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Sadly no longer with us but Izzy our Lakeland terrier taking a break near the end of a long day.
Sorry I don't know how to post photos on the forum but, honestly, that's probably a good thing.
Mason left on Monday for guide dog school. There were obviously tears (mine) and the house seems so quiet and empty without him although he was not a vocal dog. His half brother, Herbert, is a bit mopey but better than we thought he would be and I've arranged some dog walks with friends to try and give him his doggy fix.
We'll be raising another puppy for Guide Dogs but will wait until after our holiday in September unless something unexpected comes up.
We miss you Mason, you were a pleasure to raise
How is that comfortable?!
Oscar has had a sore leg so he’s been on crate rest, he wasn’t impressed.
This is Lily and Rusty, both 11 year old cockers. Rusty was diagnosed with a nasal tumour on Tuesday and has 3-6mth expectancy. We're in bits and the black one certainly knows there's something wrong with him. It's the worst bit about having them, but we owe it to them to not let them suffer.
Well thats my heart a bit 💔.
Shower the both of them with lots of love!
Ah, so sorry my dude. Dogs sadly are here for a good time, not a long time. Big hugs to you and yours.
Ah sorry to hear that @brokenbanjo - we lost our 15 year old Lab last year and before then his 3 year old best mate. Tough times but after a week on hols, you realise how much of you life they are.
Roxie (the retriever rug) nearly as big as Lola now. Also got most of her teeth which means a little less hanging off the labs face most of the day!
Cheers guys. Dogs are just ace.
Leo unimpressed by Glastonbury
Much happier in his normal habitat
@brokenbanjo just remember your job is to have provided the dogs with best life they could have had. I’m sure you have done that. As much as it hurts to see them pass, just remember you’ve had a great life together.
Give them both a big hug from me and your fellow dog loving friends here at STW who know how difficult your next few months will be x
Rusty has been trying to die since 6mth old. 4 years ago, we nearly lost him to pancreatitis. We've been managing that since then. The vet said that many would have given up on him years ago. We had a lovely walk with him yesterday and I had to run to keep up with him at one point. Initial shock has gone, just a lamentable sadness that he's going too soon. Thanks all for your kind words, we're making the best of him. Bb
Did we get a retriever or a fox? 🙂
Took F(R)oxie swimming for the first time. She just dived in the deep part of the lake so we're blooming glad dogs know how to swim from pretty much birth.
Somehow ended up really muddy so had to endure the (warm) hose before the much loved towel experience!
@brokenbanjo - our 3 year old Lab was in and out of the animal hospital in Bristol for weeks. It was heartbreaking, but we did all we could. And that's all you can do. I wasn't sure we'd get another one, but it didn't take long before Lola joined the family. Defo agree make the most of the time you have with them.
@brokenbanjo - so sorry to hear that. Our angel of a lab got a tumour in the back of his tongue 18 months ago. Surgery delayed things, but eventually it came back and not operable. He departed a year ago. Still miss him. The next in line we subsequently got has definitely been a (mainly) much needed distraction.
Huh, no direct upload for members just now.
All chairs belong to me.
"Someone" may have slipped and fallen in the river today, I laughed, a lot 😀
Our dog Ginness had a dental yesterday, 3 extractions! Poor boy is a bit sore at the moment.
Apparently teeth problems are pretty normal in a 9 year old Greyhound.
More alarming the mole on his nose turns out to be a Mast Cell Tumor. He's got to go back urgently to have this removed! I am worried his recent dodgy tummy is related and this could be the start of a rapid decline.
Anyone got positive MCT stories to share...?
https://1drv.ms/i/s!Ag8Hwoz2T81urnzxTqxr0XZuNY3
Update on Rusty, his tumour has been hyper aggressive. We're calling it today. He has lost interest in everything apart from food. We took him to say goodbye to the family on Sunday, we think it took it out of him. I've been up since 5am crying. Gonna miss him so much.
So sorry to hear that, you’re making thre right decision though.
Ah man I'm sorry.
The cost of easing suffering is high for you but so worth the pain in the end.
We always forget to look at things as a dog would, every day is a new fun day with lots to sniff and get excited about.
Even the mild thought that I one day won't have a dog any longer makes me well up, I bloody love the total money pit, reactive little tool that she is. Hugs to brokenbanjo.
