From Debit:
Hey. There hasn’t been any change with Walter thus far. We’re not going to change his medication yet (other than increasing the dosage). I’m going to continue with his Adequan treatments as my assumption is that they can’t hurt and might help with some of his joint pain.
I’m keeping him quiet, or trying to anyway. He still wants to chase squirrels and gets so excited when I come home and at meal times that he tries to jump. I thought about doing a bucket list for him, but when it comes down to it what he likes best is food, treats, praise and cuddling with kids, so I’m trying to make sure he gets plenty of each.
My vet can’t give me an estimate on how long we have, so we’re just going to keep going in once every few weeks for x-rays to keep an eye on the cancer and the bone density in his hip joint. I know he’s in pain – he has to be even without the cancer – but he’s so stoic that it’s hard for me to know exactly how much, and how much could be considered acceptable.
He loves his kids:
Walter is an old soul.
Olivia
So sweet! Thanks so much for the update.
RedDirtGirl
Those eyes…
Wormtown
You are a wonderful person. Thank you.
lollipopguild
Thank you for this. Kids and puppies! It beats reading about Hair Furor’s latest.
debit
Yes, he totally loves kids. And I think the bottom one is my favorite of him.
Another Scott
Thanks, debit and JC. You’re good people, and it’s great that Walter is still so happy.
Cheers,
Scott.
HeleninEire
A boy (or should I say boys?) and his dog.
Beautiful.
SiubhanDuinne
Oh Walter.
Crying.
Lyrebird
Thanks so much debit for really showing what compassion means! Sorry to hear (I was out of the loop) his diagnosis, OUCH.
In case anyone out there needs more dust in their eyes, ahem, I’m gonna repeat the story that MazeDancer mentioned last night about the 19yo gal with Stage IV cancer who joined other women on her cancer ward to make their own sister march last week, Yowza.
(link is to buzzfeed instead of to her twitter feed bc this is what I know how to find.)
Patricia Kayden
So sorry to hear that Walter has cancer. So glad he’s in a happy, loving home right now. Those are lovely photos.
SiubhanDuinne
Yes. Old and beautiful.
Manyakitty
Walter is a blessing.
Sab
I commented in the earlier thread about my old girl. I am so sad about her impending demise, but she has had fifteen years as the family darling in a pack of dogs that adore her and cats that think she is okay. Seems like love is a new experience to Walter. I am so glad he finally found you. I hope their prognosis was too pessimistic and that he gets some more quality time.
Patricia Kayden
@Lyrebird: Beautiful. Trump’s Presidency has really riled us up.
Major Major Major Major
Aw, who’s a good boy!
Thanks John. Good palate cleanser.
@Sab: sorry to hear.
Emma
I love him so and I’ve never met him. I don’t think I’m the only one.
Mai.naem.mobile
Awwww…Look at that face. I am just happy for whatever happiness Walter is getting right now.
debbie
Great photos. Bet Walter thinks he’s really lucky to have those kids to hang with.
debit
@Emma: The vet techs at my clinic randomly call me and ask how he’s doing. Not because the vet asked, just because it’s Walter.
guachi
We lost a young cat and young dog to cancer last year.
My heart goes out to Walter. He’s such a good doggy.
Alternative Fax, a hip hop artist from Idaho
@debit: Thank you for the Walter pupdate. He’s such a contented old soul, in his happy home. He’s doing his bucket list!
@Sab: I’m so sad for you; it’s never easy. She’s had a good home all these years.
Our baby girl, now 10, has a tumor on her spleen. She’s had a gastrectomy 2x in her younger years, so she’s not a surgical candidate even if it’s not benign. She doesn’t seem to have pain, so I’m watching her for signs. We’ll manage it until we can’t. Long way to say I feel for both of you.
Mary G
I firmly believe that Walter will tell you when it’s time to go, and from those pictures, that time is not yet. This is a great reminder of what is also important in life. Thank you so much for sharing him with us.
Aleta
Most beautiful pictures.
Walter holds on tight and gently to the good.
Kristine
Screen’s all blurry.
Lovely photos, esp. the last one. So glad that Walter’s surrounded by love.
Woodrowfan
I’m going to go hug my dogs now. something seems to have gotten in both my eyes.
