Awwwwwwwwwwwww. Semper. Well... You know ...

That was beautiful! Thank YOU for the eye sweat.

Dear sweet Troy.

Camp Nappy :-(

I am sorry for your loss Semper. A loss of the hardest kind. You created a beautiful and loving tribute and your love for Troy was great and he knows that. Troy would want you to be happy again and to remember the good times in your heart and memory.

Do not stand at my grave and weep
I am not there; I do not sleep.
I am a thousand winds that blow,
I am the diamond glints on snow,
I am the sun on ripened grain,
I am the gentle autumn rain.
When you awaken in the morning's hush
I am the swift uplifting rush
Of quiet birds in circled flight.
I am the soft stars that shine at night.
Do not stand at my grave and cry,
I am not there; I did not die.

Semper, my deepest sympathy. Your tribute to Troy is lovely and a wonderful reminder to cherish those we love.

"No longer by your side, forever in your heart."

*Hug* Sarah

You did Troy proud Semper.
My best wishes to you both at this time of loss.
"Horton"

I'm so, SO sorry for your loss, Mr. and Mrs. Mark. That was a truly beautiful tribute. I cry for you both.

Brenda

that was beautiful semper. i didn't dare look until i prepared myself!

so very sorry :*(

Ahh, Semper, I'm so sorry. Your tribute to Troy is wonderful. A special dog for a special person, he lives on in your heart.

I can't access the Rainbow but I finally figured out the sad news. It's so hard to let go of our furred children. They return our care with such total love and trust. I'm sorry Troy couldn't stay a little longer. Let your wife know there are a lot of people on this forum who understand. Sandy

That's a beautiful tribute, Semper. Way to love, bubba.

God rest, good Troy.

I'm so sorry to hear of your loss Semper. Your tribute to Troy is just beautiful. You & DW will be in my thoughts...

~Dawn (mamabirrd)

Oh Semper. Very nice tribute. You did good by him!! Oreo sends his lickies.

Semper......I'm so very sorry for your loss of Troy. As a fellow Dobie lover I know what a huge loss this is. I know the day is not too far away for my old Dobie girl Sasha. Dobes are just the most special friends in the world and I loved your tribute.

Shanna

Mark, it really, really hurts, for a long time. Every time I've lost a best buddy I swore I'd never get another dog again and go through that awful heart wrenching loss. Troy will always be a part of your life and there will be so many memories that will, in time, bring a smile to your face as you remember all the Dobie antics he shared with you over the years. Celebrate his life, my friend, it was a great one.

Semper. You made me cry.

*XL hug*

It hurts to lose your beloved four-footed friend. I know.
Sigh.

:( Mary

Man, thanks for reminding me what a tight knit cyber community we have here. Your sentiments mean more to us than you all can possibly imagine. :-)

_______________________________________________________________________

Shortly after we got Troy, we started to realize that he was an atypical Doberman. This was further substantiated a year or so later when we received a letter from the American Kennel Club stating that Troy's status with them was being disputed because someone else had complained about the purity of their dog from the same litter. Shortly after that Troy's papers were officially "revoked". As I recall, the letter also mentioned that we should contact the breeder if we have any intentions for any possible recourse. RECOURSE??? Hmmmmm.... "Sir, can you take our "kid" back because he got his diploma taken away?!". Of course, we couldn't care less about such papers because we got him because they are indeed a very special breed and to be {{gwi:166203}} for our late/great Byron.

Troy was truly everybody's friend. Everybody except for the neighborhood bully: a very large black lab named Sneakers that roamed the neighborhood as she pleased when she pleased. Troy didn't like Sneakers tearing up HIS yard and he made sure to voice his opinion. Sneakers didn't know what to make of this gentle giant. It was obvious to her that Troy's bark was definitely louder than his bite. Heck he didn't even have a bite and she knew it! But somehow Troy earned the neighborhood bully's respect and she quit terrorizing his yard for the most part. In 2002 Troy was diagnosed with cancer and subsequently lost one of his legs. We were told that the life expectency for this form of cancer at that particular stage was generally around 6 months. A few weeks later we were outside working on the building our pond and the pups were hanging around enjoying the beautiful weather and supervising our work. The neighborhood bully happened to be roaming by and she takes a quick glance at Troy just outside HIS yard. She notices that something was different and missing from her nemesis so she stands there pondering the situation. HA! She seemed to have a leg up on the neighborhood ordinance enforcer. So she decided to take this opportunity to reclaim "her" old stumping grounds. Troy just stood there and watched. Even after some tactical manuvering she wasn't done and wanted to make up for lost time so she gets even closer, pauses for a moment, and decides to show Troy once and for all that she reigns yard by taking care of her business. Unfortunately, what she didn't know was that the extra leg was slowing Troy down!!! At that instant, Troy who up until that moment could've won an Oscar for his outstanding acting job as a crippled denfenseless mutt, instantly breaks out of his role-play and gives chase. The look on Sneakers face and her screaming as she retreated back home where she belonged were priceless and hilarious. Interestingly, we saw much less of the neighborhood terrorist after that!

