Read Bruno's book

Bruno was a Great Dane who walked the same route every day and was afraid of small dogs. His book was made after he died in 2024: the chihuahua, the picnic table, and eating off the table, standing up. An example, made after Bruno died.

Bruno
Bruno
2016 – 2024
Bruno
Bruno
2016 – 2024
For Bruno, who waited at every fork.
Bruno1
Breed
Great Dane
Born
2016
Lived with
Hein, and Eva on weekends
Loved
eating off the table, day-old bread
Feared
small dogs
Died
2024, aged eight
Bruno2
Sitting on the path until I picked the right way.
Bruno3
The same route every day
Six o'clock, and Bruno put his head on the bed, next to Hein's, and breathed. A five-kilo head. Hein got up because otherwise the bed tilted. Then Bruno walked ahead of him to the woods, the same route every day, and at every fork he sat and waited, on the path, until Hein picked the right way.
Bruno4
The chihuahua
Small dogs were the one thing that frightened him. A chihuahua in the village, three kilos, and Bruno went and stood behind Hein. He didn't fit behind him. Pepe barked, the owner said sorry, Hein said it was fine. Bruno looked back the whole way home. From then on they crossed the road at the post office.
Bruno5
The narrow path past the brambles, which he didn't fit through and went through anyway.
Bruno6
Out and about.
Bruno7
Crossing at the post office
Nothing happened, really. Pepe the chihuahua barked, Bruno stood behind Hein even though he didn't fit there, and the owner apologised. Hein said it was fine. But Bruno looked back the whole way home, and after that they crossed the road at the post office every time, so he wouldn't have to pass that gate again.
Bruno8
Bruno9
The picnic table
The grass was wet, so Bruno sat on the picnic table in the woods instead, in the field behind the trees. A family arrived with sandwiches and ate at the other table. Bruno stayed put. The father laughed and asked if he always did that. Hein said yes. The children came over and stroked him, on the table, and he did not get down.
Bruno10
Running, twice per walk, and then that was enough.
Bruno11
Almost jumping. He didn't.
Bruno12
Half on the mattress, half on the tiles.
Bruno13
Where he really slept
The basket held a single mattress, but Bruno never quite fit on it the way a basket expects. He lay beside it instead, on the tiles, with just his head resting on the mattress. In summer he moved to the back-door step and lay there half in, half out, wherever the floor was coolest.
Bruno14
Eating off the table
Bruno ate off the table without ever jumping. He didn't need to: standing on four legs, his head already came above the tabletop. Eva said Hein had to train it out of him. Hein said he would. Eva watched him put his plate down, watched Bruno lift the crust straight off it, and never mentioned it again. The next morning she gave Bruno the crust off her own plate.
Bruno15
His head came above the tabletop.
Bruno16
Words of the house
The keys
the sound of Eva on the garden path
The fork
where Bruno waited for Hein to choose
The short route
the walk they kept to in his last year
Arie's loaf
the day-old bread saved for him on Saturdays
Bruno17
The keysThe forkThe short routeArie's loaf
Bruno18
Eva's keys
Bruno never heard Eva's car when she arrived. He heard something smaller and closer: her keys, on the garden path outside. That was enough. He got up at once and stood at the door, planted right in front of it, so that Hein had to push him aside just to let her in.
Bruno19
He heard the keys before anyone else did.
Bruno20
Eva, on the tiles beside him.
Bruno21
Who else loved him
Eva loved him, and showed it plainly: whenever she came, she lay down next to him on the tiles rather than call him over. Arie at the bakery loved him too, in his own way. Every Saturday he kept a day-old loaf aside for Bruno, and always said the same thing, that it had to go anyway.
Bruno22
On the woodland path, the last year. He walked ahead of me and looked back.
Bruno23
The last year
Bruno made it to eight, which is old for a Great Dane. In that last year Hein and he kept to the short route instead of the long one. But little else changed: he still walked ahead of Hein, still looked back, and still stopped and waited at every fork until Hein caught up and chose.
Bruno24
He made it to eight, old for a Great Dane. In the last year they did the short route, but he still waited at every fork, same as always, letting Hein choose the way.
Bruno25
He waited at every fork, until the last one.
Bruno26
This book was made for Bruno, from the words and photos of the people who love Bruno.
bookofmypet.com

About the memorial book