Dogs

[Mobasser]

This last fall, we lost our Golden Lab we've had for 14yrs. Lady became sick and the vet couldn't do much to help her. I used to take her along on bank fishing trips with me. She used to get excited when I'd get my fishing rod, and run over and stand by the door, wagging her tail. When we'd get to the lake, she'd hang around for a few minutes then go exploring around the lake. She once jumped a deer in some woods across a small cove, and gave chase for a short time, but was smart enough to know she couldn't catch the deer. In hot weather, I'd bring a small plastic dish, and a jug of water. When she'd come back panting I'd poor her a cool drink. She just loved being out there. My wife was heartbroken when she passed away. She said she didn't want any more dogs, and said it was just too hard when they pass on. Three weeks later, she came home with a Jack Russel terrier. We've named her Ginger. She's a good dog. Smart and playful, and seems to learn very fast. I'm not sure about taking her on fishing trips just yet. She's a high strung girl, and I'm afraid she'd run a rabbit for miles if she could. Last fall, when I was bank fishing the same lake that I took lady to, a younger guy pulled up in a new truck. When he got out he walked around to the passenger side and out jumped a beautiful Irish setter. He knelt down and petted the dog, then started casting. His dog sat close by on the bank. I hope he has many good fishing trips with his dog, just like I had with Lady. My grandfather had bird dogs on his farm when I was a kid. Back then, Missouri had a good quail population, and he loved watching the dogs work the field and go on point. He treated those dogs like they were people. And they were good to him too. Dogs, if treated well, develop a trust and bond with their owners that is second to none. They're loyalty goes above and beyond the call. I'm sure I'll always have a dog for the rest of my days. They truly are " man's best friend".

[jbsoonerfan]

This is Rodi. Shes a Border Collie/Mini Aussie mix. We have had her about a year and 9 months. She gets to go back to the pond with me when I walk back there to fish but she hasn't been on the boat yet. She too is very high strung and likes to run around, as do most dogs of this breed. I had always said I would NEVER let a dog stay in my house but I will admit she does have her own bed in the house for nights when it gets real cold. She even slips over to the couch and lays on the floor at my feet. My wife gives me a hard time because I have never really been a "dog person" but she says that has changed. She always says "Oh look, she just loves you" when she comes to lay by me. Still not a fan of having her in the house, but when it is real cold outside, I suppose I don't mind.

[TnRiver46]

We have 3 and fiance wants another.... We have a 900 sq ft house...if it wasn't for the fenced in yard I would basically live in an indoor kennel haha. Our only male dog , bo, follows me anywhere 

[NYWayfarer]

I love dogs. I had a Pug growing up. My parents bought him for me when I was 7 years old. I am an only child. At the time we lived in a bad neighborhood on the third floor of an apartment building in NY. He was my best and for awhile my only friend. We had so much fun and many adventures over the 15 years he was with me.

 

He died when I was 22. I came home from college and he had a stroke. The stroke paralyzed his back legs but that didn't stop him from using his front legs to crawl to my room to be with me. My parents and I took him to the vet and the news was he would be gone soon due to complications from the stroke so we put him down. Saddest day, week, month of my life. I don't think I ever really recovered from the loss.

 

I am sad when people in my life passed but nothing like this. He was my constant companion. I saw him everyday and he greeted me with joy no matter what mood I was in.

 

I have not had a dog since. At first by choice, now by necessity. My spouse is allergic and she is not a dog lover. She was bit by one when she was a girl and has phobias against strange or stray dogs.  

[A-Jay]

Dogs have been a big part our lives for as long as I can remember.

 From volunteering at and fostering for the local shelter, placing & re-homing both pups & adults, and always having a small pack of our own, there are dogs coming & going every which way up here. 

An indoor / outdoor kennel & an in home 'puppy room' have proven quite helpful.

Even do a little dog sledding - really fun. 

My wife has 'the thing', don't know what it is or what to call it, but whatever 'it' is, dogs trust her.

I've learned a lot but she's the show. 

When the situation at home allows, we'll go to the shelter and bring home whatever dog the shelter believes is 'going to be the hardest to place'.  We have a thing for larger dogs as well as northern Breeds but it certainly doesn't end there. 

Our foster time includes plenty of exercise, some basic skills training and a ton of TLC. 

Working closely with the director, the shelter allows us to re-home them which is always the best part. 

Satisfaction level is high - especially the hard cases that are deemed 'un-adoptable'. 

Using social media is a great way to 'show case' a pup for adoption and it's worked well for us. 

