Don't get me wrong, each different breed tends to have its own personality, behaviors, etc, (I've had 4 different breeds over the last 50+ years)but none was as all-around great as a Black Lab. Maybe they need a new hairdo or tail treatment to catch the judges eye. Perhaps the judging should be done in a lake. That's it, make all the dogs swim across a 50 foot pond while shotguns are going off. That'll show those little Shitzu's... however you spell their name.
Oliver
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There are no purebred dogs, only "designer" dogs and mongrels.
Never insult a man's dog (unless you are bigger than the man) because he sees it as an extension of himself, whereas a woman sees her dog more as a companion.
Do not give a dog as a gift. Note that unsupervised children under ten years of age tend to abuse pets.
Labs and retrievers are popular, especially with families, because of their vast DNA constituents, giving them a credible history of not attacking humans, particularly children.
Do not leave a child unattended with a pet, their curiosity will result even in upsetting the goldfish bowl.
A wagging tail does not mean that the dog is friendly or that it loves you, it's simply a Pavlovian response because the dog is conditioned to knowing that nice things happen to it when it wags its tail.
So far, it appears that, in evolutionary terms, dogs even surpass bears with their sense of smell (about one-quarter billion sensory neurons vis three to five million for humans).
I'm a dog lover having had a lab, a dane and several other mongrels in my life. I do not collect postage stamps depicting dogs.
John Derry
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Oliver,
I thoroughly enjoyed your comments here...seems that's another thing we have in common - love of dogs! (along with stamps and baseball!)
I understand what you're saying...I wonder if - regarding goldens - it has to do with the length of the hair/coat?
A dog is judged on many things, one of which is stance and/or posture...sometimes it can be deceptive with dogs with long or shaggy coats.
Labs, on the other hand,tend to have shorter coats...don't know why they don't win more often.
Good questions!
Randy
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Normally I don't use this word, but -
....awesome, Bob.
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Snug was the best dog ever. She was small for a lab, about 65 pounds, incredibly sweet tempered.
Snug "bit" me once. We were playing one of her favourite games, "Snatch the sock out of Bob's hand before he can snatch it away from me". Her timing was off by a fraction of a second, and she grabbed my hand instead. Considering the tattered condition the sock was in from many such games, my hand should have been instantly mangled, but Snug obviously realized her error and I felt only the slightest pressure of teeth before the relaxed her jaw and let go. Although I wasn't hurt — I had not the slightest tooth mark or subsequent bruising — Snug was mortified. She added a new facial expression to her repertoire that day — sheer embarrasment!
We took her on many outings over her 14 years of life, including canoe trips:
Bob
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07:30:10pm
One great things about living in this part of rural Florida is observing the selfish behavior of many of the annonymous winter visitors who we generally refer to as SNOWBIRDS.
Specificly the minority who come south and acquire a nice, cute puppy that they care for all winter, which isn't really winter in the movie sense in this sub-tropicql climate. But then when the weather starts to turn warmer, towards hot, they pack up all their portable treasures and have to decide what to do with that loyal canine, or sometimes feline, companion, who has acted as a burglar and fire alarm, loyal friend and substitute child for the previous eight or ten months.
What to do ??? Hmmm ...
Should they ship their pet north via UPS or Fed-ex or prepare some part of their car for a long trip, or even, as apparently has been done in certain circles buy a animal container capable of being strapped to the roof of the family station wagon or SUV ?
No, far too many just wait till some early morning a bit before sunrise and drive past Charlie's house where they can slow down (Well at least I hope they have the curtesey to slow down) long enough to toss their animal back onto the edge of the road.
perhaps someone will be drivig along and see the confused and often helpless animal wandring along the shouldre trying to getthe sent that will help them find their way home.
Shucks, their domesticated pampered pooch will have all day to learn how to survive on its own and once it makes it through the first night or so it should be okay living as a feral animal in the wild.
Just about every year in May or June some homeless and often hopeless pet wanders onto my property and visits for a few days, before sucumbing to the call of the wild.
If we can catch it we can feed it and if it seems not to have learned the lesson that those humans really cannot be trusted we get a free dog or cat. But more often than not, the animal has become very wary and simply no longer suitable to be brought into the house. Some wander around the back acre and survive for quite some time, others disappear almost as fast as they arrived.
Not just dogs or cats, but sometimes rabbits and probably gerbils and one year a small flock of chickens who nested in one of the old trees behind the house have showed up.
I have a few acres, about half well treed and in some places almost in the native Floridian state. There are no allegators nearby. However snakes, gopher turtles, racoons, carnivorous birds that I'd prefer not to see circling over my head, all live in the woods here or the nearby state forest. So if the animal doesn't make it to a friendly place is it truly survival of the fittest.
However some do wander up onto our front or rear porch looking for someone to replace the human who fed and cared for them for their entire life. Some are likely to have been pedigreed animals but that is often a matter of conjecture. The few that are still domesticated become our pets unless they suddenly decide to wander of seeking the only hom they ever know before the last car ride.
We've now been here for twenty five years and this has happened over and over. We have never had to seek or purchase a pet. My six children have all had a steady supply of often beautiful animals.
----- End of Rant ------
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Bob:
The non-bite reaction of your Lab was part of the "gentle mouth" characteristic bred into the breed so they could retrieve a dead or dying duck or other game bird without mangling the body.
If I were computer-savvy enough, I would also attach a picture of Oliver, 110 pounds of grace and muscle, voted BDITW by 3 generations of my family. Instead, you can pick any textbook on Black Labs and see his grandfather's picture, a classic US and Canadian champion. Oliver was the spitting image of him.
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Hey Bob. 14 years. A good, long life for a dog. A cute one at that too. Just like friends who live in one's heart, you never forget a good, loyal pet. We currently have three dogs, all rescued: Akita, Coon Hound and a Brown Lab. The Akita is my dog. He's 12 now, and starting to feel his age. I got my certification as a dog trainer with him.
The Akita is on the left, and the Coon Hound on the right. The photo was taken in 2009.
(Modified by Moderator on 2015-08-19 09:36:37)
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My boys.
Max: 
Monty:
Labs: The greatest dogs in the world IMHO.
Tim2
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Couldn't resist putting this one up. Max doing his I'm your best buddy thing with my grandaughter Amber Rose
My old boy Sam. Gone but never forgotten.
Did you ever see an old man weep like a child? I did when he died.
Labradors! When they go they rip off a piece of your heart and take it with them.
Tim2
(Modified by Moderator on 2015-08-19 09:29:51)
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Tim,
You never spoke a truer word.
My pal Timber
Still with us, but I dread the day she goes.
Merv
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She's a beauty Merv.
Tim2
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OK, i'll jump in as I'm a BIG dog fanatic. Some of my best friends were rescues. Two of them in this picture are adopted.
I did get the Jack Russel (Named Flash (or Jumping Jack Flash)) as a puppy. He is saddly getting to a point where I'm going to have to put him down after 16+ years.
The red Pit is our family's gentle giant. He is super awesome with the kids and just thinks he is a 20 pound lap dog. He's a great example of what the breed should be. The brown beast on the left is our newest addition. As far as we can tell, she is a Doberman/Pit mix. She has the most beautiful coat and colors but she is as strong as an ox and still has that puppy mentality.
Anyway, just thought I would share.
---Pat
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Oh, and here is a recent picture of that big mean terror Pit of mine giving horse back rides to my youngest nephew.
My sons like to lay around on him like he's a giant pillow and sometimes he lies around on them in the same way. He is very protective of my nephew which is interesting. i think he senses that the boy has autism and just naturally is more protective. He has already jumped on the puppy for getting too rough with my nephew. And when i play with the boy and act like I'm going to go grab him, the dog actually gets in between us and gives me a look of "You do know you are going to be gentle with him right?"
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I have to show off our dogs too. Here they are taking a breather after a tug of war.
That's Maggie (2yr) on the left, and Diago (8yr) on the right. Diago has his own postage stamp. He thinks he is a 35kg(77lb) lap dog
Brian
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Here is my ferocious addition to the thread.
Our family Shih Tzu Caramel, is now 4 and was the runt of the litter.
Alyn
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Many times, our dogs know so much more than we do. Just look at them, and you'll know what I mean.
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07:33:40pm
I grew up with a Shi Tzu (Tiger San). I cannot believe there was a better dog. Cried for hours when he passed on. I now have 10 cats.
Bob
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Here is our second rescue golden retriever Sydney.
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I love the pictures - keep 'em coming!
Here's my 14 yr. old baby girl, Sable - named after my favorite lighthouse, Big Sable in Ludington, Michigan;
She's has developed the gray chin-whiskers, just like me!
She's been having a bit of trouble with stiffness in her hind quarters lately but still acts like a puppy most of the time!
I really don't know what I'm gonna do without her when the time comes....14 years is a long time being constantly by my side.
Randy
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Hip displaysia is the start. My 12 year old dog is having difficulty with that as well. At PetSmart I get Nutri-Vet Hip & Joint tablets. I use the level 2 tablets and give him one in the morning and one in the evening after he eats. Definitely keeps him moving. At his last check up I told the vet what I was giving him, and she approved. It comes in a red jar with a red cap. The 300 tablet jar is the most economical. It's not cheap, but certainly shows improvement after about a month and continued doses. The actual dosage varies by the weight of the dog.
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Dogs are angels.I have had lovely dogs before.Now I have to live with high grade cats.Cats do not like to be treated like dogs....touched and bathed.Some cats are nice and some nice cats can react worse than dogs.
Anyway both cats and dogs help to keep pests away.
I collect stamps on cats and dogs and even postcards on cats and dogs.
I live in Asia.So if anyone wants to know the version of cat and dog lives in Asia let me know.
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Canisophiles:
I was determined to stay out of this discussion but failed.
This was "Pharaoh" a Labrador that I found starving to
death on a rural road near Calgary, Alberta. He lived out an
unlabradorian life when I was posted overseas in 1955.
Gave him to an elderly waitress in our mess and he
immediately re-invented himself as the perfect
apartment lap dog.
Also had a twelve-year old, near-crippled, great Dane
for whom I was fortunate enough to find a hospice
before I departed Canada. These were the last
two dogs that I had as my future domiciles have all
been in deepest, darkest domestica which, despite
Pharaoh's experience, has never struck me as
a habitat for canines.
I've enjoyed viewing the photographs accompanying
this discussion and hope readers will forgive me
for adding mine.
John Derry
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Nothing to forgive, John. You did a great thing rescuing Pharoah. I'm sure he appreciated it and understood. They do know and most appreciate these things. That's what amazes me about dogs.
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Stamporama has gone to the dogs 
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Michael,
....and we're all the better for it!!
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Amen to that, Randy!
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11:02:43pm
Anyone who saves an animal has a heart of gold and is a wonderful person. My first dog, Sandy, a rescue golden retriever, died in 2009 suddenly from liver cancer that spread furiously.
Taken with an old cell phone so it's a bit grainy.
And the two dogs that now own my heart, Bailey (black and white) and Kenzie (brown and white). Both Jack Russell terriers and brother and sister, believe it or not!
Bailey and Kenzie literally saved my life. My husband got them for me after I was diagnosed with MS. I didn't want to get out of bed and many times I thought it might be better if I just never got out of bed. They brought me back to reality and gave me two wonderful reasons to keep going!
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While waiting in the doctor's office today, I read the February 2012 National Geographic. A fascinating article on dogs!
