***The Official Dog Thread***

[brukuns]

All ball busting aside, sorry to read that. We just went through almost the exact same thing back around Labor Day with our 7 year old Golden. I took him for a walk then went surfing that morning after he begged me for my breakfast. Totally normal morning. When I got home a couple hours later my wife said he wasn't acting right. By 1:00 I was getting worried and had to call my son to come home to help me get him in the car to take him to the vet. By the time we got to the vet at 2:00 he was unconscious. He was bleeding out internally fast and the vet gave us an option of $10,000 plus the cost of blood products to attempt to find the source which was likely the spleen where a quick ultrasound found a mass. He held on just long enough for my wife and kids to get to the vet's office before he was gone at 4:00. Way too young. Dang a house is empty without a dog.

Got right back on the horse and got another pup in late October.

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Sorry to hear that Gromsdad. That's a nice looking pup, I bet he was as big as a little bear when he was an adult.


Had dogs when living with my parents, and my wife's dog (which also lived with her parents)...

Always wanted to have my own dog but living in an apartment and being gone all day, I think it's just unfair to the little thing. Now with this whole work from home ordeal I'm starting to consider this again... Just not sure I can deal with the additional expense... maybe I'll just leave it alone for now.

 

[ghostshaper]

Packed and ready to go to his new home to escape the crazy pups:

 

[donuts]

that’s a sh:tty thing to have to go through, frvcs... my sympathy...

didn’t read all the above posts, but i used to dogsit my friend’s mutt when she’d travel (a lot), and the dog came down with cancer. she absolutely loved it, and was told by the vet(s) that dogs generally tolerate chemo really well (?). she ended up spending $$$ on treatment, and the dog lasted another 2-3 years, seemed to me pretty much the same - i think it was 12 or 13 when it finally passed. for her it was well worth doing ($$$ not a consideration for her - it would have been for me, but for a more charming canine i probably would have sprung for it...)

hope it works out...

on the other hand, you’re probably wondering, as i am, exactly how al soldano feels about your leaking roof and whatever water damage your new house will suffer...

 

[Sharky]

Gratuitous shot of my most recent loss. His favorite place in the world to go was iShapes. He'd watch me cut boards all day. He knew all the shapers, the guys driving the blank delivery trucks, the guys from Fiberglass Hawaii. He greeted them all. He knew who could walk in and who shouldn't. There's really only one shaper I really didn't like. Thor took a solid shot at eating him one day. The guy just escaped out the front door and slammed the security screen. Good boy. Miss you buddy.

 

[Ifallalot]

Super sorry to hear that man. This stuff is the absolute worse. Had to put down one of our dogs about two years ago and it still stings.

GSP are pretty hectic dogs even if you have the space to let them run. I've never had one before but I get the sense they require a good amount of input (training, fetch, etc.) Might second the Labradoodle suggestion if you want something that will fetch and swim but has a more mellow demeanor. I just got a standard poodle myself. He's 5 months old. Great combination of easy going demeanor, good energy, and trainability.

After having a poodle mix for almost 13 years and a Goldendoodle for the last 2 I may get a Standard Poodle in the future

Also, want to second the comment on GSPs. We had one that never calmed down until he was 14. He was a fulltime hunting dog as well, so was a maniac in the off season (Spring/Summer)

 

[ShiverMeTimbers]

Oh yeah, don’t throw tennis balls into the Snake River, the ball goes just a little faster than the dog’s paddle! Get the pup for crying out loud! John

Had a similar experience with my pup when we moved to Hood River. She loved the beach and creeks, but the swift water swept her downriver more than once while chasing a salmon.

 

[manbearpig]

If I were looking for a house dog I’d be looking hard at Nova Scotia Tollers. Met one over the weekend and was super impressed with their intelligence and biddability

 

[SrPato]

This is our Monkey. He's a "Morkie" Maltese/Yorkie that was obviously more on the Yorkie side. He traveled everywhere with us and absolutely loved people and cats. He was an Ahole to other dogs though. Monkey lived to be 19 1/2 years old and in the end he didn't know what planet he lived on. He would stare at the wall for 15 - 20 minutes at a time and whine. We learned from our previous dog that this was doggy dementia setting in. We chose to have the vet come to us to help put him to sleep. It was a very emotional situation but he took it like a king. He slurped his favorite cat food and enjoyed back rubs as the medication took effect. It was the most dignified and serene death that I've ever seen and to be able to hold him in my arms at home instead of a sterile clinic was priceless.


Skully and others, please know that at the risk of sounding cliche, "There is life after death." We now have this gorgeous new girl that brings so much joy into our lives everyday. Her name is Poppy and she's a Whoodle. (Soft haired Wheaton Terrier and Mini Poodle.)

 

[SrPato]

If I were looking for a house dog I’d be looking hard at Nova Scotia Tollers. Met one over the weekend and was super impressed with their intelligence and biddability

If you're talking about Novia Scotia Duck Tolling Retrievers, We had those when I was a teenager. We were on a family trip to Victoria B.C. and saw a family of pups playing in their front yard. My parents were immediately enamored and bought two. They're very intelligent and loving dogs but watch out. They love water and will spend half a day in the pool, ocean, river lake, bathtub if you let them.

