his collar, it was easier if you held it out for him to sniff. Otherwise, he would walk over to it and sniff for himself. Same thing applied to packages. All foreign objects from UPS or FedEx must be sniffed and verified before being opened. Some objects for unknown reasons were subjected to a quick licking.

Gimme Your Ears

Armani had a fascination with ears. Yours. His. A visitor's. He wasn't choosey. The only times he ever had issues with children is when he first walked up and tried to lick their ears. They either started giggling or got scared when a black dog walked up nose-to-nose.

Munkee Vacation

Munkee was not a fan of the bath. Or we thought. When traveling, we got in the habit of booking him at a pet hotel. One of the upgrades they offer is a grooming package. With trimmed nails he went from "Clickies" on tile and easy to hear to "Stealth Mode" when he could sneak up on you in the dark. When Munkee went on vacation at the pet hotel we hooked him up with doggy ice cream, playtime, bath, nails, the works. We stopped giving him baths and he stopped laughing at us for trying.

Oil Change

In the past few years, Armani reached senior dog status. Vet visits increased. Prescriptions were written. We began to feel like he was getting scheduled maintenance so we started calling his visits "Oil Changes".

Jingle Bells

Armani wore a collar during the day in case he escaped the house. That could be one of many designs since they were holiday, mood, or season-specific. To make switching his looks easier, his tags were on a small carabiner that could be clipped on the collar. You could ask him to put on his "jingle bells" and he would walk over to the dresser where the collar for the day was sitting for you to put it over his head. Jingle Bells time was always exciting becuase it could lead to putting on his L-E-A-S-H for a Car Ride.

Confidence Shirt

One of the things we never were able to solve for Munkee was his fear of thunder. The vet had us try giving him Benadryl but it meant being able to time it right. Sometimes storms roll in quickly in Texas and the medicine didn't calm him down in time. We'd stand in the open doorway watching the rain trying to help him get used to it. During an extra loud storm he hit his erd zone, couldn't think straight, and bolted out the front door off-leash. He scrambled around our cul-de-sac until I could catch him. One of the things we tried was a Thunder Shirt which is supposed to calm the dog by providing constant gentle pressure like a hug. If he put it on early enough it did seem to help. We called it his "Confidence Shirt" and he would happily come to put it on.

Munkee Tumbleweeds

Living on tile floors with Armani meant from time to time a gust of wind could send a ball of dog fur rolling across the floor from under a piece of furniture. These were called Munkee Tumbleweeds.

Ole Bear

Armani didn't like his feet touched like many dogs. But, I did it anyways and turned it into a game. When he laid on the big bed, I would slowly slide my hand over the sheets and pillows toward his front paws. When Munkee noticed, he would growl, show his teeth, and lunge at my hand. As I got closer, his growl turned into low roar that reminded us of a bear. As soon as I touched his paw, he would roll away, rub his face, and howl - resetting for the next round.

Baby Guts

Armani had an odd relationship with some of his plush toys. He'd lick it for a minute then bite it then lick it while staring at it intenesly which we voiced over with "I love you, baby! No, I hate you!" Being dragged outside for potty breaks, favorite babies did't stay clean for very long but that didn't reduce his affection. After weeks or months of being a favorite, Munkee would suddenly rip open a seam to first remove the baby's squeaker and then methodically extract baby guts, often white fluffy stuffing, flossing with it in the process.

Jungle Dog vs Getting His Vitamin D

Going outside wasn't always about business. Depending on his mood Munkee would position himself in three places facing the back door. Just off the porch by the rock was a staging area for his return. He would lay there staring in until you opened the door to let him in.

Nice days meant he'd be on the walkway next to the pool right where the canopy of live oaks opened to let sunshine through. A black dog sunbathing looked odd but we figured he was just getting his Vitamin D.

Jungle Dog was his most steathy position. Towards the back fence was a row of small shrubs, perfect height to sit behind, and still have a clear view of the back porch. At thirty feet away you had to squint to see his head in the bushes, sometimes given away when he'd raise his ears to hear the situation better, like when we'd jingle keys to get him to come in from a protest.

Protesting

Armani used two forms of civil disobedience to take a stand. "Hunger Strikes" were called for when we left him when he didn't want us to. We'd return to his food bowl full and wait for the strike to be called off. It could last for an hour or day depending on how severe he felt us leaving him was.

His other protest was a refusal to come in from the backyard. He would go to Jungle Dog position and park. If you approached him, he would move but you'd end up doing laps around the pool chasing him. More laps were required when you really needed to get him in the house so you could leave for an appointment. Protests were usually proceeded by electrical noise in the sound system or flashing lights which we think he was confusing for tornado signs.