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Here's Chester, from Chester Nova Scotia.
(Modified by Moderator on 2015-08-19 09:34:28)
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09:48:34am
and Lacey, of Verona, Ontario
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Hi I am Martyn and this is my 3 year Shepherd Sadie. 
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Dogs are my favorite people. Dog is god spelled backwards, and there is nothing as sincere as a dog kiss.
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I had to smile just now. ZIPPER was the name of my first dog. A female beagle/Schnauzer mix.
---Pat
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Dehlia is my shepherd. She's trying so hard to please while holding true to her alpha nature.
A more recent picture of the girl
Our first shepherd, and the reason we'll always have shepherds, Ursa; this is the quintessential her, utterly focused.
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Dog Lovers (and your numbers are legion):
My understanding is that the German shepherd is the most intelligent of dogs (intelligence measured by the number of oral and visual commands comprehended) responding from about 270 to about 300 commands from its master.
I have vague memories from early childhood of a Netherlands immigrant to Canada who brought with him an old German shepherd, recovered from the Second World War, which had been trained as an anti-paratroop detector (or whatever they were called). In the local park, he used to demonstrate to us fascinated kids how his shepherd, sitting at least 200m distance, would respond to his whispered commands, given in English or German (and which we could barely hear!) to raise a paw, sit, turn around, etc.
Years later, in another town, another life, I had a neighbour who had trained his own German shepherd. I was impressed with the dog's obedience; never on a leash, always heeled, never left the unfenced yard without its master, and never looked threatening except when it confronted you at the property line. He had three young toddlers and when they were in the back yard playing, his shepherd was always present. I mentioned to him that shepherds were always on or near the top of the list of dogs that attacked and bit people, especially younger children who tend to torment pets. He replied that it was a matter of training and that his shepherd would not attack him or any member of his family.
I have strayed from postage stamps so will close by saying that I do not collect stamps depicting dog breeds or the many roles of dogs in our societies.
John Derry
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04:35:23pm
There was, or is, a wonderful article in the February 2012 issue of the National Geographic about Dogs and their genetic developments. It is, of course as NatGeo always is, full of excellent photos.
Shepherd's are, no doubt, among the most intelligent canines. However I remember a survey of dog trainers done a few years ago that ranked breeds, (AKC rated breeds, only I think) based on three or four characteristics.
One was, of course, the breed's instinctual ability to preform the function of the breed, since a breed that had been genetically selected to retrieve game in the field for thousands of years without enjoying that first fresh bite will be quite easy to train in that area while it might be almost impossible to train it to search for drugs or herd cattle.
Another ability had to be the ability to recognize and obey multiple non instinctive commands and in this area the German Shepherd excels.
A third area of intelligence is the ability to solve and recall solutions on its own to problems that the particular dog has not encountered before.
I am quite sure that the result of the study was that the Border Collie was at the top of the scoring over all followed closely by the German Shepherd and, I think the Labrador Retriever.
I am very certain that the winner, hands down of the lowest rating in all the areas tested was the Afghan Hound.
Oh, BTW, Say hello to "Moose", a 100 lb Lab mix whose previous owner passed away recently. One of my sons brought him home to keep me company and possibly safe this last X-mas.
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05:41:30pm
That's wonderful, Charlie! I'm sure Moose appreciates having a loving home!
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Mt dog is half or more of those you've shown however she's not afraid of any of those either. She's a Norwich Terrier and fearless.
Don't we just love our dogs?
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We do love our dogs, and it's as it should be. And some of us, not dog owners, appear equally appreciative. I love my shepherd, and appreciate her intelligence, both native and trained. My last shepherd knew several hundred words, and we resorted to spelling some words, S Q U I R R E L, and we'd get to Q and she was up.
I only whisper to my dog. their hearing is many times more acute than ours.
I loved that Charlie highlighted the talents native to breeds, because, while my shepherd will excel at some things, she is no retriever, and never will be.
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We used to be breeders of Tibetan Spaniels. We are no longer in that anymore but still have some of the dogs here to live out their lives because they were too old to place in new homes. i think it would have been a terrible disruption to their lives if we did do that.
Anyway, here is a picture I wanted to share
.mo
Chimo
Bujutsu
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I forgot to add that this is Farley. he was a great dog, but, sadly, he is gone now.
Chimo
Bujutsu
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02:57:36am
Moose reminds me of a teenager with selective hearing.
All you have to do is whisper the word "out" and before you finish saying "side", he is coming down the hall, nails scratching and slipping on the hardwood floor as he tries to get traction. But when I point to the sofa he uses to watch the squirrels in the big tree outside he may just look at me and cock his head to the left side as if to say "What did you say?"
He seems to know that he can't reach the squirrels in the trees so he just watches them for hours as they run up, down and across branches all day doing whatever it is that squirrels do. But let someone walk by the house down by the road or a strange car enter the driveway and all hell breaks loose. Which is, after all what h is supposed to do.
This is a rural area and I have several acres so his bark is the first line of defense.
last week some guy who looked like a Jehovah's Witness, Bible in hand, came up the ramp to the door and paused, then left without knocking.
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Well, these enjoyable posts sure bring back memories. I spent my childhood at a horse stable. As a 12 year old girl I was frequently there alone. The owners had a big doberman (Saber) who really didn't do much except get in the way but if ever a strange car would pull up, that dog would come and sit by my side and stare at the car. If the people in the car didn't know the dog or me, they would never even get out. He was very intense looking and intimidated without making any sound. Never heard him bark once. He never bit anyone or really even threatened them....he would just look..... My husband always had dogs but he was converted to cats when we married. Have 4 rescued felines now. Maybe we should start a cat thread.......
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How could I NOT post about dogs!! I love dogs and have sponsored special stamp auctions in support of various rescue groups. Here is my latest canine companion, Coco, who keeps me honest and in line. She inspired my handle "Cocollectibles" as she and my collectibles are most important to me now. Coco is an Australian Shepherd mix, and my past dogs were all herding dogs to some extent. That makes me the herd!
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How wonderful to see all the puppies of the club! And with that, of course here's mine...
Reena is a Pembroke Welsh Corgi. She's only 1 1/2 years old and just the puppy we both needed when she entered our lives. She's also the first dog that has truly bonded with me and not the husband. It is very strange having a dog bond so closely.
Well I was going to upload a pic but something went very wrong....I'll try again in a bit
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It worked! There's my girl.....
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What lovely ears you have Coco. Ted.
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Thanks Ted! But I think you mean Reena, Luree's dog.
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I'll have to chime in here now, Ive got 2 Golden's now -had 4 just a month ago 1 passed from cancer and the other last week from old age-17.
Pictured are my 2 now Ted and Cara. Ted is 3 years old He was born in our TV room. Cara is 5 years old. Cara is a titled Champion with AKC and UKC titles.
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05:34:41pm
I love all the new dogs! Thank you all for sharing.
Bluedude - goldens were my first love. Sandy will always live on in my heart. I'm sorry for your recent losses.
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Lisa,
Thank you. In last couple of years many dogs not only Goldens have passed from cancer. There are many research programs right now working on treatment and cures for canine cancers. I have lost a total of 4 in the last 4 years and donated blood and tissue sample's to the UM Missouri. They are doing some great work and have been studying blood line's through DNA. Although most of the cancer has come from inter breeding of blood line's
As for goldens check out everythinggolden.com and here's our breeders page. http://jetocagoldens.com/ Teds dad is Gino.
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Here are my German Shepherds at the farmhouse - Tiger died last year due to wounds suffered from a fight with a hayena.
Tiger and Danny five years back.
Tiger, Danny and Jimmy with lambs. Jimmy is a cross (German Shepherd and local sheep dog) she is the most fearsome.
Jack - offspring of (late) Tiger and Danny, now he has taken the role of following the master, stays with me all the time.
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What a great canine collection! Here is Danno, my previous soul mate dog, who was rescued from a shelter and stayed with me for 15 years; this was at his prime. A border collie/German shepherd mix.
Here he is enjoying his pool in the hot Atlanta summer.
And here he is mortified with my parents' present to him one Christmas. 
There is an interesting book "The Intelligence of Dogs" written by Dr. Stanley Coren; he has a canine IQ test that is fun to do with your pooch. If I recall the results of testing the top dog was the Border Collie, second was the Standard Poodle, and Afghan Hound came last of over 100 breeds. The German Shepherd was 7th I believe. All very subjective and to me, they all deserve "top prize" for just being dogs.
Cheers,
Peter
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This little monster is a 6lb 5oz Maltipoo, Her name is Bailey. Belongs to my wife.
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Lobo
1999-2014
Rest now, my faithful old friend.
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10:36:18pm
It has been almost 2 years since I lost my German Shepherd, Lucky, and I still mourn her. My thoughts are with you Michael.
Sincerely
Bobby
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12:56:26am
My condolences Michael.
It's never easy to say goodbye, is it? I miss my two boys everyday (Cooper, aged 8 - 2000-2008 and Emmett, aged 4 - 2007-2012).
Rest in peace Lobo.
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01:08:09am
My current partner in crime - Dayton, aka Jr. He is also a Special Skills Dog Guide.
My profile picture shows Cooper (black - Special Skills/Hearing Ear) and Emmett (apricot - Special Skills), both of whom sadly passed away from Addison's Disease.
Oh yeah, and that ugly duckling beside the handsome Poodle is yours truly.
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@Michael: My condolences to you and yours for Lobo too. You know my thoughts about dogs; I paraphrase John Donne: Every dog's death diminishes me. And I would add, diminishes all of us.
@PoodleMom: What a great photo! I don't see an ugly duckling though; did you mean the swan?
Peter
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Speaking of dogs ... this in today's newsline across several online news and blog reports. I wonder who funded this ... business.
"Jan. 2 (UPI) -- Dogs have been found to be sensitive to Earth's magnetic field,
and apparently align themselves along the magnetic north-south axis before they defecate.
Czech and German researchers studied 70 dogs during 1,893 defecations and 5,582
urinations over the course of two years, and found that when the Earth's magnetic field
was stable the dogs chose to align themselves with it. When it was unstable, such as
during a solar flare, the dogs would become confused.
Their findings, published in the journal Frontiers in Zoology, show that the dogs were
sensitive to the polarity of the field, though not as much to its intensity.
Dogs on leashes, however, do not consistently align themselves as such, mainly doing so
when they are free to choose. Researchers are yet to figure out why dogs exhibit this
preference."
Read more: Link to original UPI science blog
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08:59:25am
Aww Peter, you're sweet
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Dear All,
Am I wrong, or is this not about dogs, but about love? How you were touched, and how you cherish the memories is also about you. Native Americans have always spoken of animal spirits, and there are echoes of the awareness of something other, something great, that comes from many religions relating to animals and their role with humans.
In many of your comments, I see the same thing and am reminded of it.
To me, and my memories of my dog, I have no doubt about the nature of that gift to me. I am of the sure understanding that this was to help me along my personal journey, and continues to do so to this day.
It has been said that we are not humans, in search of a spiritual experience-but that we are spirits in search of the human experience. I personally believe this to be so, and that spirit guides are given to us in our time of need to help us along.
We reach out to touch one another in many ways. Our dogs have done the same for us. When we speak of our dogs, we speak about our hearts and that which we internally know is greater than we understand. We have few words, but we know it deep down.
This is not about dogs my friends, this is all about love and connecting to a higher power. Or am I just in my dotage now, and mumbling about nothing?
