[kevin bradley]

you know?...I just have to say this because its how I feel.

So Golf frustrates me. It's a maddening game and I devote a helluva lot of time and money playing this infuriating sport. It's truly a love/hate relationship.

So yesterdays golf outting was horrible. Anyone who plays can probably understand the ups and downs of the game. You think you've solved it one day, lost the next. If Tiger Woods struggles at the game(like he is doing right now)...how can the avg guy expect to play?

So I'm in the midst of playing horribly...getting killed in a match with a friend. Down on myself. Ready to quit the game forever.

Walking down the #18 fairway, head down, woe is me.....all of a sudden, I think of HARRY. All mess of black hair, lip that sometimes hangs up over his canine tooth giving him a bent smile...the way he struts around the house with the old Buddy Glo Ball in his mouth like its all that matters to him, legs kind of bowed out, imperfect in many worldly measurable ways but perfect in every way to me. All of a sudden, this game of golf doesn't mean so much and I can't wait to get home.

That about sums it up for me. They give us so much without even knowing it.

Anyone have any thoughts on why these perfect animals mean so much to you?

 

[ziggy29]

My dog is always happy to see me and makes me feel special.

My dog always seems to know when I am sad or angry or otherwise upset, and when I need to be cheered up with her "kisses."

Watching my dog run and play makes me smile and brings me back to my childhood.

I'm not always perfect to my dog, and yet she immediately forgives me for it every time I'm not.

 

[kevin bradley]

beautiful Ziggy...echo my thoughts also.

 

[luvMyBRT]

I am sitting here in tears. Your post made me think of how truly wonderful our dogs are and how their lives are just too short.

Kodi was my soul mate in a doggie kind of way...LOL. He was my shadow. Followed me from room to room, always by my side.

My dogs make me happy when I'm sad. They give my children great joy too. They really are the true example of unconditional love.

I can't ever imagine my life without atleast one dog.

 

[kevin bradley]

Sara,

thanks for contributing to this post.

Kodi sounds like she/he was special dog.

Harry is similar. I say this with complete conviction...when I lose him(hopefully years from now), I don't know how I will cope. I seriously do not know what I will do. Just the thought brings me to tears. This is a Dog that sleeps literally next to my head every night...face to face. When I move away from him, he gives me a tender growl that says...'get back here.

Losing him seriously frightens me. I imagine Kodi's loss was similar. Knowing this, I am sorry.

 

[luvMyBRT]

Thanks Kevin. :smile:

Yes, the loss of Kodi was very profound to me. He had been by my side for 9 years without fail. He was there all through college, when I got married, the birth of my two children, and through 6 moves. With him gone there was a huge hole in my life. I am thankful to my other dog, Lucky, for helping me through this. Her and I have become a lot closer and she has almost started acting like Kodi..... always following me around. It's almost like she knew that she needed to be close to me. I am just now to the point where I can think about Kodi and not cry (well...almost....).

I hope you have many, many more years with Harry. He sounds very special. :smile:

 

[malluver1005]

Geez, reading these posts is making my teary eyed. I can't explain the love I have for Aspen, it's like he is a part of my soul. I will never, ever be without a malamute...

It's just something about them that I can't explain...

 

[kevin bradley]

...and what a beautiful Dog Aspen is...stunning.

(though even if he wasn't, I'd still call him beautiful:wink

thanks for the reply, Mall.

 

[DaneMama]

Where do I begin?

I love all my dogs very much, and differently for each one.

Emmy was my first born who I actually delivered. Her mom was a Hurricane Katrina mutt who my mom found on her property and kept. Found out she was pregnant a few weeks later. When Emmy was born, her mom severed her umbilical cord too close to her body which made her start bleeding profusely. I didn't think she was going to make it but holding pressure on it for a long time got it to stop. Right then I knew that she was mine, or that she had picked me. I was only 17. Now...she is our "special" dog and is too smart for her own good and a complete knucklehead. We have to spell things out so she doesn't know what we are talking about.

Akasha is our youngest Dane puppy. Jon and I got her together last April for his birthday. We drove all the way across state lines to go and meet her. When we got there, we realized that the breeder was actually a puppy miller. As soon as we laid eyes on that tiny little runt of a puppy our hearts melted and we couldn't leave her there. She is our little snuggler who always has to be touching someone at all times, whether it be us or one of the other dogs. She has so much personality that I cannot wait to see who she grows up into.

Shiloh...is a handful. Because of her energy level and what she is, wolf hybrid, she keeps us on our toes. She is probably the most brilliant animal that I have ever lived with, which can lead to trouble making at the very least. With all the work that we put into with her and her habits, I believe that she has taught all the other dogs how to find their innate "inner wolf" which has taught them how to communicate with each other and with us. She is always one step ahead of the other dogs, and 10 steps ahead of us. She is cunning and beautiful but a total pain in the ass!!!

