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I am devastated

Guest skrubber

By Guest skrubber
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Bart Enthusiast

Bart

Posted
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I am so sorry, I just saw the blog, Skrubber. I just recounted to a friend this week about having to put down my companion just over 5 years ago. He was my running companion for the first 10 years of his life after he slowed down it would just be walking. I actually built my schedule around him as such and when I had to put him down. I only had him a year when they found a growth and said it was malignant his future was uncertain. The dog lived 13 great years which is good for 95 lb yellow lab. Sounds silly but I still lament his loss. I have resisted all efforts to have another. This loss was too much. I felt rudderless for a couple of weeks but you will live to deal with it. It is a hole in your life. I would resist the temptation to rush to get another dog. Allow yourself time to deal with it at least 6 months.

 

Thanks for the posting of the 10 commnadments of pet ownership, I have never read truer words.

 

Andrew the poem was very touching, I wish I had that 5 years ago. I have already wiped a few tears away.

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jeepman Enthusiast

jeepman

Posted
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Sorry to hear about your loss.

As an avid dog lover, I have had several very loyal "friends" over the years. It is very difficult to say goodbye when their time finally comes but know that you gave them a good life and home and I really believe that they know this as well. A lot of folks swear that they will not get another pet after one passes, however, I generally waited a month or two after the passing of my "friend" and then went to the local animal shelter and rescued another dog whom I developed that special relationship with. While the new "friend" did not replace my old one, it did fill the void and made the emptyness dissappear. I got into the habit of keeping a photograph or other momento of my passing pets which I made into an ornament and look back fondly at theam as I hang their ornaments from the Christmas tree.

Good luck.

Jeepman

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tanman4u Proficient

tanman4u

Posted
Posted

I don't know where I first saw this, but I've had it emailed to me a couple of times and just found it again with a quick Google search.

 

"Why dogs don't live as long as people...

 

Being a veterinarian, I had been called to examine a ten-year old Irish Wolfhound named Belker. The dog's owners, Ron, his wife Lisa, and their little boy, Shane, were all very much attached to Belker and they were hoping for a miracle. I examined Belker and found he was dying of cancer. I told the family there were no miracles left for Belker, and offered to perform the euthanasia procedure for the old dog in their home.

 

As we made arrangements, Ron and Lisa told me they thought it would be

good for the four-year old Shane to observe the procedure. They felt as though Shane might learn something from the experience.

 

The next day, I felt the familiar catch in my throat as Belker's family

surrounded him. Shane seemed so calm, petting the old dog for the last time, that I wondered if he understood what was going on. Within a few minutes, Belker slipped peacefully away. The little boy seemed to accept Belker'stransition without any difficulty or confusion. We sat together for a while after Belker's death, wondering aloud about the sad fact that animal lives are shorter than human lives. Shane, who had been listening quietly, piped up, "I know why."

 

Startled, we all turned to him. What came out of his mouth next stunned me. I'd never heard a more comforting explanation.

 

He said, "People are born so that they can learn how to live a good life like loving everybody all the time and being nice, right?"

 

The four-year old continued, "Well, dogs already know how to do that, so they don't have to stay as long."

 

Live simply. Love generously. Care deeply. Speak kindly. Leave the rest to God!!

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glutes Grand Master

+ glutes

Posted
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Dog

 

"When God had made the earth and sky,

the flowers and the trees.

He then made all the animals,

the fish, the birds and bees.

And when at last He'd finished,

not one was quite the same.

He said, "I'll walk this world of mine,

and give each one a name."

And so He traveled far and wide

and everywhere He went,

a little creature followed Him

until its strength was spent.

When all were named upon the earth

and in the sky and sea,

the little creature said, "Dear Lord,

there's not one left for me."

Kindly the Father said to him,

"I've left you to the end.

I've turned my own name back to front

and called you dog, my friend."

 

-Author Unknown-

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Samai139 Collaborator

Samai139

Posted
Posted

Rocky--

 

Looking at the photo of Rocky everyone can see the love and devotion and loyalty in his eyes and face. What a wonderful companion you have had for 16 years. That photo and all the memories are yours to cherish forever. You and Rocky were lucky to have had each other. Thanks for sharing your love and grief, both are part of life and often are inextricably bound together.

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Guest zach7

Guest zach7

Posted
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Rocky

 

It is incredibly painful; I have not a dog since I was a young boy, he died, and I swore I would never do it again. They're great, but I thought the pain was too much. Admire the others and you for keeping at it, dogs are wonderful, funny, always loyal, and just such a joy.

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Guest Brandan Steele

Guest Brandan Steele

Posted
Posted

I am so sorry to hear about Rocky. I've been where you are right now, and it is difficult. Just remember those wonderful 16 years both of you shared. In the end, that's what will get you thru.

