Posted on 12/13/2001 12:07:14 PM PST by Flyer
I want a puppy for Christmas!
Okay, I don't really want a puppy for Christmas. Yes, I do want a puppy, but not quite yet. My last three dogs have come into my life as adults. I haven't had the joy (and aggravation) of raising a puppy since 1986.
I had four dogs until just a couple of years ago.I had to put one to sleep due to trauma injuries, and another that was old with failing health. A third I put to sleep just about six weeks ago. She had severe spondylosis, but lived 3 - 4 years longer than the vets had expected. I cherished every extra day we had together.
I have mentioned here before that I used to work with dogs (and cats), up until a year ago. I worked at an animal shelter for 3 years, a veterinarian for 6 years and 2 years at a first class boarding kennel. During those eleven years I touched the lives of about 10,000 different dogs. That's not an exaggeration. I crossed paths with about 100,000 dogs, but I'm just counting ones I, in some way, have touched their lives. (yes, much of this was from the work at the shelter. We took in 35 - 40,000 animals a year) Of the ten thousand there were probably 500 that I knew very well from seeing them over and over at the vet and the boarding kennel. I loved them as my own dogs and they loved me as their own 'person'.
My new puppy will be a Golden Retriever named Re-Boot, in hopes of filling the shoes (paws?) of the Golden I recently lost. My remaining dog is a Golden and yes, they are my favorite breed. There any many other breeds I like, though. Border Collies are very smart and I will probably have one some day. Corgi's have taken a piece of my heart, too. I will probably never own a Standard Poodle but they are very fun dogs once you get to know them. Over the years it was quite an experience spotting the common traits in the different breeds.
I want a puppy for Christmas. So why don't I get one?? Raising a puppy properly requires time and money. The time I have now. The money - I don't. So I will wait. My puppy will be there when I am ready. (and please reconsider if you are thinking of giving a pet as a Christmas gift - but that's a chapter in itself)
So why am I posting this frivolous little story? Because I hope to get the attention of all of you that read these animal threads and ask a favor of you. Lately Tabitha Soren has been a pest on these innocent, "G" rated animal threads. I want to ask you to join me and just ignore her and not give her the dignity of a reply. I know, she gets us all PO'ed, but if we just ignore her she will lose the satisfaction of the attention she gets, and she won't have replies to reply to.
BTW. . . post your pet stories here and we won't let this warm and fuzzy thread get hijacked!
Merry Christmas,
Flyer and Gilligan
Yeah, I love it when people talk about how smart cats are. I had a one ton Ford pickup and in the winter the tires would warm up when I drove around. The cat would perch on top of the rear wheels and go to sleep. One day he didn't wake up - for good. The neighbor also had one that would climb inside the engine compartment and sleep somewhere in there. It was warm I guess. He made a lot of noise rattling around under the hood when I started my truck up. It didn't kill him. He'd run away anytime I pulled into the driveway after that. Hmmm, maybe they are somewhat smart.
Is there any other kind?
The two dogs other than my Goldens were mutts, uh. . . mixed breed. Wouldn't have traded them for the world.
I guess I'll stick to cats. :-)
I just spent around $400 having my dogs' knee rebuilt.
Shadow is worth every penny of it. She's an 8 year old, 100 lb. Black Lab/Norwegian Elkhound mix and recovering very nicely. You couldn't ask for a more friendly and laid back dog.
After the initial howling, she became quite happy again. Its amazing how artisitic a dog can be when blood flys out of the chopped off end of its happily wagging tail.
Anyone here know a little about the shorthairs?
prambo
Now you're talkin'!
Labrapoodle. (A Lab with an Identity crisis)
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