Respectfully submitted,
Dan C.
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Lobo, I hope you meet Ursa and Luna when you arrive at your final destination. Luna can be a bit harsh, but Ursa is as sweet as they get. Ursa has been gone just over three years, and I miss her still. I pray at her grave whenever i'm in the yard. I'll add Lobo to our prayers tonight.
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Michael78651 - sorry to read about Lobo. Hope those 15 years of memories will make you smile some day. Was Lobo an only dog? Sally
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My condolences on Lobo's passing. The only dog I had was as a boy--his name was Teddy, and I loved that mutt dearly. I have never been able to have another dog because of my attachment to him.
Roger
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09:10:09pm
Dog lovers, grab a Kleenex before reading this:
The Power of the Dog
There is sorrow enough in the natural way
From men and women to fill our day;
And when we are certain of sorrow in store,
Why do we always arrange for more?
Brothers and Sisters, I bid you beware
Of giving your heart to a dog to tear.
Buy a pup and your money will buy
Love unflinching that cannot lie--
Perfect passion and worship fed
By a kick in the ribs or a pat on the head.
Nevertheless it is hardly fair
To risk your heart for a dog to tear.
When the fourteen years which Nature permits
Are closing in asthma, or tumour, or fits,
And the vet's unspoken prescription runs
To lethal chambers or loaded guns,
Then you will find--it's your own affair--
But...you've given your heart for a dog to tear.
When the body that lived at your single will,
With its whimper of welcome, is stilled (how still!);
When the spirit that answered your every mood
Is gone--wherever it goes--for good,
You will discover how much you care,
And will give your heart for the dog to tear.
We've sorrow enough in the natural way,
When it comes to burying Christian clay.
Our loves are not given, but only lent,
At compound interest of cent per cent.
Though it is not always the case, I believe,
That the longer we've kept 'em, the more do we grieve:
For, when debts are payable, right or wrong,
A short-time loan is as bad as a long--
So why in Heaven (before we are there)
Should we give our hearts to a dog to tear?
Rudyard Kipling
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There is a poetess I follow on Facebook, who had this to say-I thought I'd share with you if you don't mind:
The love and respect I share with my dog
Is something so beautifully rare . . .
It’s effortless, naturally calming and healing
And worth cultivating between those who dare
To give their whole hearts to each other in life,
Since this type of love, pure and sure
Lives on after spirits return to the Source
For this kind of love will endure
~Iwoknai
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Both of you, thank you for posting those wonderful canine poems. I tried reading them to Coco dog but all she wanted was the deer antler treat I came home with. Ah, the attention span of our children.
As the old axiom goes: May I always be the kind of person my dog thinks that I am.
Cheers,
Peter
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Thanks Peter-apparently Iwoknai is in full agreement, having posted elsewhere:
"I am working to live up to my dog's expectations of me, for her perception comes from the purest heart on earth." Iwoknai
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My dog is my avatar. He is an AKC registered pure bred dog. I doubt anyone knows the breed!
Lars
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Norweigian Elkhound?
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Thank you, everyone. The words are so true.
Lobo was not my first dog. He may not be my last. I'm don't want to think about that now. We have two other dogs in the house. They are not mine, but they are part of the family. Buddy, the one in the picture I posted here almost two years ago with Lobo (one of the first responses to this thread), has taken Lobo's departure very hard. They were great friends to each other. He secluded himself in the spare room and wouldn't come out for a day. I would go in there and sit by him as we comforted each other, but he would not come out. He would stand up on the window sill and stick his head through the curtains to look out for Lobo. He has since come out and is returning back to normal quicker than I am I must say.
For me, my pets have been dogs. I am sure what I am going to say applies to all pets. These little critters who we invite to live in our homes teach us so much about ourselves. They also teach us how to love from the unconditional love that they give us. The remind us how to live simple lives, how to laugh, how to relax, and how to cry. Then, when the time comes, they teach us how to deal with the ultimate loss and the broken heart that comes from it.
All of the nine dogs whom I have had in my life and in my family through the years have been rescued dogs who came from families that either didn't want them, or couldn't keep them. A couple had been abused. A couple didn't live too long, and one I had to return due to bad temperament. For all nine, though, they at least had a life given back to them of love and affection that, except for the one, I know they enjoyed and appreciated as much as the family and I appreciated the love and affection that they gave (and give) us.
I adopt the dogs from the animal shelters as I can't stand to see them in cages and lonely like that. They deserve so much more than that as they want to be loved just as we want to be loved, without conditions.
In 1999 after we put down the first dog (16 years old) that my wife and I had, I could not bear not having a dog in the house. I went to the local shelter just to look. The ruckus that ensued when I entered the dog area was deafening. I looked about for a while, and then looked down at a cage that I was standing in front of that I originally paid no mind as there was no noise coming from it. But on second glance, I saw a mid-sized six month old puppy simply quietly sitting there looking at me. He was blonde and sort of blended into the color of the plastic cage. I got the key and opened the door. He jumped out right into my lap. It was a perfect match. In that mean twist of faith that happens in life, he passed away in my lap 14 years later. Before he passed, he raised his head and looked at me. The first time he looked at me was to say, "Hello"; the last time was to say, "Good-bye."
I miss him so much, and while I have not had time to do much writing, Lobo is going to be a part of my "Seasons 2". My writing comes from my heart, and I want to share Lobo and what that wonderful guy meant to me.
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Michael, thanks for the fuller story. It touches me how you have loved your dogs and they have loved you. It's wonderful you tell the story from your side and your dog's, too; and I, for one, am happy to know any person who can see the beauty in a dog or cat or cockatiel and treat them accordingly. Lobo was in our prayers last night, just like our dogs who have passed are.
David
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You speak well Michael, with truth and with heart. We are all richer for it.
Thank you.
Dan C.
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My current crop of critters.
This is Tiny Dog, my son was working at the local
vets office and fell in love with her, then we did
also. He moved to Dallas, she stays with us.
This is Puppy Dog. She drags me around the
block when we go for our daily strolls. The
wife takes Tiny Dog, but on occassion I get to
be humiliated by two small mutts making an old
man look like a fool.
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AS we grieve for our lost friends, so too do they.
https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=10151736993583458&set=a.10150821890098458.402255.144163993457&type=1&theater
Dan C.
(Modified by Moderator on 2014-01-11 11:03:21)
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Guys, the URL doesn't go to a 'clickable' format. If you block the URL then right click it, you will find the option to open to the spot. (Unless our resident Wizard and helpers do their magic)
Best,
Dan C.
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Dan, you are right about that. We have two other dogs in the household. My son's dog, Buddy still, over a week since Lobo passed, will not go into my bedroom. The wife's Lab just lies about in a definite depressed mood. Not sure who's taking it the worse, the two dogs or me.
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Michael, there may be more than one thing going on. Buddy may be sensing and honoring the spirit of Lobo, and keeping clear of Lobo's space. The Lab may be picking up on your own energy vibes, and reflecting that 'down' feeling as well.
To test this out, you need to bring a positive and healing energy vibe into the household. Know that your dear friend has not left you, remains with you still, and will do so to the end of your days.Know also that all is as it must be, and that you are to honor the past by embracing the present. When you can do this you will find it reflected in both Buddy and the Lab.
One last thought, you may be able to access a link to realizing that Lobo is still with you-your own sensing of the spirit guide through your own 5 senses or a dream link. If that is not yet evident, then let Buddy and the Lab show you the way.
All good thoughts,
Dan C.
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May I introduce, Brewster:
He is a 3 year-old, 15 pound, Corgi mix whom I rescued from the pound on Tuesday. (All of my dogs have been rescues.)
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Congratulations! Cute as a button and one lucky dog.... Sally
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Thanks. Training is going very well. He has me wrapped around his paw already!
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I had a Pekinese once. He was raised by people who fought dogs and eventually had to be put to sleep.
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The slime that train dogs to fight often scour neighborhoods looking for small dogs to steal to be used as training fodder. Of course the small dog gets killed by the other dog, but smaller dogs won't hurt the one being trained to fight.
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welcome Brewster. Dehlia says hello, Too
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Jag, our beloved boxer, who died of cancer. He was 90 lbs during his adult life. I gentle loving giant. He never stopped being a lap dog.
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Yes, they do steal our hearts.
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Here is Ginger, our latest rescue. We got her in the summer of 2012, she is now a very healthy and happy 12 years old. She is a full 21 lbs and has her own stamp of course. She is a Cocker Spaniel Terrier cross.
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Yeah, we've got 8 dogs. It's a bit ridiculous but as we added each one they just seemed to be a perfect fit. We've got a pug, an Australian cattle dog, and 6 shetland sheepdogs. Our australian cattle dog was thrown away on the side of the road in a garbage bag with the rest of his litter. Who could do that kind of thing? It's ok. He lives like a king now!
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Coco was abandoned on the freeway in a rural GA county. She was rescued by a passing motorist. I never understand who can do that kind of thing, but I can tell you what I'd like to do to them. And it doesn't need to involve my godson's brother Carmine from the Bronx either.
What happened to the other dogs?
Peter
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"Our australian cattle dog was thrown away on the side of the road in a garbage bag with the rest of his litter. Who could do that kind of thing?"
Slime, bottom feeders and people who should be neutered do things like that.
Thank goodness that you were there to find them, and give them all a life that they (our best companions) deserve.
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Meet Lady (late 1940s)
and Smutsie(1950s-early 1960)
and Shelley (1967-1973)
and Snug (1982-1996)
Bob
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Beautiful dogs, Bob.
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Rascal and Jackson
They bark whenever I drop a stamp on the floor... Good Doggy
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Two little girls here. The first is my girlfriends cocker spaniel/border collie mix. Fifi is 7 years old and a mama's girl. She loves to ride and they are truly BFF. When Julie was forced to move in with me (long story) she was afraid I would tell her she could not bring Fifi as her relatives had told her she was welcome, but Fifi wasnt. Fifi is sweet and I can fully understand why Julie fought so hard to keep her.
The second is my BFF...Brooksie. She is 9 and was bought for my dad in his later years. She quickly became a mama's girl loving my mom to death as well. When I would go down on weekends, she would be my bud. She loves to go outside and let the terrier in her run loose digging and trying to catch mole, field mouse. When I'm home, mom doesnt exist as Brooksie wont let me out of her sight. I'd love to have her live with me, but she adores mom and the farm...and my job (leave house 5:30 am, home 7pm) would make her very lonely. She is truly my best friend and I love her to death.
Fifi
Brooksie
Best way to a dog's heart? Lots of love and.....belly rubs !
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Is brooksie a black schnauzer? I have two mini schnauzers --- my all black boy, Ampere;
and my salt & pepper girl, Tesla;
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We think she is, my sister may know for sure. We was adopted in Ohio (when my sister was living there), driven to NC where my other sister lives and then brought up to Virginia. Why my sis in Ohio didnt bring her straight to VA I'll never know. As a consequence, she is afraid to get in the car with anyone but mom....afraid I guess she'll be taken to a new place.
But is really sweet natured and I'm lucky to have her bond with me. Your angels are beautiful and I bet really sweet natured as well
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Wow your little girl really traveled!
Yup, mine are sweeties, too. And NOT barkers - only when the doorbell rings. LOL I saw the cutest cover for the doorbell - it says "to release the hounds, press here". I want one!