Run, Lillian!
Oh, lovely Walter. I am so glad he found his way to you and your family, debit. He looks so happy and we all know he will be so well cared for until his time comes. This dog found his heaven on earth with you guys.
SgrAstar
Thank you, debit. ❤️Walter❤️
Mnemosyne
As Mary G said, I think Walter will tell you when he’s had enough and is ready to go. Honestly, from what you’ve reported that the vet has told you, it sounds like he’s probably in less pain now than he has been for years because he’s getting proper treatment for it, so I wouldn’t dwell too much on thoughts of all the pain you’re worried he must be in.
Let Walter be Walter for as long as he wants to be and the future will take care of itself.
dexwood
Wag on, Walter, wag on.
Mike J
Would it be possible for somebody to tag all Walter related posts with something unique?
Jim, Foolish Literalist
the whole Walter story makes my heart a little bit bigger, like happens to the Grinch
MomSense
Walter is loved and he knows it. Beautiful photos. Ok I’m going to go check on my pup and her boy.
Mingobat f/k/a Karen in GA
Tearing up. What a beautiful boy Walter is. Debit, I’m glad he can spend what time he has left with you and your family.
@Sab: I’m so sorry about your girl.
Cuddling with Iggy and Muppet now.
Exurban Mom
Good food, soft bed, and love have given him much needed comfort. He looks so content. Good job, John and Debit. Cancer took my favorite dog ever in 2008. They find a way to tell you that it’s time.
CaseyL
Oh, Walter. You sweet old man.
Yes, he’s an old soul. His previous life aged him beyond his years, but he regained a kind of youth, and certainly joy, since John rescued him and especially since you gave him his forever home. No matter what happens, his is a happy story. And FSM knows we need happy stories right now…
geg6
Thank you, thank you, thank you, debit!!!! Walter makes my heart swell with love. I needed that.
Who’s a good boy? Walter! Walter is a good boy!
Another Scott
@Sab: I’m sorry. It must be hard, the yo-yoing. I’m sure that you’ll know when the time has finally come.
Our first dog, Colleen, was sharp as a razor (knew the names of all her toys and would get them when we told her, “Go get your bear! Go get your elephant!” :-) She was a GSD/border collie mix, we think. Very sweet and she loved us dearly. She had great hips, too.
When she was around 10 she developed hemangiosarcoma and we didn’t know until it had already spread. It attacked her over just a few weeks. We took her on a short walk and a car ride (one of her very favorite things) on her last day, and we had the vet visit us at home. It was time. :-(
About 6 months later we got our current dog, Sophie, who is very sweet and smart in her own way. But her personality is very different. She’s not much of a cuddler, and she has a strong determination when she doesn’t want to do something (like come in when called, or get up out of her bed to go for a walk in the morning). You can see the gears turning in that little head of hers – how long can I drag this out? ;-) But she’s amazingly gentle with little kids and really likes people. Sophie is going on 11, has arthritis in her front legs and a bad right rear hip. But when she’s feeling good, she still wants to play like a puppy. She’s also got terrible skin with a dozen or more giant cysts that swell and burst and get infected if we’re not careful. She’s also got epilepsy and seizures can be triggered when she gets general anesthesia, so we haven’t had most of the cysts removed (and that seems to be a temporary fix anyway). And she ate half a loaf of raisin bread one day and cost us about $1500 to have her stay at a vet for a few days with an I-V to try to flush the stuff out. She’s been an expensive doggie. ;-)
This is too long…
Anyway, I’m very sorry that you’re having to go through these issues with your puppy. Remember the good times with her and the times she drove you nuts. ;-) When the time is right, start looking for another pup – not to replace your old love, but to grow a new one.
Hang in there.
Cheers,
Scott.
zhena gogolia
@Sab:
Me too.
Major Major Major Major
@Mike J: they are, but Cole doesn’t know how to use his damn blog.
Where is it? Who do I look like, Alain?
SiubhanDuinne
@Emma:
You are not. Not by a long shot.
SiubhanDuinne
@Kristine:
Mine is too. Alain needs to get on that, stat.
Mike J
@Major Major Major Major: Don’t you wish you didn’t know WP?