Bailey is my soul child. We have a connection that goes so deep that I can't even being to explain it. She was promised to another family of high class lawyers when I called the breeder to see if I could come down to see her puppies. When I went the next day Laural (the breeder) had told me that one of the other puppies had just become available because she denied the other family for some reason. I felt that it really was fate that brought us together because when I got to Laural's house I had my baby picked out before she even told me the story of the other family. Its like I knew before I got there which puppy was coming home with me. When I think about what would have happened if she had actually gone with that other family, it makes me cringe. We are almost always together, and when I'm not around her for any length of time I feel almost troubled. She keeps me calm when I'm stressed or angry. Comforts me when I'm ill or sad. Makes me laugh with her goofy habits. And still manages to get herself into trouble. Its like she always has the right thing to "say" and knows the right answer to everything. When she is gone, I don't know how I will cope...thinking of that time just instantly makes me choke. Either way, she will always be with me...because she has touched my life for good!

(the above picture is of a very close person to me named Rob, who died of cancer January 26, 2009, snuggled up with a baby Bailey)

 

[kevin bradley]

great Natalie. a wonderful family.

Never knew you guys had a Dog that is part Wolf. Amazing.

If I didn't live in the city and had a bit more room, it would be scary how many Dogs I might have. I have 3 now...I'm not sure where the number would end up if I had a couple acres in the country.

 

[DaneMama]

We do live in the city...in a 800 square foot house. How do we manage? We don't have any issues being in close proximity to our dogs. We have lots of dog beds and a decent sized back yard. We take them where ever we can and on hikes a few times a week (when none of them are sick or hurt LOL, which has been happening a lot lately!). We also have one foster Dane living with us at any given point. We are talking about getting another puppy soon as well. We may appear to be crazy to most people, but I wouldn't have it any other way. We are happy, our dogs are happy and healthy and that is all that matters :wink: :biggrin:

 

[CorgiPaws]

Where to begin?

Growing up with an insanely violent stepfather, I had one source of comfort, one friend- my neighbor's golden retriever, Colie. I was quite young when Colie's owners got divorced, and he moved away (preschool age) but the days I spent in my front yard with that dog left pawprints on my heart forever. I was forever more: a dog person.

I wish I could say I had some incredible connection with my childhood Beagle, I love him dearly, but it wasn't until Champ walked into my life I really understood how deep the bond can go. I won't go into detail, as it's not necessary, and in the past, but Champ saved my life quite litterally when I was attacked with a knife by my ex boyfriend. He wasn't "my dog" before that, in fact, he was my ex's dog. But the moment his sunken in skeleton of a hollow body powerfully forced this man away from me, Champ was mine. I took him in, I brought him from Protland back to San Diego with me, and we spent the next year healing eachother. Champ had really severe male fear aggression, and I had a severe internal MRSA breakout that nearly took my life. My doctors told me to go home, and enjoy what little time I had left. I dedicated this time to helping Champ become adoptable, so he could have the kind of home he deserved. After all, I owed him everything. The doctors were baffled that my body was able to fight the infection, but I know it was Champ believing in me and trusting me that gave me the strength to do it. Champ wasn't the breed of dog I wanted, nor the size of dog I wanted. He didn't have the general personality I thought I wanted. But there's something between me and Champ, that no matter how frustrated I get, no matter how difficult his protectiveness is to deal with, we need eachother, and as long as we're together, everything is okay.

So, why dogs? Because I can not describe who I am without mentioning Champ, who made it possible for me to live.

I can not tell you about myself without mentioning Grissom's fuzzy butt, and that wiggle that melts my heart.

Because I can not describe true happiness without including Annie's warm body snuggled between me and my husband at night.

Because my husband looks at Chesney with a warmth and happiness that he's never experienced before. She is his soul dog, no doubt, and watching that bond take place between him and her is amazing.

Why dogs? Because they are the perfect examples of what life is really about. Unconditional love, unwavering courage, and simplistic joy.

Why dogs? Because I look at Champ, once emiciated, broken, damaged, and shattered now standing tall, confident, with a loyalty unmeasurable... and I think to myself "yeah. Life is worth every bit of sorrow we may feel. Every single ounce of it."

 

[kevin bradley]

Wow Linsey. I'm not sure what to say. That is a touching story. It sounds like you and Champ have been through about everything.

I didn't know my post would open up this stuff, but I'm glad you all are sharing these beautiful stories with us.

Something tells me this post is going to grow. :smile:


I'm going home soon(from work)...

and to see Harry and my other guys, Murphy and Itty(Bitty).

