The North Idaho Front Porch (Sandpoint: mobile home, tenants, campers)

[Clark Fork Fantast]

Thank you all again for your comforting words, and also for a beautiful sunset, Elousv...I'm really touched at all the outpouring of sympathy I'm receiving. We've got quite a special community in this forum, and I think we all realize how precious that is.

I've been offline since yesterday. Couldn't handle it. But we're overwhelmed at the response from our little local community; neighbors are bringing cards and flowers and paying us visits, and our local dog park people put a basket together for us with wine and goodies and left it at our front door. Everybody knew and loved our big white friendly dog...it's a very moving realization that she gave joy to so many others, not just to us.

About getting a new dog: We'll let the memory of her settle for a while before we think about adopting a new dog--but we're big believers in rescuing (and our Sweetie was a rescue, too), so that would be our first choice. But we'll know when the time is right. Maybe the next dog will choose us...

And yes, I know the Rainbow Bridge forum, and I may post something there other than a quick mention (which I did)--but honestly, this is the forum where I hang out the most, so, well, here I am...

About the snake vaccine: No, we did not have her vaccinated, and that was because of our vet. We had insisted that we wanted her to have the shots, whatever time, effort and money it would take, but our vet had been to a conference on the latest snake bite research, and she said the vaccine is pretty much useless, because it has to be venom-specific/species-specific, and even so, it doesn't buy the dog any time at all, and may even present a danger to the dog. That's according to her. Now, as things stand, I think we'd have opted for a useless/dangerous vaccine, even so. And we'll probably never stop second-guessing ourselves, which is a whole separate kind of pain.

Griz, your posts with your research on the SoCal snakes actually, in a strange way, put my mind at ease, so I thank you for that. Because, as far as we can tell from what the vet said, and previous experiences, she was probably bitten by a large Green Mohave Rattler, and that was why her respiration stopped even before the bite area had swelled up much. Only a neurotoxin can have that effect. She was a big dog, as you can tell from the pics, and rattler bites aren't always fatal for big dogs--except if it is the Mohave rattler. And we happen to know that they do live in our canyon even if they're apparently not native to our area of SoCal, because we caught one on our deck about 2 years ago, and had a snake guy dispose of it, and (ironically) train our Sweetie to avoid rattlers with that particular snake. And he said it was the deadliest of them all, and he was surprised to see it in our area. So I think it probably wouldn't have mattered if she'd had a vaccine, or if she'd gotten to the vet 10 minutes earlier, all that stuff we're blaming ourselves for not doing...

....

Nothing wrong with getting back to posting exciting, cute and funny Front Porch stories. Our own Front Porch is being built as I write this!

[elousv]

OK, so I found this amusing, t was in the paper but not really worthy of news. A former state senator (Jorgenson) and Hayden Lake councilman (Graves) came to blows the other day over a dispute involving their dogs. Sheriff quote; "Based on physical evidence and my observations and interviews, the dispute was physical mutual combat between both parties". Isn't that precious? Graves said he was trying to take a video as evidence when Jorgenson began throwing ice at him. Graves said he told Jorgenson to come over and "get a piece of him" Reminds me of a Seinfeld episode. Sounds like a fight ensued and both are looking to file assault charges. Hopefully there is a follow up story.

[Native Idahoan]

CFF, I'm very sorry to hear of the loss of your wonderful friend. Take care.
Michelle

[Jim1405]

CFF, so sad to hear of the loss of your beloved pet. She looked so adorable in those pictures you posted.

Jim

[Toyman at Jewel Lake]

Originally Posted by mistyriver

I have two very old ones right now and we're just trying to keep them comfortable and watch for signs that life isn't good for them anymore. One is a pug, one is a Great Pyrenees so different ends of the spectrum as far as care. One of the hardest decisions to make.
It's just so hard at any time, but losing them suddenly and too young is even worse.

I'm sorry to hear that you have to deal with that. It's brutal. We just put down our two old boys, Remington, a 14 year old Husky/Shepard mix, and Bear, our 12 yo Newfoundland, about 3 weeks ago. Both were great dogs. I was a wreck for a month leading up to it. We made an appointment and had a mobile vet do it at our place. Lots of hugs and tears. It was for the best, quality of life was starting to go downhill, and they had a great life up here. As rough as it was, it was far better than forcing them to live in pain because we couldn't step up-couldn't bear to think about that. The tough part is wondering when it's the right time. Could we have gotten another good, or decent, year? Or would the winter have been hell on them?

[mistyriver]

Originally Posted by Toyman at Jewel Lake

I'm sorry to hear that you have to deal with that. It's brutal. We just put down our two old boys, Remington, a 14 year old Husky/Shepard mix, and Bear, our 12 yo Newfoundland, about 3 weeks ago. Both were great dogs. I was a wreck for a month leading up to it. We made an appointment and had a mobile vet do it at our place. Lots of hugs and tears. It was for the best, quality of life was starting to go downhill, and they had a great life up here. As rough as it was, it was far better than forcing them to live in pain because we couldn't step up-couldn't bear to think about that. The tough part is wondering when it's the right time. Could we have gotten another good, or decent, year? Or would the winter have been hell on them?