My day didn't start great, I'm on a Karelian Bear Dog FB group for this rare breed. One of the N.American admins posted that her elderly dog (Taiga) that I'm emotional invested in sadly went on the last great solo adventure that we all will do some day. Brokenbanjo and Rusty have added to that sadness.
And oddly I've spoken to two random people recently that enquired what breed my dog is (Karelian Bear Dog as mentioned above) but then dropped in the conversation about life after your dog leaves you behind. Bert has recently turned 10 and it's struck me that there are more years behind us than in front. It almost feels like these random people are part of some sort of process to condition me for when Bert leaves us.
We can't have children so Bert gets the love that I would have given to my offspring. I'm not dreading the day as I know by then Bert would have had the best life I could have given him but its a thought that saddens me.
Having a dog - other than marrying MrsRNP is the best thing I've done in life.
Anyway on a positive note Bert fell in love this morning in our local park with a beautiful Malamute/GSD cross. Her Swedish owner knew of the KBD breed as they are native to Finland. The usual reply is "never heard of that breed"!
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He passed peacefully in Mum's arms this afternoon. He made us laugh one last time, he nearly took the vet nurse's hand off when she offered him a cupcake. He started with discharge from his nose today, we think we called it perfectly for him.
The anticipation was horrendous. The event, peaceful. We had to then collect miniBB from nursery. That was hard, explaining death to a three year old. We played it straight, told her he was dead and that she'd never see him again. She is adamant she will.
Lily has been my shadow since. She was in the room with us and gave him one last sniff as we left. She has sad eyes. When her half Sister passed, 6 years ago, she stopped playing with any other dog, even Rusty. I hope she copes well.
Now, despite a 13kg hole in our lives and a deep sadness, there's also a strange serenity. He's no longer suffering and that is all that matters. Our love for him is as strong as ever, but he is at peace. Rest well, Son.
Now, despite a 13kg hole in our lives and a deep sadness, there’s also a strange serenity. He’s no longer suffering and that is all that matters. Our love for him is as strong as ever, but he is at peace. Rest well, Son.
You gave that dog a life full of love, hold on to that.
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Sadly dogs are here for a good time, not a long time.
I've given up trying to post a cute picture of the hound. This sites functionality is as effective as indicators on a submarine. FFS.
This is our Huey, in the middle, with his brother and third cousin twice removed (or some such - she's of the same line as the other two, but we've never really worked out quite how the relationship stands)
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This was actually taken a couple of weeks ago while the forum pictures feature was completely borked. I'm hoping it's working again now... pressing Submit will be the judge of that.
Edit - ooh yes, using the postimg 'hotlink for forums' option has indeed worked, well said @piemonster
Double edit - not my garden, not my plastic grass. Go easy on my stepdaughter, she only bought the house fairly recently.
@fhelawman great pic, lovely looking dogs!
My old house had a plastic lawn, it stink in the summer! Twice a day I’d rinse it out and spray it with all sorts of chemicals!!
My old house had a plastic lawn, it stink in the summer!
My missis has been going on about getting a fake lawn because she's fed up with piss holes in the grass, and I told her this is exactly what would happen.
Anyway have a photo of the piss hole curator practicing his other hobby. 🙂
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Waffle is taking it easy after hurting her front leg, did it on her birthday as well jumping off a wall
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Stacey enquiring as to why that peanut butter on toast is not in her mouth.
Lola would have swiped that.
Either by a bruteforce frontal attack or by slowly edging closer and going for a lightning strike.
I think she has also twigged that lickit claimit is a thing.
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Torn between FOMO and napping.
Anyone got positive MCT stories to share…?
Our springer developed this. We first spotted it on her leg when it was already quite large. Had it removed, but it came back later. Tried some fancy medicine which didn't touch it. Then she went on steroids which held it off for another 18 months or so, before it eventually became too much for the old girl.
My advice is spend as much great time with your dog as you can.
I was going to put a photo in here but the photo upload isn't working, so I'll try to describe it instead: my wife, eldest son, his wife, on a beach in Harris, blue skies, daft old Kara (harbinger of death to rabbits) looking back at the camera.
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Makes all the work to sort the garden well worth it to see her relaxing and enjoying it.
Watching next doors cat.
