Sad news and Good news

[Leon]

It was bound to happen. Our dog, my shop dog, got old and we had to put her down Friday. She was a Chocolate Lab and adopted our family after being traded between 3 previous families. 2 months before we were adopted we had put down our 10 year old Great Dane and I was not really ready for another dog quite yet but the price was right. I really did not have much to do with her but as time passed she chose me to be her companion over the other family members and I grew very fond of her. She was a natural in the shop and I often found her under a pile of shavings at the far side of the planer. She loved laying out in the shop with me and keeping all the cats and squirrels at a safe distant. She never met a person that she did not like. But, as I mentioned, she got old and arthritis started to take its toll starting about a year ago. Little by little she had more trouble getting up and down but never showed any sign of being in pain. At Thanksgiving last month a 2 year old nephew crawled all over her with never any sign of discomfort or disapproval. This month she turned 14 years old. She was a great dog and I'll miss her for a long time to come.

Because a new dog helps to relieve the pain of a lost friend we got a new family companion today. We went for a Great Dane again and let her spend some time in the shop this after noon. She watched with interest and curiosity. She was 2 months old yesterday.

[Robatoy]

Giving up a dog is hard. Sorry to hear you had to make that tough decision.

My dad's maid is a Dane owner. Her recent acquisition was 3 months old when I met 'it'. What a delightfully goofy animal. If I wasn't so busy, I could go a dog like that. Congratulations. Pictures, please!

r

[DonkeyHody]

I understand as one who's been there. Everybody needs a dog so they can know unconditional love. Sorry for your loss.

DonkeyHody

[Doug Miller]

Sorry to hear of your loss. I've had dogs my entire life, and I know what it's like to lose an old friend. Someone once said that it's good that dogs are with us only for a (relatively) short time, else we could not bear it when they die.

Yes, it does. Good luck with the new family member!

[Leon]

Truly goofy, Polly, our old Dane after 6 years, discovered that we had ceiling fans in every room and was scared to walk under them so she walked the perimeter of the room keeping an eye on the fan if it was on. And if a door was not Wide open she would not go through it. A 100 lb Great Dane balling her eyes out because she can see you through the door but because the door is at a 45 degree angle she just could not bring herself to pass through the opening. ;~)

Done on a.b.p.w.

[Leon]

Thanks

[nailshooter41]

Nicely said.

You and Kim certainly have my sympathy as I too know how hard that is to go through.

I was never actually able to give up my old Shepherd. After saving him from the population control efforts of our city, I had him for almost

14 years. Like many Shepherds, he was completely loyal to me, and in his case never cared for anyone else but me.

He is still with me... I had him cremated and his ashes are in an urn with his collar around it on my mantle.

Hang in there... a new dog is a tonic for all.

Robert

[Robatoy]

I posted a shot of my buddy's Dane, Porsche... about 5 years ago. He's still alive.

[charlie b]

If you want to become a diplomat, get a cat.

If you want to practice being a parent, then have a friend for his or her life - get a dog. If you have a kid, have him or her grow up with a dog - a lab or golden retriever preferably.

If you want a great dog get a lab. If you want a goofy great dog - that can be mischivous as hell - get a chocolate lab. Nitro earned his name by his third month on this planet.

If you want to learn of loss - own a good dog.

If you want to know that death isn't the end owning a dog for its lifetime will give you a pretty good start. You will have many reminders of that as you go about your daily life - memories of your dog at every turn for a while, then less often but often enough to know there's still hanging out with you. If they're in your thoughts and in your heart they're not gone - just not visible and impossible to "scritch".

Getting a pup around 7 weeks is when they do their imprinting. You're now his/her mother/father/ pack leader and unlike most animals, that animal will die for you - without hesitation or question.

Losing a good dog is hard.

A real pity would be that you never had a dog.

Enjoy the new pup. Teach him well and treat him better.

charlie b

[Jim Northey]

Sorry for your loss Leon. Do a search for Rainbow Bridge and you'll find a long list of sites of a poem for passed on pets. It's worth looking at a few of them as one has an addition to it for abused pets and children. Hope your new shop dog is around for a long time to come. Jim

[Swingman]

Having met her, I can attest to that, and am truly sorry to hear that, Leon.

I still hear the collar of our Golden, "Belle", who we had to put down two years ago, tinkling through the house on occasion.

Sounds like the new shop dog will be able to help you move equipment around when she grows up.

[Leon]

Yeah, LOL. If you have a cat, you are his "Staff".

We got Ciera, the Choc Lab when our son was 5, Bryan is 19 now. She got him through school and a a good start into college.

Thank you for the kind words Charlie.

[Leon]

Thank you Jim.

[Leon]

Thank you.

It's tough walking out of the bed room in the mornings expecting to be greeted.

[Lee]

[Leon]

Ciera was our 3rd also. We thought we were going to have to put her down in April of this year and again in August but she kept coming back from a bad bout. I guess that made it a bit easier as we had a few months to get used to the idea but it never really hits home until you loose what you have to come expect to see and hear from a companion each day.

Thank you.

[Olebiker]

My brother had a dog, Smokey, that had to be put down this past summer. Bob buried him in the back yard by the fence. My Dad loved that dog and with good reason. Smokey was the sweetest dog I had ever been around.

Dad died a couple of weeks ago and, when we went to the funeral home to finalize the arrangements, we were each give a small velet bag full of wildflower seeds to plant in memory of Dad. Bob, immediatly knew where he was going to plant the seeds: Right on old Smokey's grave.

Dick "misty eyed" Durbin

[M Berger]

[Vic Baron]

Condolences and congratulations, Leon. It is always tough to lose a part of the family but it sounds like the addition will ease the loss!

My best for the New Year!

Vic

[Tom S]

Sorry to hear about your friend. Even though you know it's coming, you are never ready for it.

About 5 years ago we bought my daughter a 10 week old Toy Fox/Yorkie mix from a co-worker for $50. Well, when 'Peanut' was killed by a car about 18 months later, she was devastated. After about a month we got her a Cocker Spaniel (Missy); what we didn't realize for another couple of months, was that our son (older) was just as hurt - he was the first to get home from school, and had 'Peanut' as his only companion for about 3 hours each day. So we bought him a Yorkie (Vixen). I used to kid my co-worker that it only cost us $1,000 to replace a $50 dog. But you can't replace them - you just get a new friend to spend time with - and I still miss 'Peanut'.