Man’s Best Friend
- Thread starter Kyle Wright
- Start date
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gelhaargerald
Member
The golden will get after some pheasants but isn’t a water dog. She will retrieve until she dies but has no focus.The other is my wife and daughters. Never been a fan of little dogs but hes pretty damn cute.
rjthompson8
Member
Godfather
Well-known member
My black lab, Titus, just passed before Christmas after a 16+ year run. He tried the path of a cat and burned most of his nine lives in pursuits of fuckery.
I’m now the steward for my son’s Shepard, Archie. He’s my sidekick most days. We are still working on office etiquette.
I’m now the steward for my son’s Shepard, Archie. He’s my sidekick most days. We are still working on office etiquette.
niacrtwi
Member
Sorry to hear about Titus. Shepherd's and office etiquette don't mix. Annika, our shepherd, uses any elevated flat surface as a better vantage point for security duty. Archie clearly has the same gene.
ryanahorst
Active member
Dash, the Golden Retriever, is mine. He’s mildly spoiled. Abby, the Australian Cattle Dog, is my wife’s. She’s a pain in the ass.
Godfather
Well-known member
Thank you @niacrtwi - I always reflect on Will Chesney’s phrase from No Ordinary Dog, where he states “ Someone once said that buying a dog is like buying a small tragedy. You know on the very first day how it will all turn out. But that's not the point, is it? It's the journey that counts, what you give the dog and what you get in return;” - so on point - we knew that and Titus reminded us of that throughout the years with numerous attempts at a succinct end.
Yes, Archie is a mission dog, cannot extract the protective detail and seeking higher ground. He reminds me of our first shepard in the house when I was a kid, a Belgium Malinois, “Heidi”, long before they were popular, so wickedly smart and an amazing part of the family. My Dad wanted a new shepard so badly, his prior, Freida, he saved from euthanizing during the Korean War, he ran security on a SAC base in the NE, and she became his companion, went in his command jeep everywhere, and eventually went through a window to save my older brother from drowning in the neighboring pond, long before my days - so when Heidi came, it was like he had a new best friend. Archie is that to our family, and even deeper to my son, you could say they rescued each other.
Yes, Archie is a mission dog, cannot extract the protective detail and seeking higher ground. He reminds me of our first shepard in the house when I was a kid, a Belgium Malinois, “Heidi”, long before they were popular, so wickedly smart and an amazing part of the family. My Dad wanted a new shepard so badly, his prior, Freida, he saved from euthanizing during the Korean War, he ran security on a SAC base in the NE, and she became his companion, went in his command jeep everywhere, and eventually went through a window to save my older brother from drowning in the neighboring pond, long before my days - so when Heidi came, it was like he had a new best friend. Archie is that to our family, and even deeper to my son, you could say they rescued each other.
niacrtwi
Member
Is that a Gredos Ibex ash tray, or just an "ibex" ash tray? Very nice piece. Someone looks very comfortable on that red chair!
wburns
Active member
Just an ibex. Thanks I like it! Yes Gunny can get comfortable about anywhere lol.
ryanahorst
Active member
I was debating posting this on here or not, but with the sentimentality this thread has I thought it would be appreciated.
The day after my our third daughter was born (November 2021), my 7-year-old dark red Golden Retriever, Chewbacca, was found dead late morning in our house while we were still at the hospital. He was fine that morning, but when the neighbor went to let the boys out for lunch Chewie didn’t meet him at the door like normal. He was found “asleep” beside our bed - one of his favorite nap spots. We suspected a heart tumor, which is common for the breed, but the necropsy revealed an intestinal rupture. It was one of those freak one-in-a-million occurrences because his guts were otherwise clean. He wasn’t a “garbage gut” who ate anything he could get in his mouth. He never got to meet our third daughter. I wrote this poem the February before not knowing it would come so soon.
My Best [Fur] Friend
His eyes are deep brown pools of light
Fur red with amber flame
He stands proud with tail a wagging
Chewbacca is his name.
He comes from large and healthy stock
Weighing nearly 100 pound
But despite his awesome stature
On my lap he is often found.
