it’s bad. What keeps me coming back is I always need a friend and to know I’m going to give a dog a good life instead of in a cage somewhere or not taken care of. They cherish every minute with us and once you mourn I hope you get back in the game to allow another great soul to have a great life enjoying every minute of it.
I am sorry for the pain and heartache that you are experiencing. It would not hurt so much if not for the joy and unconditional love they give. Also way to young. I hope that you find some comfort in knowing you gave him a wonderful life.
I have been having weird epiphanies, like that I have lived with that dog longer at 17 years than I have with any member of my family or my wife or anyone and it isn't exactly close.
Grief is the price we pay for love, whether it be for humans or beloved pets. Sorry to be hearing the sad doggo news from members here. Been through this before with my childhood lab and we have another lab who is 14 now that likely will cross the Rainbow Road anytime within the next year. It sucks knowing their presence is gone and really forces you to take stock of the time that has passed and the things that have changed throughout your life during the lifetime of your dog. Fortunately I’ve personally found the stage of grieving for a lost dog to be intense, yet brief compared to when losing a loved human relative/friend. The sadness of a lost dog starts to be replaced by both gratitude for the times shared and happy uniting memories that is like music to the ears whenever you are and your family recall on moments spent with an old beloved family dog. Like people have expressed here already, dogs leaving us gives other dogs behind them a shot at receiving a lifetime of love and care from a good human. The world would be a lot darker of a place without the love and compassion of a dog
I’m sorry, hate it for you and NYY both. Didn’t have dogs growing up so I haven’t felt what you’re feeling now, but I have one now and I know one day when he’s gone it will break me. So I’m not speaking from experience, but I think even if it is incredibly painful you’ve got to remember how incredible your time together was and that even if the pain is an inescapable cost of that love that it’s still worth paying the cost as many times as you can in one lifetime.
So sorry for your loss, NYY. I know the pain you're experiencing (and IP). I always try to focus on the great life you gave them while together. There's nothing quite like unconditional love.
Shuler's current sole purpose in life is to get the mockingbird that lives in the tree just outside of our backyard.
Picked up tiny, bony scared runt of the litter Lenny 11 years ago. He’s made me smile every day and as most will recall, his 3 weeks lost in the woods when he was 6 months old turned him into a badass. Sweetest dog ever, but way too smart. Living by the woods, he still hunts everyday in the yard. Just the animals we have found, he’s up to over 50 kills of rabbits, moles, squirrels, chipmunks. I don’t know why rabbits choose our beds around the house to burrow in. Really bad idea. We had Stevie prior for only a few months, who was taken in a tragic accident. I was crushed and didn’t want to get back in. Then Lenny came into our lives and was my best bud during rough times and now my travel buddy. Things happen in life. We have to get back in the game. I hope you who have gone thru loss of your friend get back in the game soon. I don’t know what I would’ve done without Lenny the last decade. I don’t know if I woulda made it tbh.
yeah thanks for asking he’s good as far as we know. Just had a memory pop up and recalled how sad our house was before we got him. He was all skin and bones. When my wife was sick, Eddie didn’t leave her side and Lenny didn’t leave mine.