People and dogs

[Willcampbell]

My wife and her father before that always had Black Labs. Since we've been married we've had three: Coot, Shellbee, and now Love-Love. Shellbee passed from cancer at the age of nine, and it took a good long while for my wife to get over it. She couldn't let go (and get Love-Love) until she finished a book about Shellbee. It's entitled "Shellbee's Story" and is available on Amazon, by Jennifer Flynn-Campbell, PhD. All of the proceeds go to our efforts to help dogs in our neighborhood in Georgia, whose owners don't have the money (or the willingness) to do basic stuff like rabies vaccinations, heartworm meds, etc.
All of our Labs have been our best friends. People suck compared to dogs.
OFC

 

[DukefanKY]

My wife and her father before that always had Black Labs. Since we've been married we've had three: Coot, Shellbee, and now Love-Love. Shellbee passed from cancer at the age of nine, and it took a good long while for my wife to get over it. She couldn't let go (and get Love-Love) until she finished a book about Shellbee. It's entitled "Shellbee's Story" and is available on Amazon, by Jennifer Flynn-Campbell, PhD. All of the proceeds go to our efforts to help dogs in our neighborhood in Georgia, whose owners don't have the money (or the willingness) to do basic stuff like rabies vaccinations, heartworm meds, etc.
All of our Labs have been our best friends. People suck compared to dogs.
OFC

That is awesome ....I just went to Amazon and ordered a copy. I am not a reader at all. I've never enjoyed reading books, but I will definitely read this one. It has all 5 stars reviews as wel....must be really good!!

 

[gottagonow]

Good to see you posting, gotta....and great post, to boot. Still thinking of you and your family.

dj that means a great deal to me. Life is a continuing struggle for the wife and I.

Thank you

 

[IPSYCHOSIS]

My Chocolate Lab that I have now is a true escape artist. With the laws we have in my county outside dogs have to be kept in a dog pen and he kept digging out. When he’d dig a hole we’d put cinder blocks and wood logs in it but he would just use his paws to pull the cinder blocks and wood logs out or dig another hole. He dug 2 different holes and no matter how many times I put the cinder blocks and wood logs back in the holes he kept using his paws to pull them out so we eventually had to go buy a long cable to keep him on but he’s been through several cables because he breaks them. He’s been through like 4-5 cables so far because he’s so strong and he weighs between 70-80 lbs.

Can you have a underground fence? Imo it’s a great investment if possible

 

[DiehardDukeFan4Life]

Can you have a underground fence? Imo it’s a great investment if possible

I’ve thought about putting 12 inch strips of plywood under each of the walls of his pen that way there would be 4-5 inches inside and outside of the pen but since we’ve put him on a cable I haven’t tried it to see if it would work and keep him from digging out but knowing him he’d probably find another way to get out because he’s way too smart for his own good lol

 

[Willcampbell]

That is awesome ....I just went to Amazon and ordered a copy. I am not a reader at all. I've never enjoyed reading books, but I will definitely read this one. It has all 5 stars reviews as wel....must be really good!!

Thanks, Bud. Let me know what you think!
OFC

I’ve thought about putting 12 inch strips of plywood under each of the walls of his pen that way there would be 4-5 inches inside and outside of the pen but since we’ve put him on a cable I haven’t tried it to see if it would work and keep him from digging out but knowing him he’d probably find another way to get out because he’s way too smart for his own good lol

I dug a foot-deep trench with my backhoe for a neighbor's "escape beagles" and then installed the chain link fence in the trench and covered the trench with the dirt. It worked (but it DOES help to have a backhoe! And roots are a pain in the rear.).
OFC

 

[DiehardDukeFan4Life]

Thanks, Bud. Let me know what you think!
OFC

I dug a foot-deep trench with my backhoe for a neighbor's "escape beagles" and then installed the chain link fence in the trench and covered the trench with the dirt. It worked (but it DOES help to have a backhoe! And roots are a pain in the rear.).
OFC

That’s a good idea but with where my dog’s pen is it would be difficult to dig a trench because we have this shop where one side is just a roof and that’s where my dog’s pen is so that he has shade in these hot and humid North Carolina summers. So it would be difficult to get a backhoe close enough to dig a trench on all 4 sides of the pen because one side of the pen is next to the outer wall of the shop. He’s 5 1/2 years old now, so fortunately he’s mellowed out some with age and he doesn’t get loose as often as he used to when he was younger.

