Bloody dogs!
I imagine many of us here have mangy mutts, along with the ups and downs that go with them.
A few weeks back, this regal old girl who had been a part of the family for 15 years, reached the end of her journey.
Happy to the end, she had a large tumour in her right ear and another behind her left eye which brought partial blindness and we got the vet out to our house.
As with my other old fella, she deserved nothing less than to have me there holding her to the end.
Shed been a marvelous kids dog, endless patience and her weapon against over-exuberant kids was lavish use of her tongue and increasingly oderous breath. Hard to beat a staffy on any of these points! Im not really as upset as I expected, more pleased that she never lost her dignity (incontinence) and lived a contented and happy life us mere humans could only dream of.
Now this ratbag has appeared on the scene
We (having more than a couple of anklebiters) have always been a 2 dog family, and this guy who was the underdog now has to take on the role of keeping the pup in line-
He enjoys getting the swags out for a camp, but tends to like burying himself right down at your feet, great for keeping your feet warm but less than helpful if theres any grizzly bears or hyenas around.
MattMiller
Posts: 4171
Date Joined: 15/06/09
Sad to hear
about your loss but looks like you've got some great replacements.
Here's my American x English Staffy Mako.
cuthbad
Posts: 1266
Date Joined: 22/04/09
very sorry to hear it
sorry to hear it mate, like you said things could have gone worse.
Best of luck with the new one learning the roped and becoming part of the family!
smash
Posts: 434
Date Joined: 01/12/10
Matt
thats a lovely looking mutt Matt, I love seeing a dog with his ears and tail up!
My original mutt, kelpie staffie heeler mongrel, ran out of time in 2007, and he got to 17.
The greenies amongst here would hate to hear it but when I was tuna longlining Id bring home large blocks of tuna and sword from the shark bitten stuff and feed the dogs on what we didnt eat.
Firmly believe it was good for their joints and fur, and kept them healthy longer than Pal would have.
grayzeee
Posts: 2283
Date Joined: 09/07/09
you just can't beat dogs for
you just can't beat dogs for making you happy!
15 years is a good stint!
If I spent half as long fishing , as I do reading this bloody forum , I'd be twice the fisherman I am.
scottland
Posts: 3038
Date Joined: 10/05/10
pur first dog ran away from my aunties house
at 16 years had him for four years before i was even born.
now we have this kelpie cross someting haha thinks he's a chiahuaha
i support two teams eagles and whoever is playing the dockers
GrahamM
Posts: 648
Date Joined: 19/01/09
Sad news its always hard when
Sad news its always hard when you have them for such a long time im just about ready for a new one mine passed 3&4 years ago both 14 im looking at staffies this time round now the baby is 22months and we arnt having any more im starting to look as i have missed having a dog terribly. Good to hear that she went out happy but i do reckon my wifes old poodle would have given her a run on the bad breath department in the end
roberta
Posts: 2773
Date Joined: 08/07/08
Its a terrible
thing when you have to put a much loved pet down. Our little yorkie lived to 14yrs she had a bad heart but with her heart pill we had her for a extra 2yrs then unfortunately the kidneys and organs started to go. The vet said we could keep her going for quite a while on bland food, boiled rice/chicken/fish. Well our little Penny was a gourmet dog, fish, prawns, chicken, squid you name she ate it. So after 2 days of her turning her nose up to blande food, we knew it was time. Yes smash I held her to the end, old fart had to turn his back, he reckons he can still see her eyes looking at him. But we have our three dogs over the years, cremated, sitting in there pots on the window sill looking out to the front yard. Too heart breaking so we've decided no more pets. My daughter has two dogs and a ferret so my love goes to them with treats and lots of cuddles/kisses, except the stinky ferret hahaha If you eveer want a dog with character a Yorkie is the one heart of iron and the courage of a lion, she's baled up front end loaders, german shephards, snakes, hated cates and kids, used to take their shoe laces out of their sneakers hahaha she was terrible little tart but we loved her.
If we do decide on another dog, we'll go to the dog homes and get a rescued dog, maybe a staffy love staffies.
Ginger Tablets Rock
smash
Posts: 434
Date Joined: 01/12/10
Staffies
they are definitely a great alrounder, great with kids though some can be a little too "affectionate" at times!
not so flash at running fast or long though.
grantarctic1
Posts: 2546
Date Joined: 03/03/11
Get attached
You get very attached to pets and they can break your heart, but i cant live without a dog. I have always had one along my life travel's , sory for your loss and good luck with the new kid on the block..