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10:07:21am
It's with great sadness that I share with you the loss of Sparky, our 14 year old Jack Russell. He was a fighter right up to the end.
He's now with his other two brothers Cooper and Emmett in a condo built by the two Poodles with a renovated wing for our vertically challenged Sparkles.
He turned 14 on Feb 14th of 2014. He's had some low points over the past few months but he has bounced back. I told him that the condo wasn't ready yet - you know Poodles, they've gotta argue about everything. Well, I guess they finally finished it and told him it was ready.
Now we have one very sad 4 year old Poodle who doesn't understand where his brother went.
Kelly
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it is a terrible thing to see a dog left behind. I am sorry for your poodle and for you. For your Jack, he's living the good life again. All dogs go to heaven.
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12:04:15pm
Every time I think about my canine companions who have passed away, I remember the lyrics to Mr. Bojangles (Jerry Jeff Walker, 1968):
"He spoke with tears of fifteen years how his dog him, he traveled about.
His dog up and died, he up and died,
After twenty years he still grieves,"
And every time I do, I choke up and also grieve.
My condolences - I truly know how you feel.
-Bobby
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Every dog's death diminishes us all. So sad for your loss. What a lucky dog to be in a loving home for so long though.
Peter
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Kelly, please accept my condolences. Having lost a few dogs in my life, I can attest to the gaping hole they leave in our hearts.
Jack Russels are very popular here in Vancouver's West End. They are certainly dogs with attitude, and seem quite unaware that they are considerably smaller than, say, rottweilers! They bounce along the sidewalks with their masters, and seem to say with every step, "Watch out, I'm a Jack Russell! I don't need you or anyone! Now step aside!"
In my teens I became a member of the Presbyterian church, mainly because I liked the kids in their youth group better than the ones in the Methodist youth group, and there were more girls in the Presbyterian group. As you can tell, I was certainly a deep thinking young theologian!
Later, still in my teens, I was attending a Bible study class with the pastor. The question of dogs came up, and I was told that my dog, Smutsie, would not go to Heaven when he died, because dogs don't go to Heaven. Here's a picture of Smutsie, who was absolutely headed for Heaven! (There's another picture of Smutsie, posted earlier in this thread.)
I think that at that moment I started the process of not being a Presbyterian, or member of any other church. My experiences in Vietnam helped me to leave that church and all churches. And I know that, if there is a heaven, dogs go there. Even St. Peter wouldn't deny entry to a Jack Russell!
Bob
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Kelly, I am so sorry to hear of the loss of Sparky. Our pooches are waiting for us at the Rainbow Bridge. They are having fun and playing while they wait for us to join them. Maybe my Lobo and your Sparky are playing together there, and sharing tales to each other about us!
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Oh I can't begin to tell you how deeply I share your loss. There is no easy way to lose a companion pet. But, at least I know that they are waiting for us across the rainbow bridge. My forever boy, my schnauzer Darwin, is waiting there for me now. Sending you a big cyber hug (((((((Kelly))))))) from a fellow dog mom.
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11:49:41pm
Thank you everyone, I appreciate your support.
We are doing ok because we know that Sparky had a good long life.
Dayton just looks lost. I had to go to the hospital today for follow-up so afterwards I stopped by my friend's place. She fostered Emmett (the apricot in my profile pic) before he went to school and she also took care of Dayton for 10 days when I had my surgery 3 weeks ago. He had a ball with the other three dogs. It was so nice to see him having fun. Then when I brought him home, he got that lost look on his face again. It's going to take some time for him - he keeps looking everywhere to see if we've hidden Sparky somewhere.
I know we've been through this twice already when it was Sparky looking for Cooper and Emmett after we lost them and it was heart-breaking to see him so lost and now to see Dayton so lost. We need to find him some friends because his three friends he used to play with all got recalled from foster care to go to school.
Thank you again (sorry for rambling).
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Dogs do grieve for their lost companions. Give him plenty of TLC. It will help him and you as well. He will come out of his grieving soon enough. For now, the house and your property is full of the scent of Sparky. Give him time. He'll be fine.
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Hi everyone, As you all can see, my life has gone to the dogs, we have three and if we have the land and funds,Cathy and I would have more. Years ago someone asked me why I love animals so much, "I answered They love us unconditionly, weather we are rich or poor as long as we treat them right and personally I get along with animals better then people because they don't" here's where you get to finish the sentence LOL. Larry
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Here is the post about our dogs.
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01:36:10pm
New member of the family! Diana, 6 months old.
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Bobby,
what a great face; love the rams horn markings around the eyes and the great cowl. lovely girl. If only I could find a way to warm up to sheppies.
David
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Bobby, great pics. Looks like you have her spoiled already (which is a good thing)!
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We lost TJ AKA- Teddy, Ted last fall. Still miss him everyday. Ted was a Cockapoo and was originally acquired because my youngest daughter was afraid of dogs. Doctor's advice? Get her a dog. And that worked. She's loved dogs since and has her own now.
Ted went through phases in his life, as to who was his person. Early on he was my daughter's dog. After she went off to college he sided up to my wife. Once we moved from NJ to PA and I started working from the house, he became my buddy. He was 14, nearly 15.
And my favorite photo of Ted and I! It's actually my FaceBook avatar. This is a photo from the best day of our life! I had just secured a great career opportunity that took us to PA, bought a super house with the pool, and this photo was during a big family party that was both our Housewarming Party and my younger daughter's College Graduation Party! No day has beat this one yet!
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We suddenly lost our brown lab, Brandy, tonight. Either a heart attack or stroke. She was 9.
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That's sad news. 9 is way too young for a lab. You would expect at least 12 - 14 years. Sorry for your loss!
Lars
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I am sorry Michael; hate when we lose our friends
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Sorry to hear that Michael. Brown or (chocolate) labs are always beautiful
But to add....this resurrected thread brought up a picture I don't remember seeing. Yeah, Tom, hope you and pooch are enjoying the pool
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Very sad, sorry for your loss, Michael.
I have a 15 year old border collie/red healer mix that I know the time is coming. My hide's tough as boot leather, but I'll be crying like a baby when he goes.
Just remember, "All Dogs go to Heaven".
WB
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Thanks. It was the suddenness of it that shocked us. She was acting normal all day until right before supper time. She wouldn't get up to go eat with the other dogs. We knew something wasn't right. We took her to the emergency animal hospital as quickly as we could. About ten minutes after talking with the vet they told us that she was going into cardiac arrest. She was never the healthiest of dogs. My wife told them to let her go as peacefully as possible.
She did enjoy chasing and playing with balls more so than any dog I have seen. Even last night I was tossing a ball with her. Tonight I look behind my chair and her big pillow is empty. I believe that she is back playing again with my Akita, Lobo. He's the dog pictured in my avatar. They are both in the field near the Rainbow Bridge waiting for us.
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WB....
"All dogs go to heaven..."
I'm not 100% sure of that.
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As things calmed down, my wife reminded me that today was the dog's birthday. She had turned just 8. We usually treat the birthday dog to a special evening of grooming, treats and extra attention at the expense of the other dogs. We forgot about all that during the trauma of the dog being fine all day, and then gone so suddenly a couple of hours later. The dog passed much too early. Our other two dogs have lost a sister, and they are feeling the absence as well. (Sorry for rambling about this.)
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I feel your pain Michael, loving something that death can touch is heartbreaking.
My mother was a renowned Borzoi breeder when I was growing up; being large dogs that needed lots of running room meant maintaining a kennel and I became kennel boy. This was ‘Mickey’, a dog that I bonded to from the time he was a puppy and we grew up together.
But large dogs often do not live as long as the smaller breeds and so my wife and I decide to keep a pet which lives a bit longer. Very much a different kind of pet relationship but just as endearing and engaging.
Don
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Michael - so sorry for your loss.
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Michael,
it's a great relief to have a dog go quickly and I am thankful Brandy went quickly and your decision to let her go was so clear cut.
David
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""All dogs go to heaven..."
I'm not 100% sure of that."
Ernie, that is so sad! From the day they're born to the day they die, dogs are like children! Even if they become a hound from hell, it's not their fault.
WB
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Cody - A beloved greyhound
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WB... you're right. Dogs behavior = owner's treatment and training.
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Maddy & Cleo - Mother - Bull Mastiff, Great Dane (Cross) - Father Maremma (Pure)
Probably conceived when I was looking after my friends horses, dogs and chickens whilst they were on holiday!
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Ever since I can remember I've thought dogs to be the best things in life. I've had and loved everything from Tea Cup Poodles to Dobermans. My favorites are probably German Shepherds and Labradors. Here are a couple picks of my last pack. Unfortunately 3 of 4 have died within the last year and a half. The only survivor is the female Shepherd at left then right respectively but she is more my wife's dog. It's hard to choose but probably the best dogs I ever had are the Male shepherd and male Lab in the front of the top photo and a Red Doberman that preceded them. I really need to get out and get another dog which would probably be a male Chocolate Lab.
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This is Dixie. She is a Boxer/Beagle mix according to DNA but where did the White eyes come from?
She was born in a shelter, and spent her first two years being transferred from one shelter to the next. About a year ago, she found us and we're so lucky she did.
Of course, being caged all her life makes her almost impossible to catch if she gets free. At least she doesn't try to dig out of the fenced yard. We've had her for a little over a year now and have been taught all her tricks so she doesn't get away anymore.
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Mikey, I must say that this is the most striking photograph of a dog that I have ever seen.
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Thank you but I can't take the credit. It was shot by the people at the local SPCA. When I get my camera out she turns her butt to me and looks around at me.
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12:49:15pm
OK, I admit that everyone has their favorite breed of dog.... including the ones given that nasty word, mongrel. They all have their good points, but..... this is what I don't understand about those Dog Show contests and Best of Show results.... From what I have seen in my travels, Labrador and Golden Retrievers (and mixes thereof) seem to be the most popular and family-friendly household dogs around and have been so for years... How come they rarely, if ever, win a Best in Class or Best in Show Award?
Don't get me wrong, each different breed tends to have its own personality, behaviors, etc, (I've had 4 different breeds over the last 50+ years)but none was as all-around great as a Black Lab. Maybe they need a new hairdo or tail treatment to catch the judges eye. Perhaps the judging should be done in a lake. That's it, make all the dogs swim across a 50 foot pond while shotguns are going off. That'll show those little Shitzu's... however you spell their name.
Oliver
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The past is a foreign country, they do things different there.
04 Mar 2012
02:29:48pm
re: Member's Dogs
There are no purebred dogs, only "designer" dogs and mongrels.
Never insult a man's dog (unless you are bigger than the man) because he sees it as an extension of himself, whereas a woman sees her dog more as a companion.
Do not give a dog as a gift. Note that unsupervised children under ten years of age tend to abuse pets.
Labs and retrievers are popular, especially with families, because of their vast DNA constituents, giving them a credible history of not attacking humans, particularly children.
Do not leave a child unattended with a pet, their curiosity will result even in upsetting the goldfish bowl.
A wagging tail does not mean that the dog is friendly or that it loves you, it's simply a Pavlovian response because the dog is conditioned to knowing that nice things happen to it when it wags its tail.
So far, it appears that, in evolutionary terms, dogs even surpass bears with their sense of smell (about one-quarter billion sensory neurons vis three to five million for humans).
I'm a dog lover having had a lab, a dane and several other mongrels in my life. I do not collect postage stamps depicting dogs.
