Oscar Mayer Who…
By David Waite
Who wore out his welcome with at least one family
Who, as a 6-month-old puppy, adopted us in 2008
Who was my best birthday present ever
Who graduated from puppy school, but refused to do “tricks”
Who came with the name that inspired the names of two to follow
Who welcomed Tootsie Roll and Jimmy Dean to the family
Who each in the pack is named for what they look like
Who played dog toy tug of war with Tootsie and Jimmy
Who was supposedly a dachshund, but was also something else
Who looked kind of like a dachshund, but not quite
Who could do things dachshunds do not do
Who could jump over obstacles and chase flies
Who barked at animals he watched on TV
Who kept the squirrels on their toes
Who pulled out a field mouse from its tree stump burrow
Who did not like getting in trouble for peeing on the puppy pad
Who learned to flip the pad over to hide his crime
Who loved to play hide and seek, and always found us
Who weighed 10 pounds but thought he weighed 100
Who liked to jump up and bark into the faces of the big dogs
Who would be your best friend as long as you knew he was in charge
Who patrolled the neighborhood, large and in charge
Who, like cats, had 9 lives, maybe more
Who once fell off a 12-foot retaining wall, and was OK (long story)
Who once swallowed a large dog treat and nearly died (long story)
Who grieved for the passing of Tootsie in 2020
Who then slowed down gradually, year by year
Who eventually could no longer fly and chase flies
Who developed limited vision, hearing, and trouble walking
Who sometimes fell down and bumped into things
Who no longer patrolled the neighborhood, but…
Who still knew who we were and where to find his food
Who grieved for the sudden passing of Jimmy in February 2025
Who then did not want to eat, except from our hands
Who recovered with the warming weather and went on walks
Who happily hopped and stumbled as best as he could
Who, on 25 May 2025, peacefully crossed over the Rainbow Bridge
Who again lives large and in charge in the great dog park in the sky
Where Oscar, Tootsie, and Jimmy play dog toy tug of war once again