Cheers Grant.
makai
Posts: 459
Date Joined: 28/10/08
Lost my old mate recently too
A rescue dog, picked up on the street by the ranger, spent 9 mths in Shenton Park refuge before we took him home. Others had taken and returned him due to him being too agressive. He had obviously been mistreated. Whenever somebody made a sudden hand movement, he cowered. But with lots of TLC and obedience lessons, he became the best dog anyone could ever have. I was worried when our kids were born that he may be jealous and bite, but he adapted to them easily. If they got too boisterous, he just got up and moved somehwere else. He loved being in the back of the Hilux. Whenever I was packing up to go fishing or camping, he would jump in whether he was coming or not, and sometimes had to be dragged out of the Hilux, claws dug into the rubber mat in the back, ears and tail down, disgusted when he had to stay home. He lived to 16.5yrs. Unfortunately he developed a brain tumour at the end and we had to put him down. But he went out with dignity and in company of the whole family. Three generations there to see him off, all in tears. Couldn't have asked for a more loyal dog.....
Spicey
Posts: 219
Date Joined: 17/01/11
I had a female Staffy for 14
I had a female Staffy for 14 years. She was a great dog and happy right to the end. Now I have two young kids it wont be long before we get another. I think its great for kids to grow up with a dog to teach them a bit about responsibility and how to look after another creature.
Best of luck with the new Staff. Should settle down in about 2 or 3 years !
PattyT
Posts: 1025
Date Joined: 15/08/10
Nothing worse than when a pet
Nothing worse than when a pet passes away mate, looks like the new addition will keep you on your toes though. Very cute puppy.
Said goodbye to one of my dogs last year. She was 10 which was fairly young for a border collie, we had to put her down because she had tumours on her spleen. She was an awesome dog, funny bloody thing. Life would be alot less fun without dogs thats for sure, gotta love them!!
HuggyB
Posts: 2515
Date Joined: 03/08/08
I've always had dogs
current one is a ratbag, but I wouldn't have it any other way!
4yo Miniature Pinscher called Missy.
The Terrorist - coming to a fishing spot near you.........
smash
Posts: 434
Date Joined: 01/12/10
thats a handsome looking dog
thats a handsome looking dog Huggy!
pale ale
Posts: 1755
Date Joined: 02/01/10
http://fishwrecked.com/files/
Heres a pic of my pup, can anyone shed some light on what breeds he contains? Was a rescue from the SAFE organisation.
He's always up to trouble, his last piece of destruction was a bag of cement. All over the back yard
crasny1
Posts: 7003
Date Joined: 16/10/08
I suspect its a "Lotsa"
Have lots of breed in him. How can you almost live without dogs.
The wagging tail just gets me happy, no matter how bad the day.
Have 2 Bichons and a "Jack Russell"!!! Not.
Lived in Bouvard and heaps of snakes. The 2 Bichons have cost me an arm and leg at the vet with snake bites. Decided to get a Jack Russell because of their speed and aggresiveness when it comes to Jo Blakes. Should have known better buying it out of the paper, non registered.
Within 2 weeks "Missy" the jack Russell had paws belonging to a German shepard, and with a Vet check she laughed herself sick."Its everything but a Jack Russell". Turned out a cross between an Red Healer, Kelpie, blue heeler etc --- No sign of Mr Russell in the mix. Just a lovely Lotsa, but dont come uninvited. She will rip yar arms off. I wonder why we havent had anything go missing in the backyard.
In Kcity a lot of petty theft. Wouldnt leave your fishing gear in the boat overnight or walkies. However after a late fish on night, with glass predicted very early the next day, left all on the boat, with "Missy" tied down in the back. Rods in the launchers ready to go. Ripe for picking.
Not a sniff.
Sometimes lifes C*ckups turn out for the best.
"I would like to die on Mars. Just not on impact!!" _ Elon Musk
smash
Posts: 434
Date Joined: 01/12/10
:-)
hope you didnt give him a drink after his cement escapade! Imagine the constipation!
pale ale
Posts: 1755
Date Joined: 02/01/10
I was interstate at the time
I was interstate at the time attending a funeral. Maybe he thought he was helping me with the home maintenance.
Didnt find any "concrete logs" in the back yard
PattyT
Posts: 1025
Date Joined: 15/08/10
Looks like he might have abit
Looks like he might have abit of kelpie in him I reckon, that might explain his cheeky side as well.
Ringy35
Posts: 138
Date Joined: 30/04/11
Not good to hear mate...
Not good to hear mate... couldnt imagine myself without my lab boom boom. hope the new little fella steps up to the plate and is a good dog for years to come.
They are so good when they're pups, should get a few giggles outa him haha (and a fair few moments of rage!!!)
mullows
Posts: 738
Date Joined: 25/12/08
The later I am home, the
The later I am home, the happier the old girl (dog) is to see me. Wish I could say that about the missus. Dogs are cool!!
Cheers
Mullows
The Older I get the better I was :-)
sandbar
Posts: 704
Date Joined: 25/10/09
Condolences mate. I too am a
Condolences mate.
I too am a staffy fan, just thought today how long my bitch has left. She is 9yrs so by the sounds I have a few more good years left.
Great guard dod, wouldn't bite, loves the kids. I have a very large family and this dog has copped it from all the nieces and nephews and they
never ever turn. Love the puppy energy she still has too.