John Derry
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re: Member's Dogs
Oliver,
I thoroughly enjoyed your comments here...seems that's another thing we have in common - love of dogs! (along with stamps and baseball!)
I understand what you're saying...I wonder if - regarding goldens - it has to do with the length of the hair/coat? A dog is judged on many things, one of which is stance and/or posture...sometimes it can be deceptive with dogs with long or shaggy coats.
Labs, on the other hand,tend to have shorter coats...don't know why they don't win more often.
Good questions!
Randy
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re: Member's Dogs
Normally I don't use this word, but -
....awesome, Bob.
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re: Member's Dogs
Snug was the best dog ever. She was small for a lab, about 65 pounds, incredibly sweet tempered.
Snug "bit" me once. We were playing one of her favourite games, "Snatch the sock out of Bob's hand before he can snatch it away from me". Her timing was off by a fraction of a second, and she grabbed my hand instead. Considering the tattered condition the sock was in from many such games, my hand should have been instantly mangled, but Snug obviously realized her error and I felt only the slightest pressure of teeth before the relaxed her jaw and let go. Although I wasn't hurt — I had not the slightest tooth mark or subsequent bruising — Snug was mortified. She added a new facial expression to her repertoire that day — sheer embarrasment!
We took her on many outings over her 14 years of life, including canoe trips:
Bob
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Silence in the face of adversity is the father of complicity and collusion, the first cousins of conspiracy..
04 Mar 2012
07:30:10pm
re: Member's Dogs
One great things about living in this part of rural Florida is observing the selfish behavior of many of the annonymous winter visitors who we generally refer to as SNOWBIRDS.
Specificly the minority who come south and acquire a nice, cute puppy that they care for all winter, which isn't really winter in the movie sense in this sub-tropicql climate. But then when the weather starts to turn warmer, towards hot, they pack up all their portable treasures and have to decide what to do with that loyal canine, or sometimes feline, companion, who has acted as a burglar and fire alarm, loyal friend and substitute child for the previous eight or ten months.
What to do ??? Hmmm ...
Should they ship their pet north via UPS or Fed-ex or prepare some part of their car for a long trip, or even, as apparently has been done in certain circles buy a animal container capable of being strapped to the roof of the family station wagon or SUV ?
No, far too many just wait till some early morning a bit before sunrise and drive past Charlie's house where they can slow down (Well at least I hope they have the curtesey to slow down) long enough to toss their animal back onto the edge of the road.
perhaps someone will be drivig along and see the confused and often helpless animal wandring along the shouldre trying to getthe sent that will help them find their way home.
Shucks, their domesticated pampered pooch will have all day to learn how to survive on its own and once it makes it through the first night or so it should be okay living as a feral animal in the wild.
Just about every year in May or June some homeless and often hopeless pet wanders onto my property and visits for a few days, before sucumbing to the call of the wild.
If we can catch it we can feed it and if it seems not to have learned the lesson that those humans really cannot be trusted we get a free dog or cat. But more often than not, the animal has become very wary and simply no longer suitable to be brought into the house. Some wander around the back acre and survive for quite some time, others disappear almost as fast as they arrived.
Not just dogs or cats, but sometimes rabbits and probably gerbils and one year a small flock of chickens who nested in one of the old trees behind the house have showed up.
I have a few acres, about half well treed and in some places almost in the native Floridian state. There are no allegators nearby. However snakes, gopher turtles, racoons, carnivorous birds that I'd prefer not to see circling over my head, all live in the woods here or the nearby state forest. So if the animal doesn't make it to a friendly place is it truly survival of the fittest.
However some do wander up onto our front or rear porch looking for someone to replace the human who fed and cared for them for their entire life. Some are likely to have been pedigreed animals but that is often a matter of conjecture. The few that are still domesticated become our pets unless they suddenly decide to wander of seeking the only hom they ever know before the last car ride.
We've now been here for twenty five years and this has happened over and over. We have never had to seek or purchase a pet. My six children have all had a steady supply of often beautiful animals.
----- End of Rant ------
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09:12:39pm
re: Member's Dogs
Bob:
The non-bite reaction of your Lab was part of the "gentle mouth" characteristic bred into the breed so they could retrieve a dead or dying duck or other game bird without mangling the body.
If I were computer-savvy enough, I would also attach a picture of Oliver, 110 pounds of grace and muscle, voted BDITW by 3 generations of my family. Instead, you can pick any textbook on Black Labs and see his grandfather's picture, a classic US and Canadian champion. Oliver was the spitting image of him.
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re: Member's Dogs
Hey Bob. 14 years. A good, long life for a dog. A cute one at that too. Just like friends who live in one's heart, you never forget a good, loyal pet. We currently have three dogs, all rescued: Akita, Coon Hound and a Brown Lab. The Akita is my dog. He's 12 now, and starting to feel his age. I got my certification as a dog trainer with him.
The Akita is on the left, and the Coon Hound on the right. The photo was taken in 2009.
(Modified by Moderator on 2015-08-19 09:36:37)
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My boys.
Max: Monty:
Labs: The greatest dogs in the world IMHO.
Tim2
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Couldn't resist putting this one up. Max doing his I'm your best buddy thing with my grandaughter Amber Rose
My old boy Sam. Gone but never forgotten.
Did you ever see an old man weep like a child? I did when he died.
Labradors! When they go they rip off a piece of your heart and take it with them.
Tim2
(Modified by Moderator on 2015-08-19 09:29:51)
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Tim,
You never spoke a truer word.
My pal Timber
Still with us, but I dread the day she goes.
Merv
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OK, i'll jump in as I'm a BIG dog fanatic. Some of my best friends were rescues. Two of them in this picture are adopted.
I did get the Jack Russel (Named Flash (or Jumping Jack Flash)) as a puppy. He is saddly getting to a point where I'm going to have to put him down after 16+ years.
The red Pit is our family's gentle giant. He is super awesome with the kids and just thinks he is a 20 pound lap dog. He's a great example of what the breed should be. The brown beast on the left is our newest addition. As far as we can tell, she is a Doberman/Pit mix. She has the most beautiful coat and colors but she is as strong as an ox and still has that puppy mentality.
Anyway, just thought I would share.
---Pat
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Oh, and here is a recent picture of that big mean terror Pit of mine giving horse back rides to my youngest nephew.
My sons like to lay around on him like he's a giant pillow and sometimes he lies around on them in the same way. He is very protective of my nephew which is interesting. i think he senses that the boy has autism and just naturally is more protective. He has already jumped on the puppy for getting too rough with my nephew. And when i play with the boy and act like I'm going to go grab him, the dog actually gets in between us and gives me a look of "You do know you are going to be gentle with him right?"
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I have to show off our dogs too. Here they are taking a breather after a tug of war.
That's Maggie (2yr) on the left, and Diago (8yr) on the right. Diago has his own postage stamp. He thinks he is a 35kg(77lb) lap dog
Brian
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Here is my ferocious addition to the thread.
Our family Shih Tzu Caramel, is now 4 and was the runt of the litter.
Alyn
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Many times, our dogs know so much more than we do. Just look at them, and you'll know what I mean.
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Immediate Past President - West Essex Philatelic Society www.wepsonline.org
07 Mar 2012
07:33:40pm
re: Member's Dogs
I grew up with a Shi Tzu (Tiger San). I cannot believe there was a better dog. Cried for hours when he passed on. I now have 10 cats.
Bob
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Here is our second rescue golden retriever Sydney.
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I love the pictures - keep 'em coming!
Here's my 14 yr. old baby girl, Sable - named after my favorite lighthouse, Big Sable in Ludington, Michigan;
She's has developed the gray chin-whiskers, just like me!
She's been having a bit of trouble with stiffness in her hind quarters lately but still acts like a puppy most of the time!
I really don't know what I'm gonna do without her when the time comes....14 years is a long time being constantly by my side.
Randy
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Hip displaysia is the start. My 12 year old dog is having difficulty with that as well. At PetSmart I get Nutri-Vet Hip & Joint tablets. I use the level 2 tablets and give him one in the morning and one in the evening after he eats. Definitely keeps him moving. At his last check up I told the vet what I was giving him, and she approved. It comes in a red jar with a red cap. The 300 tablet jar is the most economical. It's not cheap, but certainly shows improvement after about a month and continued doses. The actual dosage varies by the weight of the dog.
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Dogs are angels.I have had lovely dogs before.Now I have to live with high grade cats.Cats do not like to be treated like dogs....touched and bathed.Some cats are nice and some nice cats can react worse than dogs.
Anyway both cats and dogs help to keep pests away.
I collect stamps on cats and dogs and even postcards on cats and dogs.
I live in Asia.So if anyone wants to know the version of cat and dog lives in Asia let me know.
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The past is a foreign country, they do things different there.
23 Mar 2012
02:52:56pm
re: Member's Dogs
Canisophiles:
I was determined to stay out of this discussion but failed.
This was "Pharaoh" a Labrador that I found starving to
death on a rural road near Calgary, Alberta. He lived out an
unlabradorian life when I was posted overseas in 1955.
Gave him to an elderly waitress in our mess and he
immediately re-invented himself as the perfect
apartment lap dog.
Also had a twelve-year old, near-crippled, great Dane
for whom I was fortunate enough to find a hospice
before I departed Canada. These were the last
two dogs that I had as my future domiciles have all
been in deepest, darkest domestica which, despite
Pharaoh's experience, has never struck me as
a habitat for canines.
I've enjoyed viewing the photographs accompanying
this discussion and hope readers will forgive me
for adding mine.
John Derry
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Nothing to forgive, John. You did a great thing rescuing Pharoah. I'm sure he appreciated it and understood. They do know and most appreciate these things. That's what amazes me about dogs.
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Stamporama has gone to the dogs
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Michael,
....and we're all the better for it!!
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Amen to that, Randy!
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It is during our darkest moments that we must focus to see the light. - Aristotle Onassis
26 Mar 2012
11:02:43pm
re: Member's Dogs
Anyone who saves an animal has a heart of gold and is a wonderful person. My first dog, Sandy, a rescue golden retriever, died in 2009 suddenly from liver cancer that spread furiously.
Taken with an old cell phone so it's a bit grainy.
And the two dogs that now own my heart, Bailey (black and white) and Kenzie (brown and white). Both Jack Russell terriers and brother and sister, believe it or not!
Bailey and Kenzie literally saved my life. My husband got them for me after I was diagnosed with MS. I didn't want to get out of bed and many times I thought it might be better if I just never got out of bed. They brought me back to reality and gave me two wonderful reasons to keep going!
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While waiting in the doctor's office today, I read the February 2012 National Geographic. A fascinating article on dogs!
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Here's Chester, from Chester Nova Scotia.
(Modified by Moderator on 2015-08-19 09:34:28)
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27 Mar 2012
09:48:34am
re: Member's Dogs
and Lacey, of Verona, Ontario
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03:15:36pm
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Hi I am Martyn and this is my 3 year Shepherd Sadie.
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Dogs are my favorite people. I hang with this one as often as I can.
05 Mar 2013
01:53:24am
re: Member's Dogs
Dogs are my favorite people. Dog is god spelled backwards, and there is nothing as sincere as a dog kiss.
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I had to smile just now. ZIPPER was the name of my first dog. A female beagle/Schnauzer mix.
---Pat
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Dehlia is my shepherd. She's trying so hard to please while holding true to her alpha nature.
