~Greatest Dog Ever!!~ In Memory of my Best Canine Friend ~SETHRICK BARTHOLOMEW STALEY~ June 1, 1995- March 10, 2007~ Seth was born in a small family kennel in Terre Haute, Indiana. His father was a purebred Great Pyr and his mother was 50% Rottweiler and 50% Neopolotin Mastiff. Seth's Grandfather (the Mastiff) also resided here. I was 15 years old when I got Seth. I begged my father for 4 years to let me have a puppy and he finally said YES! I saved up all my change and rabbit money for 6 months to have the $50 for my puppy. I scoured the newspapers and the Trader for ads for puppies. I really, really wanted a Great Pyr that was full blooded, but they were pretty expensive. I eventually stumbled upon an ad in the Trader for this litter of Pyr mix puppies. This young man in Terre Haute was specifically breeding these dogs for their size and markings. I had my heart set on a male dog and there were 4 in the litter. 2 that were black and tan, and 2 that were black with white markings. I fell in love with Seth at first sight, he had a cute little spot of white on the very tip of his tail. When I brought him home, he was a 22 lb, 8 week old pup. He slept in my room for a few days. It happened to be right before the Morgan County Fair week and Seth got to go with me. He loved spending his week in the sheep and rabbit barns. Brooke and Bethany Buckley were just toddlers then and they played with this huge puppy on his little leash (The girls are now in 4H and show rabbits). Seth even got to go to the fair the next year. I took him to obedience class twice with my friend Amber and her dog. He would never jump up in the front seat of the truck himself and you always had to heaft his 150lb body up there! When I was learning to drive, he rode with us if he could. My first car was a Chevy Camero and he didn't fit in it ANYWHERE! He was afraid of thunderstorms and the tornados that went through Martinsville in 2002 really scared him. I had him huddling with me in the basement and he was shaking. Seth didn't like most other dogs, but loved kitty cats. It was so cute to see this huge dog outside in the yard with 3 or 4 kittens climbing all over him. :) Seth enjoyed the companionship of his girlfriends over the years. Mackenzie was a wolf hybrid that he spent many, many years with until she passed away 3 years ago. Since then, my father got another wolf hybrid named Dezzy and she had become Seth's treasured companion. Although he was not neutered, he never sired a litter. He loved pig ears and would eat pretty much anything else you would give him. For the last 4 years, he has been living at my parents and I have moved next door. I talked to him everyday when he would come up to the fence while I was watering the rabbits. In the last couple years, his health started to fail. He had a little trouble with arthritis and he had some breathing problems. In the last few weeks, his eyesight started to go, but he could still hear very well. I spent some time talking to him the Friday before he passed away. I will treasure every moment that Seth was in my life. He was always a good dog. He never chewed up anything or tore anything up. I never ever had to yell at him for being a bad dog. He was the best dog in the whole wide world and I wished I could have found a way for him to live for 100 years. I miss you Sethers.....