Enjoy your new mates.
smash
Posts: 434
Date Joined: 01/12/10
thanks for the comments everyone
didnt really post this cos I was feeling sorry for meself, more to immortalise them I guess and celebrate.
Proud of the innings we got from her and my previous kelpie mongrel (17) who moved on in 2007 in a similar manner though he was losing mobility and continence-which he hated.
Mullows-someone once told me
"lock your dog and your missus in the car boot for an hour then let them out and see which one is happy to see you"!
r.gates
Posts: 573
Date Joined: 15/11/10
Dogs are like kids
I've always had Labradors and have had to say goodbye to a few over the years.
When the old girl went to the big kennel in the sky 4 years ago, it left the old boy all alone. The only thing to do was to get him a playmate, so we bought a little girl Labrador...but when she was 2, she ate some Zamia palm seeds. After thinking she'd been bitten by a snake, we took her to the vets, but she didn't make it. That was such a sad loss for everyone.
We decided to wait a while but the old boy was 'lost'....he knew something had happened to her. Then we saw an ad in the local paper for Labrador puppies so we went for a look....I know, you can't go and just 'look' at puppies. Anyway, while we were sitting on the ground at the breeder's house, 1 little girl came over and sat on my wife's lap and promptly went to sleep. Then the big boofa of the litter came over to me, flopped down by my leg and promptly went to sleep. I've always been a believer in the theory of letting the puppy pick you, not the other way around.
Needless to say we bought both of them....the old boy got a new lease on life, too. The wierd thing was that these puppies were born on the same day that our 2yo passed away....Easter Friday.
When the old boy went in his sleep last year, these 2 knew something was wrong...they moped around for a few days...so did we.
Even though our 2 are brother and sister, they have completely opposite personalities...a bit like our 2 kids. Now that the kids have moved out of home, the dogs have sort of taken their place....well, that's what our kids tell us.
My condolences to you, smash...dogs are such wonderful animals and companions, regardless of our preference of a breed.
regards
rusty...
If life is boring, you must be doing it wrong!
bod
Posts: 2319
Date Joined: 03/05/06
check this
http://www.maniacworld.com/which-is-the-guilty-dog.html
Tony Halliday
Posts: 2500
Date Joined: 14/06/07
mate know how you feeling, in
mate know how you feeling, in the last few years had to put down my husky, two cats & sons mouse, all because of cancer.
There is something very trusting in their eyes, when you say good bye and hell it makes big men cry.
I always beleived the right dog finds you and so true it has been with our mutts over the years.
another will find you...
Tony Halliday: ~Meals on Reels ~
It takes a strong fish to swim against the current. Even a dead one can float with it
"It is always in season for old men to learn." Aeschylus (525-456 BC)
"In a mad world only the mad are sane." Akira Kurosawa (1910-1998)
Albee Mangles
Posts: 985
Date Joined: 20/05/08
Gotta Love em!!
Never a truer friend in life. Heres our boy, we got him from the Shenton Park dog home, after looking at 50 different doge, all bounding down the front of the cage howling and barking, he sat up in his basket, i called him, and he popped his head up, mosied down the front, gave me a lick, and headed back for his basket. We though bewdy, a placid dog, but was not to be!!!
Typical Kelpie/Red Heeler, digs, runs, and never gets tired. Bllody intelligent tho, and has more character than half the blokes i know. I wanted to call him alvey, but the missus sais there was no way he was going to be named after a fishing reel, so he was called Albee, which eventually became albee Mangles after chewing up the retic for the 20th time.
Hes a true mate tho, and a great fishing companion!!
pale ale
Posts: 1755
Date Joined: 02/01/10
Albee hey???Thats what my
Albee hey???
Thats what my missus named our dog (about 10 posts earlier). Yep named after Alby Mangles
Joodles
Posts: 362
Date Joined: 19/11/10
All for supporting the
All for supporting the rescued and refuge dogs and the people that do so much to find homes for the helpless little fella's. Why people spend hundreds on some breeds is beyond me. Bitsa'a are the best in my opinion and we have rescued a couple of dogs now. They know it and are forever trying to loyally repay the favour. Our current muttley is whippet x staffy - goes like the clappers and then sleeps like a rock.
Gotta love our furry mates!
HuggyB
Posts: 2515
Date Joined: 03/08/08
try finding a small dog
in a rescue shelter - damn near impossible! Believe me, I tried and after 6 months I gave it a miss and started my search elsewhere.
I didn't have the yard for a larger dog and after a bit of research a min pin was the most suitable breed....found a good breeder and wullah - the rest is history I guess.
The Terrorist - coming to a fishing spot near you.........
grayzeee
Posts: 2283
Date Joined: 09/07/09
with you on that one
with you on that one joodles
we got a runner from rescue like yours a lurcher. sight hound x . red dot dog , no kids , no other dogs but coming right around after lots of love.
If I spent half as long fishing , as I do reading this bloody forum , I'd be twice the fisherman I am.