A more recent picture of the girl
Our first shepherd, and the reason we'll always have shepherds, Ursa; this is the quintessential her, utterly focused.
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The past is a foreign country, they do things different there.
05 Mar 2013
01:42:38pm
re: Member's Dogs
Dog Lovers (and your numbers are legion):
My understanding is that the German shepherd is the most intelligent of dogs (intelligence measured by the number of oral and visual commands comprehended) responding from about 270 to about 300 commands from its master.
I have vague memories from early childhood of a Netherlands immigrant to Canada who brought with him an old German shepherd, recovered from the Second World War, which had been trained as an anti-paratroop detector (or whatever they were called). In the local park, he used to demonstrate to us fascinated kids how his shepherd, sitting at least 200m distance, would respond to his whispered commands, given in English or German (and which we could barely hear!) to raise a paw, sit, turn around, etc.
Years later, in another town, another life, I had a neighbour who had trained his own German shepherd. I was impressed with the dog's obedience; never on a leash, always heeled, never left the unfenced yard without its master, and never looked threatening except when it confronted you at the property line. He had three young toddlers and when they were in the back yard playing, his shepherd was always present. I mentioned to him that shepherds were always on or near the top of the list of dogs that attacked and bit people, especially younger children who tend to torment pets. He replied that it was a matter of training and that his shepherd would not attack him or any member of his family.
I have strayed from postage stamps so will close by saying that I do not collect stamps depicting dog breeds or the many roles of dogs in our societies.
John Derry
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Silence in the face of adversity is the father of complicity and collusion, the first cousins of conspiracy..
05 Mar 2013
04:35:23pm
re: Member's Dogs
There was, or is, a wonderful article in the February 2012 issue of the National Geographic about Dogs and their genetic developments. It is, of course as NatGeo always is, full of excellent photos.
Shepherd's are, no doubt, among the most intelligent canines. However I remember a survey of dog trainers done a few years ago that ranked breeds, (AKC rated breeds, only I think) based on three or four characteristics.
One was, of course, the breed's instinctual ability to preform the function of the breed, since a breed that had been genetically selected to retrieve game in the field for thousands of years without enjoying that first fresh bite will be quite easy to train in that area while it might be almost impossible to train it to search for drugs or herd cattle.
Another ability had to be the ability to recognize and obey multiple non instinctive commands and in this area the German Shepherd excels.
A third area of intelligence is the ability to solve and recall solutions on its own to problems that the particular dog has not encountered before.
I am quite sure that the result of the study was that the Border Collie was at the top of the scoring over all followed closely by the German Shepherd and, I think the Labrador Retriever.
I am very certain that the winner, hands down of the lowest rating in all the areas tested was the Afghan Hound.
Oh, BTW, Say hello to "Moose", a 100 lb Lab mix whose previous owner passed away recently. One of my sons brought him home to keep me company and possibly safe this last X-mas.
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It is during our darkest moments that we must focus to see the light. - Aristotle Onassis
05 Mar 2013
05:41:30pm
re: Member's Dogs
That's wonderful, Charlie! I'm sure Moose appreciates having a loving home!
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Mt dog is half or more of those you've shown however she's not afraid of any of those either. She's a Norwich Terrier and fearless.
Don't we just love our dogs?
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We do love our dogs, and it's as it should be. And some of us, not dog owners, appear equally appreciative. I love my shepherd, and appreciate her intelligence, both native and trained. My last shepherd knew several hundred words, and we resorted to spelling some words, S Q U I R R E L, and we'd get to Q and she was up.
I only whisper to my dog. their hearing is many times more acute than ours.
I loved that Charlie highlighted the talents native to breeds, because, while my shepherd will excel at some things, she is no retriever, and never will be.
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We used to be breeders of Tibetan Spaniels. We are no longer in that anymore but still have some of the dogs here to live out their lives because they were too old to place in new homes. i think it would have been a terrible disruption to their lives if we did do that.
Anyway, here is a picture I wanted to share
.mo
Chimo
Bujutsu
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I forgot to add that this is Farley. he was a great dog, but, sadly, he is gone now.
Chimo
Bujutsu
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Silence in the face of adversity is the father of complicity and collusion, the first cousins of conspiracy..
07 Mar 2013
02:57:36am
re: Member's Dogs
Moose reminds me of a teenager with selective hearing.
All you have to do is whisper the word "out" and before you finish saying "side", he is coming down the hall, nails scratching and slipping on the hardwood floor as he tries to get traction. But when I point to the sofa he uses to watch the squirrels in the big tree outside he may just look at me and cock his head to the left side as if to say "What did you say?"
He seems to know that he can't reach the squirrels in the trees so he just watches them for hours as they run up, down and across branches all day doing whatever it is that squirrels do. But let someone walk by the house down by the road or a strange car enter the driveway and all hell breaks loose. Which is, after all what h is supposed to do.
This is a rural area and I have several acres so his bark is the first line of defense.
last week some guy who looked like a Jehovah's Witness, Bible in hand, came up the ramp to the door and paused, then left without knocking.
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Well, these enjoyable posts sure bring back memories. I spent my childhood at a horse stable. As a 12 year old girl I was frequently there alone. The owners had a big doberman (Saber) who really didn't do much except get in the way but if ever a strange car would pull up, that dog would come and sit by my side and stare at the car. If the people in the car didn't know the dog or me, they would never even get out. He was very intense looking and intimidated without making any sound. Never heard him bark once. He never bit anyone or really even threatened them....he would just look..... My husband always had dogs but he was converted to cats when we married. Have 4 rescued felines now. Maybe we should start a cat thread.......
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03:53:47pm
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How could I NOT post about dogs!! I love dogs and have sponsored special stamp auctions in support of various rescue groups. Here is my latest canine companion, Coco, who keeps me honest and in line. She inspired my handle "Cocollectibles" as she and my collectibles are most important to me now. Coco is an Australian Shepherd mix, and my past dogs were all herding dogs to some extent. That makes me the herd!
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How wonderful to see all the puppies of the club! And with that, of course here's mine...
Reena is a Pembroke Welsh Corgi. She's only 1 1/2 years old and just the puppy we both needed when she entered our lives. She's also the first dog that has truly bonded with me and not the husband. It is very strange having a dog bond so closely.
Well I was going to upload a pic but something went very wrong....I'll try again in a bit
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It worked! There's my girl.....
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05:28:39pm
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What lovely ears you have Coco. Ted.
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05:31:20pm
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Thanks Ted! But I think you mean Reena, Luree's dog.
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To error is human -to really fowl things up takes a computer
29 Apr 2013
10:48:31pm
re: Member's Dogs
I'll have to chime in here now, Ive got 2 Golden's now -had 4 just a month ago 1 passed from cancer and the other last week from old age-17.
Pictured are my 2 now Ted and Cara. Ted is 3 years old He was born in our TV room. Cara is 5 years old. Cara is a titled Champion with AKC and UKC titles.
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It is during our darkest moments that we must focus to see the light. - Aristotle Onassis
30 Apr 2013
05:34:41pm
re: Member's Dogs
I love all the new dogs! Thank you all for sharing.
Bluedude - goldens were my first love. Sandy will always live on in my heart. I'm sorry for your recent losses.
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To error is human -to really fowl things up takes a computer
30 Apr 2013
10:14:30pm
re: Member's Dogs
Lisa,
Thank you. In last couple of years many dogs not only Goldens have passed from cancer. There are many research programs right now working on treatment and cures for canine cancers. I have lost a total of 4 in the last 4 years and donated blood and tissue sample's to the UM Missouri. They are doing some great work and have been studying blood line's through DNA. Although most of the cancer has come from inter breeding of blood line's
As for goldens check out everythinggolden.com and here's our breeders page. http://jetocagoldens.com/ Teds dad is Gino.
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Here are my German Shepherds at the farmhouse - Tiger died last year due to wounds suffered from a fight with a hayena.
Tiger and Danny five years back.
Tiger, Danny and Jimmy with lambs. Jimmy is a cross (German Shepherd and local sheep dog) she is the most fearsome.
Jack - offspring of (late) Tiger and Danny, now he has taken the role of following the master, stays with me all the time.
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09:33:05am
re: Member's Dogs
What a great canine collection! Here is Danno, my previous soul mate dog, who was rescued from a shelter and stayed with me for 15 years; this was at his prime. A border collie/German shepherd mix.
Here he is enjoying his pool in the hot Atlanta summer.
And here he is mortified with my parents' present to him one Christmas.
There is an interesting book "The Intelligence of Dogs" written by Dr. Stanley Coren; he has a canine IQ test that is fun to do with your pooch. If I recall the results of testing the top dog was the Border Collie, second was the Standard Poodle, and Afghan Hound came last of over 100 breeds. The German Shepherd was 7th I believe. All very subjective and to me, they all deserve "top prize" for just being dogs.
Cheers,
Peter
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This little monster is a 6lb 5oz Maltipoo, Her name is Bailey. Belongs to my wife.
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Lobo
1999-2014
Rest now, my faithful old friend.
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They who would give up essential Liberty, to purchase a little temporary Safety, deserve neither Liberty nor Safety. -Benjamin Franklin
02 Jan 2014
10:36:18pm
re: Member's Dogs
It has been almost 2 years since I lost my German Shepherd, Lucky, and I still mourn her. My thoughts are with you Michael.
Sincerely
Bobby
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A Service Dog gives a person with a disability independence. Never approach, distract or pet a working dog, especially when (s)he is in harness. Never be afraid to ask questions to the handler (parent).
03 Jan 2014
12:56:26am
re: Member's Dogs
My condolences Michael.
It's never easy to say goodbye, is it? I miss my two boys everyday (Cooper, aged 8 - 2000-2008 and Emmett, aged 4 - 2007-2012).
Rest in peace Lobo.
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A Service Dog gives a person with a disability independence. Never approach, distract or pet a working dog, especially when (s)he is in harness. Never be afraid to ask questions to the handler (parent).
03 Jan 2014
01:08:09am
re: Member's Dogs
My current partner in crime - Dayton, aka Jr. He is also a Special Skills Dog Guide.
My profile picture shows Cooper (black - Special Skills/Hearing Ear) and Emmett (apricot - Special Skills), both of whom sadly passed away from Addison's Disease.
Oh yeah, and that ugly duckling beside the handsome Poodle is yours truly.
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06:38:24am
re: Member's Dogs
@Michael: My condolences to you and yours for Lobo too. You know my thoughts about dogs; I paraphrase John Donne: Every dog's death diminishes me. And I would add, diminishes all of us.
@PoodleMom: What a great photo! I don't see an ugly duckling though; did you mean the swan?
Peter
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07:38:05am
re: Member's Dogs
Speaking of dogs ... this in today's newsline across several online news and blog reports. I wonder who funded this ... business.
"Jan. 2 (UPI) -- Dogs have been found to be sensitive to Earth's magnetic field,
and apparently align themselves along the magnetic north-south axis before they defecate.
Czech and German researchers studied 70 dogs during 1,893 defecations and 5,582
urinations over the course of two years, and found that when the Earth's magnetic field
was stable the dogs chose to align themselves with it. When it was unstable, such as
during a solar flare, the dogs would become confused.
Their findings, published in the journal Frontiers in Zoology, show that the dogs were
sensitive to the polarity of the field, though not as much to its intensity.
Dogs on leashes, however, do not consistently align themselves as such, mainly doing so
when they are free to choose. Researchers are yet to figure out why dogs exhibit this
preference."