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Guest skrubber

Guest skrubber

Posted
Posted

Thanks Brandan. Though Rocky passed six months ago, I still miss him very much. I also miss you even though I only saw you once. The chances of getting in your neck of the woods anytime soon are very bleak but I keep hoping.

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Guest loboguy

Guest loboguy

Posted
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Sincere condolences

 

About eight months ago, we had to have a beloved family member, a 15 y/o black lab put to sleep after a short illness. The pain and sorrow were difficult, but with time we realize how much love and devotion was granted to us for 15 years. That gift far outweighed the pain that we felt. After time, we've accepted the loss and realize that she was much better off - how could we wish her back, lost and in pain.

 

Search the web for the "Rainbow Bridge" ... perhaps that may bring you some comfort, as it has to so many other pet owners.

 

Chin up!

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Guest Brandan Steele

Guest Brandan Steele

Posted
Posted

That was very sweet. However, if you never get a chance to visit, I'm always here with a patient ear and strong shoulder.

I remember you being very kind to me, and that's the least I can offer.

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glutes Grand Master

+ glutes

Posted
Posted

skrubber, these also might choke you up:

 

 

 

QUOTATIONS ABOUT THE DOG

 

 

" He is your friend, your partner,

your defender, your dog.

You are his life, his love, his leader. He will

be yours, faithful and true, to the last beat

of his heart. You owe it to him to be worthy of

such devotion."

 

Unknown

 

 

break line

 

" To err is human,

to forgive canine."

 

Unknown

 

 

break line

 

"If there are no dogs in Heaven,

then when I die I want to go

where they went."

 

Will Rogers, 1897-1935

 

 

break line

 

"A dog is 'almost human' and I know of no greater

insult to the canine race than to describe it as such."

 

John Holmes

 

 

break line

 

"Man is troubled by what might be called the Dog Wish,

a strange and involved compulsion to be as happy and

carefree as a dog."

 

James Thurber - And So To Medve

 

 

break line

 

"If you pick up a starving Dog and make him prosperous,

he will not bite you.

This is the principal difference between

a dog and a man..."

 

Mark Twain

 

 

break line

 

"Nobody can fully understand the meaning of love unless

he's owned a dog. A dog can show you more honest

affection with a flick of his tail than a man can

gather through a lifetime of handshakes."

 

Gene Hill - The Dog Man

 

 

break line

 

"The dog has seldom been successful in pulling man

up to his level of sagacity, but man has frequently

dragged the dog down to his."

 

James Thurber

 

 

break line

 

"Histories are more full of the examples

of the fidelity of dogs than of friends."

 

Alexander Pope

 

 

break line

 

"All knowledge, the totality of all questions

and answers, is contained in the dog."

 

Franz Kafka - Investigations of the dog

 

 

break line

 

"Dogs love their friends and bite their enemies,

quite unlike people, who are incapable of pure love

and always have to mix love and hate."

 

Sigmund Freud

 

 

break line

 

"Plus je vois l'homme,

plus j'aimie mon chien"

 

Pascal

 

 

break line

 

"Dogs are our link to paradise. They don't know

evil or jealousy or discontent. To sit with a dog

on a hillside on a glorious afternoon is to be back

in Eden, where doing nothing was not boring--

it was peace."

 

Milan Kundera

 

 

break line

 

"The poor dog, in life the the firmest friend,

The first to welcome, foremost to defend,

Whose honest heart is still the master's own,

Who labours, fights, lives, breathes for him alone,

Unhonour'd falls, unnoticed all his worth,

Denied in heaven the soul he held on earth,

While man, vain insect hopes to be forgiven,

And claims himself a sole exclusive heaven."

 

Lord Byron

Inscription on the monument of his

Newfoundland dog, 1808

 

 

break line

 

"The bond with a true dog is as lasting as the ties

of this earth will ever be."

 

Konrad Lorenz

Man Meets Dog

 

 

break line

 

"The fate of animals is of greater importance to me

than the fear of appearing ridiculous;

it is indissolubly connected with the fate of men."

 

- Emile Zola (1840-1902)

 

 

break line

 

"I am I because my little dog knows me"

 

- Gertrude Stein

 

 

break line

 

"Until one has loved an animal

a part of one's soul remains unawakened"

 

Anatole France

 

 

break line

 

"There is no psychiatrist in the world like a puppy

licking your face."

 

Bern Williams

 

 

break line

 

" No Matter how little money and how few possessions,

you own, having a dog makes you rich."

 

Louis Sabin

All About Dogs As Pets

 

 

break line

 

"Who kicks a dog kicks his own soul towards hell"

 

Will Judy

 

 

break line

 

"No animal I know of can consistently be more of

a friend and companion than a dog."

 

Stanley Leinwoll

 

 

break line

 

"The one absolutely unselfish friend that man can

have in this selfish world, the one that never

deserts him, the one that never proves ungrateful

or treacherous, is his dog."