Care to share YOUR story of a past friend?

Here's to 3 legged dogs!
Kate is my yellow lab, came into our clinic as a 6 month old pup when she was removed from her owner after he left her alone for several days in a crate, outside, in the summer - after he had run her over with his pick-up but couldn't afford to get her vet care. By the time she came to the clinic she had been unable to walk for a week due to her fractured pelvis and shattered leg. After her rear leg was amputated I brought "Tripod" home with me to recouperate, and she never left. Renamed "Kate" within a week, she gives life her all...loves to swim, run, dig, etc. And she's a great pheasant hunter, too. I'm so glad she came into my life. She is an inspiration to other clients with pets facing amputation for any reason, and I voiceless spokesdog for the Humane Society.

Still a 'present' friend. And now I have to get more Kleenex before stories of past friends.

Hope you and Mrs. Semper's tears are easing up. Remember the good stuff!

LOL!!! @ Troy! What an awesome dog! And I love Kate's nickname before she came home with you, Sarah! I'd love to run over her former owner with a pick-up.

The last 3 pugs in our family have been blind, so I know just how special "handicapped" family members can be. :)

Brenda

Good for Troy to keep his yard free from intruding Sneakers! LOL! I didn't know that the 'diploma' could be revoked. :-)

How fantastic that Kate has a loving home! She deserves all the happiness that life has to offer.

Awwwww. Blind doggies? Born that way or something happened?

My first German Shepherd arrived shortly after I was born a thousand or so years ago. His name was Shakespeare and he was so gentle but he watched over me as he grew up and matured. If you were not family you were NOT allowed to touch me! If you did get too close, he would walk up to you and gently pull you away by placing your arm in his mouth.

LOL! No one really ever argued with him either.

We live on Lake Erie and often went on the beach with him. Shakespeare loved to swim in the lake but seemed to be aware of the dangers too. If there was ANY ONE in the lake, he would swim out to them, grab them by the arm and swim back with them to shore! He didn't care if you wanted to be in the lake, he did NOT want you in the lake and that was that!
We have home movies of Shakespeare pulling people out of the lake.

Once he went down to the beach himself and was saving people from the water by himself. Someone knew who the dog was and came to the home and told my parents that Shakespeare is a great lifeguard! LOL! He was. He was a great dog! :-)

C3D

Shakespeare...great name for a great dog!

Kate is named after Katharine Hepburn...great actress and woman.

How did Troy get his name? And Byron?

S

LOL @ Shakespeare the lifeguard! What a great dog, indeed.

Our late great Byron was extremely protective of my better half but his tactic was a little more startling than Shakespeare's. If I wasn't around and a stranger did not maintain his/her distance, he would casually walk up to them and nip them very gently on their gluteus maximus. As I recall, the exterminator would not come back in the house after that.

Those were just names that we liked. Troy was definitely NOT named after Dallas Cowboys QB at that time that was a Steelers killer! :-)

When I lived in Chestertown my neighbor had a 3-legged Lab named Ben. He never did anything heroic, but he was a good and friendly dog. He would come by for a pat on the head and a rub on his belly whenever he saw me outside. Ben lived to age 17 and had a really grey face.

He lost his leg when a farmer shot him for being on his property and the shattered leg had to be amputated.

Unfortunately, my neighbors didn't keep a good eye (or leash) on any of their dogs. Had no fence either. Grrrr...to those that do that.

Awww, Shakesie sounds like he was a great doggie!

Not sure how all the pugs became blind, because we got "possession" of them long after they were puppies. :D Their eyes protrude just enough for them to be easily injured, so it's a fairly common problem for pugs. Even when they can see, they never really point both eyes toward you at the same time, anyway. LOL

My friend had a Rottie named Gaston who liked to come up behind me and nip my calves. I tried not to turn my back on him, but he was there to remind me if I did. :D

Kate has a great namesake, Sarah! My favorite actress of all time.

Brenda

After all of this recall stuff going around....was this a possibility in Troy's case? Tainted pet food on the brain here...