If Dog Years are reality
We’re practically the same age
Though you’d never know it to watch him play
Age is just a number on a page.
We like to hike together
And roam hills far and wide
He scouts ahead to check our trail
Then returns to by my side.
Though some may see him as under foot
I’d firmly disagree
His desire to be near those he loves
Endears him ever more to me.
I’ve watched him watch my girls
With patience, grace, and love
He never grumbles, growls, or barks
When they climb, poke, push, or hug.
He doesn’t always listen
When I tell him what to do
But if he sees me feeling down
He’ll listen till I’m through.
I’ve never had a friend like he
Such selfless love he gives
But a dog with a soul like this one has
Will give love as long as he lives.
When Death whistles and calls for that final walk
The Rainbow Bridge to cross
A piece of me Chewie will take with him
A part of my heart will be lost.
The day after my our third daughter was born (November 2021), my 7-year-old dark red Golden Retriever, Chewbacca, was found dead late morning in our house while we were still at the hospital. He was fine that morning, but when the neighbor went to let the boys out for lunch Chewie didn’t meet him at the door like normal. He was found “asleep” beside our bed - one of his favorite nap spots. We suspected a heart tumor, which is common for the breed, but the necropsy revealed an intestinal rupture. It was one of those freak one-in-a-million occurrences because his guts were otherwise clean. He wasn’t a “garbage gut” who ate anything he could get in his mouth. He never got to meet our third daughter. I wrote this poem the February before not knowing it would come so soon.
My Best [Fur] Friend
His eyes are deep brown pools of light
Fur red with amber flame
He stands proud with tail a wagging
Chewbacca is his name.
He comes from large and healthy stock
Weighing nearly 100 pound
But despite his awesome stature
On my lap he is often found.
If Dog Years are reality
We’re practically the same age
Though you’d never know it to watch him play
Age is just a number on a page.
We like to hike together
And roam hills far and wide
He scouts ahead to check our trail
Then returns to by my side.
Though some may see him as under foot
I’d firmly disagree
His desire to be near those he loves
Endears him ever more to me.
I’ve watched him watch my girls
With patience, grace, and love
He never grumbles, growls, or barks
When they climb, poke, push, or hug.
He doesn’t always listen
When I tell him what to do
But if he sees me feeling down
He’ll listen till I’m through.
I’ve never had a friend like he
Such selfless love he gives
But a dog with a soul like this one has
Will give love as long as he lives.
When Death whistles and calls for that final walk
The Rainbow Bridge to cross
A piece of me Chewie will take with him
A part of my heart will be lost.
avalonbikes
Member
This is Samson AKA Satan the Murder Dog. He got the nickname because too many young people are clueless and don't know about Cujo. He is my buddy and he's cool to people he has been properly introduced to. If you come to my door to sell something, he's terrifying. His DNA test showed 73% Shar Pei, and 27% Australian Shepherd. Samson is a working dog with two main jobs, he protects us, and he pre-washes dishes for the dishwasher. He excels at both jobs. He also straight-up murders any critter that enters his AO.
Lola is a 7 y/o Deutsch Kurzhaar and is a killing machine. Her murdering isn’t limited to birds. 1 skunk, 1 squirrel, 1 porcupine, 2 raccoons, 4 cottontails, a few garter snakes and 7 groundhogs. Believe it or not, two of the biggest fights she got into were with the groundhogs. The porcupine was a lot of fun too. She’s nuts.
The golden, Spartan, is 4 and he enjoys a good show from Lola. He’s more of a cowardly lion than a warrior and looks the part.
This is Buster. He’s a 7 month old American field lab and a gift to my father-in-law who is my hunting mentor and recently widowed after 54 years of marriage.
Buster visits nearly every day.
The golden, Spartan, is 4 and he enjoys a good show from Lola. He’s more of a cowardly lion than a warrior and looks the part.
This is Buster. He’s a 7 month old American field lab and a gift to my father-in-law who is my hunting mentor and recently widowed after 54 years of marriage.
Buster visits nearly every day.