 

George Graham Vest

 

 

break line

 

The Best Part About Owning A Dog...

 

... is the way he will come over to see me,

for no reason, just to let me know I'm

important to him

... is the way he is always ready to lick the

jelly off my nose...

... is the way he looks into my eyes and finds

contentment in simply being near me

... is the way he will run all over the yard,

fetch a soggy tennis ball and bring it back

to me as if to say "look mom, it's all have,

but it's yours

... is the way he wakes me up in the morning by pushing

his cold wet nose in my ear and snuffing loudly

... is the way he shreds toilet paper all over the house,

because it's fun even though he knows he shouldn't

... is the way he's sure he can catch the ducks in the

lake today...

... is the way he comes over to me when he is sad

... is the way he wedges himself near me when I am sad and

push all others away, to console me with his love

... is the way he pounces on crickets in the backyard

... is the way he looks perplexed when they escape

... is the way he is terrified of the evil pink hula hoop

... is the way he doesn't mind how much of that horrid

perfume I'm wearing just because it was a gift from

my relative who's visiting

... is the way he doesn't care about bad hair day or

overdue bills

... is the way he loves you, even when you are impatient

with him and have no time this morning for a game

of tug-a-war

... is the way his coat feels like liquid silk under

my fingers

... is the way he finds wisdom beyond words

 

Unknown

 

 

break line

 

"Happiness is a warm puppy."

 

Charles Schulz

 

 

break line

 

"We give dogs time we can spare, space we can spare

and love we can spare.

And in return, dogs give us their all.

It's the best deal man has ever made."

 

M.Facklam

 

 

break line

 

"He is your friend, your partner, your defender,

your dog. You are his life, his love, his leader.

He will be yours, faithful and true, to the last

beat of his heart. You owe it to him to be worthy

of such devotion."

 

Unknown

 

 

break line

 

"Dogs' lives are too short. Their only fault, really."

 

-Agnes Sligh Turnbull

 

 

break line

 

Children and dogs are as necessary to the welfare of

our country as Wall Street and the railroads."

 

Harry S. Truman

 

 

break line

 

From time to time, people tell me,

"lighten up, it's just a dog,"

or, "that's a lot of money for just a dog."

They don't understand the distance traveled,

the time spent, or the costs involved for

"just a dog."

Some of my proudest moments have come about with

"just a dog."

Many hours have passed and my only company was

"just a dog,"

but I did not once feel slighted.

Some of my saddest moments have been brought about by

"just a dog,"

and in those days of darkness,

the gentle touch of "just a dog"

gave me comfort and reason to overcome the day.

If you, too, think it's "just a dog,"

then you will probably understand phases

like "just a friend," "just a sunrise," or

"just a promise."

"Just a dog" brings into my life the very essence

of friendship, trust, and pure unbridled joy.

"Just a dog" brings out the compassion and

patience that make me a better person.

Because of "just a dog" I will rise early,

take long walks and look longingly to the future.

So for me and folks like me, it's not "just a dog"

but an embodiment of all the hopes and dreams

of the future, the fond memories of the past,

and the pure joy of the moment.

"Just a dog" brings out what's good in me and

diverts my thoughts away from myself and the

worries of the day.

I hope that someday they can understand that

it's not "just a dog"

but the thing that gives me humanity and keeps

me from being "just a man."

So the next time you hear the phrase "just a dog."

just smile, because they "just don't understand."

 

Sandra Dee Adopted Shepherd Mix, Born May 2004.

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gp0560 Community Regular

gp0560

Posted
Posted

Bittersweet

 

We have had two great dogs, and a third is getting on in age and will follow soon. Although the following poem (can't remember source) could be read as just a funny piece and would therefore be totally out of place in this thread, I'm posting it because it shows another facet of why we love dogs. Please do not be offended if you think it is too light-hearted, because it can remind us of why the loss of a dog leaves such bittersweet memories.

 

What Am I?

 

I love my master;

Thus I perfume myself with

This long-rotten squirrel.

 

I lie belly-up

In the sunshine, happier than

You ever will be.

 

Today I sniffed

Many dog butts—I celebrate

By kissing your face.

 

I sound the alarm!

Mailman come to kill us all!

Look! Look! Look! Look! Look!

 

I lift my leg and

Whiz on each bush. Hello, Spot—

Sniff this and weep.

 

Sleeping here, my chin

On your foot—no greater bliss—well,

Maybe catching cats.

 

The cat is not all bad,

She fills the litter box

With Tootsie Rolls.

 

My human is home!

I am so ecstatic I have

Made a puddle.

 

Look in my eyes and

Deny it. No human could

Love you as much as I do.

 

I am your best friend,

Now, always, and especially

When you are eating.

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