OT: Dogs -- Memorial and Welcome
JMW
have.
On a couple of occasions over the past few years, I have posted an
image of our Chesapeake Bay Retriever, Dylan:
http://www.rustyiron.net/dylan01.jpg
Dylan is no longer with us. Around September, he began to show
lesions and inflammation around his nose, eyes, and paws. When it
didn't go away, we had testing done and received the sad news.
Systemic lupus. It's an autoimmune disease, and there is no cure. It
can be abated somewhat with corticosteroids. Cyclosporin is even more
effective, but at $150/month, it's expensive, and it's not a cure. We
treated him with the corticosteroids for several weeks, and the
lesions were getting better; however, the polyarthritis that is
characteristic of systemic lupus remained a problem. We hoped to keep
him around until after Thanksgiving so all the family members who knew
him could say goodbye. It didn't work out that way.
My wife had heard a dog training expert being interviewed on NPR, and
he was asked the inevitable question as to when a dog should be put
down. He responded, "When a dog can no longer be a dog." That
happened early in the week before Thanksgiving. Although he could
still walk, the polyarthritis often left him unable to stand up from a
prone position. On a couple of occasions, he urinated and defecated
in a prone position and couldn't even move to get away from it. One
time, I was awakened in the middle of the night by his barking, I
found him begging to be moved out of his own feces. Not only was he
in pain, but I could also see fear in his eyes; he couldn't understand
what was happening to him. My beliefs and practices lead me to the
conviction that death is preferable to severe suffering, and he was
suffering both physically and psychological. On the day before
Thanksgiving he made his last trip to the vet's office. My wife is a
hospice worker and sees a lot of death, but she shed many tears over
the loss of this sweet and gentle dog.
On the Saturday after Thanksgiving, we went to the local Humane
Society shelter. That was a big day for them; they adopted out twelve
dogs that day. One of them went home with us. Meet Duke:
http://www.rustyiron.net/duke01.jpg
Two years old, a lean 75 pounds, and still very much a puppy. The
shelter was glad that he found a home because it's difficult to adopt
out large dogs. His heritage was listed as Husky and German Shepherd,
but that doesn't explain the floppy ears. The copper-yellow wolf eyes
are intense. And his most prominent characteristic, both good and
bad, is that he is still a puppy from a psychological standpoint.
It turns out that one of my colleagues knew his history. He belonged
to young adult female who left home and left him with her parents. He
was kept kenneled on a horse farm and it appears that he had very
little socialization. He also kept running away, but fortunately,
that fact was listed on his card at the shelter. The card stated that
he wasn't housebroken, either.
He still isn't totally housebroken, but he's gotten much better, and
we consistently crate him when if he screws up. He is very aggressive
about wanting to play, which doesn't go over too well with the cats,
but the cats are gradually teaching him when enough is enough. Our
matronly Shepherd/Lab mix, Missy, is signficantly smaller than Duke
http://www.rustyiron.net/missy700x500.jpg
... and she tends to be tolerant when he gets aggressive in competing
for attention, but she, too, has learned to bare her teeth and snarl
when enough is enough.
Duke is always leashed unless inside or in the enclosed area of our
local dog park. The dog park allows him to run, and he is the fastest
dog I have ever owned. As a side benefit, his inexhaustible energy at
the dog park promotes chubby little Missy running a little bit, too.
Having had geriatric dogs for a several years, it's nice to have a dog
that wants to play. He just needs to learn that he can't play 24/7.
Kinda long, but ...
Just thought I'd share that with you.
David Cohen
"JMW" <j...@event.horizon> wrote
And, luckily, it'll only take him 10-15 years to learn that :)
> Kinda long, but ...
>
> Just thought I'd share that with you.
Thanks. Nice dogs, getting to be dogs, for their entire lives. Doesn't get
better than that.
David
OmManiPadmeOmelet
"David Cohen" <sammi...@earthlink.net> wrote:
Well done. :-)
--
Om.
"My mother never saw the irony in calling me a son-of-a-bitch." -Jack Nicholson
Curt James
> I didn't po<snip>
> http://www.rustyiron.net/dylan01.jpg
> http://www.rustyiron.net/duke01.jpg
> http://www.rustyiron.net/missy700x500.jpg
><snip>
>Kinda long, but ...
Nothing some judicious snipping can't cure.
>Just thought I'd share that with you.
Glad you did. Doggies on Christmas Eve! Kinda makes up for what an
incredible dick you can be otherwise. Thanks and have a happy.
--
John Hanson
misc.fitness.weights:
>I didn't post this earlier because I hadn't taken any photos. Now I
>have.
>
>On a couple of occasions over the past few years, I have posted an
>image of our Chesapeake Bay Retriever, Dylan:
>
>http://www.rustyiron.net/dylan01.jpg
>
>Dylan is no longer with us. Around September, he began to show
>lesions and inflammation around his nose, eyes, and paws. When it
>didn't go away, we had testing done and received the sad news.
>Systemic lupus. It's an autoimmune disease, and there is no cure. It
>can be abated somewhat with corticosteroids. Cyclosporin is even more
>effective, but at $150/month, it's expensive, and it's not a cure. We
>treated him with the corticosteroids for several weeks, and the
>lesions were getting better; however, the polyarthritis that is
>characteristic of systemic lupus remained a problem. We hoped to keep
>him around until after Thanksgiving so all the family members who knew
>him could say goodbye. It didn't work out that way.
>
I'm sorry to hear that, John. I hope you have many years with Duke.
Lee Michaels
"JMW" <j...@event.horizon> wrote in message
news:939rq1dnj6tt686ig...@4ax.com...
Having gone through similar things, I can relate. And the tears come much
too easy remembering such events.
I like the fact that you replaced Dylan with Duke almost immediately. I hear
so many people who wait years or never get another dog. They don't want to
go through the pain again.
Well, just like trainin', no pain, no gain. If it did not hurt to lose
them, they are not performing their function very well.They not only are a
part of our families, but they show the most unconditional love of any
animal on the planet. And they do it naturally. We just need to teach them
some guidelines.
You got yourself a young one there. He needs some firm parenting. And he
will return to you many times what you have to give him.
It is sad to lose them to old age and disease.
But a great joy to welcome a new canine to the family.
Be well this holiday season.
Lee Michaels
David
"John Hanson" <jha...@northernlinks.com> wrote in message
news:jdqrq1p3hqtcuhnk8...@4ax.com...
Yes, I hope that Duke gives you many years of licking your ass