The Love of a Dog

Fandango

146B9476-7350-49A6-A899-C9E2F216B5E7Our dog doesn’t bark. Well, she rarely does, anyway. Only when she sees a raccoon, a coyote, a deer, or some other wild creature. It’s not that she’s shy or anything. I think it has something to do with the fact that she’s a rescue dog. We got her when she was five, and there was more than one indication that she was abused. And that might be central to her infrequent barking and some other behaviors.

Sadly, our dog is getting old. She has trouble walking and she often acts confused (doggy dementia?). We know that we are approaching that point where we’ll have to decide whether or not it’s time to take the dreaded next step and to put her to rest.

It’s a heart-wrenching decision because she has been a big part of our lives since we rescued her ten years ago. We know that she needs and loves us. She’s our best friend and we need, love, and worship her just as much.

Written for these daily prompts: Ragtag Daily Prompt (bark), JibberJabber (shy), The Daily Spur (indication), Fandango’s One-Word Challenge (central), Your Daily Word Prompt (decide), and Word of the Day Challenge (worship).

97 thoughts on “The Love of a Dog”

  2. lifelessons June 4, 2020 / 8:32 pm

    She looks so much like my dog Diego!! He has just started to get gray around the edges like your dog has.

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    • Fandango June 4, 2020 / 11:08 pm

      That photo is a couple of years old. She’s a lot grayer now.

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  4. Marleen June 4, 2020 / 10:06 pm

    There are aspects of being a pet owner that I have thought are too much for me to take. I have second thoughts, though, when I visit my cousin, cousin-in-law, and their two dogs.

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    • Fandango June 4, 2020 / 11:16 pm

      Dogs are great pals, but when they get old and feeble, you feel their pain.

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      • ragnarsbhut August 31, 2020 / 7:59 am

        I love dogs personally. Having said that, due to personal experiences with them, I am a fan of the Newfoundland breed. So I may have some bias in that regard. There would be times when I would initiate play with them, however, they were very gentle.

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  5. Nan Mykel June 4, 2020 / 10:17 pm

    My last “euthanasia” was for my blind deaf cat. I decided never to do that again, as long as they can purr or thump their tail–unless they’re in pain. My daughter was able to have a vet visit her house for her cat with terminal cancer. –Relaxed and non-threatening for the pet.

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    • Fandango June 4, 2020 / 11:18 pm

      We have an older cat, too, but he is still feisty and full of energy.

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  6. Sue June 4, 2020 / 10:24 pm

    Such a beauty!!! I was in your shoes just over 6 years ago & I had to make the dreaded decision for what was best for him. Tough, tough, tough. Not a day goes by that I don’t miss him. He was my bestest little buddy for nearly 17 years. Also a rescue.

    Enjoy the time you have left & know that the memories will always stay with you!💞

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    • Fandango June 4, 2020 / 10:32 pm

      Thanks. It’s going to be emotionally painful, but intellectually we know it’s what’s best for her.

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      • Sue June 4, 2020 / 10:40 pm

        I cried for 2 days straight! Then, I wrote like mad to record all of the memories I could recount of him & I. So therapeutic!!! Made it into a little book just for me to look back at.😊

        We are here to support you if you need. Thinking of you! Once your pup, always your pup!

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  10. Paula Light June 4, 2020 / 11:06 pm

    Hopefully doggo will have many more good days ahead first!

    Liked by 3 people

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  11. Cathy Cade June 5, 2020 / 12:29 am

    Ours will be 17 in August, and I think she’ll get there. Around Christmas we weren’t so sure – she was miserable as Eyore with arthritis and would disappear in the evenings down the end of the garden. I’d have to go down there with a torch to guide her back. I didn’t know if she was losing her marbles or going down there to die.
    Since then she’s been on anti-inflammatories which have made a world of difference. They might affect her kidneys (she’s been on a liver support supplement for a while) but at least she’s comfortable in the meantime. She’s playing with the smaller terrier again (mostly just rolling around and making growly noises) and her tail’s usually up. But I see how skinny my once-muscular Staffie has become, and I listen to her dragging her breaths in when she’s lying down (no problem when she’s standing) and I know things will deteriorate again.
    It was easy to know when the time came for my other dogs (liver failure, cancer, prolonged fits…) bit it’s a hard decision to make when she’s just getting old.