Brenda

Rest in peace, Dusty. :(

Brenda

Here is a link that might be useful: Search Dog Remembered for Dedication

Mark, I'm so sorry to find such sad news. Your beautiful tribute to your companion Troy, is truly a reminder to love and live every moment in life.

(((HUGS)))

Now I can plant AND water my cilantro seeds at the same time. Sniff

Ditto Brenda, she had heart...

Brenda, it wasn't the recent tainted food as this dates back to 2002. I suppose depending on one's faith and beliefs, it could be either "luck" or fate. Actually, we really don't know why or how our Troy got osteosarcoma. We just know that it can be a very aggressive form of bone cancer. All the ultrasounds and xrays that were done just earlier this year were perfect. Then without any warning on Friday 2/23 a new tumor showed up on a new xray on his only remaining hinde leg though one could not notice anything with the naked eye. By Monday morning as we were sending him to play with our late/great Byron, Bosco, Clyde, "Old Man", Sasha, etc. my vet friend noted how HUGE the tumor had already gotten in just a matter of 2.5 days.

It's hard to believe it's already been a month. I still miss that ole' goofy ba$tard.

The story of Dusty getting hit by the car never even made local news. :( Wish I could have met her.

Geez, I can't believe it's been a month, either, Fi guy! I'm glad for Troy's sake that his last stand against the evil cancer went quickly, though, with as little suffering as this crap can cause. Yeah, he's up playing with Cly-Cly! I like that image a lot. :)

Brenda

I have recently gotten back here and have been trying to catch up when I ran across this. Sorry I didn't get to respond to the loss of Troy sooner. I'm so sorry Semper, it's easy to tell what a special doggie he was to you, aren't all our doggies special to us though. They become such an important part of us.

"...aren't all our doggies special to us though."

Indeed they are in their own way. Thank you for the kind words.

It's been a year since heaven became a much better place and though the sorrow may have dissipated, the fond memories have not.

We miss you more than ever my friend. God speed.

I hear what you are saying Semper, we had to go the same route with our little dog last July.
I still cannot look at a photograph of her, without tears coming to my eyes. She was our great little pal for eighteen years and has left a big gap in our lives.
Wonderful loving creatures, they are indeed!
"Horton"

Our thoughts are with you all! *sniffle*

Brenda

Oh. I'm so sorry Horton! I *know* she was a very important part of your family. Semper's Troy and our Bosco are keeping her happy and entertained with gentle play until it is time for you to be reunited with her.

I'm sure they have met new friends along the way too.

C3D

Horton, I am really sorry for your loss. I know how attached we got to our Troy and he was almost 11. You had 7 more years with your friend so I can only imagine how hard it was to part with her after all that time together.

Amen to what Ms. Chichadeedeedee said.

Thank you all for your kind words and thoughts.
My daughter and her family got a new pup just before Christmas. They think she is a Tibetan Terrier? I'm reserving my opinion on that for now.
Regardless of what breed she may turn out to be,she is a bundle of fun, mischief and a delight to have around.
It is difficult to rule out reancarnation, everytime that little bugger and I get together.
Her eyes look as if they are trying to tell me that everything turned out okay.
We love to have her [the dog] visit and she can bring our grand children with her too. lol
"Horton"

Oh, Horton, that's so touching about the new puppy's eyes! Thanks for putting this big ol' smile on my face!

I used to have a dog like that named Red, a retriever/chow cross. He could be evil incarnate if he chose, but sometimes, he'd look at me with those pale topaz eyes, and it was as if I'd known him before....or forever. :)

Brenda

Poetic hearts, that's why I love you all. Gosh, I miss being able to spend more time here with you all. I'll try to do better.

Speaking of looking into the eyes of certain doggie people, I also have seen their souls, wise and knowing. My Tippy is "hanging in there". Her tumor is about the size of a large plum. She has slowed down a lot, but miraculously, there's not evidence that it has spread. It's been almost 2 years since we discovered it and she's not in a great deal of pain. My prayers have certainly been answered. I've been allowed time to come to grips with all the emotions. You all have helped with that for sure.

It does bring a smile thinking of all those passed on friends of man romping and playing together in their special place. :)

Awwww, sweet Tippy! I'm so glad you're having this time with her, 'Poo. And I'm sure she is, too.

