Thank you for sharing that you are healing. I think it's so important for everyone who grieves to know that although we all grieve in different ways and heal in different ways that life does go on and choosing to embrace life and love is so important. I love this thread...

At first I didn't want to start reading this thread because inevitably, if I let my mind start wandering on thoughts of someone I've loved and lost, whether it's a dog or a person, I end up crying. Even if I'm smiling, I cry. I don't know why I'm like that. I don't want to shove away good memories just because sometimes they really hurt too.

My Wesley boy would lay on my lap with his head cradled in my elbow and eventually he would fall asleep. Then his tongue would hang out the side of his mouth and I would love to pull on it gently to see how long it would take him to wake up. He was such a sweet boy...

And then there was Baxter... (he's the golden in my avatar) he would drive me nuts when he was bored... he honestly would find a ball and roll it under a dresser or large piece of furniture and then try to get it out. I'd rescue the ball and leave and he'd just do it again and again. He also had the funniest 'hang-dog' look when he knew he was in trouble... his eyes would half close and he'd look down at the ground. It was pathetic.... made me laugh every time.

I also loved how his teeth would chatter when I'd make him wait to fetch a bumper... he loved retrieving and it was so much fun.... I miss my boys....

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Ellie and Mack

First let me say..I am so sorry for your loss of Jules...Even though it's been 5 months for me I too feel sadness and emptiness..
My Sadie would pick up a tennis ball whenever she would see people walking by my house and she was in the backyard. Then she would bark with the tennis ball in her mouth..that muffled bark like you said..as they would walk by...like she was saying come throw the ball for me! She loved the mailman too..he was smart he carried dog treats with him..but Sadie would get all excited when she saw him..she loved everyone..even non dog loving people..she would try even harder with them!..I miss my pup so much..

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4/25/2003-8/25/2012 R.I.P. Sadie
"Don't shop....Adopt!"

My wife made me promise to find a lighter color Golden knowing another Reddish boy would remind her of Finn and she wanted them to clearly be unique.

My 12 y/o daughter asked me to send her some photo's of Finn last week... I said sure, but what's up? She replied, She felt like she was forgetting what Finn looked like since we brought the current pups home.

Sometimes it is so difficult to read some of these stories. I know Mick's been gone since October but some of these posts make it seem like it was only yesterday I let him go.
One of my favorite experiences with Mick was during the first year I retired Mick and I were out front pruning my trees. There was a day care center down the road and all the kids were out for a walk. You know how they have these kids all tied together with a plastic rope when walking the teacher asked if the kids could pet Mick. I said sure and brought him down to the sidewalk. Everybody was having a good time when we realized that Mick and the kids were all tied up and tangled together. Instead of unhooking this human/Mick mass I walked down to their temple and we unhooked everybody. A little boy named Gabriel ran and got a book off their picnic table. He sat down by Mick and put his yarmulke on Mick and started to read. All the other kids sat down and listened. Little Gabe has Asperger's and had difficulty reading. Mick layed down and when Gabe became flustered with pronouncing words Mick would lick his leg or arm and Gabe would giggle then continue reading. His teacher was amazed Gabe was so relaxed and she was very emotional. All his classmates were so happy for Gabe as well. From that day on every Wednesday in that summer Mick and I would walk down to the Temple and have an outside reading class. Gabe and his Mom stopped at the house once and gave Mick a box of Milk Bones and his own yarmulke. Mick went to the Bridge with that yarmulke. My big ol boy was Orthodox! Who knew?
Just reading some posts in here are bringing back to good times. I guess it's a step in the healing process.

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I love reading these stories!! Wouldn't it be wonderful if all the animals in the world were loved as much as our GRF fur babies are??!

My favorite Fozzie memory is game we affectionately called "landing ball". He would get 2 or 3 tennis balls in his mouth and head up to the landing of the second story of our house. He'd put the balls between his paws and bark until someone knew he was there. So our part was to go stand at the bottom of the steps and tell him to send one down. Unfortunately, he always waited until you walked away to push a ball down the stairs with his nose. As soon as you walked away, you'd hear the clunk, clunk, clunk of the tennis ball on the steps. If you didn't throw it back up to him soon enough, he'd scold you! And of course you had to make sure you threw it back up high enough so he could catch it, or you'd hear about that too! What silly boy he was!

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"In life, the best walks are always too brief."


Gallagher(went to the Rainbow Bridge 08/02/02), and Fozzie's Mom forever!(Fozzie went to the Rainbow Bridge 07/14/12)

It has been 5 years since I lost my Tazz; he loved his blue kong (I called it his grenade). Buzz does not like the toy but I just can't put it away. I would love to see it in his golden mouth. I miss you Tazz.

I miss my boy Max's golden rolls, his big smile and that he was always 1/2 step behind Mommy. He was such a cuddly, sweet boy. He'd do anything that you asked him to even if he didn't want to (like walk into the shower to get a bath). When he got excited when you had his ball and was about to throw it, he would give this old man bark. I miss my boy so much!





I miss our girl Di's personality. She had SO much personality! She was so much fun to tease. She was such a girly girl. If Mommy was putting on lotion she be right in the middle of it and lick it off me. When we lived in CA, there was this neighbor that talked on and on. If I was walking her and Max and got stopped by the neighbor, Di would put up with it for about 5 minutes. Then she'd take Max's leash in her mouth and walk him 2 houses down (looking at me the whole time) and then she'd sit in front of our front door with Max's leash and stare at me til I let them in.



I miss so many things about our boy Golda. He was the peace maker. If anyone was upset or arguing, he would get in the middle and give kisses. He was always happy and loved and raised Max and Di as puppies. I miss cuddling with him and holding him and the way that he'd just sigh so loud, like he was in heaven. I miss the way that he loved his teddybear. It played a lullaby when you squeeze it. He'd throw it up in the air and catch it. He went through many of these same teddybears.

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