A Dog's Purpose

[Noilly Pratt]

My german grandparents had a doberman on their farm, a guard dog. Absolutely 100% loyal and unshakably patient with kids. Would trust my life with one...

Reminded me of my German-Canadian friend's farm - Their german shepherd Wanda would know when I was coming by the noise my car made. I'd just traded cars, and the way this driveway was situated, you had to park, then walk down a very long path to get to the house.

I park and hear Wanda barking - she doesn't recognize the car, as I'd just bought a new one. I'm halfway down the lane and I see the dog. It's coming towards me at full gallop, teeth bared and ANGRY. I have time to look back and know I'll never make it back to my car, so I brace myself. She leaps right at my face, going for the throat and right in that moment I see her expression change from "intruder attack" angry to "oh shit, I know that guy".

I'm 6'2" and solid, but she knocks me down to the ground, and is whimpering and licking me profusely...and all day I'm at the farm he's at my side, nuzzling my arm as if to say "I'm sorry". And every time after that, she's my best buddy whenever I visit.

That dog would climb a ladder to get to his "perch" in the loft above the barn and loved to spook strangers from that tall vantage point.

[lost in melb.]

A Shepard called Wanda! nice story Noilly

[Godfather]

I'd rather have a big dog that is a bitch to clean than a small shitty dog.

If you get a dog, get a big awesome dog lance. I know you know it, but damn do they have the personalities to make the extra food and goofy size worth it. I've got a retriever and he's not small but he'll climb into your lap if you let him. Most hilarious and loving damn dog.

[Goofy]

[Loser]

That's awesome

[deebakes]

[Hal-9000]

from his agenda panel : butthole must sparkle

[Goofy]

from his agenda panel : butthole must sparkle

Yeah, poor fucker was forced to watch Twilight films with his Canadian owner

[Teh One Who Knocks]

[Teh One Who Knocks]

Duck “Doug” Silverman came into my life about 14 years ago. He was picked up by the State running through South Central with no collar, tags or chip. Nobody claimed or adopted him so a no-kill shelter took him in. That’s where I found him — at that shelter, in Van Nuys. Since then we have slept most every night together (and many lazy afternoons.) When we first met, the vet approximated his age at 5½ so I’d say he was about 19 as of yesterday, September 3, 2013.

He was a happy dog, though serene. And stoic. And he loved love.

Over the past few years he became blind, deaf, and arthritic. But with a great vet, good meds, and a first rate seeing-eye person named me, he truly seemed comfortable.

Recently, however, he stopped eating or drinking. He was skin and bones and so weak. I couldn’t figure out this hunger strike. Duck had never been political before. And then, over the weekend, I knew. It was time to let him go.

My boyfriend Kyle flew in late last night and took the day off from work to be with us. We laid in bed and massaged his tiny body, as we love to do – hearing his little “I’m in heaven” breaths.

The doctor came and Kyle, my sister, Laura and I laid on the bed. I held him close – in our usual spoon position and stroked him. I told him how loved he was, and thanked him for giving me such happiness and for his unwavering companionship and love. The doctor gave him a shot and he fell asleep, and then another that was basically an overdose of sleeping meds. I held him and kissed him and whispered to him well passed his passing. I picked him up and his body was limp – you don’t think about the head – it just falls. I held him so tight. And then finally, when his body lost its heat, and I could sense the doctor thinking about the imminent rush hour traffic, I handed him over.

14 years.

My longest relationship.

My only experience of maternal love.

My constant companion.

My best friend.

Duck.

[Goofy]

[deebakes]

[Hal-9000]

dogs deserve that kind of humane exit from this world...conversely, humans that are sentenced to death by injection, are not worth the cost of the syringes that the drugs come in...

[Goofy]

[Teh One Who Knocks]