X
Picture upload working well then.....
less happy today after a fistula removal. He’s not happy in the “cone of shame”
I'm not happy after a near £1300 bill for the nose and some paw x-rays. Insurance (bought by many) wiil be paying but we need to fund it first.
Just to be perfectly clear I don't begrudge the funds but it does sting a bit (could get a bike for that).
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Who doesn't like some bbq.....
https://www.flickr.com/photos/16786159@N08/53889767971/in/dateposted-public/
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The hound is the consomethinge poser.
Jesus wept susepic what did you do to those burgers.
Sausages look good though.
Backlit Bert!
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That's a cracking shot.
That’s a cracking shot.
6 o'clock this morning in local park. He'd spotted something in the distance so kept still long enough for me to move round him.
A few more
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Jesus wept susepic what did you do to those burgers.
Some meat products are more sacred than others, that is a votive offering to the family/dog!
Just settling in for an avo kip
Lola has finally seen he hedgehog. Much confusion, much false pouncing, as far asi can tell no actual contact made. But **** me i know how taylor swifts bodyguard feels.
Hedgehog is fine, gave it the once over fit and healthy, no fleas or ticks either, atleast no in any significant quantity. Still haven't been forgiven for extracting it from harms way.
Lola (our lab) barks at the hedgehog, sniffs it and then runs away 🙂
Roxie is getting close to fully grown. Still a pup in her head tho 😉 She's bigger than Lola now but not quite as fast yet and definitely not as proficient in the art of 'poovering' up the local cow and rabbit waste products. She's started to swim a bit now as well.
Our withdrawn guide dog (for lead reactivity) was amazingly well behaved on our morning walk today :). Not a single reaction to any dogs (and we saw lots).
Right until we came across horses in a field. He got through the fence and had a stand off staring competition with them. Luckily for us they just stood and looked at him, when he decided he'd won he came hotfooting it back to us but it was a heart in the mouth moment. He's on a lead if we have that situation again 🙁
Chewie needs a good haircut - how does he see where he is going?
Anyhow, Henry is back from his holidays. Holes have been dug, seaguls chased and many an arse sniffed.
Chewie needs a good haircut – how does he see where he is going?
lol - Booked for Tuesday. Longer than usual due to having his balls removed recently! I’ve trimmed round his eyes but he’d just finished rubbing his face in the woodchips when I took the photo.
Longer than usual due to having his balls removed recently!
Maybe I should have gone for the full bollokectomy rather than just having the snip a few years ago if that's a benefit. 
No cone of shame for you human!
Oscar testing out our motorhome.
Morning Bert walk, “it’s MY frisbee!”
Barney is partial to a frisbee, we bought him a rubber Kong frisbee in the end as he ruins them, so far it seems to be Barney proof
He wants you to throw it, but he's not keen on letting go of it first 😀
Roxie had a busy day. Mostly digging up the garden 😉
He wants you to throw it, but he’s not keen on letting go of it first 😀
Both mine do that. I keep telling them "The RETRIEVER in your name is some kind of clue" but they just look at me and then run off with whatever they've just fetched.
Nominative determination fail!
Mostly digging up the garden 😉
our previous retriever Rosie was a digger…. It was always in places where you didn’t really need yet another hole
Yes the Lab will always be up for a bit of "hole extension" but has never been a primary digger. However "Digger McTrowel Snout" is reverse mole-ing great swaths of the garden if we don't catch her. And she's also the 'destroyer of plant pots' and 'devourer of cut grass'
On the mole front we've had a really keen little so and so erupting multiple times in a week. Lawn was starting to look like it'd been bombed. Clearly moley poked his head out once too often as we found him warm but dead on the lawn. Both dogs looks guilty, neither admitted to the murder charge!
To be fair, retrievers look guilty even when they haven't done anything 😀
our dog now has to wear goggles when outside. People cross the road to ask about them, rather than to avoid the scary dog, which is a definite bonus.
Well, Mrs F took Chewie to a different groomers as the usual one is expensive and I take about nine hours to trim him. She asked them to trim around his eyes, feet and bits. Leaving the rest longer and just giving him a tidy up and wash. Under no circumstances do we ever want to have a normal Poodle cut. This is reserved as a threat to Chewie when he does something crazy.
This is what she brought back home. Some Shaun the Sheep looking mother****er! I won’t be walking him in the daylight for the foreseeable and we all can’t stop laughing at him.
This is normal Chewie for reference ?