Showing a dog is ready to go usually triggers plenty of inquires. 

We can't save them all, but we love them all and even had a few 'foster failures' where we've kept them.  It happens. 

By and large though, they spend 4 weeks or so at "The Pawz Pack Inn" after which they are usually ready to go to their forever home. 

Can't imagine not having a pack - the feeling of the combined 'spirit' is so good.

Perhaps we need them more than they need us, either way it seems to work out OK. 

A-Jay

 

[Mobasser]

19 minutes ago, TnRiver46 said:

We have 3 and fiance wants another.... We have a 900 sq ft house...if it wasn't for the fenced in yard I would basically live in an indoor kennel haha. Our only male dog , bo, follows me anywhere 

A Bassett hound. A friend had one when I was young. He was a great dog. He was never in a hurry. A big easy going guy

2 minutes ago, A-Jay said:

Dogs have been a big part our lives for as long as I can remember.

 From volunteering at and fostering for the local shelter, placing & re-homing both pups & adults, and always having a small pack of our own, there are dogs coming & going every which way up here. 

An indoor / outdoor kennel & an in home 'puppy room' have proven quite helpful.

Even do a little dog sledding - really fun. 

My wife has 'the thing', don't know what it is or what to call it, but whatever 'it' is, dogs trust her.

I've learned a lot but she's the show. 

When the situation at home allows, we'll go to the shelter and bring home whatever dog the shelter believes is 'going to be the hardest to place'.  We have a thing for larger dogs as well as northern Breeds but it certainly doesn't end there. 

Our foster time includes plenty of exercise, some basic skills training and a ton of TLC. 

Working closely with the director, the shelter allows us to re-home them which is always the best part. 

Satisfaction level is high - especially the hard cases that are deemed 'adoptable'. 

Using social media is a great way to 'show case' a pup for adoption and it's worked well for us. 

Showing a dog is ready to go usually triggers plenty of inquires. 

We can't save them all, but we love them all and even had a few 'foster failures' where we've kept them.  It happens. 

By and large though, they spend 4 weeks or so at "The Pawz Pack Inn" after which they are usually ready to go to their forever home. 

Can't imagine not having a pack - the feeling of the combined 'spirit' is so good.

Perhaps we need them more than they need us, either way it seems to work out OK. 

A-Jay

 

That's Awesome A Jay. My wife is similiar. She seems to have that special touch, and the dogs always seem to trust her first. My grandpa told me when I was a kid, " don't trust a man who is mean to his dog. It says a lot about his character." I've always thought that was true

[jimmyjoe]

8 minutes ago, A-Jay said:

Perhaps we need them more than they need us,

   Words of great wisdom!    jj

[A-Jay]

8 minutes ago, Mobasser said:

 

That's Awesome A Jay. My wife is similiar. She seems to have that special touch, and the dogs always seem to trust her first. My grandpa told me when I was a kid, " don't trust a man who is mean to his dog. It says a lot about his character." I've always thought that was true

It takes a long time to earn the trust & respect.

and ONE SECOND to have it vanish forever.

Might get some back but rarely does one get it all back. 

Learned that one the hard way.

A-Jay

 

 

 

[jimmyjoe]

15 minutes ago, A-Jay said:

....and ONE SECOND to have it vanish forever.

Might get some back but rarely does one get it all back. 

Learned that one the hard way.

   Funny  ....  that's true of dogs and people both.     jj

[Mobasser]

32 minutes ago, A-Jay said:

Dogs have been a big part our lives for as long as I can remember.

 From volunteering at and fostering for the local shelter, placing & re-homing both pups & adults, and always having a small pack of our own, there are dogs coming & going every which way up here. 

An indoor / outdoor kennel & an in home 'puppy room' have proven quite helpful.

Even do a little dog sledding - really fun. 

My wife has 'the thing', don't know what it is or what to call it, but whatever 'it' is, dogs trust her.

I've learned a lot but she's the show. 

When the situation at home allows, we'll go to the shelter and bring home whatever dog the shelter believes is 'going to be the hardest to place'.  We have a thing for larger dogs as well as northern Breeds but it certainly doesn't end there. 

Our foster time includes plenty of exercise, some basic skills training and a ton of TLC. 

Working closely with the director, the shelter allows us to re-home them which is always the best part. 

Satisfaction level is high - especially the hard cases that are deemed 'adoptable'. 

Using social media is a great way to 'show case' a pup for adoption and it's worked well for us. 

Showing a dog is ready to go usually triggers plenty of inquires. 

