Another dog for a dogless woman
 

I lost my last Borzoi a year and one half ago and vowed I'd never have my heart broken again. While in the hospital the therapy dog came by, a Standard Poodle, and the handler said she sometimes will get on the bed of a patient if she feels a special bond. I tapped the bed and up Chloe came, lying next to me for the next hour so I could pat and love on her. It was then I realized, even if I am 70, I can't be "dogless" so my new 3 year old Borzoi Merlyn will be on his way from Atlanta to Maine this week or next. I'm beyond excited because he's beautiful and beyond the crazy puppy stage.

Congratulations! There is nothing else like puppy love is there?

How awesome for you! I lasted 3 weeks dogless after my schnauzer passed, then I found my beautiful maltese baby, who is now almost 13. She is always by my side and I love it! Enjoy your new baby : )

so nice that you will have a good friend with you

Dogless women
 

I know exactly how you feel. When my late husband's last beloved super bird hunter and beloved lap dog Springer died almost three years ago I vowed I'd never get another dog. Same problem; too old. It only took me two weeks to realize that I can't stand to live without another living creature breathing the same air. I figured I'd look for a rescue of mature years, house broken and leash trained.

Since I'd notified late DH's hunting pals and Shadow's breeder of her passing I received condolences and from the breeder the offer I couldn't refuse. He had a 3.5 yr. old brood bitch which, like all his breeding stock, was fully trained, field trial super star and his personal favorite hunting pal. She'd recently had a serious life threatening uterine infection which necessitated not only 5 days on IV antibiotics but being spayed. When she was released from the hospital he took her into his home where she was on IV fluids for another 5 days. He and his wife tended to her in the house until the surgical wound healed. He said that she was a perfect lady while in the house. He'd decided that she deserved to be a beloved pet and he just didn't have the time to give her the loving attention she deserved so he gave her to me despite the fact that I wouldn't hunt her. She has suffered from a panic disorder since arriving which the vet says between that devastating sickness followed by the flight from Cleveland to Charlotte and complete change of environment were no doubt responsible. That situation has gradually improved with medication, my efforts to resocialize her and the addition of a young rescue of some border collie heritage who is perpetually joyful. He's downright medicinal for Kit and me. He is Rocky which is his macho name to compensate for his castration just before I adopted him.

You deserve to have another faithful companion. While it's sad that we can't keep them forever, it's also a privilege to have them while we can. It'll be a win-win for you and your new 3-yr old baby. Lots of love in your future!

I can't wait until you get him.. Once you have a dog as part of the family, it's next to impossible to live without one.. I'm on #4.. and I can't imagine living without him.. He has all the warts that most members of a family have.. and he gets on my nerves at times.. but I miss to peces when we aren't together.. It's funny but my brother came over, and was going to take him home last night to hang out with their dog.. and he didn't want to go, and I didn't want him to go..
Barri

I am very happy for you! I know how you felt - I lost my beloved "Clyde" in the fall and would love to rescue an older, even medically needy dog but even shelter & rescue dogs are so expensive! I can understand that, but with Soc Sec only, its just beyond my budget to buy one. My daughter is a vet tech & they get many dumped cats, but not dogs.

So again I'm so very happy for you!

so glad you are allowing yourself this wonderful love!

Have you asked the Shelter if the price could be reduced or if you could make payments? They do want to find forever homes for the dogs. My dog died so I got a cat who needed a home but after 3 wks I knew I had to have a dog. I checked a shelter online near me. I checked everyday for almost a month on this 3yr old Pug who was getting over some stuff. I don't know if they knew I was checking but the price suddenly went down. I called and went & got that sweet little dog. The cat was unhappy for a month but they are now great friends. He's the sweetest dog.

I've had cats all my life and we've had cats for the 23 years we've been married. Angie is our first dog and she has been such a joy. She's 3 1/2 now and we're so glad that we got her. So much less trouble then cleaning up after the cats. I'm almost 71 and it's gotten to the point where I hope I never see another litter box. She does what she's told and never gets up on counters and things, she doesn't shed, I could leave my sewing room open if she was our only pet. Don't get me wrong, I dearly love our three cats but when they're gone there won't be any more. I'm past the stage in my life where I can care properly for them and cleaning little boxes is a duty my hubby doesn't like to share.