SiubhanDuinne
@debit:
Oh, I love that! I seem to recall that the techs who work with John’s vet were utterly besotted by Walter. That is so cool that he has such an effect on people who have seen it all.
Major Major Major Major
@Mike J: at least once a week.
MelissaM
What a sweet dog. Give him treats, burgers, and kids! Lots of kids! He’s already hit a jackpot.
Pogonip
I’ve never even met Walter and I love him.
Debit, when he stops eating and doesn’t want to move at all, not even towards his favorite things, it’s probably time.
I think that tomorrow I will begin a perpetual novena to Saint Francis to intercede for Walter. Unlike a regular novena which occurs over a period of days divisible by 9, or, more rarely, 3, a perpetual novena goes until you get a definite Yes (cancer goes into remission) or No (Walter dies) answer. Even if your religion doesn’t do formal novenas, by all means, all of you are invited to join in storming heaven, in whatever way your religion prescribes petitioning for a specific intention. Can’t hurt.
SiubhanDuinne
@Sab:
I’m so sorry about your old girl. I’m sure she’d tell you that she’s had a great life. I hope her remaining time is joyous, and her passage, when it comes, is peaceful.
Suzanne
Waaaaaalterrrrrrr! What a lovey-loo.
I’m so sorry that he’s sick, but he looks joyful and pain-free. Whatever happens, he’s spending the rest of his life loved and cared for and happy. He’s a good boy, and you are a great person, Debit.
Sab
@Another Scott: When we adopted Slick (my current old dog) I had a middle aged GSD who was depressed about all the life changes she was experiencing (my divorce, losing half her pack, moving across the country). Slick was her own actual (foster) puppy to raise as her own. Slick added years to the GSDS life, but seriously interfered with training the puppy because any time we had discipline issues the GSD would step in because that was her puppy. Good times.
Mnemosyne
@SiubhanDuinne:
Keaton once came home from the vet with lipstick on his forehead. There’s a reason we call him “Mr. Charm and Personality.”
Omnes Omnibus
@Mnemosyne: Is that the cat version of lipstick on his collar?
Ella in New Mexico
@debit: those gorgeous little guys make him so happy, it’s clear to see. I imagine his entire day is just full of warmth and contentment and safety. He is loved and he holds no grudges from his experiences of not having been loved, he is just basking in the present moments he’s having everyday of pure, unadulterated joy.
There is no pain medication better than that. Thank you, debit. I’m betting you don’t really want to be thanked, but other words fail to describe how grateful I am for people like you. ❤️
danielx
Walter surrounded by his loving family….no better place in the world. You did better than you knew (at first) when you rescued him, John. And to Debit for giving him a wonderful forever home for however long he is with you, a deep bow. Deeds like that help maintain the fabric of an increasingly frayed world.
Just checking in before bedtime, since I was awakened earlier by an interloper from Porlock who woke up both me and Zoey*. She had hopped up and gone to sleep on top of me, post-petting-session. If there is anything short of valium that will send you to dreamland faster than a purring cat in contact, kindly let me know of it. Trying to get more rest and not semi-constantly feeding my outrage, a la Faux Nooz viewers, is a physical necessity at the moment – they took my bp five times at clinic on Tuesday and the lowest reading was 172 over 105. Remember to step back and breath, folks, this shit sneaks up on you. I went from not feeling anything particularly bad to being warned not to go too far from medical facilities until new meds start taking full effect (and to lay off reading poliitical blogs so much**. Also. Too.) Gripes my ass because I was going on a road trip to Dale Hollow this weekend to see the site for friends’ new cabin. Boo hiss….
*seen here in the aftermath of a particularly brutal catnip session.
**and to lay off triple espressos. Damn medical practitioners, they spoil everything.
debit
@Mnemosyne: Hah! He is such a charmer, I would totally kiss him too.
I hope that Walter’s legacy will be the adoption of more older pets. I adopted Chloe (elder JRT mix in a shelter for 6 months) after reading about John’s experiences with Lily. Having Chloe lead me Ellie (another senior dog) and then Walter. They truly have so much love to give and ask for so little in return.
rikyrah
Walter is an old soul, and bless you and Cole for making his last days his best.???
