Dogless at the moment.

I had my first dog when I was 8. Because I was an only child, my mum thought it was the ideal way to teach me responsibility. My husband maintains that if the world was full of dogs I would be in my element. We have had a dog of some sort or other since we've been married. Dolly our old lab, died 2 years ago and we were so upset. It was out last link with our daughter who died in 2010. We couldn't face having another, and going through the awful grief when they die.
However! It is so horrible coming in to an empty house, no dog to take for a walk and that special friendship they give you that we want another. We are booked for a cruise at the beginning of April and when we come back holidays are on hold so that we can get a little West Highland White and bond.
Our old rescued (or as I like to say recycled) Jack Russell taught himself to pick up that our daughter was going to have an epileptic seizure, and push her towards a chair, long before we could notice anything wrong.
From 1978 to 2010 we couldn't have hotel holidays so we had a static caravan and had lots of fun in. Since 2010 we've been going on coach tours and, I'm ashamed to say, revel in everything being done for us!

Re: Dogless at the moment.

Wanna borrow some of mine?

Welcome Bookworm.

Re: Dogless at the moment.

Or one of my 4.

Re: Dogless at the moment.

I think you need to get another dog bookworm. I know it's terrible when our pets die but I reckon the years of pleasure they give us outweigh the bad times. We haven't had a dog for about twenty years but we have two cats. Our house would feel very empty without them.

Re: Dogless at the moment.

I love dogs I hate the 'ínbetween times' to me they are lonely empty times when part of me goes missing.

Are you willing to give up the life of no responsibilty again?

Did you know there special holidays that you can take with your dog now?
We have hired a house this year and we intend to take our dog and parrot with us..

Re: Dogless at the moment.

Yes I do know about dog friendly hotels and cottages. I've also looked around a kennels which an old friend has used for her pampered pouch for a few years. And, quite frankly, I wouldn't mind a week there myself. We are also lucky that a neighbour would look after our dog like a shot. We wouldn't like to get one now, and then shoot off on holiday We want to be with it for at least a year and also use this time for him to get to know where he will stay while we are away. What we did with other dogs in the past, was book them in for night,then a weekend.
Talking about parrots, my cousin whom I love dearly has one called Captain. Privately I call the thing Rasputin, It is the most angry bird I have ever met and would take your finger off if you got near enough. My husband says 'Paxo' every time he passes poor old Captain and |I'm sure he understands.

Re: Dogless at the moment.

I can't stand being dogless the period between loss and getting another dog to fill the emptiness is unbearable .

Heaven knows how I will cope when I am too old or ill to have a dog.

Re: Dogless at the moment.

The exact same thought has occurred to me sometimes too, Meg, so I can fully understand that.

Re: Dogless at the moment.

I know it isn't half as good as the real thing but my lab and I worked as a PAT team until she got too old and creaky. It's Pets As Therapy. We went into the homes of people who live alone and the pleasure they got from stroking her and talking about pets they used to have, was a 2 way thing. I got a lot of pleasure out of it too. We also visited folk with dementia, and again they got a lot out of it. All except my mum who was in end stage dementia and as soon as she saw me coming with the dog would throw something at me.

Re: Dogless at the moment.

I can't stand being dogless either that's why I have had 4 ( occasionally 5 ) for the last 25 years . Don't think I would survive long without dogs especially since my children live far away .