Read more: Link to original UPI science blog
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A Service Dog gives a person with a disability independence. Never approach, distract or pet a working dog, especially when (s)he is in harness. Never be afraid to ask questions to the handler (parent).
03 Jan 2014
08:59:25am
re: Member's Dogs
Aww Peter, you're sweet
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Dear All,
Am I wrong, or is this not about dogs, but about love? How you were touched, and how you cherish the memories is also about you. Native Americans have always spoken of animal spirits, and there are echoes of the awareness of something other, something great, that comes from many religions relating to animals and their role with humans.
In many of your comments, I see the same thing and am reminded of it.
To me, and my memories of my dog, I have no doubt about the nature of that gift to me. I am of the sure understanding that this was to help me along my personal journey, and continues to do so to this day.
It has been said that we are not humans, in search of a spiritual experience-but that we are spirits in search of the human experience. I personally believe this to be so, and that spirit guides are given to us in our time of need to help us along.
We reach out to touch one another in many ways. Our dogs have done the same for us. When we speak of our dogs, we speak about our hearts and that which we internally know is greater than we understand. We have few words, but we know it deep down.
This is not about dogs my friends, this is all about love and connecting to a higher power. Or am I just in my dotage now, and mumbling about nothing?
Respectfully submitted,
Dan C.
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Lobo, I hope you meet Ursa and Luna when you arrive at your final destination. Luna can be a bit harsh, but Ursa is as sweet as they get. Ursa has been gone just over three years, and I miss her still. I pray at her grave whenever i'm in the yard. I'll add Lobo to our prayers tonight.
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Michael78651 - sorry to read about Lobo. Hope those 15 years of memories will make you smile some day. Was Lobo an only dog? Sally
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My condolences on Lobo's passing. The only dog I had was as a boy--his name was Teddy, and I loved that mutt dearly. I have never been able to have another dog because of my attachment to him.
Roger
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03 Jan 2014
09:10:09pm
re: Member's Dogs
Dog lovers, grab a Kleenex before reading this:
The Power of the Dog
There is sorrow enough in the natural way
From men and women to fill our day;
And when we are certain of sorrow in store,
Why do we always arrange for more?
Brothers and Sisters, I bid you beware
Of giving your heart to a dog to tear.
Buy a pup and your money will buy
Love unflinching that cannot lie--
Perfect passion and worship fed
By a kick in the ribs or a pat on the head.
Nevertheless it is hardly fair
To risk your heart for a dog to tear.
When the fourteen years which Nature permits
Are closing in asthma, or tumour, or fits,
And the vet's unspoken prescription runs
To lethal chambers or loaded guns,
Then you will find--it's your own affair--
But...you've given your heart for a dog to tear.
When the body that lived at your single will,
With its whimper of welcome, is stilled (how still!);
When the spirit that answered your every mood
Is gone--wherever it goes--for good,
You will discover how much you care,
And will give your heart for the dog to tear.
We've sorrow enough in the natural way,
When it comes to burying Christian clay.
Our loves are not given, but only lent,
At compound interest of cent per cent.
Though it is not always the case, I believe,
That the longer we've kept 'em, the more do we grieve:
For, when debts are payable, right or wrong,
A short-time loan is as bad as a long--
So why in Heaven (before we are there)
Should we give our hearts to a dog to tear?
Rudyard Kipling
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There is a poetess I follow on Facebook, who had this to say-I thought I'd share with you if you don't mind:
The love and respect I share with my dog
Is something so beautifully rare . . .
It’s effortless, naturally calming and healing
And worth cultivating between those who dare
To give their whole hearts to each other in life,
Since this type of love, pure and sure
Lives on after spirits return to the Source
For this kind of love will endure
~Iwoknai
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12:04:43pm
re: Member's Dogs
Both of you, thank you for posting those wonderful canine poems. I tried reading them to Coco dog but all she wanted was the deer antler treat I came home with. Ah, the attention span of our children.
As the old axiom goes: May I always be the kind of person my dog thinks that I am.
Cheers,
Peter
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Thanks Peter-apparently Iwoknai is in full agreement, having posted elsewhere:
"I am working to live up to my dog's expectations of me, for her perception comes from the purest heart on earth." Iwoknai
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My dog is my avatar. He is an AKC registered pure bred dog. I doubt anyone knows the breed!
Lars
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07:57:38am
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Norweigian Elkhound?
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Thank you, everyone. The words are so true.
Lobo was not my first dog. He may not be my last. I'm don't want to think about that now. We have two other dogs in the house. They are not mine, but they are part of the family. Buddy, the one in the picture I posted here almost two years ago with Lobo (one of the first responses to this thread), has taken Lobo's departure very hard. They were great friends to each other. He secluded himself in the spare room and wouldn't come out for a day. I would go in there and sit by him as we comforted each other, but he would not come out. He would stand up on the window sill and stick his head through the curtains to look out for Lobo. He has since come out and is returning back to normal quicker than I am I must say.
For me, my pets have been dogs. I am sure what I am going to say applies to all pets. These little critters who we invite to live in our homes teach us so much about ourselves. They also teach us how to love from the unconditional love that they give us. The remind us how to live simple lives, how to laugh, how to relax, and how to cry. Then, when the time comes, they teach us how to deal with the ultimate loss and the broken heart that comes from it.
All of the nine dogs whom I have had in my life and in my family through the years have been rescued dogs who came from families that either didn't want them, or couldn't keep them. A couple had been abused. A couple didn't live too long, and one I had to return due to bad temperament. For all nine, though, they at least had a life given back to them of love and affection that, except for the one, I know they enjoyed and appreciated as much as the family and I appreciated the love and affection that they gave (and give) us.
I adopt the dogs from the animal shelters as I can't stand to see them in cages and lonely like that. They deserve so much more than that as they want to be loved just as we want to be loved, without conditions.
In 1999 after we put down the first dog (16 years old) that my wife and I had, I could not bear not having a dog in the house. I went to the local shelter just to look. The ruckus that ensued when I entered the dog area was deafening. I looked about for a while, and then looked down at a cage that I was standing in front of that I originally paid no mind as there was no noise coming from it. But on second glance, I saw a mid-sized six month old puppy simply quietly sitting there looking at me. He was blonde and sort of blended into the color of the plastic cage. I got the key and opened the door. He jumped out right into my lap. It was a perfect match. In that mean twist of faith that happens in life, he passed away in my lap 14 years later. Before he passed, he raised his head and looked at me. The first time he looked at me was to say, "Hello"; the last time was to say, "Good-bye."
I miss him so much, and while I have not had time to do much writing, Lobo is going to be a part of my "Seasons 2". My writing comes from my heart, and I want to share Lobo and what that wonderful guy meant to me.
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re: Member's Dogs
Michael, thanks for the fuller story. It touches me how you have loved your dogs and they have loved you. It's wonderful you tell the story from your side and your dog's, too; and I, for one, am happy to know any person who can see the beauty in a dog or cat or cockatiel and treat them accordingly. Lobo was in our prayers last night, just like our dogs who have passed are.
David
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You speak well Michael, with truth and with heart. We are all richer for it.
Thank you.
Dan C.
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My current crop of critters.
This is Tiny Dog, my son was working at the local
vets office and fell in love with her, then we did
also. He moved to Dallas, she stays with us.
This is Puppy Dog. She drags me around the
block when we go for our daily strolls. The
wife takes Tiny Dog, but on occassion I get to
be humiliated by two small mutts making an old
man look like a fool.
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AS we grieve for our lost friends, so too do they.
https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=10151736993583458&set=a.10150821890098458.402255.144163993457&type=1&theater
Dan C.
(Modified by Moderator on 2014-01-11 11:03:21)
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Guys, the URL doesn't go to a 'clickable' format. If you block the URL then right click it, you will find the option to open to the spot. (Unless our resident Wizard and helpers do their magic)
Best,
Dan C.
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Dan, you are right about that. We have two other dogs in the household. My son's dog, Buddy still, over a week since Lobo passed, will not go into my bedroom. The wife's Lab just lies about in a definite depressed mood. Not sure who's taking it the worse, the two dogs or me.
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Michael, there may be more than one thing going on. Buddy may be sensing and honoring the spirit of Lobo, and keeping clear of Lobo's space. The Lab may be picking up on your own energy vibes, and reflecting that 'down' feeling as well.
To test this out, you need to bring a positive and healing energy vibe into the household. Know that your dear friend has not left you, remains with you still, and will do so to the end of your days.Know also that all is as it must be, and that you are to honor the past by embracing the present. When you can do this you will find it reflected in both Buddy and the Lab.
One last thought, you may be able to access a link to realizing that Lobo is still with you-your own sensing of the spirit guide through your own 5 senses or a dream link. If that is not yet evident, then let Buddy and the Lab show you the way.
All good thoughts,
Dan C.
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May I introduce, Brewster:
He is a 3 year-old, 15 pound, Corgi mix whom I rescued from the pound on Tuesday. (All of my dogs have been rescues.)
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Congratulations! Cute as a button and one lucky dog.... Sally
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Thanks. Training is going very well. He has me wrapped around his paw already!
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I had a Pekinese once. He was raised by people who fought dogs and eventually had to be put to sleep.
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The slime that train dogs to fight often scour neighborhoods looking for small dogs to steal to be used as training fodder. Of course the small dog gets killed by the other dog, but smaller dogs won't hurt the one being trained to fight.
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welcome Brewster. Dehlia says hello, Too
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Jag, our beloved boxer, who died of cancer. He was 90 lbs during his adult life. I gentle loving giant. He never stopped being a lap dog.
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Yes, they do steal our hearts.
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Here is Ginger, our latest rescue. We got her in the summer of 2012, she is now a very healthy and happy 12 years old. She is a full 21 lbs and has her own stamp of course. She is a Cocker Spaniel Terrier cross.
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Yeah, we've got 8 dogs. It's a bit ridiculous but as we added each one they just seemed to be a perfect fit. We've got a pug, an Australian cattle dog, and 6 shetland sheepdogs. Our australian cattle dog was thrown away on the side of the road in a garbage bag with the rest of his litter. Who could do that kind of thing? It's ok. He lives like a king now!
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12:09:09pm
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Coco was abandoned on the freeway in a rural GA county. She was rescued by a passing motorist. I never understand who can do that kind of thing, but I can tell you what I'd like to do to them. And it doesn't need to involve my godson's brother Carmine from the Bronx either.
What happened to the other dogs?
Peter
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"Our australian cattle dog was thrown away on the side of the road in a garbage bag with the rest of his litter. Who could do that kind of thing?"
Slime, bottom feeders and people who should be neutered do things like that.
Thank goodness that you were there to find them, and give them all a life that they (our best companions) deserve.
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Meet Lady (late 1940s)
and Smutsie(1950s-early 1960)
and Shelley (1967-1973)
and Snug (1982-1996)
Bob
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Beautiful dogs, Bob.
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Rascal and Jackson
They bark whenever I drop a stamp on the floor... Good Doggy
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02:26:40pm
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Two little girls here. The first is my girlfriends cocker spaniel/border collie mix. Fifi is 7 years old and a mama's girl. She loves to ride and they are truly BFF. When Julie was forced to move in with me (long story) she was afraid I would tell her she could not bring Fifi as her relatives had told her she was welcome, but Fifi wasnt. Fifi is sweet and I can fully understand why Julie fought so hard to keep her.