 

[FearTheBeard]

I’ve thought about putting 12 inch strips of plywood under each of the walls of his pen that way there would be 4-5 inches inside and outside of the pen but since we’ve put him on a cable I haven’t tried it to see if it would work and keep him from digging out but knowing him he’d probably find another way to get out because he’s way too smart for his own good lol

We had a shepherd that we should have named Houdini. No matter what we did, she would always get out of her kennel. The last time I tried to keep her in it I zip tied the door of the cage all over the place...came home after class and she had still gotten out and all the zip ties were still in place, door still closed, none of the wires bent. She was a 70 lb dog so it wasn’t a small dog escaping through a small place. To this day I have no idea how she did it. I just looked at her and chuckled while saying “you little chit.” Never bothered trying to put her in it again.

It was similar to the one below:

 

[DukefanKY]

This is something I ran across a few years ago. Fiona Apple, who I really know nothing about, was on tour and cancelled it because her pitbull was dying. She wrote this letter to her fans. The dogs name was Janet. Every time my pit would do something that got on my wife's nerves, I would start calling her Jamet!! She would get so mad!! If you scroll down, you can see the hand written letter

https://www.brainpickings.org/2012/11/22/fiona-apple-janet-letter/

 

[DiehardDukeFan4Life]

We had a shepherd that we should have named Houdini. No matter what we did, she would always get out of her kennel. The last time I tried to keep her in it I zip tied the door of the cage all over the place...came home after class and she had still gotten out and all the zip ties were still in place, door still closed, none of the wires bent. She was a 70 lb dog so it wasn’t a small dog escaping through a small place. To this day I have no idea how she did it. I just looked at her and chuckled while saying “you little chit.” Never bothered trying to put her in it again.

It was similar to the one below:

I kept him in one similar to that when he was a puppy until we bought him a dog pen. Eventually I had to put a hook on the latch of his dog pen because he learned how to use his nose to lift the latch up so that he could get out. I should’ve named him either Houdini because of how many ways he figured out how to get out or Dozer with the way that he’d use his paws to pull the cinder blocks and wood logs out of the holes that he’d dug. lol

 

[Canadian Dukie]

Lets hear some of the funny/strange names that you have had for your pets..we had black labs when I was growing up,my dad was a career military man.his branch was physical education,he and two of his fellow instructors named their dogs after track and field events...our dog's name was Shotput...the other two named theirs..Discus and Javelin

 

[dukesince91]

I'm a dog person and at the time, I didn't have a pet. My mom decided that my 2 year old son needed a pet and brought him a cat. We decided to let him name it. He chose Bungie because he liked to jump a lot. My nephew at 5 named our dog Reuben, he chose that name because his aunt liked Reuben sandwiches. If you have young children let them name your pet, they will surprise you.

 

[IPSYCHOSIS]

Most of my pet names always start with B! Lol I don’t know why. Bush Bo Bubbs Blue. I got 2 cats now. They’re grey twins kinda bluish named Blue and Duke with a Duke and a Blue collar. Wish I knew how to post pictures on here it’s pretty legit! Some kinda way they always escape their collars and only last a day on them. Lol I was always a dog person untill......now.....girlfriend suckered me into it lol. My huskies are hardheaded stubborn dogs. Ones named Terror lmao and the others KiKi. They act like cats.

 

[DukefanKY]

I love golf. We had a dog we were house breaking and everytime he would have an accident in the house, I would tell him he kinda shanked that one......it stuck and he was always called shank. He did learn though!

 

[Duke937]

I’m from Ohio, huge buckeye football fan. January of 2015 my girlfriend at the time talked me into driving to Columbus to pick up a Pug puppy. Her selling point was I got to name him. Ohio State has just beat Alabama in the Sugar Bowl a couple days before. So I named him Urban, after Urban Meyer obviously. Couple days later he sat on my lap looking at me like I was insane watching them win a national title.

I joked with her that if we would’ve waited a couple months he would’ve been named Justice or Tyus! Urban needs a brother, hoping for a Zion next spring.

