For sensitive readers: this blog contains photos of John’s deceased dog at the vet
Before I share Peyton’s story, I want you to meet our son, John. Many of you may already know him---our tall, kindhearted eldest child, the big brother with the deep, steady voice that carries both strength and warmth. He is also the proud father of my first grandchild, Blair, the capable young woman now leading Dr. Becker’s Bites. Years ago, John returned home during a difficult season of his life, and when I was developing the first single-ingredient, pet treat for the opening of Karen’s animal hospital. That intersection of our paths is a story for another day, but it reminds me how often life has a way of weaving family and animals together at exactly the right moments.
This is Peyton’s story, in John’s words:
The Protector of the Pack
“At the time, we had four dogs who made up our family pack. The leader was my golden Akita mix, Peyton. He was strong and noble, yet playful—always ready for a wrestling match, especially with Dory, my rescue beagle mix. Peyton had a seriousness to him too: whenever a sound came from the other side of the wall surrounding our property, he was the first to charge forward, standing tall as our self-appointed protector, while the others instinctively sought cover. That was his role. He carried it with dignity and was respected by the rest of the family.
Then my wife Lynn and I brought home Sansa, a fluffy Great Pyrenees mix puppy. At first, Peyton wanted nothing to do with her. But as Sansa grew, so did her enthusiasm for playtime. Her youthful joy and boundless energy slowly softened him, and by her third month, the two were inseparable. Still, she respected his place as leader. When Peyton sounded the alarm, she knew to retreat with the others, trusting his watch.
Sansa, clever and loyal, began to create a new game between them. She would casually wander to the middle of the yard and begin barking as if she heard a potential intruder, then scamper behind the palm trees. Peyton ever vigilant would thunder around the corner, searching for the intruder. When he realized there was none, Sansa would leap out, and the two would tumble into joyful play. Over and over they repeated this, her mischief meeting his sense of duty, until both would collapse, fully satisfied.
The Night Everything Changed
And then one Friday night everything changed. After dinner, Peyton suddenly grew ill---his body hunched, his breathing labored, and his steps unsteady. We rushed him to the emergency vet, hearts pounding. After X-rays and ultrasounds, we were informed that he had gastric dilatation volvulus, a twisting of the stomach.
Read Dr. Beckers Blog: Twisted Stomachs, Stolen Lives
Recognizing the Warning Signs of GDV
This shook us to the core. My sister, the vet, explained that it is an emergency condition where the stomach flips and requires immediate surgery. It would be risky, costly, and with no promise of saving him, especially at 14 years old. With shattered hearts, we made the choice no pet parent ever wants to face. That night Peyton slipped away.
The Pack in Mourning
The next morning, Lynn and I woke in a fog of grief. My best friend, my steadfast companion, was gone. We cried, we shared stories, we sat in the heavy stillness. What we hadn’t expected was how deeply the pack would mourn too. Sansa, not understanding, began her bark-and-run game calling Peyton into play. Again and again, she barked, then searched the yard, waiting for him to emerge. When he didn’t, she looked bewildered, wandering the fence line, pacing from room to room inside the house, searching for her lost partner. Even Dory joined the search, her eyes mirroring our sorrow. Watching their confusion tore at us—it was grief layered upon grief.
When I shared this with Mom, she told me about her sister’s similar experience. My Aunt Pat had two beloved Golden Retrievers, Ruby and Ben. They had been inseparable, since the day my aunt and uncle brought Ben home.
This little 8-week-old puppy laid between Ruby’s paws on the 3-hour drive from picking him up. And from that day forward for the following 10 years, Ben was never far from Ruby’s side, always touching Ruby when they laid down for rest or sleep.
Ruby passed suddenly and unexpectedly at an emergency clinic. Ben waited in the car when Ruby was carried by stretcher into the building. Hours later, after returning home without Ruby, Ben refused to get out of the car. From that day forward, he was never the same—older, quieter, holding tightly to my aunt, so she could not vanish too. In one day, Ben had turned from a playful 10 yr old puppy to a somber old, ‘old soul’. During the remaining two years of Ben’s, life he would often refuse to get out of the car, waiting up to 4 hours for his family to ‘go get Ruby’. His devotion was heartbreaking, and it revealed something we too often fail to think about, especially when we find ourselves in the midst of an emergency: dogs feel loss just as profoundly as we do and can remain perpetually confused about what happens to their friends if they don’t have closure.
Giving Dogs the Gift of Goodbye
Mom gently encouraged me to do whatever was needed to let my dogs know Peyton wasn’t coming home. She quietly said to me that closure matters deeply, especially when the leader of the pack is gone. I called our vet, and they fully cooperated with us. Lynn and I took Sansa and Dory back to the animal hospital to say goodbye to Peyton. Peyton’s body, frozen and in a bag, lay before us. We released the leashes and stepped back. What unfolded was nothing short of sacred. At first cautious, the dogs approached Peyton, sniffing him carefully, then circling, then returning to us.
Over the course of an hour, they moved between us and him, slowly, tenderly, until finally both lay down at our feet. Their searching was over. They understood.
The Shift
The change was immediate. Sansa no longer barked in the yard, calling for Peyton. Dory stopped pacing the house, searching for him. Sansa stepped into a new role, patrolling the fence line as protector, carrying Peyton’s legacy with quiet resolve. It was heartbreaking, yes, but also profoundly beautiful. Grief moved through our entire household, human and canine alike. Peyton was gone, but he had given us, and his pack, the gift of understanding and the strength to carry on.”
Sansa and Dory
What Peyton Taught Us
Peyton’s story is, at its heart, a lesson in love and loss. Our dogs grieve just as deeply as we do, but they also show us a truth we sometimes forget; closure brings healing, ritual matters, and nature itself provides a path forward, if we allow it. Watching the pack say goodbye was a gift. In that sacred hour, grief softened into understanding, and understanding gave way to peace. Peyton’s spirit had passed on, but his legacy lived in Sansa’s watchful eyes, in Dory’s steady presence, and in the hearts of all who loved him.”
Thank you, John, for sharing Peyton’s story.
I recently spent a week with my sister, Pat, and had the joy of meeting their new dog, George. He’s the largest, most handsome, gentle moose of a dog I’ve ever met — and he’s quietly helping Pat and her husband along their healing journey.
George
Pat, thank you for sharing your story. Your experience became a light for my son, his wife, and their pack as they walked their own path through grief. Allowing Sansa and Dory to understand Peyton’s fate gave them the closure they so deeply needed and opened the door for healing — not just for the dogs, but for the whole family.
That’s the beautiful thing about family — we walk each other through the hardest moments, we carry one another when the weight feels unbearable, and, together, we find our way forward.
Mama Becker with much love
Treat Sale:
In honor of Peyton’s story we’re offering 15% off Dr. Becker’s GUT/GI Bites and GUT/GI Shaker this week. These soothing treats and meal topper contain L-Glutamine, Slippery Elm, and Bentonite, three powerful natural supplements that may help dogs and cats with sensitive stomachs and digestive tracts. Show your fur baby’s gut some love, because a happy tummy means a happy pet! Offer ends Tuesday, September 23rd at midnight (no code needed).
Get the BITES here
Get the SHAKER here