Another Scott
@Sab: I’ll bet! :-)
Sophie met a mastiff at the vet this week. He was a calm old feller (around 7), and she wasn’t going to be deterred from meeting him and giving him a good sniff! They got along fine. His “mom” looked like she weighed maybe 100 pounds and said she’s got another mastiff at home. I wouldn’t want to walk 300+ pounds of dogs myself, but she apparently found a way to make it work.
Have a good night, and good luck.
Cheers,
Scott.
rikyrah
@Emma:
I am not a pet person, and Walter has touched me.
Honus
John and Debit,
Walter was starved, abused and suffering when you found him. Now he’s loved and content. He will die with love and comfort and companionship. The pain he is in from the cancer is nothing compared to the suffering he endured before, probably for most of his life, before you found him. He understands and appreciates the love he is experiencing in his last days. His world is good.
Mnemosyne
@Omnes Omnibus:
Keaton categorically refuses to wear a collar, so yes.
Not only does he refuse to wear a collar, if we try to put one on one of the other cats, he shows them how to get it off.
laura
What a lovely old soul.
How lucky he was to join your family Debit, and how lucky this community is to share in his journey from the depths to dog heaven on earth.
hedgehog mobile
Walter!
Cole and debit, you are good people.
Cain
I wish humans can be this pure…
Hindus on average don’t give a shit about pets, but as far as I know, Hinduism is the only current religion that has something about a dog’s loyalty: Read
I love this tale, and it always sticks with me because a lot of Indians believe dogs to be dirty completely ignoring the beautiful and loving creatures they have. People say a child is pure, but a dog is the purest of all.
Yarrow
Walter! He is such a sweetie. Looks so content with the kids and the fire in the fireplace. Warm, loved, safe. He’s such a lucky boy to have found you, Debit, and John of course. Bless you for your kindness to him.
Omnes Omnibus
@Cain: Cool story.
Ruckus
@debit:
You never met my rescue cocker. Cranky old bastard, he was. Best dog I ever had, maybe best friend as well, cranky and all. He was 11 or 12 when I got him from a rescue org. He got me through some tough times and all he wanted was food, walks and someone warm to sleep next to. Hell he sounds like me.
Omnes Omnibus
@Ruckus: You got him when he was too old for tennis ball/stick fetching. Cockers do have an odd cranky streak though.
Feebog
With all the BS we have put up with the last year, Walter’s story, and your kindness and compassion have been a wonderful counterbalance. Thanks Debit for making the old boy’s final days his best.
Ruckus
@debit:
Walter is a good old soul and that bottom picture shows it well. We should all be so lucky to have the last segment of our lives as good as he does. And he knows it.
Villago Delenda Est
Compare and contrast with any appointed member of the Executive branch right now.
Omnes Omnibus
@Villago Delenda Est: Well, old or not, it appears that Walter has a soul.
Villago Delenda Est
@Sab:
This is about as high as it goes on the cat compliment of dogs scale.
Ruckus
@Omnes Omnibus:
Family had a cocker when I was a very, very young lad, I don’t even remember him, only pictures but I don’t remember anyone talking about him chasing and fetching. We had a golden when I was a bit older and she was a loon. But she could stalk birds in the back yard like no one’s business. She also would retrieve our pet mallard and take him up on the back porch. Didn’t hurt the poor guy and she’d release him when you came to rescue him, without a ruffled feather. However she also liked to retrieve skunks and take them up on the back porch. She did learn to let them go on her own. She never did learn to not retrieve them.
Ruckus
@efgoldman:
Hey, I resemble that remark! Like owner, like dog.
But actually he was the only cranky dog I’ve ever had. 1 out of 4 isn’t bad. Is it?
Interrobang
Walter is so sweet! I’m so sorry he has cancer, because he deserves a long, long life full of all the things he never had before — good food, good friends, warm and comfy places to sleep, squirrels to chase, toys to play with, and everything that makes a dog happy. I wish you all the best with him, and please keep us posted.
seaboogie
@Cain: I agree that dog’s have the purest of souls, and Walter is a sterling exemplar of this.
@debit: Walter is already in heaven, right now, with you and your kidlets, Ellie and the kitties. Every moment of every day is a blessing to him, and you sharing his life with you is a blessing to us. Let us know if we need to kick in for vets/meds, etc. – he kind of belongs to all of us.
