Gus
In memory of Gus – a.k.a. Butters, The “Colonel”, Mr. Buttersworth, Augustus, AsparaGUS, Buddy, Gussie, Gus Gus, Gusatvo and the “Huffer”
January 19, 1991 to July 19, 2007
You will be missed each and every day, but your memory will live on with us. We learned so much from you about love and how to get your way 
We love and miss you. J & J
One of my clearest memories of Gus is from about 11 years ago when I had the fortune to dog sit him while J & J were away. Gus and my dog Mish where not the best of friends, but they tolerated each other. Gus however, did not like being away from Mom and Dad and when I went out without either dog, Gus wanted no part of not seeing what was going on and who might be coming… Rather than push the mini-blinds out of the way like most dogs, Gus just decided to chew through them.. Not to be mean, or because they looked good to chew – just so that he could see out the window from his perch on my living room chair.
I thought that typified many experiences with Gus. Independent thinking with unique solutions to a problem. He’ll be missed.
Posted 2 years, 3 months agoHey,
I remember walking around Jamaica Pond the first time you guys lived there, and Gus took off after a squirrel, because, well, isn’t that what they’re there for? And his happy howl barking and wiggly tail wagging when you enter the house, and you lifting his bulk onto the sofa to scratch his belly…And walking along the outer shore of Peaks Island, with the stone wall and wild roses as Gus sniffs ahead. He was such a good boy.
Posted 2 years, 3 months agoBorn to be grumpy one could say. I could always imagine him complaining about the weather, the odors from Jim’s shoes as well as Jennifer’s numerous trips to far away lands where dogs don’t say woof woof but Bao Ba or Ouaf Ouaf. But nonetheless for all his complaining he was one happy dog who realized how lucky he was that his owners loved him and did their best to meet his rather high culinary expectations. So he goes on into the next dog world slightly worried about what awaits him- will dog heaven really be what its marketing department has made it out to be- but confident that having spent so many years with Jenn and Jim he can cope with just about any situation.
Posted 2 years, 3 months agoI do not recall to which faraway place Jim and Jennifer strayed when Tom and I had the pleasure of entertaining Gus for a few days about nine years ago. We were newly married, moved into a new home, and had the habit of walking to get coffee every morning before getting ready for a long day at the office or on a plane or in a car. What a treat, now we had a dog to take with us! We envisioned a brisk walk to our caffeine. Gus soon let us know who was in charge. He stopped and sniffed every single bush, weed, and sliver of grass, not to mention a few canine rear ends. It took us an hour just to get to the coffee shop. Oh, yes, we realized, Beagles are sniffers! It gets better…
As we leave for our jobs, we sternly tell Gus not to get on the furniture. I arrive home and there is Gus cheerily greeting me at the door. Of course, I want to get her a treat for making me so happy. When I go into the kitchen, I see that the pantry door is open. Hmmm. Gus gets her treat and I go upstairs to change. There I see crumbs of Pop Tarts and wrappers and the chewed up cardboard box on the bed and floor. And there is Gus just wagging his tail. He was so proud.
Two years later, we had our first child. We still did our morning walks to the coffee shop up until the point Frazier could walk. Then we determined that Frazier was just like Gus. He had to stop and look at and touch everything. (Good thing he wasn’t into butts!) Our second son, Nate, was a big snorer before an operation to remove his adnoids. (Now he’s a little snorer.) We would say he snores like Gus. We discovered that Gus was our introduction into parenthood and refer to our children quite often as being Gus-like.
Thank you, Jim and Jennifer, for letting us share the greatness of Gus. He is truly missed but will remain in our hearts forever.
Posted 2 years, 3 months agoOops! Don’t know why I said “her” about Gus. Faus pax!
Posted 2 years, 3 months agoMaybe me and Gus should have parlayed his “pre-parenting skills” into a solid line of work – lend him out to those who want to be parents so they can practice. I am glad that Gus’s memory lives on via Nate and Frazier! Thank you!
Posted 2 years, 3 months ago