I waited 7 years to get another dog .. I was so heartbroken after our poodle died (he was with us for 18 years) I swore I was not gonna get ever and I do mean ever get another dog. Then my husband insisted we go to the local no kill rescue- I found her- but I wanted a dog who would go every where with me as my poodle did A(well except on hot or cold days and to work!LOL). My last dog followed me like a lost puppy every, would lay down at my feet when I was sewing .. so we went to the shelter-saw her -looked at her picture on line for days-then one day there she was in my home- DH had made the decision to get her so I would have my mind made up and its been LOVE every since !!
I have no idea how I existed in those days since my baby boy died and now .. Gotta have a dog in the house to follow you around, lay at your feet. I may even get her a cat who knows . (Had both of them while the kids were growing up as well as the big birds!) lol OH and the rewards given back after a "treat" are just so thrilling !
Kitsie:have you tried volunteering at a shelter? A friend of mine who is on Social Security does just that, then helps volunteer on weekends for a local vet in her area to walk the dogs. That way as she tells me:she always has a dog/cat in her life.

i am "dogless" for the first time in over 40 years, and won't have another of my own. hubby has parkinson's, and as his gait gets worse, any kind of obstacle in the house makes his life more difficult. thank heaven for having a "grandpuppy"! my daughter and i drove over an hour in a snowstorm so she could adopt a wonderful pooch who comes to visit us often, and i get my dog fix while freya gets spoiled and loved.

congratulations on getting another dog--i'm a little jealous, because a borzoi has been on my wish list for many years. maybe, someday...

Wonderful news! They are great companions and such comfort.
It took me almost 20 years to make that decision and look at me now.
I have three, and i am still looking. Its like quilts, I don't have one of every color yet.

Congrats! There's nothing quite like the love of a pet.

How wonderful!!! Tinkerbelle is somewhat a therapy dog...she is here to help me, but has help many others as she sees fit.
I have been taking her to see my Aunt and Uncle recently and they perk right up when she walks in. She went to the rehab center once a week for a month, and was very well behaved with all the residents. She has been to their home since they have come home and still are smiling when she is visiting. Auntie asks about her every day...they always had a cat in their lives, but with poor health and walkers...another cat is not a good idea. So, my little Tinkerbelle fills in.

I can't imagine not having a dog or cat. They enrich our lives so much with their unconditional love. We have a rescue dog now...name is Teddy (Bear). He is a love with us but is very frightened of men....probably been abused. Since the number of daytime break-ins have been increasing, I am glad to have him because he is a good watch dog with a very sharp bark. Congratulations on your new best friend.

I know what you went through. I had to put my Lakeland down 2 days after Christmas in 2006 and I felt like you.
In May of 2007 I got my schnauzer "Gracie" who was a rescue from Arizona. I have never regretted it. Although there will always be a place in my heart for Katie, I feel she would have loved Gracie as much as I do

A pet makes us better people, they don't tell on anyone and usually like everyone.

There is nothing like the love of a pet & when they go the heartache is overwhelming. We lost our beloved "Jessie" 3 years ago & still have a hard time occasionally. 9 months after we lost "Jessie" we brought our "Abby" into our life & have never regretted it. She is so loving BUT spoiled, spoiled in a good way. Unconditional love is forever.

Thank God for loving people like you!

Good for you! I felt the same when we lost our beloved Shelti but at 72 deceided I wanted another dog. We now have our 8 pound Peke-A-Poo and love her to pieces.

I am so glad for you. After my previous Saint passed I thought I could never go through another heart as broken as mine was... But as the weeks went on the house was just way too silent. I guess I never realized how much I even talked to my dog till he was gone.
I found a rescue and so glad I did we are both sooo happy together.... I am sure there is much happiness coming your way with your new buddy.

Congrats. Some days pets make life worth living..... like when you get tons of lemons and find out there is no sweetener to be found....then the swet pet saves the day.

glad you are getting another dog-I can not imagine being without one.

I am going to meet two girls tomorrow. I am going with a smaller dog this time. Always had big dogs in the past but due to getting older I thought that smaller might be better for me. This dog is a ruscue dog. There are so many of them that need love. I also have two cats.

