Cloud Rock, CD

Cloud was our first Maltese. He opened the door for all the other beloved dogs that have followed behind his paw prints. I was blessed to know and love him from the day he was born, June 7, 1991, until they day he left us January 23, 2007.

I had grown up with dogs. My parents had a rule to prevent us from becoming a zoo: one dog, one cat. The dogs always followed my mother around and the cats gravitated to my brother. I loved them all, but never had a pet that was devoted to me. That changed with Cloud. He followed me everywhere and never failed to act as though he was ecstatic to see me when I came home. He enjoyed all my friends and ate up their attention as well, but I was his favorite person in the world.

He taught me so much. It was my love and devotion to him that sent me to the bookstore to buy every Maltese book I could get my hands on. I read them all and soon learned that many of the qualities that made Cloud the ideal companion were part of his heritage as a Maltese.

We became a team in competitive obedience when he was already 10 years old. Obedience gave us a tremendous gift. We learned to communicate with each other in a more effective way. I never thought I could love him more than I had before, but my pride in seeing how he learned and performed for me added a dimension to our relationship that is hard to explain. He loved it and I loved sharing that time with him. He earned his CD at age 12.

Cloud was special in so many ways. In 15 years of triumphs and tears, we shared it all. He lived up to the legend. He was my best friend.