My Best Friend

Started by Dan, October 25, 2010, 07:48:27 AM

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Dan

Quote from: Elfie on October 25, 2010, 02:42:25 PMYou have been spotted, and when you and your special friend finally meet, you cling together in joyous reunion, never to be parted again. The happy kisses rain upon your face; your hands again caress the beloved head, and you look once more into the trusting eyes of your pet, so long gone from your life but never absent from your heart.

Then you cross Rainbow Bridge together....

Thanks Elfie. That is a beautiful thought. Sounds like heaven to me so I guess that could be the way it works.
If you believe big government is the solution then you are a liberal. If you believe big government is the problem then you are a conservative.

Dan

Quote from: Solar on October 25, 2010, 02:53:44 PMIf those aren't reasons to celebrate the life they shared with us, I don't know what is.

You said it all right there buddy. I know my life was better for having shared it with my puppy.
If you believe big government is the solution then you are a liberal. If you believe big government is the problem then you are a conservative.

Elfie

Quote from: Dan on October 26, 2010, 06:43:57 AM
Thanks Elfie. That is a beautiful thought. Sounds like heaven to me so I guess that could be the way it works.
You're welcome.....I like to think it works that way.....
One day soon you'll be able to look at pics n smile...... I promise.
;)
Nature is an infinite sphere of which the center is everywhere and the circumference nowhere.
Blaise Pascal

Solar

Elfie is right Dan, I lost my best friend Heidi a year ago, and though I still miss her more than anything in the World, I smile every time I think about her.

Though I must admit, I tear up just posting this, but mostly because of all the happy times we spent together, not so much the sadness of my loss.
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Dan

Quote from: Solar on October 26, 2010, 08:41:21 AM
Elfie is right Dan, I lost my best friend Heidi a year ago, and though I still miss her more than anything in the World, I smile every time I think about her.

Though I must admit, I tear up just posting this, but mostly because of all the happy times we spent together, not so much the sadness of my loss.

I'm so sorry chief. Although we've talked a lot, I never knew about your loss.
If you believe big government is the solution then you are a liberal. If you believe big government is the problem then you are a conservative.

Dan

Quote from: Elfie on October 26, 2010, 08:29:59 AM
You're welcome.....I like to think it works that way.....
One day soon you'll be able to look at pics n smile...... I promise.
;)

Also I'm having her creamated and I am going to plant a live oak tree in a great spot and put her ashes in the the bottom of the hole. That way I can go out to the tree whenever I want to talk to her. In my opinion it's way better than a headstone and conventional grave. It's what I'm going to do for myself as well.

And sometimes I can look at the pics and smile. Other times I look at them and I want to cry like a baby. Seems to come and go with more than a little unpredictability right now.
If you believe big government is the solution then you are a liberal. If you believe big government is the problem then you are a conservative.

Elfie

Quote from: Dan on October 26, 2010, 09:01:42 AM
Also I'm having her creamated and I am going to plant a live oak tree in a great spot and put her ashes in the the bottom of the hole. That way I can go out to the tree whenever I want to talk to her. In my opinion it's way better than a headstone and conventional grave. It's what I'm going to do for myself as well.

And sometimes I can look at the pics and smile. Other times I look at them and I want to cry like a baby. Seems to come and go with more than a little unpredictability right now.
I got some great pics of my girl... Now she is very old and very sick.   When I lost my first bestest friend, we had her cremated to.  Went up the creek n put her in at her fav fishin hole..... her buddy is going with Himself, he wants her  to be with him and do pretty much like you are planning. 
My old girl now,,,,We'll just call her clunkerbut,lol. She will come with me..., ayep,,,  right now, she's fightin like a big dog and to stubborn,so we pretty much hang out.  It's the worst....but,well shoot, it just plain is.
Nature is an infinite sphere of which the center is everywhere and the circumference nowhere.
Blaise Pascal

Solar

Quote from: Dan on October 26, 2010, 08:59:28 AM
I'm so sorry chief. Although we've talked a lot, I never knew about your loss.
I found a puppy down in the creek while mining, it was a Lassie story, "Lassie says Timmy is stuck in the well" moment, so I went to see why she kept bugging me to see what was wrong, I walked downstream about a 1/4 mile, and up on a short cliff above the water, was a puppy, I thought it was a bear cub at first, but it turned out to be a 10 week old Great Pyrenees mix.

We brought him home and since no one would claim him so we kept him, long story short, she raised him as if it were her own, they were inseparable, he adored her to no end.
When she died, a week later, he literally died of a broken heart.
I buried them together.

For the first time in decades, I was without a dog in my life, I was totally lost.
I replaced them quite quickly with a Wolf hybrid, sweet, but dumb as a box of rocks.

I May never find another like her again, but I'll keep searching, and I know it will have to be another true German Shepard, not this screwed up American bred crap, they're great, but the health issues they've bred into them should be illegal.
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Dan

I'm not going to get another dog for a while. Just doesn't feel right. But when it does I don't know if it will ever be the same. Between her illnesses and all the things I was going through both personally and professionally I just don't know if the bond could ever be duplicated.

I think part of the reason I am reluctant to get another dog even after some time has passed is the concern that it just won't be the same.
If you believe big government is the solution then you are a liberal. If you believe big government is the problem then you are a conservative.