Omnes Omnibus
@efgoldman: I am not sure that Goldens are the brightest of creatures. Sweet though.
danielx
@Omnes Omnibus:
Oh, they have souls, It’s just that those souls are probably a damned ugly sight.
Back when Dubya said he looked in Putin’s eyes and saw his soul, Putin reportedly said something to the effect of sentimental bullshit. My own reaction went something like this – “his soul? This guy was a colonel in the KGB for chrissakes! If he’s got a soul at all, it probably looks like Cthulhu!” and so forth and so on. So with the presumed souls of Trump and his collection of plutocrats, sociopaths, enablers and what-nots; if they do have souls they appear to be far past the sell-by date. As to the orange one his very own self, I suspect his soul resembles a black hole into which normal human beings are pulled.
JordanRules
He is so amazing. I love these pics. Thanks so much for the update.
Lemme get away from the onions right quick…
amk
Is he sad? He looks sad. WHY IS HE SAD?
Jim, Foolish Literalist
I remember the story about the cross being much schmaltzier, that his mother had worn it in secret all through the communist era. (From a Foreign Policy article by the right-leaning Peter Baker– I lost the page and they won’t let me relink without subscribing). He knew how to play Bush, with cloying religiosity; he knows how to play Trump, by treating him as an equally strong strong man.
Aleta
@Ruckus: The first dog my parents and we had was a cocker spaniel. They were still talking about her 30, 40 years on. Last year I went to my oldest sister’s last house, and framed on the wall where she’d died was a badly colored picture of Tucket that my sister must have done when she was 5 or something.
Major Major Major Major
@Mnemosyne: Samwise gets his collar off sometimes. He prowls around thinking he’s sneaky sans bell. As you might imagine, it doesn’t work very well.
SFAW
debit –
What you and John have done for Walter is wonderful. I hope, as others have said, that he outlasts the prognosis — pain-free — by some very large amount of time. And the last picture above is beautiful. And I better stop, because my monitor seems to be fogging up or something.
I am glad that you and Walter found each other.
Omnes Omnibus
@Aleta: More than 30 years after my Cocker died, I still have a picture of him on my buffet. Best.Dog.Ever.*
*No offense to Walter or other people’s dogs.
philpm
@Another Scott: Scott, Sophie wouldn’t happen to be a basset hound, would she? Sounds exactly like my Owen.
Love the pics debit. The pics with the kids, he has this “wow, look at my family” look on his face. Such a beautiful dog.
TriassicSands
Life is just not fair, but thanks to Debit and family Walter is now in the best place any dog could be — a loving home where all he has to do is be himself.
Omnes Omnibus
@efgoldman: “Who the fuck are you? What the fuck do you want?”
Aleta
@Another Scott: Good wishes to you and Sophie, Scott. Thanks for the stories of her and Colleen. It’s easy to picture them.
seaboogie
@Omnes Omnibus:
You never met Seamus, “The Mighty S”, aka Seaboogie, who was my golden. He was my husband’s dog that he took to work with him as a props master in film and television. For one project Seamus was given his own “contract” as an onset therapist. My husband passed away when Seamus was just a year old, and I quickly discoved that my pup was training me, so a trainer we did hire, because he was a big dog, and I’d only ever had cats.
I spent a lot of time training him, and soon discovered that if I kept the language simple, he could put together new simple commands. He had a thorough understanding of prepositional commands such as up, down, over, and through. He learned left from right. He also learned a concept of time with words such as “soon” and “after”. Soon soon soon meant really soon, and he was on point. After after after was a long time away, and he would sigh and go lie down for the inevitable wait.
I could also give him an outline of the plan for the day, with soons and afters, and he would blink a “yep, got it”. He never forgot the plan, and I learned that it was key to keep my promises to him. The best promise to him was “and Seamus swim, after”, to which he’d respond by lying down immediately, so as to be the most behaving dog ever, to will forward the moment when that would happen.
Best friend I ever had, and such a wise, loyal and patient companion. Totally lost his shit around water he could swim in though. I used to walk him to his favorite swimming places, and it was all he could do to remain beside me and not run ahead. So I kept him under control until the last 50 yards or so on leash. Then I made him sit, unhooked the leash and said “Seamus – RUN!” Such a beautiful sight, that joyous doggy abandon!
