My Dogs Are Ten

My doggies are 10. Two thirds of their lives have gone. You know that you will probably outlive them when you get them, but it is sad to think of losing such a true friend. This is the second round of doggie friends I have had, and I am starting to dread the day I will lose them. My wife says, "no more," but I doubt I want to miss the enjoyment of having a dog as a companion. I also have to wonder how long it will be before the left legislates dog ownership as slavery.

The lefties are trying to get laws passed in my neck of the woods against tieing dogs out on chains. Can't say I blame them, I refuse to tie my dogs up, or even put colars on them.

You think about having them stuffed after they pass.

No two animals have coexisted longer than Man and his dogs! Truly we depend on each other for many reasons.

Originally Posted by bigburtchino

No two animals have coexisted longer than Man and his dogs! Truly we depend on each other for many reasons.

I have read that it is likely that dogs were a large part of the reason humans became what they are. They allowed early humans to be able to rest and concentrate on tools and society rather than attacks from predators.

Maybe we humans give ourselves way too much credit? There is more scientific evidence, that wolves had more to do with humans becoming domesticated! Either way wolves/dogs and humans development have been linked it seems, simultaneously. So think about that when you chain "rolver" outside in the cold, forgetting what might have happened if the dogs had not been so devoted to us over the last thousand or so years!

Times have changed. ( Not that that's a bad thing. )

It used to be that a dog was thought of as any other farm animal. A horse, a cow, a chicken, and a dog all had their job to do on the farm. When they got old and couldn't do their job you put them down. It was just like slaughtering old Bessie when she couldn't produce milk anymore. You couldn't afford to get emotionally attached to any of your livestock.

Before we settled down to farming we were nomadic hunter /gatherers. The dogs protected us from large predators coming in the night and also protected us from other humans. As long as we've walked the face of the planet we've always been in a state of war with other tribes in a competition for resources & territory. The dogs, with their keen sense of smell & hearing were an early warning system against surprise attack. When there was no food in the winter they fed us with valuable protein from their bodies.

JMHO .... but i think we owe them a huge debt of gratitude for their service. It's not right to put them out on a chain and leave them outdoors 24 / 7. They're social animals and need to be part of a pack or a family. When they're out there languishing in the cold ( or the heat ) they're not only suffering from the elements but they're dying inside from loneliness.

I miss my old friend. He was somewhere around a year old when somebody abandoned him in the middle of a cold Maine winter. He was wandering around the neighborhood for a couple of days an just seemed so lost. He was a big Shepard / Rottweiler mix so i was a little unsure about him at first but it all worked out. I opened the doors of the house and left it up to him as to whether or not he wanted to stay with us. He turned out to be the best dog ever. Never gave us a bit of trouble. Eleven years later died in his sleep at the foot of our bed.

It's hard these days .... they're not just service animals anymore. They're loyal companions and very much a part of the family. They don't have a long lifespan and when they pass it's like losing one of your own. I wouldn't change the past but i just don't have the heart to go through that again.

Sorry. Gonna pop top this thread. Bella is keepin' an eye out. Every once in a while I have to let ya'll know the alarm is set...

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Originally Posted by bigburtchino

No two animals have coexisted longer than Man and his dogs! Truly we depend on each other for many reasons.

Cats were kept as pets way back to before the pyramids. I have a bunch of cats here 10-15 years old, hate to see them go.

List of jobs held by a dog:

Drug detection
Gun Detection
Explosive detection
Seeing Eye Dog
PTSD dog
and lots more!

Jobs cats have/had..

God.

Crazy Egyptians! They are the reason cats act as if their are betters...







An remember...not all who fight/defend for you walk on two legs...


Sirscrapalot - Woof woof woof. - The facemunchers.

So true. Had lots of companions over the years and every time I lose one I say no more but I always find another furry friend from a shelter. Lost our 12 year old basset to cancer July 2015. Lost my Beagle Corgi mix Harley who was just shy of age 15 on August 24th 2016. Out of all the pets I have had my entire 61 years my Beagle Corgi mix impacted my soul. He was a very special guy who devoted his entire life to me. The feeling was mutual. I will offer this suggestion to anyone facing aging pets. In the Phoenix area we have a service that will come to your home and put your pet sleep while they rest in their own home on their own bed with family around them. Used the service twice now in less than a year. I have a really hard time losing my pets. The thought of dragging them to the vet which they hated was not an option. The service is $286.00 and another $100 for the cremation. They send out the most compassionate young vet's to be with you. We had both of our pets cremated and have their remains in urns on the shelf in my home office where both spent countless hours on the floor nearby napping.

You can always hang out with the cats, not as good of scrapping partners but will get the mice and rats!