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        • Fandango June 15, 2020 / 10:09 pm

          I’m so sorry. Ours is still with us, but I’m not sure for how much longer.

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          • Cathy Cade June 16, 2020 / 2:00 am

            good luck – sometimes they can surprise you and take on a new lease of life. Pickle had a good six months after her first decline. She enjoyed life right up to that last day.

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    • pensitivity101 June 5, 2020 / 8:19 am

      I hear you. Maggie is on anti-inflammatories for her arthritis, but it’s a half dose and not every day. It’s a tough call and one touching us too. Maggie is 15

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  13. cagedunn June 5, 2020 / 1:01 am

    I feel for you and pup.
    We’re in the same kennel with our Pepsi dog. She’s getting more grey than colour, walks crooked (arthritis), gets lost in the back yard, has asthma attacks, and is terrified of everything she can’t see (she’s blind).
    She’s also a rescue dog, and her fears and anxieties are far-reaching, with only the voices of either one of us able to bring her back from the fear places. Sometimes, even that is not enough.

    I don’t know about you, but I’m in the process of grieving before the end, and I have to stop it so I can enjoy the time we have left with her.
    And she will be our last pet. I don’t think I could take this again.

    My heart breaks for your pack, too.

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    • Fandango June 5, 2020 / 8:25 am

      Ours has cataracts and can’t see very well and she’s always been skittish, probably due to whatever trauma she had to deal with before we rescued her. It’s so hard to see our once happy and active, loyal and loving best friends deteriorate.

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  16. annieasksyou June 5, 2020 / 4:57 am

    I teared up reading this post—both from the thought of what you’re facing and memories of our own losses.

    I suggest that when you know the time comes, you find a compassionate vet who will come to your home. We did that with our last treasured guy, and it was a hell of a lot easier on him and on us.

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    • Fandango June 5, 2020 / 4:12 pm

      We had a vet come to our home for our previous dog when it was her time. I still blubbered like a baby.

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  17. newepicauthor June 5, 2020 / 6:18 am

    When I had to put my dog down because she was not able to use her real legs anymore, I wrote a poem and I read it to her as the vet injected her. I made the poem into a video so I would never forget her.

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    • Fandango June 5, 2020 / 10:53 pm

      We’ll postpone making that call as long as she can still walk and isn’t suffering too much.

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      • pensitivity101 June 6, 2020 / 1:12 am

        That’s how we feel. It all comes down to quality of life, but having to make that decision is one of the toughest ever.

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    • Fandango June 5, 2020 / 11:06 pm

      That they are. The true definition of unconditional love.

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  20. ajeanneinthekitchen June 5, 2020 / 12:17 pm

    My heart goes out to you. it is never an easy decision to make, but she will let you know when it is time. Just love her for as long as you can. She will always be in your heart.

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  21. Irene June 5, 2020 / 5:29 pm

    Oh this is so sad, Fandango. The love of a dog is really something so unique!

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  22. leigha66 June 7, 2020 / 3:06 pm

    That was the hardest thing I ever did when I decided to put my cat Stumpy out of his misery. He would follow me everywhere, “talk” to me every morning, and would always be on my lap when I was having a bad day. I held him while they gave him the sedative but could not hold him and feel his heart stop… I just couldn’t do it. And I cried like crazy. Still tear up writing this and when I look at old photos. Give your dog as much love as you can for now and it is better for us to suffer the loss then to have them endure pain day in day out, all day. My heart cries for your decision that will come some day… pet her once for me!

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  23. lovingthesunlightandhatingtherain.wordpress.com June 15, 2020 / 3:57 pm

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    Liked by 1 person

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  25. anoushkakothari1234 June 20, 2020 / 12:50 am

    It is really hard to let a dog go away from you…. It is so well written that it made me remember my loss.
    Cherish her till she is there.
    I hope she will recover soon and will live much longer…..

