Ginger & Fred.

[Stix]

Am i the only sap that gets attached to other peoples dogs...?

So...im one that gets attached to animals...
Well to be more specific, i get pretty attached to dogs, & i get along very well with most dogs i meet.

One farm i visit had 5 dogs, & on my November visit i didnt get my usual tail wagging greeting from my favourite kelpie mix Ginger...i got the bad news he was under the loader &... ...well you know the rest...

I dont hsve a pic of poor ol Ginger, but he was the happiest little dog & i had a great little connection with him...he always smiled every time i got there.


When i was up in early Jan, i got extra hang-out time with Fred...i think he must have been missing Ginger...
I waa up there for a good 5 days giving the bunnies a hard time every night, & Fred came to hang out every day except one...
Here's Fred last visit come to say hello...

This is Fred.

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Now when Fred walks up & plonks his head on my leg, he knows i cant help but give him a good scratch...& he'd leave his head there well after it was clear the pat was finished... ...all in the hope his charm might win me over some more...& yes it worked often...but i couldnt get mad at that face...

Old Fred didnt have many teeth left really, so couldnt manage bones.
So i used to take the time & fillet some bunny meat off legs & ribs for him...
He loved it....!!...always gentle, & waa just happy to be hanging out with me, & he wasnt always sniffing around for another mouthful, & didnt just disappear when he didnt get any more food...

Fred come to say hello again.

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Well, i had a good bit of bunny meat i filleted from ribs & legs specially just for Fred, but i didnt get my hangout visit on the first day...i couldnt find him either...maybe he was out with the farmer...

Sure enough...i had the farmer over to my camp for dinner & got the bad news...
2 days before i got there, poor old Fred keeled over too...!!!

I hate that i get attached...they are not even my bloody dogs & i only see them here & there, yet it still sucks big time...!!

The farmer tells me old Fritz aint travelling too good either, he was best mates with Fred...so im guessing ill get more bad news next visit...

The farmer does have a new pup that is as lively as anything with such a cheeky wit, he certainly puts a smile on anyone's dial who see's him in action.
Thats the circle of life i guess...they were really great dogs.

[TassieTiger]

Worst thing about dogs is they live so much shorter lives than us...and given the ever increasing number of pine cone sucking humans out there, it’s easier than ever to choose a dog as the pal...lol

[deye243]

Seen a good meme once it went something like this
I don't give a f*** what anyone thinks about me ......
Except dog's I care about what dog's think ..........

[bigrich]

Good on ya stix, another good post and story from you mate. Ya reminded me of dogs of friends of mine have that I take the time to be friends with. Some dogs are much better than some humans I’ve met

[Bent Arrow]

Im with you Stix. Funnily enough, I don't trust people that dont like dogs.

If you think dogs suck you in, wait till you spend some serious time with horses. Given one is a prey animal and the other a predator, it's uncanny how similar they are in terms of willingness to please and responsiveness to training.

[marksman]

your a good bloke Stix
you would be a really good dad as well

[Daddybang]

Im with you Stix. Funnily enough, I don't trust people that dont like dogs.

If you think dogs suck you in, wait till you spend some serious time with horses. Given one is a prey animal and the other a predator, it's uncanny how similar they are in terms of willingness to please and responsiveness to training.

Couldn't agree more BA!

Sorry to hear ya loss there stix. He might not have been "your" dog but he was obviously ya mate and it always sux to lose a . mate!!

[Daddybang]

your a good bloke Stix
you would be a really good dad as well

Well said Marksman

[TassieTiger]

Some people believe that there is nothing after a death, others believe in the divine, others again believe in a reincarnation state...I don't know 100% what I believe BUT I do know, that if you really look into a dogs eyes, a mate of a dog who knows you intimately as to not interpret you as a threat, then you will see something bigger than just a 4 legged wolf descendant...you'll see love, you'll see devotion and you will see something that is bigger than all of us...

Brings me to a writing I have on the wall at my own place;

[Gaznazdiak]

Sorry to hear about Fred and Ginger, Stix.
Dogs have always been my favourite people, never met one I didn't like.