 

[DukefanKY]

I’m from Ohio, huge buckeye football fan. January of 2015 my girlfriend at the time talked me into driving to Columbus to pick up a Pug puppy. Her selling point was I got to name him. Ohio State has just beat Alabama in the Sugar Bowl a couple days before. So I named him Urban, after Urban Meyer obviously. Couple days later he sat on my lap looking at me like I was insane watching them win a national title.

I joked with her that if we would’ve waited a couple months he would’ve been named Justice or Tyus! Urban needs a brother, hoping for a Zion next spring.

That's pretty cool!! Except for the Ohio state part....go Clemson! Haha...I'll be in Ohio at the end of the month. Coming up for golf, and a concert at river bend. I wish I was there now watching the memorial.

 

[skysdad]

I'm not much of a pet lover but admire and respect all who love their pets especially those that rescue or adopt. When I was a little boy I had a little pet turtle. He kept running away and I got tired of chasing and catching him. It's been 55 or so years ago and depending or which direction he headed he could be in Fla. N.Y. or Colorado by now. Doubt he made it though. Lot's of highways to cross. OFC

 

[DukefanKY]

I bought my kids two turtles once. They were about the size of an Oreo cookie. There were other people there buying them, and most said they only love about 6 mos and then they come get more. Well, sure enough my sons loved about 7 mos.
My daughters lived for 12 years!! And was still about the size of an Oreo

 

[dukiejay]

I bought my kids two turtles once. They were about the size of an Oreo cookie. There were other people there buying them, and most said they only love about 6 mos and then they come get more. Well, sure enough my sons loved about 7 mos.
My daughters lived for 12 years!! And was still about the size of an Oreo

Hope Sophie is doing well. We’re up at our lake place this weekend and a pretty big void is missing without Buddy. It’s just the second time I’ve been up here in the last 11 years without him by my side. Even 3+ months later, and still all these ‘firsts’ to experience. Usually he’s watching me right now enjoy my cigar as we overlook the lake.

 

[DukefanKY]

Hope Sophie is doing well. We’re up at our lake place this weekend and a pretty big void is missing without Buddy. It’s just the second time I’ve been up here in the last 11 years without him by my side. Even 3+ months later, and still all these ‘firsts’ to experience. Usually he’s watching me right now enjoy my cigar as we overlook the lake.

Thanks for asking man. That really means more to me than you know. I know what you mean by the lake. Like I said in my original post, she loves the lake and boat and my wife and I were talking about how hard the first couple of trips without her will be.
We are still waiting on the results of blood work, but the vet really felt strongly that her hearing loss, hair loss, low energy, and weight gain are all thyroid related and can be fixed. If that's the case, based on her age, we may have another 4 or 5 years to enjoy her. Thanks for asking, and I will for sure be thinking about you and Buddy the next time I am at the lake With her. Should get results by Wednesday next week and I will update

 

[DukefanKY]

@dukiejay did you see the photo album I made with the music? I posted the link early in the thread. If you click on it, after opens, click again and it will start playing. I'm sure you have plenty of pics. You should make one of those, even though it will probably be emotional to do, you will have it forever

 

[DukefanKY]

My wife and her father before that always had Black Labs. Since we've been married we've had three: Coot, Shellbee, and now Love-Love. Shellbee passed from cancer at the age of nine, and it took a good long while for my wife to get over it. She couldn't let go (and get Love-Love) until she finished a book about Shellbee. It's entitled "Shellbee's Story" and is available on Amazon, by Jennifer Flynn-Campbell, PhD. All of the proceeds go to our efforts to help dogs in our neighborhood in Georgia, whose owners don't have the money (or the willingness) to do basic stuff like rabies vaccinations, heartworm meds, etc.
All of our Labs have been our best friends. People suck compared to dogs.
OFC

Got the book in today!!

 

[Willcampbell]

Got the book in today!!

Enjoy!
OFC

 

[DukefanKY]

Enjoy!
OFC

I have already finished it. As I said before, I am not a reader. I have never enjoyed reading books, but I couldn't put this one down. Shellbee was obviously very loved, and returned it. Really great read!! Thanks for sharing!

 

[DukefanKY]

Got blood work back today. Extreme hypothyroid. Doc says medicine should take care of it. He gave me some pills last week when I took her in to get a jump start on it if he was right, and I can already tell a huge difference in activity level!! She's wearing me out, go outside, come in, go outside, come in.....but that's ok....she can go out as much as she wants!!!