The second is my BFF...Brooksie. She is 9 and was bought for my dad in his later years. She quickly became a mama's girl loving my mom to death as well. When I would go down on weekends, she would be my bud. She loves to go outside and let the terrier in her run loose digging and trying to catch mole, field mouse. When I'm home, mom doesnt exist as Brooksie wont let me out of her sight. I'd love to have her live with me, but she adores mom and the farm...and my job (leave house 5:30 am, home 7pm) would make her very lonely. She is truly my best friend and I love her to death.
Fifi
Brooksie
Best way to a dog's heart? Lots of love and.....belly rubs !
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07:49:14am
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We think she is, my sister may know for sure. We was adopted in Ohio (when my sister was living there), driven to NC where my other sister lives and then brought up to Virginia. Why my sis in Ohio didnt bring her straight to VA I'll never know. As a consequence, she is afraid to get in the car with anyone but mom....afraid I guess she'll be taken to a new place.
But is really sweet natured and I'm lucky to have her bond with me. Your angels are beautiful and I bet really sweet natured as well
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Wow your little girl really traveled!
Yup, mine are sweeties, too. And NOT barkers - only when the doorbell rings. LOL I saw the cutest cover for the doorbell - it says "to release the hounds, press here". I want one!
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A Service Dog gives a person with a disability independence. Never approach, distract or pet a working dog, especially when (s)he is in harness. Never be afraid to ask questions to the handler (parent).
14 Jul 2014
10:07:21am
re: Member's Dogs
It's with great sadness that I share with you the loss of Sparky, our 14 year old Jack Russell. He was a fighter right up to the end.
He's now with his other two brothers Cooper and Emmett in a condo built by the two Poodles with a renovated wing for our vertically challenged Sparkles.
He turned 14 on Feb 14th of 2014. He's had some low points over the past few months but he has bounced back. I told him that the condo wasn't ready yet - you know Poodles, they've gotta argue about everything. Well, I guess they finally finished it and told him it was ready.
Now we have one very sad 4 year old Poodle who doesn't understand where his brother went.
Kelly
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it is a terrible thing to see a dog left behind. I am sorry for your poodle and for you. For your Jack, he's living the good life again. All dogs go to heaven.
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They who would give up essential Liberty, to purchase a little temporary Safety, deserve neither Liberty nor Safety. -Benjamin Franklin
14 Jul 2014
12:04:15pm
re: Member's Dogs
Every time I think about my canine companions who have passed away, I remember the lyrics to Mr. Bojangles (Jerry Jeff Walker, 1968):
"He spoke with tears of fifteen years how his dog him, he traveled about.
His dog up and died, he up and died,
After twenty years he still grieves,"
And every time I do, I choke up and also grieve.
My condolences - I truly know how you feel.
-Bobby
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01:27:42pm
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Every dog's death diminishes us all. So sad for your loss. What a lucky dog to be in a loving home for so long though.
Peter
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Kelly, please accept my condolences. Having lost a few dogs in my life, I can attest to the gaping hole they leave in our hearts.
Jack Russels are very popular here in Vancouver's West End. They are certainly dogs with attitude, and seem quite unaware that they are considerably smaller than, say, rottweilers! They bounce along the sidewalks with their masters, and seem to say with every step, "Watch out, I'm a Jack Russell! I don't need you or anyone! Now step aside!"
In my teens I became a member of the Presbyterian church, mainly because I liked the kids in their youth group better than the ones in the Methodist youth group, and there were more girls in the Presbyterian group. As you can tell, I was certainly a deep thinking young theologian!
Later, still in my teens, I was attending a Bible study class with the pastor. The question of dogs came up, and I was told that my dog, Smutsie, would not go to Heaven when he died, because dogs don't go to Heaven. Here's a picture of Smutsie, who was absolutely headed for Heaven! (There's another picture of Smutsie, posted earlier in this thread.)
I think that at that moment I started the process of not being a Presbyterian, or member of any other church. My experiences in Vietnam helped me to leave that church and all churches. And I know that, if there is a heaven, dogs go there. Even St. Peter wouldn't deny entry to a Jack Russell!
Bob
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Kelly, I am so sorry to hear of the loss of Sparky. Our pooches are waiting for us at the Rainbow Bridge. They are having fun and playing while they wait for us to join them. Maybe my Lobo and your Sparky are playing together there, and sharing tales to each other about us!
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Oh I can't begin to tell you how deeply I share your loss. There is no easy way to lose a companion pet. But, at least I know that they are waiting for us across the rainbow bridge. My forever boy, my schnauzer Darwin, is waiting there for me now. Sending you a big cyber hug (((((((Kelly))))))) from a fellow dog mom.
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15 Jul 2014
11:49:41pm
re: Member's Dogs
Thank you everyone, I appreciate your support.
We are doing ok because we know that Sparky had a good long life.
Dayton just looks lost. I had to go to the hospital today for follow-up so afterwards I stopped by my friend's place. She fostered Emmett (the apricot in my profile pic) before he went to school and she also took care of Dayton for 10 days when I had my surgery 3 weeks ago. He had a ball with the other three dogs. It was so nice to see him having fun. Then when I brought him home, he got that lost look on his face again. It's going to take some time for him - he keeps looking everywhere to see if we've hidden Sparky somewhere.
I know we've been through this twice already when it was Sparky looking for Cooper and Emmett after we lost them and it was heart-breaking to see him so lost and now to see Dayton so lost. We need to find him some friends because his three friends he used to play with all got recalled from foster care to go to school.
Thank you again (sorry for rambling).
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Dogs do grieve for their lost companions. Give him plenty of TLC. It will help him and you as well. He will come out of his grieving soon enough. For now, the house and your property is full of the scent of Sparky. Give him time. He'll be fine.
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Hi everyone, As you all can see, my life has gone to the dogs, we have three and if we have the land and funds,Cathy and I would have more. Years ago someone asked me why I love animals so much, "I answered They love us unconditionly, weather we are rich or poor as long as we treat them right and personally I get along with animals better then people because they don't" here's where you get to finish the sentence LOL. Larry
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Here is the post about our dogs.
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They who would give up essential Liberty, to purchase a little temporary Safety, deserve neither Liberty nor Safety. -Benjamin Franklin
27 Jan 2015
01:36:10pm
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New member of the family! Diana, 6 months old.
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Bobby,
what a great face; love the rams horn markings around the eyes and the great cowl. lovely girl. If only I could find a way to warm up to sheppies.
David
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Bobby, great pics. Looks like you have her spoiled already (which is a good thing)!
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We lost TJ AKA- Teddy, Ted last fall. Still miss him everyday. Ted was a Cockapoo and was originally acquired because my youngest daughter was afraid of dogs. Doctor's advice? Get her a dog. And that worked. She's loved dogs since and has her own now.
Ted went through phases in his life, as to who was his person. Early on he was my daughter's dog. After she went off to college he sided up to my wife. Once we moved from NJ to PA and I started working from the house, he became my buddy. He was 14, nearly 15.
And my favorite photo of Ted and I! It's actually my FaceBook avatar. This is a photo from the best day of our life! I had just secured a great career opportunity that took us to PA, bought a super house with the pool, and this photo was during a big family party that was both our Housewarming Party and my younger daughter's College Graduation Party! No day has beat this one yet!
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We suddenly lost our brown lab, Brandy, tonight. Either a heart attack or stroke. She was 9.
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That's sad news. 9 is way too young for a lab. You would expect at least 12 - 14 years. Sorry for your loss!
Lars
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I am sorry Michael; hate when we lose our friends
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Sorry to hear that Michael. Brown or (chocolate) labs are always beautiful
But to add....this resurrected thread brought up a picture I don't remember seeing. Yeah, Tom, hope you and pooch are enjoying the pool
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Very sad, sorry for your loss, Michael.
I have a 15 year old border collie/red healer mix that I know the time is coming. My hide's tough as boot leather, but I'll be crying like a baby when he goes.
Just remember, "All Dogs go to Heaven".
WB
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Thanks. It was the suddenness of it that shocked us. She was acting normal all day until right before supper time. She wouldn't get up to go eat with the other dogs. We knew something wasn't right. We took her to the emergency animal hospital as quickly as we could. About ten minutes after talking with the vet they told us that she was going into cardiac arrest. She was never the healthiest of dogs. My wife told them to let her go as peacefully as possible.
She did enjoy chasing and playing with balls more so than any dog I have seen. Even last night I was tossing a ball with her. Tonight I look behind my chair and her big pillow is empty. I believe that she is back playing again with my Akita, Lobo. He's the dog pictured in my avatar. They are both in the field near the Rainbow Bridge waiting for us.
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WB....
"All dogs go to heaven..."
I'm not 100% sure of that.
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As things calmed down, my wife reminded me that today was the dog's birthday. She had turned just 8. We usually treat the birthday dog to a special evening of grooming, treats and extra attention at the expense of the other dogs. We forgot about all that during the trauma of the dog being fine all day, and then gone so suddenly a couple of hours later. The dog passed much too early. Our other two dogs have lost a sister, and they are feeling the absence as well. (Sorry for rambling about this.)
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I feel your pain Michael, loving something that death can touch is heartbreaking.
My mother was a renowned Borzoi breeder when I was growing up; being large dogs that needed lots of running room meant maintaining a kennel and I became kennel boy. This was ‘Mickey’, a dog that I bonded to from the time he was a puppy and we grew up together.
But large dogs often do not live as long as the smaller breeds and so my wife and I decide to keep a pet which lives a bit longer. Very much a different kind of pet relationship but just as endearing and engaging.
Don
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Michael - so sorry for your loss.
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Michael,
it's a great relief to have a dog go quickly and I am thankful Brandy went quickly and your decision to let her go was so clear cut.
David
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""All dogs go to heaven..."
I'm not 100% sure of that."
Ernie, that is so sad! From the day they're born to the day they die, dogs are like children! Even if they become a hound from hell, it's not their fault.
WB
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Cody - A beloved greyhound
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WB... you're right. Dogs behavior = owner's treatment and training.
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Maddy & Cleo - Mother - Bull Mastiff, Great Dane (Cross) - Father Maremma (Pure)
Probably conceived when I was looking after my friends horses, dogs and chickens whilst they were on holiday!
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Ever since I can remember I've thought dogs to be the best things in life. I've had and loved everything from Tea Cup Poodles to Dobermans. My favorites are probably German Shepherds and Labradors. Here are a couple picks of my last pack. Unfortunately 3 of 4 have died within the last year and a half. The only survivor is the female Shepherd at left then right respectively but she is more my wife's dog. It's hard to choose but probably the best dogs I ever had are the Male shepherd and male Lab in the front of the top photo and a Red Doberman that preceded them. I really need to get out and get another dog which would probably be a male Chocolate Lab.
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This is Dixie. She is a Boxer/Beagle mix according to DNA but where did the White eyes come from?
She was born in a shelter, and spent her first two years being transferred from one shelter to the next. About a year ago, she found us and we're so lucky she did.
Of course, being caged all her life makes her almost impossible to catch if she gets free. At least she doesn't try to dig out of the fenced yard. We've had her for a little over a year now and have been taught all her tricks so she doesn't get away anymore.
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Mikey, I must say that this is the most striking photograph of a dog that I have ever seen.
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Thank you but I can't take the credit. It was shot by the people at the local SPCA. When I get my camera out she turns her butt to me and looks around at me.
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