Canadian Shield
Someone should do a youtube video on the Walter story. Pictures and text with music. Starting with those horrible early pics in the house and then ending with these ones. It’s a great story and everyone could use a happy ending these days.
seaboogie
@Omnes Omnibus: I hear you. Prolly good that circumstances do not permit me to do right by another dog, because Seamus was my one. Only five years gone, now.
Omnes Omnibus
@seaboogie: My Cocker was scared to go into water as a puppy. One of my uncles simply picked him up and threw him out into the lake like a football. I got ready to dash into the lake to save him, but he popped up and swam to shore like a champ. He lost all fear of water and loved playing water fetch from them on. Once he was on shore and he heard me and my brother in a boat in the middle of the lake, so he swam out to us. I couldn’t fish him out and into the boat, so we had to row back to our landing so the poor guy could get on solid ground. He slept well that night and next day.
Aleta
@seaboogie: WoW. What a beauty.
seaboogie
@Omnes Omnibus: Thank you for sharing that, tho the uncle was a bit of a jerk, if you ask me. First time we took Seamus to a nearby British Columbia small mountain lake as a maybe 6 months old pup we kept throwing sticks out further into the water. The look on his face when he floated for the first time was absolutely magical for all three of us, and the number of rocks I’ve thrown into lakes so that Seamus could swim to the ripples numbers well into the thousands.
Omnes Omnibus
@seaboogie: My uncle had his good and bad points. His dog theory was that all spaniels and retrievers can swim and some just need to be forced to do so. Beau’s love of being in the water later, made up for any cheats to get him into it.
seaboogie
@Aleta: When I lived in Tiburon, CA I would often encounter Tom Snyder (yep – the late night dude with the eyebrows) who was absolutely devoted to his Old English Sheepdog Trevor. He loved his sheepdogs more than everything. And even he said that Seamus was the coolest dog he ever met. I’ve only ever known my one, but I have learned to accept the opinion of so many others who met my pup. Would that we all could have such a great canine companion, at least once in our lifetimes.
seaboogie
@Omnes Omnibus: Understood, and thank you for sharing Beau’s name with us.
Omnes Omnibus
@seaboogie: His name and pic have surfaced before.
seaboogie
@Omnes Omnibus: What I miss here is a lot, and what I find here when I check in (whether commenting or not) is a lovely home, of sorts. Even when we’re all out of sorts, we are kind of a family – and our critters, too.
Omnes Omnibus
@seaboogie: Cool. Don’t worry about it.
Gustopher
That is a beautiful, happy, happy old dog. You will know when it’s time to end things for him, but right now he is having the time of his life.
Good (old) puppy.
Ruckus
@seaboogie:
A significant other had a german shepard and she was a very nice, sweet and smart dog. SO bred her and kept one of the pups. That pup was the dumbest dog I’ve ever seen. Beautiful all black but dumb as a post. The mom like to swim and we’d take them to the reservoir, where the water would get deeper very gradually. Mom would run out into the water and swim for a while, she just loved to swim. So she tried to teach the pup. Pup would run right up to her chest and stop. Mom would coax, beg, drag by the scruff of the neck and the pup would have none of it. The look mom gave us, shaking her head with this exasperated expression was priceless. She’d give me the same head shake and expression when the pup couldn’t learn fetch. She was a great dog.
sharl
Debit and John, thanks for this update.
Sweet Walter. Nice way to end the day.
J R in WV
Thanks, debit, and You too John Cole, for saving Walter, and giving him such a contented spellbound place to live. He has kids, and a doggy buddy, and you, debit, to care for him. Bliss for a dog is to be in a pack, with kids. So contented looking, with his pack of kids and dogs.
Getting late, it’s tomorrow already. I need to get to bed soon.
Thanks again! Such a sweet story.
NotoriousJRT
Walter. Happy John found him and debit wanted him. Sad about the cancer; always sad about the cancer. Still, the evidence of his present contentment is a balm for my soul.
Ruckus
@NotoriousJRT:
As it hasn’t been said yet today. (and yes it isn’t tomorrow yet for me…..)
FUCK. Fucking. Cancer.
Gretchen
Aww. That looks like a pretty good life, cuddling with adorable children in front of a fire.
m.j.