Big Sneeze

Munkee didn't sneeze often. But when he did, our favorite was the "Big Sneeze". This is the one where if laying on his side, he would sit up and almost lean back while lifting his head to pull more air in his lungs. When ready, he'd snapped his head down and release a full body sneeze closing his eyes and blasting whatever was in front of him. Then he'd rub his face with his front paws and go back to napping.

Sweeper Sweeping

When sitting down, his Munkee tail would flip side to side when excited. On the tile floor one day, when his tail got going it kicked up some dust and fur. "Sweeper Sweeping" became shorthand for Armani is very excited as you can see by his waving his tail in the air like he just don't care.

Such a Good Sport

There is a long standing tradition around here of wearing costumes. Yes, Halloween but anytime is a good excuse even for the Munkee. He was always a good sport and would pose for pictures in whatever getup he had on. Bunny ears, bowties, Yoda, capes, bandanas, tuxedo cuffs, Indian headdress, glowing collars, Big Bad Wolf, a snuggy, an elf, tee shirts, gold chains, and The Fox all framed his sweet face and big smiles.

Calling Brett & Munkee

One of the side effects of having an iPhone, was constant access to a speaker phone. I would often put it on speaker and go hands-free to continue what I was doing. (I can read email, write code, or surf the web and hear what you're saying!!!) At home, we'd get her call on the way home from work. I'd answer, "This is Brett and Munkee". The three of us would be on the call. Munkee didn't say much, but he was a good listener and always perked up hearing his name.

Rub My Face

Ears are always a goto spot for dogs. But Armani also appreciated rubs on the sides of his snout. Another good one was from his forehead between his eyes down the bridge of his nose. You could tell the spot was right when he would lean into the scratch and look up when you stopped to keep going.

You're Doing It Wrong

Munkee had his own ways of laying in his beds. Beds plural because there was his bed at home, his travel bed in the car, and a rug and towel could work as an improvised bed. "Monkey Ball" was his usual curled up pose facing normally in a bed. But sometimes normal wasn't his way. There are many pictures of hind legs in but his body spilled out of the front of the bed and sprawled on the floor. "You're Doing It Wrong" would get a radar ear but he wouldn't move.

Sheet Day

Armani usually waited for everyone else to get in bed before he jumped up. The main exception was on "Sheet Day" when the bed is made up with fresh sheets and blankets. It was not uncommon to find him sprawled out in the middle of the clean bed, passed out. We kept it a secret that the bed up wasn't made up just for him.

My Drawer

Besides knowing his toys by name, he knew his drawer and travel bag. His leashes, collars, treats, and other gear was all stored in the bottom drawer on the left. Anytime that drawer was even touched, you got his attention. Linger too long at the drawer and he would come over to see what you were doing. Pull out his travel bag and he's doing circles and jumping on and off the edge of the bed to make sure you know he was ready to go.

Car Ride

When the travel bag was brought out and a car ride ensued, Armani displayed his mapping expertise. Whenever we got within a few blocks of her parents' or sister's houses, he would standup in the middle seat of the 4Runner he had to himself.

Shaved?

There were rumors, probably started by jealous dog owners, that Armani had some beautification done. It was never clear whether they thought it was carried out by an esthetician or a homegrown beauty regiment. The truth is Armani NEVER had his dirt star bleached or shaved. He was a very lucky boy and just born that way.

Goodnight, sweet prince.

Updates

May 30 2015 The Tapper
May 31 2015 Confidence Shirt

To Be Written

1. Life of the Party
2. Circles at the Door
3. Showing Off for Visitors
4. Bed Hog Kicker
5. Prancing Feet
6. Terrible Cone Driver
7. Doggy Hangover
8. It's the Weekend!
9. Napping Champion
10. Alligator Smile
11. Munkee Upside Down
12. The Vacuum
13. Sleepy Munkee
14. Canine Assassin / Dog Bond
15. Let Me In!
16. Everybody Loves the Munkee
17. Digging to China
18. Munkee This Happens Every Night
19. Get'em vs You're Dreaming
20. Mouth Breather
21. Wipe Your Feet
22. Munkee Glitter
23. Yelling at the Neighbors - Cussing
24. Good Canine Citizen
25. Hey Guys I'm Here
26. Frog Dog
27. Fluffy Munkee
28. Skunkee
29. Laser Eyes
30. Radar Ear Receiving - beep bah beep beep
31. Rosemary Cologne