 

[Willcampbell]

Got blood work back today. Extreme hypothyroid. Doc says medicine should take care of it. He gave me some pills last week when I took her in to get a jump start on it if he was right, and I can already tell a huge difference in activity level!! She's wearing me out, go outside, come in, go outside, come in.....but that's ok....she can go out as much as she wants!!!

Feel better, fellow Duke fan and avid reader! All the best.
OFC

 

[DukefanKY]

Update:

Went to the vet for a follow up today......thyroid is 100% normal, lost 11 pounds, all hair is back. And can hear a little......all is right with the world!

 

[DukefanKY]

Even a huge difference in facial expression.....

 

[Duke937]

Awesome deal. Happy for your family buddy!

 

[DukefanKY]

Amazing a thyroid can cause loss of energy, tragic face, weight gain, and hard of hearing.....

Hey!! I think I got thyroid Issues!!

 

[DukefanKY]

Awesome deal. Happy for your family buddy!

Thank you! And family was the perfect reply

 

[LONMUNU]

Dogs are most certainly part of the family. We had two Golden’s recently, one got bone cancer and the other had bad hip problems as is common in Golden’s. Not to be Debbie downer but we had to put them both to sleep and it was one of the hardest things I’ve had to do. I was a grown man sobbing like a baby. My son was 3 and 4 when it happened, he is six now and still talks about how he misses them. I wasn’t ready for another dog but my wife got one anyway lol. He is a crazy golden doodle that is a new member of the family. Hope all is well and enjoy them while you got them.

 

[DiehardDukeFan4Life]

Dogs are most certainly part of the family. We had two Golden’s recently, one got bone cancer and the other had bad hip problems as is common in Golden’s. Not to be Debbie downer but we had to put them both to sleep and it was one of the hardest things I’ve had to do. I was a grown man sobbing like a baby. My son was 3 and 4 when it happened, he is six now and still talks about how he misses them. I wasn’t ready for another dog but my wife got one anyway lol. He is a crazy golden doodle that is a new member of the family. Hope all is well and enjoy them while you got them.

Having to put your dog down when they’re sick is definitely not easy. We had a Miniature Poodle when I was younger that we had to put down when she was about 16 years old because she had cancer and the vet suggested putting her down because she was only going to suffer and we also had another Miniature Poodle after that that we had to put down when she was about 10 years old because she was sick and couldn’t use her back legs to walk.

 

[LONMUNU]

Yea it is horrible. Dogs can't speak so you worry that you are making the wrong decision.

 

[timritterus]

I had to do the same about 2 months ago with my dog Drake and it was the hardest thing I've ever done. I don't wish it on anyone. Just awful, and I think about him all the time. Like some have said, he was definitely my best friend.

On a brighter note I'm happy to hear that Sophie is doing well. She sounds like a great dog

 

[DukefanKY]

Yea it is horrible. Dogs can't speak so you worry that you are making the wrong decision.

THAT is what I will struggle with.....I won't let her suffer, but no matter when it is, or how bad she is, I will always wonder if she would rather wait till tomorrow

 

[timritterus]

THAT is what I will struggle with.....I won't let her suffer, but no matter when it is, or how bad she is, I will always wonder if she would rather wait till tomorrow

If your experience is like mine you will know when it's time. I held on as long as I could, and felt the same as you. Drake's quality of life wasn't the best for the last few months, but I knew he wasn't suffering and he was still eating well and getting around etc. When he started suffering, it was obvious to me it was time. I hated it, but it was actually the sign I needed in order to do what was right for him.

I wish you the best when that time comes.

 

[dukephysics]

I heard someone say once,
"I don't trust a person who doesn't like dogs. And I trust a dog when it doesn't like a person."

They are pretty incredible.

 

[Duke937]

I heard someone say once,
"I don't trust a person who doesn't like dogs. And I trust a dog when it doesn't like a person."

They are pretty incredible.

I have a side job selling and flipping baseball cards. I deal a lot in groups on Facebook. Typically if it’s people who have never dealt with each they before they’ll ask for other people in the group to vouch for the person to know they’re good for the deal to be made. My profile picture is me and my dog. Countless times people have said to me, “you have your dog with you in your picture. You obviously love your dog. I trust you 100%.” So cool to me.

 

[DukefanKY]

Like I said in the beginning of this thread. They can turn a grown man into a 10 year old boy.