Elfie

The best way is to have one fall into your lap.  Although with my bestest girl,,,we talked n talked about getting one. Our friends husky had a liter of pups so we went n looked.... sure enough she picked me. I was in no way serious about getting one.... with her I learned what "she picked you" meant.  Her buddy got left behind by one of my brothers. they were 6 months apart both husky half breeds. Smart as whips and double the trouble when they started thinking.   Clunkerbutt, well after we lost my girl, the other was looking lost n  lonely,,,so happened the newspaper came. I read the story after Himself showed me... Right then I knew she was mine. had to jump thru some hoops and they told me she was going to another couploe. I told the lady ok, but you'll call me tom orrow and I will come get her.... they lady was oh I am sooo sorry you are feeling tbhis way. I giggled. That night Tash had a massive coronary. An hour or so after we got calmed down and back from the vet the phone rang....sure enough, it was the lady......could I come get clunkerbut.....went from extreme intellect to puppy stupid in less then 12 hours....
Ya just never know til it hits you in the face..... Different is good,,,,,,you have learned so much all ready.  One day,,, it'll smack ya and and another chapter will start,lol.
Nature is an infinite sphere of which the center is everywhere and the circumference nowhere.
Blaise Pascal

Solar

You're absolutely right Dan, it never will be the same, but it will be in it's own right, equally as good.
But whatever you do, make sure the breed, or mix, fits your need for that time in your life.

I've been lucky, all the dogs I've had go through my life, were perfect for the time.

If you decide not to get one, you will be leaving a void in your life, that only a puppy can fill. ;)
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Shooterman

Dan, I don't know but what she may have looked like this. If not, enjoy anyway. He is the biggest.

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Dan

Quote from: Shooterman on October 26, 2010, 12:37:57 PM
Dan, I don't know but what she may have looked like this. If not, enjoy anyway. He is the biggest.



Her daddy was a tall, muscular 200 lbs. No fat. The one time in my life I ever felt truly intimidated by a dog. But he was a sweet lap dog type who just wanted attention. Her mother was more lean and tall. My puppy was the runt of the litter. I seem to pick runts for some reason. I did it with both dogs I own. Anyway, she was sickly growing up because of her thyroid and adrenal glands shutting down at 7 or 8 months and all the digestive and immune problems that resulted. And since it took a dozen different vets and about a year to find the real problem, she was sick for a big part of her growing period. As a result, she was on the smaller end of things. When she was healthy she would range between 120-125 lbs. As she became sick and was less active she lost a lot of muscle. She was only about 80 lbs when she passed. Basically she was the size of a big labrador retriever with taller, leaner features. But thanks for the photo. He is a beauty. I love great danes, but I'm not sure if I will get another one. I'm kinda thinking that if I can semi-retire in 2 or 3 years then I might try to do a little small scale farming. Plant a few acres. Get some chickens and a few cows. If I do something like that then I may go for a working dog like a Lacy Dog. Or heck, I just might get one of each. It's too early to know what I will want in the future right now. Safe to say I'm at least a couple years out from getting anything. It just doesn't feel right to even think about it seriously now.
If you believe big government is the solution then you are a liberal. If you believe big government is the problem then you are a conservative.

Dan

Quote from: Solar on October 26, 2010, 11:09:47 AM
You're absolutely right Dan, it never will be the same, but it will be in it's own right, equally as good.
But whatever you do, make sure the breed, or mix, fits your need for that time in your life.

I've been lucky, all the dogs I've had go through my life, were perfect for the time.

If you decide not to get one, you will be leaving a void in your life, that only a puppy can fill. ;)

I agree. Gotta match the dog with the lifestyle. Believe it or not, Great Danes are great house dogs and can even easily live in an apartment. So long as you give them good, regular exercise 3 or 4 times per week (a little more when they are younger) then they will do fine in a small space. Their big things are that they love being close to people, they are generally one owner dogs and they don't tolerate the heat well. I would never turn a Great Dane into an outside dog in a hot climate like the south.
If you believe big government is the solution then you are a liberal. If you believe big government is the problem then you are a conservative.

Dan

Quote from: Elfie on October 26, 2010, 10:51:22 AM
The best way is to have one fall into your lap. 

I hear what you're saying Elfie, but with breeds like Great Danes it probably makes more sense to be very deliberate. I love my Great Dane that just passed and I wouldn't trade her for anything, but I made the mistake of buying a dog from an unqualified breeder. Sure the animals were registered and they took good care of their animals, but in extreme breeds the congenital defects can be severe and must be managed by dilligent screening and disciplined breeding programs that span several generations. Thyriod & adrenal glands shutting down. Heart problems. Eye problems. Wobbler's disease. Hip Displaysia. Severe multi-site arthtris. These are all very common congenital defects that occur in Great Danes. The best way to buy a Dane is to find a well-respected show breeder who can tell you about a breeding process that involves screening for 5 or 6 generations back for congenital health problems. Nothing is a guarantee, but if I know the dog's ancestors have checked clear for the big problems going back several generations then my odds are a lot better. So the trick is to buy a pet quality puppy from a show breeder. It will cost ballpark of $1,500 as opposed to some guy putting a boy and a girl dog together and calling himself a breeder who will charge $600-$800, but the odds are better on the health risks. And if you take the wellfare of your animal seriously then you are talking about a lot of cash. I probably spent $500 for my dog and $15,000 in lifetime vet bills. I just didn't know what I was doing at the time. But looking back I could have bought a top flight show prospect and paid a fraction of the vet bills and come out about the same financially.
If you believe big government is the solution then you are a liberal. If you believe big government is the problem then you are a conservative.