A Christmas thread for all our furry friends we've lost

[MsAdorabelleDearheartVonLipwig]

Really missing my old boy today and I know there's a few of us this year that have recently lost our furry friends. I thought it would be nice to share some memories.

It's been two weeks since we lost our boy. I said to someone today that we've lost our paper shredder this year. He loved to get into all the ripped up present wrapping and rip it to shreds. We've got a video of him doing it last year.

Felt awful putting the Christmas tree up last weekend. We usually put it where his bed was and move the bed in front of the fire. This year we packed the bed away. Not looking forward to the tree coming down.

Watched a clip yesterday of him from last summer. Bouncing round the garden with a tuggy, growling at it and throwing it about. That's how I remember him. That's how he is again now. Young, bouncy and happy.

Miss you my old boy. Have fun at the rainbow bridge.

[ProcrastinaRemNunc]

I'm sorry for your loss. I lost my soul-pup this year. He was my rock, friend and companion for such a long time. I miss his company but I know he'd approve of the puppy we now have and her first Christmas will buffer the heartache of his first absence.

[MsAdorabelleDearheartVonLipwig]

Aww. We've said we'll think about another dog in the spring. When the weather's a bit better and we've had a chance to grieve.

He's going to be such a hard act to follow.

[Amy106]

So sorry to hear about your furry friend. My dear old dog died just a few days ago and I am just gutted. Such a wonderful, sweet guy.

[MsAdorabelleDearheartVonLipwig]

Oh dear Amy, you too? There's been a few lately.

[TheHappinessTrap]

I feel drawn to these threads. We adopted an old girl this year and I dread the time knowing it's not as far down the line as I'd wish. Op, I'm taking my lead from you and am going to video her a bit more! I wish you all well in your grieving and those work new beginnings.

[JoffreyBaratheon]

Our beautiful 14 year old bull terrier died on September 1st. She'd been blind for ten years, and in old age went deaf and had dementia. She was still her old, gentle self to the end but stopped wagging her tail, stopped doing her crazy bully runs and slowly but surely wound down those last 6 months.

Two days before she died, unknown to us, a pretty little staffy cross was born and 8 weeks later we adopted her from a rescue.

If I see a bull terrier or a dog my old girl's colour when out and about, I still want to cry but it is getting a bit better. New pup is a totally different girl in many ways and I never had my beautiful old girl til she was 2 - she was a show dog before we had her. So having pup brings back no memories.

First xmas without my beautiful lady - love to all in the same boat.

[MsAdorabelleDearheartVonLipwig]

Thanks Joffrey, I remember you from other threads lately.

If you'd have told me last year that last Christmas would be his last I would have scoffed. He was so robust and healthy.

My DFil keeps telling me about a friend of his that is expecting a litter of working cockers. I just can't look at another cocker spaniel at the moment, I just want to cry.

The funny thing is we'd been thinking about getting a Labrador to compliment the spaniel. Don't know what to do now. Not that it would be happening for a while. Probably the spring. Gives us a chance to make up our minds. Think dh wants another spaniel.

Just hate being without a dog. Miss my old boy so much.

[SistersOfPercy]

My lovely boys, they will always be missed.

Jack the Scottie died aged 9, February 2012
Bob the Westie died aged 14 November 2013

[Cocolate]

Santa's mince pies are safe for the first time in 14 years...I wish they weren't

[JoffreyBaratheon]

Adorabelle that feeling of being dogless is the worst, eh? I have 5 kids but our house felt empty to me after she died. She sat quietly with me all day every day for years. Even now the sofa is empty without her.

[ProcrastinaRemNunc]

Much like you, Joffrey, our pup is completely different to our old lad. 40kg different! Plus female rather than male. We got her (our first pup too - we usually rescue) two weeks after losing him. It wasn't about replacing him but it was about filling the massive gap in our lives.

MsA, the right one will come along at the right time. Giving another dog a family too is no kind of disloyalty

[atonofwashing]

Hi all, I am truly sorry for all the friends lost recently.

Here's a little bit abt my lovely Dong Dong (dee dee for short).

Found May 2003 in a "pet shop" in Hong Kong. She was abt 2 yrs old. A lovely tricolour lhatese ( we think). She came back with us to the UK where she lived out the rest of her days in royal style.

