Power of the Dog

[maraudinglizard]

Carter I am so sorry for your loss. I know this all too well. I will sign up for it again and again.
We lost one of the cats two weeks ago.

They are family.

Same here Kurt, I can't live without them. Sorry for your loss Carter. My prayers and condolences to you and your wife.

[Struckat]

This, 24/7

[KevinJBrown]

I’m sorry to hear of your loss. I have had a dog all my life and also thought maybe I shouldn’t have another after both of mine died of old age in the same year, because there would be a fair chance it would outlive me and someone else would end up caring for my pup. Unanimously my children said they would care for the dog if my wife and I died first or couldn’t care for the dog. So now we have Crockett- the Rocket. He is great. A fairly smart dog, but he spent the better part of his life on the street/wild before we adopted him at a little over 1 year old so he has his fears, and yesterday he discovered if he stands on his back legs - the vanity mirror in the Master Bathroom has people in it that he knows. It really freaked him out. It was like I was talking him off a ledge.

[Blowpipe Sam]

Bill.  I totally understand your point.  Life would be simpler without all these pets!  But neither the wife or I can resists a stray dog.  We collect rescues and we’re just at a low point right now.  We aren’t even pretending that we won’t get another pet.  We’ve already got a stray cat testing the waters here.  We’re thinking about a small older dog.  Bon Bon the duck toller is my mom’s but our house is just an extension of hers as far as she is concerned.

[Struckat]

Buck, in my prior post, came to us starving and beaten. He lives like a king now.
Such a good boy.

[maraudinglizard]

All of mine in the past and present have been pound puppies or from unwanted litters. They are my early warning system, rat removal, predator patrol, hunting/fishing buddy, and companions. I wouldn't have it any other way.

[airgunaut]

Betty Lou and I both agree, when Boss is gone we will have no more. As much as we love her and miss Rambo the facts remain.. they limit what we can do and it hurts too much to lose them.

That's what my husband and I each separately concluded and then decided together. There have been times when thought if I encountered dogs just like ours that I'd cave in. There was also a totally unexpected episode that happened while I was cycling and saw what some would call a sign, a message from "the other side", eerily communicated to me by a very differen kind of wild animal. When I told a friend what had happened, she paused a long moment before saying that that creature was considered by some cultures to be a messenger from the dead to the living. I looked it up and confirmed what she had said.

There's more to the story, but I won't clog this thread with it. Upshot is "Never say never", or you will wonder what miracles might have happened.

[avator]

Rambo found us and Boss was put on us.. We don't regret either but I certainly hope that the last of the finding and putting.   
They both have brought tons of joy and memories to our lives but dang, that's a hard crash at the end.

[airgunaut]

Rambo found us and Boss was put on us.. We don't regret either but I certainly hope that the last of the finding and putting.   
They both have brought tons of joy and memories to our lives but dang, that's a hard crash at the end.

I get it! We cherish our "dog years" but have gotten used to not having the added responsibilities. I also found great wonder and joy from getting to know some very intelligent and communicative wild animals who lived all around us, were as fascinated by human behavior as we were/are by theirs, but at the same time retained their own society and wildness.

So what I was trying to say in my previous post was not intended as a lecture. Just saying that if the responsibility of having a pet animal completely depend on you is no longer desired (it was not and still is not in our case), observing wild animals in their own domain can be a source of solace.

And by responsibility, that includes the awful task of deciding whether it is time.

[Madd Hatter]

Our last 2 dogs to cross the bridge were within 10 days of each other. The first one we knew she was getting towards the end but the next one went down so fast he came as a total surprise. We still have 5 left 2 of which were resques. Tuffy bear was only 5 weeks old when we got him. He's a pure breed mutt and probably the most loyal of our dogs. When I'm and my wife are home he just wants to be outside but when I'm not he will stay in the house near my wife. I know he will out live me but my daughter already said she'll take him in a newyork minute. I can't see us ever not having a dog and more likely several dogs.

[Hoosier Daddy]

Of all our stray wanderers to show up here ... "Pearl" was my big sweety pooch. She guarded my then 3-5 yo daughters and let them climb all over her. She "mouthed" there heads gently in her huge jaws and put them in place with her paws.. This MASSIVE Yellow Lab Lady showed up one day.. out of the blue.
Pearl lived with us for only 3 years until she passed away...Another big hole to dig... but darn good Dawg for a stray.

 It has taken me a lot of searching to find the old "Polaroid" pic.

[Struckat]

Scott you are making me cry.

[tennx]

Condolences….my pups give me a reason to live and get up every morning…they give me purpose…second set of rescues…the first pair were with me 13 years and past within a month of each other…waited for 5 years before jane and Betty showed up

[Hoosier Daddy]

Scott you are making me cry.

And there was "Skeezsics:... he was a wired hair terrier "rabbit hunting machine" another stray.
No pic of him... but this is close.
He liked his freedom and came home one day "Gut shot" and passed ... blame the neighbors... but no one owned up to it.

[Hoosier Daddy]

Yes... I have liked my Dawgs... for a very long time.

[Methuselah]

My condolences Cap, I have no grandchildren  but I have two granddogs

[ER00z]

Carter, sorry for your loss.

[cosmic]

Condolences.. Always strive to be the person that your dog thinks you are..

[Blowpipe Sam]

I do appreciate this y'all.  Flash was a Labraweeny with a bad attitude.  We used to say that he was half Labrador, half Dachshund, and all Wiener!  For most of his life he waged war against my stepfather who he loathed.  He had a particular penchant for leaving a "deposit" in carefully selected spots where my SF was sure to step.
I may have encouraged these "mining operations" I admit.  From time to time I would hear vituperative complaints from my SF regarding the cunning with which Flash would conceal these "presents".  With a straight face I always promised to chastise Flash.  Then I would reward him with bacon treats.

[avator]

Good dawg.