    Liked by 4 people

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  26. everythingtips June 22, 2020 / 5:44 am

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    Liked by 1 person

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  28. adoptionismyfirstchoice July 25, 2020 / 4:31 am

    Oh, goodness. I had to make the decision about a year ago with my duschund. It was terrible. I didn’t sleep and I cried for days. If you see my blog, I still have my two cuties and I dread the day something happens to them. They are family!!!

    Liked by 1 person

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  29. Sukanya August 12, 2020 / 7:48 pm

    Your post really wet my eyes 😖. I’ll hope and pray for her 🙏 ❤️ . Even I didn’t see her but your post made me feel and love for her ❤️❤️..

    Liked by 1 person

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    • Fandango August 12, 2020 / 10:29 pm

      Thank you. I appreciate your kind thoughts. She’s still with us, but I don’t know for how much longer.

      Liked by 1 person

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  30. Ananda August 13, 2020 / 6:18 pm

    God bless her. We recently brought a rescue home. I am learning much from her, about unconditionality . Do read this when you can

    A lesson from Lila

    Liked by 1 person

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  32. ashasuparna August 31, 2020 / 3:45 am

    Dogs are the absolute best! 🐶

    Liked by 1 person

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    • ragnarsbhut August 31, 2020 / 8:02 am

      Newfoundland dogs are a great deal of fun. They are wonderful family companions.

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  33. ragnarsbhut August 31, 2020 / 3:56 pm

    Fandango, Newfoundlands can be very protective when they have to be. However, due to my experiences with Newfoundlands, they have been very gentle. There is the protective quality, however, they seemed to have relaxed personalities.

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    • Fandango August 31, 2020 / 5:03 pm

      I’ve found that Labrador retrievers are like that as well. Our dog is a mix of a black Lab and a German Shepherd. She’s a sweetheart.

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      • ragnarsbhut August 31, 2020 / 5:19 pm

        I have read personality/temperament comparisons of individual dog breeds. Do crossbred dogs have a blend of temperament/personality that their counterparts would not?

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        • Fandango August 31, 2020 / 10:21 pm

          I am not an expert, but our mix Lab/shepherd looks like an all-black German Shepherd, but has the disposition of a Labrador retriever.

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          • ragnarsbhut September 1, 2020 / 6:36 am

            Fandango, in your opinion, if a crossbred dog had resulted from one dog being very protective, even territorial, while the other influence came from a dog with a gentle disposition, do you think that the end result would consist of a balance between the 2 natures?

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            • Fandango September 1, 2020 / 10:37 pm

              I have no clue. All I know is that our daughter and our son came from the same set of parents (my wife and me), and the two of them couldn’t be more different in terms of personality and disposition.

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            • ragnarsbhut September 2, 2020 / 6:40 am

              Fandango, I know that having dogs is an expensive thing. However, the fun memories outweigh the costs.

              Liked by 1 person

            • Fandango September 2, 2020 / 9:26 am

              Indeed they do.

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            • ragnarsbhut September 2, 2020 / 10:36 am

              Fandango, I will admit to having a bias in favor of Newfoundlands, however, I am a dog lover by and large. Just my thoughts.

              Liked by 1 person

  34. ragnarsbhut September 2, 2020 / 10:33 am

    Fandango, I do invite you to follow my blog if you have not already, read my current material and leave me any comments. Feel free to tell your family and friends about my blog also.

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    • Fandango September 2, 2020 / 11:00 am

      Thanks for the invite. I don’t cook and don’t really have an interest in food blogs. And since I’m not a fan of spicy foods, I think I’ll pass. However, I have told my son, who loves hot, spicy foods, and my daughter, who loves adventurous cooking, about your blog. Best of luck.

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      • ragnarsbhut September 2, 2020 / 12:51 pm

        Fandango, it is not a problem. I understand that not everyone has the same interests. However, if you are in the area and see anything that looks good to you, you are free to comment.

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  36. ragnarsbhut September 17, 2020 / 6:22 am

    Fandango, it is clear to me that not every person can tolerate the hardcore spicy foods, hot sauces and so on. Your son and daughter are free to comment on any current posts I have and all future posts I make.

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