She was 14 when we had to send her to the rainbow bridge. She was blind and deaf, but always knew exactly where we were.

A true friend and wonderful family pet. We miss you darling girl and would give anything to have you back. :-(

PTS 26 November 2014.

[Amy106]

I like to think of all our dear furry friends young and healthy again waiting for us at Rainbow Bridge. My dh is really missing having a dog in the house (as am I) and has checked out a few rescue sites online. I feel guilty even thinking of a new dog. That's crazy, isn't it? Our dog had a very long and happy life with us. I am sure we could offer the same to another one. Maybe in the new year.

[atonofwashing]

Amy106, my family and I feel exactly the same.
Hope u find another lovely pet.

[JoffreyBaratheon]

As our little girl was about to be PTS, I told her to go to grandad (my dad) who adored bull terriers. She was the last one he saw - when he was paralysed in bed, I brought her to see him and lifted her so he could see one of his beloved bullies one last time. So losing her was a bit like letting go of a last piece of dad.

So I told her to go to grandad and all our bullies who'd gone before. My husband couldn't resist saying: "There's going to be loads of you!"
.

[MsAdorabelleDearheartVonLipwig]

Hi Percy, aton, thanks for stopping by.

My DFil, bless him, has a friend who has a friend who will have a black working cocker puppy ready in a couple of weeks. I don't know why it hasn't already got a buyer but he says it's the last one and they're really good pups.

I've a good mind to tell him to have it for himself. He misses our boy as much as we do and I'm just not ready to face another dog in the house yet, especially one that looks exactly the same! I do miss having a dog but I also want to grieve for my boy. If I've got an identical dog when I still desperately want my old boy back I'm going to be projecting onto it and that's not fair on anyone. Am I making sense? I just think a different looking dog would give me different expectations. He is such a hard act to follow and I don't want to be expecting the same behaviour from a different dog.

[Gabriola]

thankyou for this lovely thread. I have been thinking all day about our cat who we lost almost 12 months ago. Christmas just isn't the same without him attacking the baubles and trying to eat the tinsel though the less said about the dead robin the better.

Much much missed.

[MsAdorabelleDearheartVonLipwig]

Amy I know exactly what you mean. I feel so guilty for even thinking about another dog. I just feel so lost without one. Apart from a couple of years when dh and I first moved in together and we were working too much to have a dog, this is the first time in a long time that I haven't had a dog in the house.

This is my old boy, Barney. This is the pic I put on another thread. He's chilling in the garden in the sun. He looks happy.

[SistersOfPercy]

You won't project I promise. Murphy is a carbon copy of Jack looks wise but personality is totally different.
Sometimes I'll catch a glimpse of Murphy and see Jack but I don't compare. Not long after Murphy came thoughi called him jack accidentally then dissolved into tears in dh.

I promise you no dogs are identical, they make look the same but each have their own personalities and foibles. Jack and Bob were hard acts to follow, we often joke here that Murphy was sent as a mix of the two as he developed one white spot on his tail. He has personality traits of both of them but he's utterly individual and I don't compare them.

New pup will be just that, you'll sometimes look and smile at a similar behavior but you will love him and cherish him in his own right.
for all our pups.

[MsAdorabelleDearheartVonLipwig]

You're probably right Perc, I'm just worrying. If I'm not worrying I'm feeling guilty. Can't not do one or the other.

Gabriola sorry to hear about your cat. Although no dead robins this year I'm guessing.

[ColdCottage]

Harry and Charlie xxx RIP xxx

[SistersOfPercy]

If it's right it's right. Sometimes fate steps in.
When we originally put a deposit on a pup last year it was on the Welsh borders. The day before we were due to collect him we had a phone call to say he'd died. We were devastated and I (probably stupidly) found another kc breeder who'd had a buyer drop out and had one boy left.
A 300 mile round trip later and we had Murphy.

Sometimes a dog picks you and I certainly believe Murphy did. Bob picked us (we weren't even looking for a westie!) And jack did too.

If it feels right don't feel guilty. Fate is a funny thing.

[MsAdorabelleDearheartVonLipwig]

Percy you always know just what to say.

[Amy106]

My sweet old dog.

[MsAdorabelleDearheartVonLipwig]

Aww Amy she's adorable.