I like to think that "one-eyed" Clyde the pug is no longer blind now that he's romping with all of his buddies in that special place. That makes me happy. :)

Brenda

I believe their little spirits are free, no concern with physical limitations. I like to think they are in their own heaven until their owners come take them to an even grander place. :)

After reading all these post on your pets, I'm crying so hard don't know if I can do this or not. Last Friday we had our horses vet come out to the house and relieve my German Shepherd Kaiser of his pain and suffering. He would have been 12 in July. He had hip-displasia and had gotten to the point that it took a lot of effort just to walk. One night last week he apparantely fell down the steps and skinned his nose very badly, and he almost would not attempt to go up and down the steps any longer. We had been putting this day off for at least a year. He was a grandchild to me, a part of me: also my shadow. I still find myself turning to tell him, "Grandma's just going outside, I'll be right back..Stay" He never did, had to go with me even if it was only for a minute. He loved the grandchildren almost as much as he loved me. If they were sitting on the floor watching television, he was sprawled out in the middle of them squeeking one of his balls. They couldn't play in the yard under the water sprinkler, because he would stand over it blocking all the water. If I got the water hose he always had to come get a drink of fresh water. After I had caught my kitchen on fire once, I had some ladies cleaning for a few days and they had been playing with him. They gathered up their cleaning supplies and placed them in boxes. My husband helped them carry the boxes out to the yard and sat them by the gate. Then when they started to pick them up to put them in their car, he just gently put his mouth on one of the ladies arms as if to say, "My grandpa put those there and you shouldn't bother them." We told him it was OK and he released her arm. My son who is in his 40's likes to play pranks on everyone and one day Kaiser was asleep on the porch with his head resting between the bannisters. Kevin sneaked up to him and shook him and said "Whatcha Doing"!! Kaiser came to life with teeth bared and made a believer out of Kevin. He had to jump the bannister and landed about 6 feet out in the yard to keep from getting eaten alive, until Kaiser realized who it was. Needless to say Kevin didn't try that again. Kaiser's daddy was imported from Germany and was a Narcotic Dog with the Grand Rapid Mi Police Dept. Now they are together somewhere "Over The Rainbow" along with Jett one of his litter mates who belonged to Kevin and his family. Now he and Jett are bouncing around there with no hip pain at all, waitin for Grandma to come home. Glenda

I'm so sorry you needed to make the most diffucult decision to help Kaiser. It's the hardest thing to do. It's the most loving thing to do. My GSD Bosco is there and will have a good romp with Kaiser and keep him company until you are again reunited.
*~*~*~*~*

I stood by your bed last night, I came to have a peep.
I could see that you were crying, You found it hard to sleep.

I whined to you softly as you brushed away a tear,
"It's me, I haven't left you, I'm well, I'm fine, I'm here."

I was close to you at breakfast, I watched you pour the tea,
You were thinking of the many times, your hands reached down to me.

I was with you at the shops today, Your arms were getting sore.
I longed to take your parcels, I wish I could do more.

I walked with you towards the house, as you fumbled for your key.
I gently put my paw on you, I smiled and said "it's me."

You looked so very tired, and sank into a chair.
I tried so hard to let you know, that I was standing there.

It's possible for me to be so near you everyday.
To say to you with certainty, "I never went away."

You sat there very quietly, then smiled, I think you knew,
in the stillness of that evening, I was very close to you.

The day is over... I smile and watch you yawning and say "good-night,
God bless you Mom and Dad, I'll see you in the morning."

And when the time is right for you to cross the brief divide,
I'll rush across to greet you and we'll stand, side by side.

I have so many things to show you, there is so much for you to see.
Be patient, live your journey out ... then come home to be with me.

C3D

Oh Glenda, my deepest sympathy. Each and every one of our dear pets is so special. He sounds like a wonderful guy...

Sarah

Whole box of kleenex please...........

Glenda, we're so sorry for your loss and pain. Thank you for the beautiful stories of your time with Kaiser. They made me smile through the tears.

Chicka, thanks for posting that beautiful poem! As if I wasn't crying enough already....:)

Brenda

Outstanding story G. Thank you for sharing it with mere "strangers".

I don't feel like you all are strangers..Glenda

Oh Glenda.

I don't know what to say. Poor Kaiser. Poor you. And your DH too.

*** hug ***

:( Mary
Pass me the tissues, will you please, Sarah.

Dear little Oreo. We hope you are safe and well and happy.
Dear Heather. We hope you are doing OK too.

Camp Nappy :*-(

OMG!!!!!

Dearest Oreo .....I am sooooo happy to know you are not having a romp with our Bosco! He is a nice guy but he's got Troy and my Mom to keep him entertained for a looooooooooooong time. :-)