We can't save them all, but we love them all and even had a few 'foster failures' where we've kept them.  It happens. 

By and large though, they spend 4 weeks or so at "The Pawz Pack Inn" after which they are usually ready to go to their forever home. 

Can't imagine not having a pack - the feeling of the combined 'spirit' is so good.

Perhaps we need them more than they need us, either way it seems to work out OK. 

A-Jay

 

A Jay those are some handsome dogs. They look like they're ready to answer to the " Call Of The Wild". I think it's also good that you guys can adopt them out. I always felt like people should be screened before they get a dog. All pups are cute, but, lots of people don't think about what size this dog may be when full grown. Most of the shelters are full of large breeds because of this. A large breed in an apartment or with nowhere to run and exercise is never good. People should pick a breed that best suits they're lifestyle, room.etc.

[Tizi]

We have 2 Cairn Terriers (Jasper and Stella), great companions, tough dogs.  Jasper loves to go fishing with me on the kayak/boat.

[A-Jay]

On 2/25/2020 at 12:10 PM, Mobasser said:

A Jay those are some handsome dogs. They look like they're ready to answer to the " Call Of The Wild". I think it's also good that you guys can adopt them out. I always felt like people should be screened before they get a dog. All pups are cute, but, lots of people don't think about what size this dog may be when full grown. Most of the shelters are full of large breeds because of this. A large breed in an apartment or with nowhere to run and exercise is never good. People should pick a breed that best suits they're lifestyle, room.etc.

Thanks ~ 

Gunner & Brody were re-homed, Tucker & Fenway (brother & sister) we've had since 8 weeks now 9 yrs old.

Been together their whole lives. 

Matching people to the dog is as fun for us as the Foster itself.

The dogs do much of the heavy lifting but there's some 'rules' we stand fast on.

We learned some hard lessons over the years, which allowed us to fine tune & stream line the process.

Always includes a home check - proven to be a very valuable tool;

Conducted by the animal Shelter Director, not us.

Potential adopters who are unwilling to participate, are not considered eligible.

A-Jay

 

 

 

[Tizi]

My friends yak and me with Jasper.

[DanielG]

Nothing like a good dog. 

 

When I got married the wife would greet me at the door when I came home from work.

When I had a couple of little girls they would grab on to my legs when I came home.

After awhile.... when I come home, it's only the dog that acts as if I was the best thing since bacon.

 

Yup, nothing like a good dog.

[12poundbass]

There’s always been a dog in our house growing up. My wife and I have always had several. Losing them is extremely difficult. They are a ton of fun and their individual personalities are great. My wife just finished her certification to be a dog groomer and is doing great starting her own traveling groomer business. 
 

My Puppy Hank: 

 

Our girl Lola

 

[gim]

I've got a yellow british female labrador that just turned 8 years old today.  I got her from a registered breeder when she was 10 weeks old.  She went to basic obedience, gun, and bird training for 4 weeks her first year.  I use her for duck and pheasant hunting every fall (more so pheasant hunting).  I also take her with in the boat fishing regularly when the weather allows for it.  She mostly just sleeps in the boat but she is a well-oiled machine when we hunt.  I have never seen her show any aggression towards another dog.

[Bluebasser86]

We have 2 Golden Retrievers. Cassidie is 7 and her age is starting to show. She's been fishing with me since she was 4 months old. She's the best dog I've ever had and she leaves no doubt that I'm her favorite person in the house.

 

Chloe is a maniac, but she's not 2 yet so she's got a lot of that puppy energy still. She's one of the most affectionate dogs I've ever been around, wants nothing more than to be petted and be as close to you as possible.

 

The both get super excited when I ask if they want to go fishing. Chloe can still jump into the truck, I have to lift Cass in and out so she doesn't hurt her hips. On a nice day, they're as happy in my boat as I am.

[Hammer 4]

That smile is worth a thousand words.

 

[Sam]

This is "Simmy," short for Simeon Bailey.

 

He was our son's purebred blue mauve Aussie and a wonderful dog.  Very smart and stubborn, too. A loving dog who liked to be petted and have his belly rubbed.

 

We lost him a few years ago at the age of 15. 

 

We just can't go through losing another dog at this time in our lives so we will live with Simmy memories as best we can.