Wonderful animal stories. Marilyn, I wish you and Merlyn many happy, healthy years together. The dog in my avatar is my dog, Stitches. I had just lost my Olde English Sheepdog Maggie, when the vet's wife asked if I'd be interested in Stitches who was 1 1/2 at the time. Long story short, we were made for each other. He came fully vaccinated, neutered, housebroken and with impeccable manners. Even his name was perfect because of my quilting and that fact that he mended my very broken heart. I have been so rewarded and blessed. Stitches is 17 1/2 and still doing well with a lot of assistance from my husband and I. There is nothing on earth like the unconditional love from a pet.

I'm so happy for you! Thanks for sharing this happy news. I hope you'll post a picture of your new furry pal soon.

I'm sooo happy you will have another companion!! I can't stand to be without a canine companion either!! My neighbors still remember me 9 mos. preg.-big as a house- running after my wee cocker pup after we lost our first beloved cocker. Hubby wanted to wait till after the baby. I said 'no way' and so I raised the 2 babies together :o) Wouldn't have had it any other way!!

When I lost my doxie, Heidi, last year (she was almost 15), I promised my husband I wouldn't get another dog. It hurt so bad and I was in major depression for months. Finally, DH said to get another dog because he was missing having a pet in the house too. He didn't know I had doxie rescues all waiting to hear from me when I was ready. The group I worked with found the perfect little guy, Chip. He's 3 years old, as housebroken as a doxie can be (doxie owners know what I mean LOL), but DH and my friends couldn't believe the difference in me once he came into our lives. So, I'm with you -- I can't be dogless either. Enjoy your new buddy!!!

I lost my beloved Jericho and was heartbroken.. but I can't imagine my life without a dog in it. so my family and I went to the pound and came home with two. No life should be that sad..that it doesn't have pets (dogs or cats) in it.

I understand what you are going through. I went through the same thing. In 2001, 5days before we were to go to China on a trip, I had to have my Golden" Cashel" put to sleep because of cancer. My daughter was going to take care of her and I had to make the sad decision to put her to sleep as it wasn't fair to my daughter if anything happened while we were on the trip. I cried several times during the trip because I knew she wouldn't be there when we came home.I didn't know it at the time but my husband had given orders to my daughters to find a female Golden Retriever puppy by time we come home.We walked in at 10pm and I was presented with my Golden" Keva"Since then we got a Rescue dog "Orla". Everyone should have a dog.

I lost my trusty and faithful beagle. She was 15 and it was her time.... my poodle is 12 ... I have "sucker" written on my forehead and adopted another beagle from a shelter.... she's a blonde and 7 yrs young and she still has a ton of energy. It's taking awhile to get Jamie the poodle to adjust but we're getting there slowly. She's sweet and the volunteers at the shelter said that she had been there 5 weeks and people don't always adopt "older" dogs... anyhow congrats on your new 4 footed child! Deb

I, to have lost several over the years. But, would I do without, no way.

That's why I'll never own a doxie! My parents raised them and we had 3, that were never fully housebroken. My four dogs are all fully housebroken and everyone gets along. The big blonde dog is Molly, our golden retriever(we shave her for the Texas summers),the big black dog is Terra, the little white dog is Annie,a westie and the little black dog is Mr.Choop a poodle mix. Three of our dogs were strays, only Terra came from the pound as a puppy. Some horrible person abandoned Molly after they lost their house, she was all of 50# when my DD found her, also heartworm positive. Almost 2 years later she is healthy and weighs in at 85#, such a sweetie. Annie was an escape artist and also abused, DH found her in the parking lot at work. She weighed about 9# and we had no idea she was a West Highland White terrier until about 4 months later when she started putting on weight and her fur grew back in.
Sharon W.

Another dog for a dogless womn
 

Hi Roberta,

I'm so glad you're getting another pal to keep you company. I like many others, know exactly how you feel. I lost my precious boy pug Thanksgiving a year ago. It has been a long hard slog, but after a wonderful dream last month I knew it was time .

I'd like to introduce Sherman. He is a rescued breeder and is almost 5 years old.....He is wonderful and I'm not alone anymore. I hope you enjoy your new baby as I am mine.