[hzj80]

I'm reminded of Dogs Grave in the Vic high country.

He served none else but Peter Meehan,
his master and friend.
A comradeship wove of the bush,
to last until the end.
Mute faith in one ; a friendship bond,
in rugged ranges where
A loneliness prevailed the scene,
Just man and dog to share.

They shared each other`s humble way,
the ways of bush-lore treading.
From dawn to dusk through wilderness
where cattle-pads went threading.
Beneath Australia`sunny skies,
beneath the treeferns bending.
Along the ranges, by the stream,
a way of life transcending.

Until the end, the bitter end,
though dumb, in canine way
He wove a story of the bush that
we respect today.
He served to mould a history, though
little he was known.
He rests beside this mountain stream,
beneath these slabs of stone.

[Blr243]

Our wives live forever but sadly our dogs die and we have to replace them every ten years. Once we die and go to heaven it’s very different In heaven our dog lives forever and we get to replace our wives every ten years

[Sergeant Hartman]

Dog are mans best friend. I addison's its cuz of the undying or unconditional love they give us.

Anyway hopefully the new pup will make up for the two oldies

[Stix]

Wow..!!!.there i was wondering if im a little weird...( well...you know ).

Thanks for the acknowlegments guys...all of you...

I hope all is good with you too Blade, i know you havnt piped in here but i remember you & Rose lost your boy recently...

Im very uneasy around horses BA & DB, but only because ive never had anything to do with them...i dont understand or know their behaviour, as compared to a dog where i can read, & so know what they are feeling--dogs are most often easy to read.

My memory has just twigged of a thread somewhere to honour our passed best friends...i would've put this in that thread had i have thought of it...


Some great poetry above too...something only dog & animal lovers could feel.
Im a firm believer that out of people who have dogs in their lives, there are dog owners, & there are dog lovers...
Im certainly of the latter, & can i say that im truely pleased to be in the company of all you guys who are understanding & of the same make-up... cheers to you all...

Here's to all of our living, & gone but not forgotten animal friends & family eh...

[ClaytonT88]

I'm with you Stix. I'd rather sit and pat a dog than have conversations with most people I know.

The wife and I aren't having kids but we'll try and adopt as many rescue dogs as we can to give them a better life.

Our dog Lily is my Avatar. A cheeky and loving little Staffy cross Whippet.

[Cooper]

My wife said to me awhile ago. Sometimes I think you'd choose the dogs over me! Well I said "No" way too fast. She realised I was placing to emphasis on the "sometimes" bit. I wasn't serious of course. But I do love my dogs.

I lost my first dog (as a adult, I'd had dogs a child) back in 2015. He was just over 10 years and died as a result of a accident with one of the new pups I'd bought. He was meant to hang around a fair bit longer to show the new pups what to do. But it wasn't meant to be.

I had got home work from and taken the 4 whippets for a run up to rabbit warren on top of the hill behind the house. It was just before dark. I was pretty happy with my own little whippet hunting pack. But both the boys were now over 10 years old were slowing down a bit and the two girls only a bit over 12 months old. The girls hadn't really settled down. It was a pretty uneventful evening. They flushed out a few rabbits. But the same rabbits got chased most nights after work. So they knew the game.

On the way back to house. The youngest pup Piper. Ran into my oldest whippet Cooper (yes my user name) at full speed. I saw it all happen out of the corner of my eye. But I heard Cooper Yelp! Straight away I knew he was in trouble. He was incredibly Stoic. He had had a few injurys across his life. But I could tell this was serious. The Young dog Piper was limping a bit. But Cooper was having trouble breathing.

I rang the Vet. It was already after 6pm. They were still there and would wait for me as I told them straight out he needs to be put to sleep. I was lucky I got the good older Vet. She agreed straight away he wasn't good and put him sleep as it was the best thing to do.

Having dogs sucks sometimes. But I'd still rather have them in my life for a short time. Than not have them at all.

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Left to right Cooper, Aspen, Piper (the youngest pup) and Hugo.
I only have the two Girls now

[TassieTiger]

My Akita - Kirra.
She’s small for the breed but still 55kg.