[Ivey]

 

 

When I was a Young boy I lived in a medium sized city in north Alabama Called Huntsville Al, a city Situated just off the Tennessee River and surrounded on three sides by the foothills of the Appalachian mountains. My father was born in Huntsville as was his father and the father before all the way bak for seven generations. My dad and his lived in a section of town called Five Points, an area where five roads came together in one of the older parts of town. The houses in five points were close so together you could  stand between them and reach both arms out and almost touch the sides of both houses. This didn’t really bother me that much when I was very young but the older I got the more I felt I was being swallowed up  by the closeness of everything. My Mom and Dad had a like feeling and when I was about eleven we moved out to then the outskirts of town, about two miles from Five Points, at the foot of one of the larger mountains in north Alabama named Monte Sano mountain. Monte Sano was an old Spanish name tagged to the mountain years ago the meaning in Spanish  Mountain of Health.  Way back in the 1800‘s saw yellow fever, diphtheria and cholera in high proportions of the population in the area and in need of a healthy retreat. The top of the mountain back then was isolated and several degrees cooler with very clean limestone filtered water flowing from many of the cracks and crevices on the mountain. This encouraged the building of an old rail road track from down town Huntsville up the side of the mountain and a health resort at the top. This Rail Road and the health resort saw much use for many years but sometimes in the early 1900’s the resort burned down and with that the rail road was abandoned.

 

When my family and I moved to the foot of the mountain I discovered that old rail road bed and started exploring. When I was young I didn’t have a lot of friends and never felt just right living in the city and found exploring the side of the mountain was a lot more my style than anything found in the city. Mornings would find me up early easing out the back door headed stright for the mountain, I’d follow the old rail road bed up the mountain through the switch backs over and through the creeks that ran down and through the mountain. Spending most of my time on that mountain I soon found nature was my best friend. I’d spend time wading the small creeks catching crawfish and climbing on the big Limestone formations found all over the mountain and for a while I was satisfied but always missed something.  I missed having a friend to explore with me and started thinking of a dog. How I’d love to have a dog to run the side of the mountain with and longed for many years for that companionship but my parents didn’t have a lot of extra money and I just never saw a way to satisfy my longing.

 

When I left high school I decided the city life was no longer part of me so I left Huntsville  the home of many generations of my family and moved everything I had, which was very little to a small wide spot in the road in south central Tennessee. There i found a gentleman farmer in a spot called Hot Rock he offered me work so I moved to small model home close by, I had found my love and life. The gentleman I met, Dean, owned an 800 acre cattle farm and was glad to have a young strong boy to help around the farm. After time Dean offered to sell me an acre of land with an old house, used now as a hay barn, first built in 1893 right in the middle of his farm. Half way up one of the rolling hills I rebuilt the old house and called this home. over several years I went off to school and finished longing to get back to Hot Rock and the old house, the smell of fresh air and solitude of the Tennessee hills.

 

There I met my soon to be wife Suzanne and was married and settled down to raise a family. After my son was born I got to thinking about how I had always wanted  that k-9 friend so I decided to look around for a new pet partly for my son and partly for myself. One afternoon an old friend of Suzanne’s called her and happened to mention her family was raising Chocolate Labs and had recently had a litter of pups.  She said they were having a tough time selling them all so Suzanne told her we would come over and take a look. When I pulled up I saw all the puppies, nine in all inside her gate so I went over to take a look Well there was this one pup that caught my eye. I opened the gate and went in while Suzanne went to the door to meet her old friend. This one pup came right up to me like he’d known me all his young life, he sit right down on my boot and was satisfied to stay right there surveying all the other pups running around the yard paying us little attention. This really struck me and while talking to Suzanne and the owner, for a while the pup just sit there on my boot. The owner finally ask” you found any of these pups you might like, I answered I think one has found me, and so it was, that was the pup we left with. when we got back in the truck I handed Suzanne the pup and she held it for a couple minutes but soon put it down in the floorboard of the truck. The dog didn’t whimper or make a sound, it laid down and yawned real big curling his thong then stretched  way out, tail wagging. Suzanne saw this and quickly tagged him, that’ll be his name, Stretch and Stretch it was.

 

Stretch grew, I spent much more time with the dog than my son, he would meet me every morning ready for the day working around the farm always in the back of my old 69 Ford pickup anywhere I went. Training was a daily thing we would spend a couple hours a day Sit, roll over, lay, shake hands, fetch, all the commands most dogs know. One day a friend and I went out dove hunting, I tried to leave Stretch at home but he was having none of that jumped in the truck bed so off we went.. I just knew the first shoot gun blast would send him back to the truck with his tail between his legs but it didn’t. He looked intently up the barrel of my gun when it was raised, shot rang out  a bird fell and Stretch stood there looking at me tail wagging. He looked where he saw the bird fall then back at me then back to the bird . Thinking what the heck I told Stretch go get the bird and pointed, off he went, as he looked I shouted bring me the bird, bring me the bird and in just a minute there he was back with the bird all intact looking at me wagging his tail. We shot several birds that day and by the end I would, shoot Stretch would look I’d say bird and he was off. We shot several dove that day and without any  training Stretch would go get the birds and bring them back.