 

[wags]

Why dogs!:smile:
When your heart is breaking and you need to have a genuine, authentic, good ole' cry who but your dog would just let you do this in front of them without you explaining why your doing this, the need for this cry ~ no analyzing you or criticizing you ~they just let you be you when you really need to be! They can sense~ just tell ~when your feeling sad and will make you feel so much better just by licking your face, rubbing up against you, they just have a knack for getting you into that better mood so fast!They are just such loyal companions!
Dog love you unconditionally until the day they die or you die! Dogs are so good for you health wise, you have to walk them good for both you and them! They are always just happy to be around you. They love having you around no matter what your doing whether its as simple as sitting at the computer or playing fetch with them they just want you around as much as you want them around, its a vice a versa thing for sure! Dogs are our forever companions! It just is a good thing! Something you can care for from a young age to an old age! Ahhh for the love of dogs!:smile:

 

[Unosmom]

I've struggled with a panic disorder and dysthymia for the last 8 years and it really takes its toll on my life and limits my social exposure, there are some days that I cannot get out of bed because I'm so depressed and I can tell you that no doctor or a pill is a substitute for an unconditional love that a dog offers. Nobody is ever that happy to see me when I come home, nobody will stay by my side when I'm sick and lick the tears away. Dogs dont judge, no matter how crappy I feel sometimes, he doesent care, I dont need to impress him or fake a smile to get through the day.

At the same time, he keeps me going, he gets me out of bed every morning because I know he needs the exercise and I need to be outside exposing myself to my fears. I've met a lot of great people through my dog, only because they think he's so adorable and want to pet him, its a great ice breaker.
I would be lost without my boy. :redface:

 

[kevin bradley]

(still here)

thanks Wags and Uno...

you guys are spot on.

Uno, I've faced some of the same challenges you have in my life. No one understands depression unless they live it. Waking up some days can be a tall task. Thanks for sharing.

Dogs can be the great medicine for the sad. Truly.

 

[MollyWoppy]

These stories are so special and heartfelt. They, along with the pure love I have for my dog have given me the courage to share my story, so here we go.
My dog, well, it is hard, but I will try my best to explain how she is one of the best things to ever happen to me.
Grew up with a couple of dogs, cattle dog crosses - for some reason I was always the one they chose out of the whole family to be close to. My dog was what helped me recover when my mother died at 38 after 4 years of fighting the affects from a brain aneurysm and someone to lean on when my father suffered a breakdown shortly after, leaving me to take care of my younger brother and sister.
Fast way, way forward to the late 90's. I am crewing on a sailboat in the Caribbean, I meet an American, we are both 'different' get on well and I end up coming to Florida, literally 1/2 a world away from everyone and everything in my life. Found out the hard way how truly humbling it is, starting your life again with people who don't know you and who don't really want to know you.
Fast forward to 2003. We live on a boat, love it, don't ever want to move off, but there is always something missing in my life, I don't understand what it is. Then my other half, out of the blue, has a bad bad brain aneurysm, actually, he has 2 within a day, he is really young for this to happen. Fast forward again 18 months, we've just bought a house to make rehab easier, then along comes Charley, a big hurricane. Lose most everything and have to rebuild the house. Miss '1/2 cup full' here, looks at life as,oh well, its only material stuff, nothing compares to sitting beside your loves hospital bed for 3 weeks not knowing if he is going to live or die. After the aneurysm, my other half suffers badly from depression, severe panic attacks, agriphobia. I struggle so hard to cope with, and understand, the moods, the negative attitude, the pure fear, the criticism and frustration taken out on me, the caregiver.
Then, 3 years later. Now I'm truly struggling, alone, feeling guilty as soon I will be forced to choose between my own happiness and leaving a sick person to somehow cope by himself. Then my sister in law calls. A friend of hers has adopted a pregnant stray that was hanging round her work and because she had seen how much I loved her dogs (up in Chicago), she was sending a puppy down to me.
My other half had never had a dog, hated them, we are talking a cat person here. I ask what type of dog I'm getting. She doesn't know. She emails a photo of the father (they had seen it doing the 'act' with the mother dog). I can't believe my eyes, a pure bred ACD, and the mother, a white german shepherd. It could have been any type of dog in the world and here she was, half ACD, my favourite dog in the world, german shepherd, my next favourite dog. I call her Mollie, only to hear that this is what the puppy's family had nicknamed her.
This dog, my little therapy dog, has saved my relationship, has made me so many good, life long friends, has made me feel accepted in the US and given me a life again. She is, simply put, a pure pure joy in my life.

 

[kevin bradley]

thanks Molly....

seems to be a common theme in many of our lives...there's something broken and these angels come walking along, many times broken themselves....

this thread turned into something truly special. :smile: