Posted on 06/08/2009 1:06:12 PM PDT by dervish
My best friend of 16 years died Thursday.
She was an Obedience Champion, #1 in her Breed in 2003 AKC, she had a Utility degree and OTCH points before arthritis took her out of competition. She knew about fifty words/expressions, she could swim like a mini tugbout, catch a frisby on the fly, retrieve anything with all her heart, climb a ladder, bark on command, drop food on command, find hidden objects on command, do the Schutzhund arm hold, and many other feats.
She heeled perfectly off leash on Manhattan streets and parks recognizing the need to stop at every curb and ignoring dogs, squirrels and other distractions.
She was affectionately called a 'play machine'. She loved kids, people, other dogs (especially un-neutered males), and had a bark I named the call of the wild.
She will be dearly missed and always remembered.
I’m very sorry to hear of the loss of your beloved friend.
Sounds like you were a good master.
You weren’t the only one who was lucky.
I’m sorry to hear about the loss of your wonderful companion.
>>It’s surprising how often a loss like this hurts more than a human bereavement.<<
So true. In the past two years I’ve lost a pet and a good friend, both young. I can’t fight the truth: the pet hurt worse. Hang in there, Dervish. There’s someone else out there who needs your friendship.
Feel your loss, my “Digger” a blue Heeler female died
from diabetes last year, raised her from a pup.
I will never forget the first time I got down on the floor
with her and put my forearms flat on the floor in a play
posture, she went crazy running in circles barking like mad,
as if to say,
“He speaks my language. He speaks my language!”.
Time is the best healer
Be well.
This is why I always have TWO dogs, one is a backup dog.
Only have one now a Jack Russel named “shorty” but may get a pup/young dog to keep him company before too long.
My best to you.
Tet68
I’m sorry for your loss, dervish.
Every now and again, you come to know a truly great animal.
While I’m not what you’d call an “animal guy”, we adopted a Van Cat named Fat Mike and he’s better than every other cat we’ve had combined.
I cherish that corpulent, pushy bastard every day.
Love what you have while you have it, then sustain the memories.
Any pictures?
Sorry for your loss. Your best friend is painfree, running with friends and relatives and waiting for you at the rainbow bridge.
I am so sorry for your loss. Sounds like she was a wonderful pet.
Don’t know if you’ve ever seen this but Senator Vest
said it best.
“He guards the sleep of his pauper master as though he were
a prince.”
George Graham Vest (1830-1904) served as U.S. Senator from Missouri from 1879 to 1903 and became one of the leading orators and debaters of his time. This delightful speech is from an earlier period in his life when he practiced law in a small Missouri town. It was given in court while representing a man who sued another for the killing of his dog. During the trial, Vest ignored the testimony, but when his turn came to present a summation to the jury, he made the following speech and won the case.
Gentlemen of the Jury: The best friend a man has in the world may turn against him and become his enemy. His son or daughter that he has reared with loving care may prove ungrateful. Those who are nearest and dearest to us, those whom we trust with our happiness and our good name may become traitors to their faith. The money that a man has, he may lose. It flies away from him, perhaps when he needs it most. A man’s reputation may be sacrificed in a moment of ill-considered action. The people who are prone to fall on their knees to do us honor when success is with us, may be the first to throw the stone of malice when failure settles its cloud upon our heads.
The one absolutely unselfish friend that man can have in this selfish world, the one that never deserts him, the one that never proves ungrateful or treacherous is his dog. A man’s dog stands by him in prosperity and in poverty, in health and in sickness. He will sleep on the cold ground, where the wintry winds blow and the snow drives fiercely, if only he may be near his master’s side. He will kiss the hand that has no food to offer. He will lick the wounds and sores that come in encounters with the roughness of the world. He guards the sleep of his pauper master as if he were a prince. When all other friends desert, he remains. When riches take wings, and reputation falls to pieces, he is as constant in his love as the sun in its journey through the heavens.
If fortune drives the master forth, an outcast in the world, friendless and homeless, the faithful dog asks no higher privilege than that of accompanying him, to guard him against danger, to fight against his enemies. And when the last scene of all comes, and death takes his master in its embrace and his body is laid away in the cold ground, no matter if all other friends pursue their way, there by the graveside will the noble dog be found, his head between his paws, his eyes sad, but open in alert watchfulness, faithful and true even in death.
George Graham Vest - c. 1855
I am so sorry to hear this and my heart goes out to you.
(((hugs)))
I am so sorry. It is such grief. My vet told me when I put my best friend down, that dogs had short life spans so that we could know many more dogs.
My best friend has been gone for over two years, but I still think and talk about her regularly even though I have two other great dogs in my life now.
Rainbowbridge.com is a great site for grieving anipals.
Sorry for your loss,my shep-lab mutt died a couple of years ago at age 14.I still think about her everyday.
I prefer most dogs to most people. Very sorry for your loss.
So very sorry for your loss.
Sorry about your loss the death of a companion is difficult. I lost my Boykin Spaniel-”Bailey” the night before Thanksgiving five years ago-it’s made every Thanksgiving since then very difficult. We’ve got a Brittany (Sloan) and I’ve adopted another Boykin Spaniel from Boykin Spaniel rescue (Kojak)-but there will always be a special place in my heart for Bailey
Here’s an intriguing thought. Humans are able to speak because of a strange variation in a particular gene, shared by many animals. Only humans have this variation. However, recently, scientists manipulated mice to have this particular variation as well, and noticed that their squeaks became deeper, longer and more complex.
Imagine what might happen were this gene variation to be put in dogs?
Perhaps in a few years we might find out. And while it is unlikely that dogs will be able to fully speak, it’s not unreasonable that they might be able to intentionally whine or bark in a particular way, to indicate a particular thing. In a consistent manner.
Just six words could change everything: yes, no, come, hungry, tired, pain.
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