@Canadian Shield:
I had a similar thought, but more along the lines of a children’s book. They say reading builds empathy and we seem to need more of this.
TriassicSands
@Omnes Omnibus:
No, they aren’t the brightest of all the breeds, but according to at least one source, they are the 4th smartest of all breeds. Border collies are #1, followed by poodles, German shepherds, and then golden retrievers. If so, your contention would be mistaken.
Goldens are one of the breeds I’ve long referred to as “big dummies,” but the reference is to personality (goofy), not intelligence.
TriassicSands
@Omnes Omnibus:
See “The Intelligence of DosIn Wikipedia for the source and explanation.
Then, you might want to issue an apology just in case their lovable goofiness hides a vengeful streak. (I think you’re safe — golden retrievers strike me as the least vengeful breed, and quite possibly creature, on Earth.
TriassicSands
P.S. Labs are ranked 7th.
TriassicSands
Sorry about the typo in 113 — it should “…Dogs In…”, not “…DosIn….”
raven
I also missed the diagnoses. I’ve posted my Raven story enough times that most people already know we went full blast on his treatment. We say we wouldn’t do it again because it wasn’t fair to him even thought her fully recovered and made it 2 1/2 years.
Another Scott
@philpm: Nah, Sophie’s a mutt. She was found wandering around in WV and we adopted her from a shelter in Arlington, VA. We had her DNA tested because we couldn’t figure out what she was. It came back with nothing dominant but traces of: GSD, Dachshund, Bernese Mountain Dog, Great Dane, German Short-haired Pointer, and Irish Water Spaniel. She’s about 50 pounds and looks mostly like a mix of the first 4 but you have to squint a little, (floppy ears with long hair like a long haired dachshund, goofy and sweet disposition and a tiny bit of white at the tip of her tail like a BMD, etc.) She’s got big feet for her size (about twice the size of Colleen’s who also weighed 50 pounds). She does point a little when she’s hunting (evil squirrels), and loves to swim, also too.
She’s quite a character. :-)
Cheers,
Scott.
Elizabelle
debit and John: I am so glad to see sweet Walter. And Ellie.
Walter’s a survivor, and he loves his life. He may have more of it left in him than you know.
I would love to see weekly Walter updates, at a minimum. Who cares if he’s not doing anything interesting? Who does not love him? There is something especially appealing about older pets. All the sweetness and character is distilled, and more acceptance that we are all living on borrowed time, so let’s live.
Happy coming weekend to all.
sherparick
@Another Scott: Thank you debit and JC. Walter is enjoying his now, something he teaches us all. Right now you have made him an exceedingly happy dog. I do have get this blurry computer screen fixed.
PaulW
Walter’s already in heaven.
Rob in CT
I love the little bit about the vet techs calling…
I’ve got a 14-yr old lab of my own who is just slowly falling apart. He may well have cancer, though if so we’ve not been able to find it. His back end just doesn’t really work anymore. He can’t stand up for long – his rear legs just slooooowly collapse under him. He doesn’t seem to feel his rear properly, so he walks really gingerly now and has trouble with steps. He poops in the house, almost 1x a day now. He can’t help it. He poops in his sleep and then is surprised. He can barely wag his tail anymore. He’s lost ~7 lbs in about 3 months.
And yet… he’s not done. He’s a stoic, so I don’t know what the pain level is. But he’s still functioning. And it’s not bad enough that we can put him down. So, we pick up the shit and do what we can.
He was a rescue. He actually hasn’t been the easiest dog to own… he was never particularly affectionate (a little odd for a lab). He was pure play/food-driven. He had major leash aggression issues. But he was our first kid in a way and we’ll keep taking care of him until he’s really done. It’s what you do.
Cole/Debit – well done. Well done indeed.
quakerinabasement
There you go. As long as you make your decisions based on this realization, Walter will be a happy guy.
Another Scott
@Rob in CT: I’m sorry. It’s never easy near the end.
I’m sure he appreciates all you do for him, even though he doesn’t show it in the conventional ways.
Hang in there, and best of luck.
Cheers,
Scott.
Joy in FL
delurking to say I LOVE WALTER
and I’m so glad he is safe and loved.
Thanks, Debit, for the update.