Oz was an incredible dog that transformed our lives.
In the city, he was the consummate ambassador for his breed. Always good natured and easy going, he would regularly draw crowds when we sat with him at restaurant patios or bars. I was always amazed at how he had a penchant for drawing in beautiful young women and often thought he would make a perfect wingman if I were not already happily married. A friend of mine once saw him working his magic with the ladies while we were having beers at a patio and called him a "pussy magnet." While I'm sure Oz's motives were nobler, it was amazing to see him so easily connecting with the women, men and dogs that were walking by. He loved everyone.
At the crag, he would willingly carry in extra litres of water and gear and keep me company while I built routes and trails at The Swamp. As these were the early days of development and there was no one else in the area, I felt better knowing that he would be by my side if something ever went wrong. Yes, he could not use a cell phone to call for assistance or drive a stick-shift to get help, but you could always count on him to keep you warm when the temps dropped. I know this because we went up there very early one season thinking that we were going to have the similarly mild conditions we were experiencing in Toronto. We were wrong. There was a still about a foot of snow and the temps were plunging below freezing during the evening. Unfortunately, we were not only underdressed but also underprepared. We had only brought thin foam sleeping pads, under-gunned sleeping bags and a tarp for protection from the elements. That night, the wind whistled past us and more snow accumulated on the ground as we huddled in a rock outcrop. And while I won't argue against the heat-trapping qualities of high-quality down and modern synthetic sleeping bags, if I were forced to choose, I would always pick Oz for his ability to pump out the heat; he was a walking hot-water bottle.
I can go on about how special he was by sharing details of his career as a champion show dog or how he was frequently invited into the tiny bars and restaurants in our neighbourhood, but we will always remember him most for being the catalyst that helped us form so many new friendships.
Going to miss this dog so much.
