Relationships with animals...

[Henro]

I guess really I meant relationships with other beings...

When I was a kid, we had a dog. She was my friend. I still miss her when I think about her.

MY daughter had a couple dogs. The first was my friend. I miss him now that he is gone.

The next two she got...no connection.

I find it interesting how we can develop relationships with other beings on the planet that we think are inferior to us. Sometimes I feel guilty for squishing a bug. But not for long. LOL.

No animal friends here except for the one my wife has (me) but I do in a way wish we had one or two...although they would not suit our life style...

 

[Daren Todd]

I miss all my dogs. But the most memorable connection with one that didn't belong to me was a siberian husky named peanut.

Peanut lived across the field behind us. She ran loose through the area and had her treat route she did daily

She would come up to the edge of the yard, give out a bark to let me know she was there. Then come running up to me. Lean against my leg for scratches. Then flop on her back for a belly rub. Then she would tell me how her day was going. She was a talker and would tell me all about it.

I would ask her something and she would answer. Much to my wife and the neighbors amusement.

One day my wife and I were heading out somewhere and she followed us over to the truck. As my wife was getting in, peanut bailed in with her and sat on her lap.

We ended up giving her a ride home. Pull up to the edge of her driveway, and she would get out and head for her house.

This was the start of her asking for rides home on occasion I would be out doing yard work. She would get my attention, scratches, belly rub, the good conversation. Then after I finished my yard work, I would find her sitting next to the passenger door of the truck waiting patiently

I would go inside, grab my keys and let my wife know I was giving peanut a ride home

Neighbor caught me dropping her off one day. How he did laugh when I told him what had been going on

 

[GSD-Keegan]

 

[D2Cat]

I have always considered pets as God's gift to us. How we treat them is our gift to God.

Having that understanding make it much easier when they are no longer with us.

 

[Hunters gun]

I can’t bear to own another dog. They all seem to pass too quickly and leave us so sad. We had a cat we all loved and it died unexpectedly
Tore us up pretty good.

 

[RCW]

This says a lot.

We didn’t think Ollie wouldn’t see Labor Day.

We cherish every day.

We’re willing to hang with him as long as his quality of life is good.

I think his quality of life is pretty good today.

 

[Magicman]

I understand how you feel @Hunters gun. I have buried too many of them to ever start over again.

 

[skeets]

Yes Sir I have as well,, I think losing a good dog hurts more that just about anything

 

[Fordtech86]

Dogs are far superior beings then humans.

still on our first, she fixin to turn 11

Have been blessed to have her in our life.

 

[Oliver]

Interesting topic Henro. First I don't think of animals as inferior, just different from humans.
As far as relationships with them I've had dogs for companions for most of my life and more recently in addition a cat that my wife brought home, which I really did not want. But I've come to really like him because he's usually right at my side. My wife passed almost 3 years ago now so I basically live by myself, but with Sophie and Oliver I'm never alone.... whether it's going for a walk, driving to town, riding on the SxS, or taking a ride in the kayak, she is almost always with me. And many times Ollie as well. They make our home a better place.

 

[lugbolt]

dad lost his heeler the other day. it was his favoritest dog ever. he's pretty tore up about it.

dogs are usually good for 10-15 years at most. Daisy was 16 (human years).

in 2015 I got a little fuzzy orange cat. Never really cared for cats but I can't keep a dog in the house for several days at a time, would have had to hire a sitter or whatever. Cat can be fine for 3-4 days, so long as the litter box is clean enough for him, and he's got food and water to last that long. 'Course it's all grown up now. Good company, when it wants to be. Like right now, laying on my chest as I am in the bed relaxing. I call it "oscar" --after the "grouch"....because he can be a total jerk like that. I could think of other names for it at times; none of which are repeatable.

The doctor said that a cat's purr has some therapeutic value. I didn't know. Interesting.

 

[Daren Todd]

We've had some great dogs over the years. Starting out as kid we had Bruno and his son Brutus (St Bernards). Brutus was the best baby sitter my parents could ask for.

Flash was a black lab, and poncho was a black lab/ springer spanial mix. Flash was laid back and extremely easy going. Grandparent had a kitten when flash was a pup, so they grew up together. The cat used to ride flash around the house

Poncho used to flush partridge out of the swail grass. He had this hopping run that he would do through the grass so he could see and keep his bearings. He would fly through the grass and all you would see was his head popping up above the grass periodically when he hopped.

You would hear a partridge start to take off and just as the bird cleared the top of the grass out popped poncho like a land shark, and would snatch the bird out of the air It was pretty amazing to see.

Jacky chan was a jack Russell terrier. He used to snatch snakes in the middle, sling them around like a pair of nun-chucks beating there heads and tails into the ground. Hence how he got his name He was a premadogga and used to poop in peoples shoes or slippers if he didn't like them If he couldn't get the persons shoes, he would poop in the exact spot the person would set their feet on the floor when they got out of bed. He had pin point accuracy with this.

Zeus was a miniature dachshund. He ran a tight ship in his back yard. No critters allowed. Although he had a weakness for female skunks. The one and only critter that he would repeatedly try to sniff it's butt instead of running it off. Witness it one night. He would creep up on the skunk trying to get a sniff. Skunk would take aim, shoot him right in the eyes Dog would do the fish flop rubbing his face on the ground. Then just about drown himself in his kiddie pool That explained why whenever he encountered the skunk, he would show up to the back door stinking to high heaven, and soaking wet.

He once brought a live squirrel into the house. Dropped it right into my wifes lap She was not a happy camper

We now have Gypsy. 80lbs of german shepherd who thinks she's a lap dog. Gets a little vocal when she's being ignored. Gets a little demanding when she wants something. And 100 % Love bug when it comes to her kids. She actually has her own fan club in the neighborhood Neighbors kids have to announce when she's coming by with her walk, then they all wave and say hi as we go by.

 

[D2Cat]

Women and cats will do as they please, men and dogs should relax and get use to the idea. Robert A. Heinlein