Absolute thanks to everyone it’s lifted my spirits! Regarding another dog, this will have been our 4th in 25 years or so (we had 2 labs together at one point) I must admit, I’m just not sure which way to go? Regarding the slobbering and dribbling? It was incredible we had a large head square of my Mums and he wore it like a neckerchief? Not all the time TBH but it was almost a necessity? The constant battle with dog snot everywhere, I likened it to painting the Forth Road Bridge when decorating? Would I put up with it all again? You bet!
Let the dust settle for a while before you do anything. You can now have a bit of freedom for awhile and be able to do things like go on holiday and be away from the house for more than an hour. Decorate your house and have a clean car ! Dogs are a big tie emotionally and financially so a good rest will be in order. In the summer you can decide what you want to do. Avoid all facebook groups on St bernards ! I give myself five months till I crack and get another one.
Funnily enough, I’ve just been speaking with the kennels we use? Our holiday plans for the year included booking the kennels? Three seperate £50 deposits and the weekend of the Spring rally in full. They have a policy of no refunds but they loved Bear and have kept the account open, we asked for our daughters two cats booking to be paid out of our account and the balance to be used as we want? They were happy to do this, fair play!
Our first black lab “buddy” passed away at 13 years, we said no more now? 3 months later we bought two black labs! Bear came along while we still had one of those guys and for a while there were two dogs still? Really not sure what the future may hold? I did smile though when you mentioned decorating and a clean car!
My thoughts exactly Roadie, thank you for your post from one COG to another today has gone well, considering, helped by all you folk that have posted? I can assure everyone that it is appreciated, cliche I know but a problem shared is a problem halved?
So sorry to hear of your loss, I’ve been there when my lovely border collie died of cancer of the liver. Your dog had a great home and was loved, some never have that. Remember the good times.
When we lost our first German Shepherd to cancer I was absolutely devastated and didn’t think I could ever have another but then after a week I couldn’t stand not having one around the house. Two weeks after that I had picked out a pup from a litter and before we knew it we had another crazy ball of fur running around the house creating chaos. Couldn’t have been happier! He’s just turned 9 years old and still very much a puppy at heart. There’s just something indescribable about the bond between dog and owner. Mine knows when I’m upset about something and will come and give me the dog equivalent of a hug. He also likes to be involved with DIY projects although that tends to involve just getting in the way! It’s hard to be mad at him though. I usually end up laughing.
I decided this morning to try a “dogless” walk? I didn’t realise how hard this would be? First off, I met several friends with their dogs out on the usual woodland/fields walk, Bears favourite! Obviously I had to explain what had happened, which wasn’t easy? Whilst walking along, deep in my own thoughts I found these
He used to lightly drag one of his back legs, hence the elongated imprint? Then my wife had put something on Facebook with this
This one was only last week? He was in his element!
Then she put this on,
The big fella when he was small(er) 9 weeks old, we’d just got him?
Cropduster, what a story? I came on here to get the loss of my dog, off my chest so to speak? Yours, and others own stories make one realise that we’re not on our own? We all go through this heartache at some time? I don’t know how I’d deal with bringing him home and then having to take him back for the inevitable? Awful though it was, Bear went in as an emergency and stayed in?
You’ve hit the nail on the head there cropduster? Quality of life is important for us all. My last lab, Bill, had cancerous tumours on his front right foot/leg? This wasn’t going away and initial advice was amputation? This wouldn’t have stopped the spread and he would have become a tripod? At almost 12 years old he wasn’t the best at walking on four legs, let alone three! He’d had his tail taken off for similar ( looked more like a Rottweiler) and enough was enough. Hard as it was, we made that decision. Now, we look back fondly at him and his antics? All our dogs were boys and their names began with B. Buddy, Bill and Ben, Bear
Thanks for sharing your experience with us all. Wish you well.
Lovely looking dog! Many Tears is actually not far from where I work. I’ve heard people complain about how ‘tight’ they are with releasing dogs, but that is a good thing in my eyes, ensuring the right home for the right dog etc.
Sadly, those dogs, at 5-6 years old are entering the autumn of their lives? It would break my heart ( again) to have one for only maybe 2-3 years and then go through it all again! Today, I feel like getting another one right now? We’re going to wait and see how things go though? Maybe next week?
Can’t help thinking that we are all sharing stories about the loss of pets while all of us will no doubt have lost friends or members of our families and we keep quiet about that.
My family has had some difficult times over the past few years, I won’t go into that here but I found a short video on the BBC website recently that has helped.
Whether you have lost a much loved pet or a member of your family or even to prepare yourself for the future I recommend that you watch this video.
