The end of an era

[phatdaddy]

i feel your pain & joy. we have 3 dogs now and the one next door is over here more than his house. we have 2 old dogs and a new one that was going to be my daughters, but you know how that goes. i had to have a lab put down and my daughter was potty trained in the same week. it was like getting a $100 a week raise.

[tsubaki]

Right off the top of my head we've had at least 10 dogs the last 25 or so years (cats don't count). All but 2 were strays we picked up, best ones ever.
Currently got 2 outside dogs, 2 inside dogs, a one eyed outside cat and a Betafish that's been living in a quart jar on the kitchen countertop for over 3 years.
Just gotta have animals around!

[Blue_Runner]

Point of this post is to state that you have no idea how much work (and money) is entailed in having pets until they are gone.

YOU COULD NOT HAVE SAID THAT ANY BETTER!

However, I do love my two 14 y.o. cats and my 4 y.o. old dog with a passion. It is those two smelly guinee pigs that drive me nuts! All they do is eat and crap, eat and crap, etc. The food ain't cheap either. I think about how much money I spend on pet food all the time. Sometimes at the grocery store I'll have more $ worth of pet food than people food on the checkout counter. Since the cats are old they have had several teeth pulled and are no longer able to eat dry food. They eat 4 cans of wet food per day which adds up to over $3 per day just for the 2 cats. I'm easily in for over $200 per month on pet food. WOW!

I can see it now, when they are gone the wife and kids will be begging for another cat (or two). Not on my watch. Never again. One dog is PLENTY!! Or maybe 2 when I get my fence up. But sure as heck not 3.

Good post!

[reelapeelin]

Definately one of the more "bitter-sweet" threads I recall on this forum...if my present Lab lives to 15, I'll be 68 years old myself...don't know if I'll want to start w/a new one at that age or not...we'll have to see...till then, I think I'll keep the old shrimp stealer around...

For sure won't replace the Jack Russells...if my wife wants to, that'll be up to her...have really enjoyed having them over the years, but they're a lot to deal with...

[spareparts]

When I first met my wife, she had a Daschund, I was never a little dog person, I grew up with a Lab/Chessie mix that was one of the best dogs ever. My room mate had a cat, I wasn't trilled with it, but it was a pet, he paid for the up keep and his closet was the cats crapper. After my wife and I married, that daschund became one of my best friends. He pased away due to a seisure, most upexpectantly. I missed that dog as much as my lab/chessie. My wife and I talked it over and we decied that we would wait till our second child was born(she was pregnant with Kendall at the time) and became a little older, but due to the overwhelming issues that Kendall(and my Wife) has had, we still hadn't gotten a dog. I kept talking about it to my wife, even found a litter of lab/chessies(a whole another story) but ended up getting another dashund(black and tan this time), we are going thru the whole house training thing, and yes at times he's mroe trouble than he's worth, but he's part of our family.

[Destroyer]

Well, everyone else seems to be contributing to this thread, so I guess it's only proper that I do also. I completely agree with everything that everyone has said... pets are expensive and can be a PITA, but having said that, they are also (at least for me) a never ending source of enjoyment. I think you get out of them exactly how much you put into them. If you're a kind and loving person, they sense that and respond in kind. Truthfully, there's nothing nicer than coming home and having your dog come running...not walking, running.. up the walk to great you simply because he or she is happy to see you....or to have a cat jump up into your lap while you're watching TV simply because you're warm and they know you're a safe place to be. I guess what I'm saying is I love animals, and while it's nice to have none for a while, everytime that's ever happened to me I found myself going to a shelter to find a new one that needed a home and love. Rob, I'm sorry for your loss... I understand how you feel...but I suspect that sooner rather than later you'll be taking a drive to the shelter, just to look around...

[Road King Cole]

I just love coming home to the wagging tail of my lab. She has to run and get one of her toys in her mouth before she comes and greets me, sits down in front of me with her whole body shaking from the wagging.

The wife however, won't get off her fat ***.

I always loved this test:

Put your wife and your dog in the trunk of your car for an hour. Then see which one is happy to see you.

rkc