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Pete, Rush

Hey Mark, I really enjoy listening to your show and love the stories about Sprite and Pepsi. I have never had a rescue dog but my family has had American Eskimos dating back to my Mom’s childhood growing up in Oklahoma in the 30’s. I had gotten my first American Eskimo in 1983. Pete was with me for one month short of 17 years. I had to put Pete down the day before leaving town for a week eight years ago. Pete’s health just got to the point where there was no other alternative. It was devastating to have to take Pete to the vet but it was comforting to be with Pete to the very end. We had been through a lot together.

I have come to the conclusion that many things happen for a reason. When I got back into town a week later I got in touch with the breeder that I had gotten Pete from. I was in luck she said, she had a litter due around the beginning of July and it was a litter from a couple of her favorite dogs. Needless to say the check for the deposit was in the mail within minutes of my hanging up the phone.

As luck would have it I was the first one to get her a deposit and therefore I got to choose from the entire litter. I had to wait a couple of weeks after the puppies were born but it gave me some time to give some thought to naming him. At the time I would go to a local park during my lunch hour in order to listen to Rush during the summer prior to the 2000 election. I had drawn a blank for a while trying to decide what to name this new puppy. As I listened to Rush one day it hit me like a bolt out of the blue. You see, my mom had a dog named Rush when she was growing up in Oklahoma. The more I thought about it as I listened to Rush on the radio, the more I liked the thought of naming my new puppy Rush.

The name fits this dog like a glove. First, there was the family history with that name. My mom grew up in Bartlesville, Oklahoma. My grandfather was an executive with Phillips Petroleum. He had gotten several American Eskimo dogs from breeders in Missiouri over the years.

I thought what a great connection. Both Rush and Rush were from Missouri. Now I had my own dog Rush. The name on his pedegree is Pinebrook Rushmore Reagan. His call name being “Rush”.

I had never had any plans to show him but to make a long story short in that regard Rush has been one of the top American Eskimos in the country over the course of the last several years. Among other things he was the #1 American Eskimo In the UKC Top Ten Rankings for 2005 and was named Showdog of the Year by the National American Eskimo Dog Association for 2005.

He is the greatest dog. Rushmore Reagan, my buddy Rush. Just my small way of honoring some of the most influential people in my life.
I hope you like the picture of Rush. He has that same kind of happy look that Sprite has on the cover of your book.

Sincerely, Dave from MN

PS: “Fritz”, “Skip” or “Horatio” would also be a great middle names for Barry Obama. Fritz Mondale belongs to my church. What a tool-box.