I'm so sorry about your old guys. I think the time leading up to it is just awful. Our Pyr was in sorry shape last week and is much better now with the heat scaled back. He has a massive benign tumor on his leg and it is inoperable other than amputating the limb, which was not an option at such an advanced age.
I can't see him making another winter and I know the end is coming. I just can't picture this place without him.

[Montana Griz]

.......(SNIP)>>>>>>

Originally Posted by mistyriver

I'm so sorry about your old guys. I think the time leading up to it is just awful.

During my 82 plus years on this planet, I had many dogs over 77 of those years (and had to "put-down" many as well.) Also had 3 horses for 29 years.....one of which was a registered Half Arabian/ Quarter Horse Cross ...........that lived to age 32!! Got her as a young filly ......bred her to a Grandson of "Raffles" and she dropped the finest 3/4 Arab Colt:.....Great Mountain Huntin" and Trail Horse; Pack Horse and Great in the Show Ring too (15--3) and 1190 pounds. Sad part of this story is: In mid January 1993, 9:30 PM (a Sat Night); 11 below zero; I went out to check on the 3 horses before be fore turning in.........and found her down with a broken right rear hip!!!!!!! She had slipped on a patch of icy ground. .........What to you do with a 32 yr old horse, late at night, 11 below etc,etc. I called a neighbor 1 1/2 mile away who was an experienced horseman & we quickly decided she had to be put down...........(Thank God I had dug her grave about 6 months earlier just on the assumption that she may die in the winter months --frozen ground ya know...

He came over with two son-in-laws; we "man handled her" over to the edge of the hole....I gave him my Colt SAA 45 Long Colt loaded with 265gr solids...............turned and ran up to the house (about 600 feet away), had my late wife turn up the Stereo real loud and then we had a good cry!!!!!!!!!That horse was more human than horse......had been raised along with our only daughter who was 10 when we bought her and took that horse through many levels of Horsemanship, Equitation & performance classes as well as being a great mountain Horse & Trail Horse and a "GREAT FAMILY MEMBER"......The next morning a friend went and got 10 yards of "Pit-Run" to dump in on top of her so she'd be covered and not food for coyotes....
Off all the dogs and horses we have had to put down.........not one was as "Heart-breaking" as having to shoot that mare.........................She's buried about 600 feet from the house on the Lee/Side of her favorite tree................I pass by the spot almost daily. It's those unexpected things in Life that really grab you..............but, you do What You Gotta do and go on

[mistyriver]

I understand that. I'd had my old gelding since he was 7 and he was in his early 30's when I took a hard look at him and realized another winter was not in the cards for him. He had a wonderful summer and fall and we put him down right before the weather turned. It was hard, but the best decision. I loved that old man. Thankful I have no elderly horses right now...both are in their prime.
After waiting one day too long with my old Dalmation years ago, I decided one day too early is far better than one day too late.

[Clark Fork Fantast]

The pain involved with the loss of an animal companion can take so many shapes...thanks for sharing your stories, Misty, Toyman and Griz, and also Banjo. And Michelle and Jim, thanks for those words of sympathy.

What amazes me and comforts me is the bond we humans can have with individuals from another species. The human heart is roomy, I guess, and the more I read about animal emotions, the more amazing it becomes, because of course they really do respond to us, they're not just looking to us for food. They're not machines any more than we are, they're really bundles of emotions. But especially the latest dog research fascinates me. Their brains have co-evolved with ours, they're born into understanding human gestures and tone of voice, and our brains are geared toward understanding at least some elements of dog "language." No other species on earth can understand what it means when a human points to something, not even the smartest apes, but the dog will follow the direction of your finger, not just look at the finger! I think future scientists will simply establish that dogs and humans are symbiotic. It probably used to be a matter of maximizing survival chances for humans and dogs to partner up, and now some of us have extended it into becoming dual-species families.

Personally, I didn't start out in life as a dog person at all--I was deathly afraid of dogs until I was in my 30s! I was such a cat person! I'd avoid big dogs on my walks, even to the point of crossing the street. I couldn't tell if they were friendly of not. So some of us absolutely don't start out understanding "dog," of course it has to be cultivated. But then we got our first dog (and we had her for 13 wonderful years) and everything changed. Sweetie was my 2nd dog, and I swear I could read her mind. She could definitely read mine, she knew what I was about to do before I even knew it, she just read my body language .

Horses, though...I'm such a fan of Old West lore, and I'd love to love horses, but I'm still a bit scared of them! They're so big! I like to ride them, though. Then I'm taller than they are...

One more pic of Sweetie...

[brokencrayola]

I am so sorry for your loss CFF. Your dog was young and it seems so unfair. Give yourself some time to heal and then when your heart is open again you can get another dog to start making memories with.