 

[Subway]

If I were looking for a house dog I’d be looking hard at Nova Scotia Tollers. Met one over the weekend and was super impressed with their intelligence and biddability

We got our first toller in 86. At that time he (Hayden’s “Duke” of Hamilton) was one of only 50 registered in the US. My parents have been hunting breeding and showing them ever since. No other breed like them. They need a lot of exercise as they are hard driving gun dogs. They will literally keep fetching birds/bumpers until you either take away the toy, or their heart explodes. I’m not joking They do not have an off switch but at days end they are phenomenal pets and family dogs- just make sure they get to play a lot. They are smarter than all of us. They are known to be a little aloof at times which only makes them cooler. One of our tollers was the very first AKC champion of the breed, after they were reclassified from “Rare Breed” to the general sporting group. Red Dog Kennels’ “Peerless Parker”. Moms still has a red dog kennels website I think.


and @$kully I’m devastated for you and the pickle. Love every one of the pics I’ve seen over the years. My 2 little mutts mean the world to me. Sorry these two Luantics never got to meet pickle

 

[manbearpig]

We got our first toller in 86. At that time he was one of only 50 in the US. My parents have been hunting breeding and showing them ever since. No other breed like them. Need lots of exercise and stimulation. They can totally chill, but they are gun dogs and want to fetch until they drop

such cool dogs, doesn’t sound like they’re the house dog I was implying.

although Ill Always want a dog that will be active with me so I’m biased.

 

[Subway]

If you're talking about Novia Scotia Duck Tolling Retrievers, We had those when I was a teenager. We were on a family trip to Victoria B.C. and saw a family of pups playing in their front yard. My parents were immediately enamored and bought two. They're very intelligent and loving dogs but watch out. They love water and will spend half a day in the pool, ocean, river lake, bathtub if you let them.

Truth

 

[SrPato]

We got our first toller in 86. At that time he (Hayden’s “Duke” of Hamilton) was one of only 50 registered in the US. My parents have been hunting breeding and showing them ever since. No other breed like them. They need a lot of exercise as they are hard driving gun dogs. They will literally keep fetching birds/bumpers until you either take away the toy, or their heart explodes. I’m not joking They do not have an off switch but at days end they are phenomenal pets and family dogs- just make sure they get to play a lot. They are smarter than all of us. They are known to be a little aloof at times which only makes them cooler. One of our tollers was the very first AKC champion of the breed, after they were reclassified from “Rare Breed” to the general sporting group. Red Dog Kennels’ “Peerless Parker”. Moms still has a red dog kennels website I think.


and @$kully I’m devastated for you and the pickle. Love every one of the pics I’ve seen over the years. My 2 little mutts mean the world to me. Sorry these two Luantics never got to meet pickle
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Wow, we got ours in 82 so I guess we were part of the first 50. I can't wait to tell my parents.

 

[Subway]

In other freakishly coincidental toller news- just last weekend I was smoking a joint on the beach down the block and a dude walked by with a dog that couldn’t be anything but a Toller. Even had that beautiful white blaze on his chest. First one I’ve ever seen on LB. Chatted with the owner for a few minutes. I miss all the ones I grew up with (we’ve had dozens over the decades- both from breeding our own champions and also adopting aging tollers that needed new homes). But as of now anyway, my lifestyle would not be fair to a Toller. Once I’m out of the rat race I’ll get one for sure.

 

[Subway]

Wow, we got ours in 82 so I guess we were part of the first 50. I can't wait to tell my parents.

No need to burst their bubble because they very well could be part of the first 50, but I meant there were only 50 that were registered. I’m sure there were plenty more that had emigrated either legally or illegally and never got their green cards or B1 visas lol

but yea- in 82? There probably weren’t more than a few hundred pure bred tollers in the states, registered or not. They started to catch on in Maine, New Hampshire and wayyyy upstate New York.

oddly enough there is a hardy population of tollers in Scandinavia these days. They love the “little red River dogs” over there

 

[SrPato]

No need to burst their bubble because they very well could be part of the first 50, but I meant there were only 50 that were registered. I’m sure there were plenty more that had emigrated either legally or illegally and never got their green cards or B1 visas lol

but yea- in 82? There probably weren’t more than a few hundred pure bred tollers in the states, registered or not. They started to catch on in Maine, New Hampshire and wayyyy upstate New York.

oddly enough there is a hardy population of tollers in Scandinavia these days. They love the “little red River dogs” over there

Wow, I had no idea. And who'd a thunk that we'd get ours on the West coast of Canada?

 

[Maz]

Love hearing all your doggy stories of both happiness and heartbreak.

Progress report from here: still sleeping

 

[Subway]

Wow, I had no idea. And who'd a thunk that we'd get ours on the West coast of Canada?

Beauty brains and smiles for days. Dead ducks better be falling from the sky or GTFO

 

[GromsDad]

Beauty brains and smiles for days. Dead ducks better be falling from the sky or GTFO
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I've only taken my little guy to look for pheasants once so far. The only thing he found that day was a discarded slice of pizza someone threw in the woods near the parking lot. He looked good trying though.

 

[Maz]

What a cutie!