How much is that doggie in the window?

**Hosakawa Tito** · 02-12-2005, 00:54

When our last beloved dog died 4 years ago, my wife and I were so emotionally upset that we agreed to never have another. Even as kids we both always had at least one dog in our lives, and suffered the pain of loss when they died or had to be put down. You would think the process would get easier and one would learn to handle/cope with it better through experience. For us anyway that was not the case. That big dumb lovable ox, Apollo was a huge 180lb. Rottweiler, just broke our hearts when we had to put him down because of a cancerous tumor in his nasal passage.

Anyway, my wife has been kind of hinting that she might, just maybe, like to have another dog. So I'm going to take the plunge, again, and get us a Rottweiler pup from a breeder I know, and give it to her on Valentines Day. Man, the cat ain't gonna like this.

**Mouzafphaerre** · 02-12-2005, 04:21

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Give the cat a bird!
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**Devastatin Dave** · 02-12-2005, 05:23

My dog, Mrs Hunny, died a few months back and I still haven't got over it. Its effected my life in a way I can't explain.
Tim, Mouzafphaerre actually brings up a good suggestion whether he meant to or not. Have you ever considered a Cockatoo? You might want to look into it. The Umbrella Cockatoo is extremely friendly, especially if you hand feed it as a chick. They are very long-lived, even over 70 years!!! When I worked in a Pet Store we hand raised one name Precious. It was the sweetest thing, very friendly and lovely. Now, they are not very cheap, but the fact that they live so long and give so much love is worth every penny. I love the two dog's I have, but I hate that most dog's live 10 to 12 years at the most. Just something to consider.

**Uesugi Kenshin** · 02-12-2005, 05:55

One dog everyone might want to consider is a female Chesapeake Bay Retriever, they are very homey and never wander. We let ours roam free and it has never run off. The males are much more territorial though and you might not want them, they may wander as well I don't know I only know about the female ones. They are great swimmers and very nice, they are used as bird dogs and I think are somewhat more obedient than the average dog. Ours is great.....
Good luck with the new puppy!

**Beirut** · 02-12-2005, 07:17

My love, my life, my dog. "Beirut"

I'll go through women like t-shits but I can only have one dog. And he is gone and that is it for me. I would feel like if I got another I would be... ungrateful, for having him in the first place.

I spent thirteen years with my good ol' Lab/Newfie mix in a cabin in the woods, had him when he was barely eight weeks old and he died in my arms a lifetime later. Replacing him is simply not an option.

But that's me. By all means get the puppy. If the dog makes he both of you happy then that is perfect.

I stand by my signature.

**Orda Khan** · 02-12-2005, 13:12

Very moving Beirut.....and a testament to the unconditional love we get from our dogs. Not called 'man's best friend' for nothing.

Truly though, loving another dog does not make you less loyal or devoted to the one that has passed away and it is possible to love and to love again. We become so attached as humans and the heart break [ that is afterall innevitable ] tears us apart.

Tito, I think that's a wonderful idea and I'm sure she will be overjoyed. As a St Valentine's Day puppy would his prospective name be ROMEO by any chance?

.......Orda

**Kraellin** · 02-12-2005, 17:40

as a kid, we always had a dog. we went through quite a few, from labs to pointers to blond cockers and of course, mutts. but the string ended after we got this mix of beagle and dauschand (sp?). we named the dog 'Socks' for his white paws. he was smallish and a mix of colors, browns and reds and whites and short haired. but his impact on our family was remarkable. this was the most intelligent dog we'd ever owned, though i shld prolly amend that to 'that owned us'. he was quite simply put, people. he knew more tricks than some of my brothers and sisters and had a way of getting anything he wanted.

at the dinner table he would go around the table and beg. he'd move to one person and 'sit up'. but he didnt do this in the conventional dog manner. he'd get up on his back legs and then 'sit' on his haunches with this front paws up in the traditional begging form. if and when that person wouldnt cough anything up, he'd move a few spaces over and try again. inevitably, he always got something, sometimes more than some of us at the table ;)

he was barred from the living room, which was carpetted and warm, but would lay down at the entryway in the kitchen, which was linoleum and colder, with just his front paws in the living room. he'd then inch his way forward onto the carpet bit by bit until he was all the way onto the carpet. invariably, my mother would catch him and say in a semi-scolding manner, 'Socks!?', and he'd slink back onto the linoleum....for a while. when my mother was no longer paying any attention, it would start all over again.

if he was outside and wanted in, he would 'knock' on the door. this usually involved simply jumping up on the screen door which would make an appropriately loud noise and be let in. to go out, he'd do the same thing on the inner wood door, or paw it with his toenails.

he was not a 'fighting' dog. he never picked a fight with other dogs, but he also never backed down if one started up with him. i've seen him chase full grown, pure bred german shepherds out of the yard when the shepherd was feeling a bit antagonistic.

as he grew, his territory expanded and he had several girl friends around the neighborhood. one in particularl he seemed quite fond of and would bring her home occaisionally to 'meet the family'. we were always duly impressed. and to this day we have no true idea of how many pups he sired.

Socks was family. no dog had ever infected or affected our entire family quite so much. when he passed it truly was like losing a family member, and to this day, 40 years later, if you talk about or show a picture of him to my mother, she'll well up in tears, get a bit choked, and start recounting all of his virtues. she's also never owned a dog since, except once when a brother had to get rid of his and left it with my folks.

pets can be amazing and affect us much more than we realize at times. Socks was one of those pets.

K.