 

When we left the field that day my friend ask how ”long you been training that dog, he’s one of the best retrievers I’ve ever seen,” ‘well” I told him “started this morning”. My friend was dumbfounded as was I, the only bird he missed that day was one that fell way out to one side of the field. I walked out to get it and of course Stretch beside me, I’d say go left and walk that way say left and walk that way Stretch picked it up and started working left till he found the bird.

 

The next day I thought I’d expand on this so I took two buckets out in the yard set one on one side and one on the other side of the yard. I put one of his toys a piece of rope on top of one bucket and A squeeze toy on the other. We went back to the house I told stretch go get you rope, right, off he went. I’d say toy left he’d go get it. This went on for an hour or so and before that day was over Stretch knew his left from his right.

 

One day we went down to the river where I’d throw a stick, Stretch would jump in and bring it back. There was and old man, sitting on a bucket, fishing just down from us and one throw Stretch lost track of the stick. I was standing there shouting go right, go right when I noticed the old man looking at me like I’d lost my mind. Stretch did go right and found that stick and brought it back. The old man got up off his bucket walked over and said ”I’ve never seen a dog that knew it’s left from it’s right. He stood there for some time watching me and the dog and said “ you’ve really got a good friend there, don’t you”. I told him if you only knew I looked for this friend for years.

 

Stretch lived with us for 14 years and when he finally passed it was like loosing an old friend, Heck I did loose an old friend my best. Sometimes I think back about Stretch, the way he would look at me and turn his head sideways like he was listening and knew to everything I said and wonder, is there a place for Stretch in Heaven. I can only hope when It’s my time to go  Stretch will meet me at the gates lead my right and left and be by my side again.

 

Funny a tear rarely comes to my eye about anything but I’m wiping one away right now thinking about Old Stretch.

[TnRiver46]

Great read @Ivey. Sounds like stretch was from a good bloodline, had it in his DNA. Most of the best hunting dogs come from England, the rest come from Tennessee! Haha

[TnRiver46]

I was just texted this picture from home, looks like mango has been digging holes or wrestling Again and has been banished to the porch. She’s our wide open throttle dog. When I left the house this morning her feet were white.....

[Team9nine]

Wife and I have had 3 Pekingese spanning nearly 30 years.

 

Sid (“Vicious”) lived to be 18 years old and was our first back in 1991.

 

 

Then there was Charlie, a.k.a. “Chunk”, who lived for 16 years. Sid and Charlie overlapped for around 10 years and didn’t get along. 

 

 

Charlie passed in 2016 and we went a year and a half without a Peke - it’s so tough losing each one. I finally pushed a little and in Oct. 2017 we got a newborn Peke from a breeder; “Archie.” Wife was originally hesitant because she still wasn’t ready for another, but this guy has turned out to be fantastic. Can’t imagine life without him now. Hoping he becomes the first to enjoy going out on the boat this spring.

 

[J Francho]

I have a Carolina Dog (Bailey) and a German Shepherd Dog (Coltrane).  The Carolina is almost 8, but the GSD is only 5 mos. old.  It's generally total mayhem at home.  I wouldn't trust either in a boat with me.  I tried Bailey out years ago, and she kept jumping in the water.  Coltrane is just a dope, and would probably cry the whole time.  Bailey's breed can be difficult to train, but once she recognized me as alpha, she is amazing.  She's the best dog I've ever had.  Coltrane is a stupid oaf, but is very quick to learn, and is quite pleased to work, if he isn't too distracted.  I've had GSDs in the past, and he's pretty typical.  They're funny in that they're both dumb and incredibly intelligent at the same time.

 

https://scontent-lga3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t1.0-9/83978376_10219442135537226_1078221114112475136_n.jpg?_nc_cat=108&_nc_sid=1480c5&_nc_ohc=Q_AEmFXDZogAX_L1Knz&_nc_ht=scontent-lga3-1.xx&oh=2d3235a3ae3d402d6901f36691a517d7&oe=5F034107

[TnRiver46]

@Team9nine, Sid vicious! That’s awesome