Tell me about your pets - past and present

[mikester]

doink!

[slodave]

I grew up with Great Danes. Mom would leave me out side for a minute or two to answer the phone and the first Dane, a fawn, would watch over me. Some where at my parents hous, are pictures of me as a baby crawling around and riding on him. Great dog, but I was a little young to remember too much, as they only live about 8 years. I found him dead one morning of old age.

Second was a female. The breeder and the person that clipped the Dane's ears had an argument and unfortunately, her ears were the target of frustration and the ears never stood up correctly. She was all black and was supposed to have a white patch on chest, but it was on the bottom of one of her front paws instead. I had a habit of tripping over her at night in the dark. I found her dead of old age right after she had breakfast.

The last Dane was a harlequin (white w/small black spots), but the spots were all wrong and he looked more like a dairy cow. During this time and with the prior Dane, I had a parakeet that flew around the house. Amazingly, the dogs and bird got along great. With our last Dane, after he ate, he would come into the kitchen for two cookies. The bird would follow and eat the crumbs. We used to wrestle until he became too strong, heavy and rough. We should have submitted him to the Guinness book of records, as he was gigantic. He developed issues with his hind legs and ultimately (while I was away) had to be brought to the emergency vet. They kept him alive until I got back to town and was able to say goodbye. I could not be in the room as he was put to sleep. He was like a brother, we fought, but we were the best of friends.

Now I have two English parakeets, one chameleon (I've had others), four African Cichlids and a tiger plecostomous.

Dave

P.S. Names: 1st Dane: Razzy - pedigreed famous parents, 2nd Dane: Missy - I liked the name, 3rd Dane: Odie (White Shadow Odessy) - also pedigreed with famous parents. First parakeet, Birdie - I was terrible with names. My 'keets now Skyler Bing and Joey - don't ask, it was my ex-wife's idea. 1st chameleon: Louie, the rest are nameless, as are the fish.

[Evans, Marv]

Well, my first pet was a cat I named "Brownie."
My family (of five) moved here in 1947 from the mid west and bought a 25 ft. trailer house to live in next to a junk yard. I saw this cat walking in the junk yard & asked my mother if I could have it. She told me it was a wild cat, but if I could tame it, I could keep it. The junk yard was guarded by dobermans and shephards, so if a cat grew to adulthood, it was a pretty good cat. This cat was almost full grown.
I started putting scraps through the 8 ft. fence when he was around, and he became used to that. Next I put it on my side of the fence. He would soon appear on my side of the fence to eat. Bit if he saw anyone in the area, he was gone in an instant. We had a little wooden sort of deck in the front, and I slowly moved the food from near the fence to the corner of the deck. After that, I would watch out the door of the trailer & watch him eat - after he was accustomed to that. Next I stood on the outside step. Next I moved a step closer each day. As you can see this thing took a month & a half or more.
Eventually I could stand next to the food dish, but he would always move to the opposite side. Also eventually I reached down to touch him, which caused him to take off instantly. After awhile, I could touch him while he was eating and stroke him. But each time I stroked him, he would growl.
He got to where he would hang around and one day we were leaving ('46 Olds), and he was walking on the little white picket fence at the front of the yard. I walked over, picked him up in my arms, petted him a couple of times and dropped him on the ground & got into the car & left. After that I could handle & pet him, but nobody else could touch him.
Eventually my parents bought a little house, and the last thing we took over there was the cat. He wasn't a bit happy in the car.
Our little house had a front yard that went out to the pavement in the street. After a few days of keeping him in the house, my mother ordered that he had to go outside to stay. So I picked him up and put him out on the little 3 ft. or so square concrete porch. He looked both ways, stuck his tail up, and walked out into the center of the yard and laid down on his side. I, my two sisters, and my mother were looking out of the window to see if he would try to run away or not.
During that time, Cocker Spaniels were the popular dog. So in about 15 minutes a Cocker Spaniel came trotting down the street. When he got to the far corner of the yard, his eyes got really big, and he stopped. You could see he was thinking, "Ah, there's a cat to chase." He started running at top speed straight for the cat, who was still sleeping on his side. We got upset & told my mother to stop the dog, but she said the cat had to take care of himself. When the dog was about six feet from the cat running at full speed, the cat all of a sudden was up in the air a couple of feet. The dog started back peddling and stopped right under the cat, who landed on his back and rode him down a couple of houses yowling, scratching, and clawing. The cat jumped off, came back to the same place in the yard, and went to sleep again. About 20 minutes later another Cocker Spaniel came down the street, and the same scene was repeated. After that, the cat could sleep in the front yard peacefully without any harrassment from dogs.
He stayed out all of the time and spent his nights fighting. His face and ears were scarred and shredded, but on weekends and vacations I would go out in the back yard early in the morning and lay down in the grass. He would come & set on my chest & I would pet him & feed him.
We moved to another town about 150 miles away and took him with us. He was probably about 8 years old when he died under an out building.
He was my first pet named Brownie.

I can't believe I wrote all of this!

[Joeaksa]

One thing to be careful of gents, is that many internet programs use "your first pets name" as a security question.

If you use this in ANY of your internet accounts then pls do not post a lot about your first pet ANYWHERE on the internet. Its not difficult to find and one way that hackers can bust your passwords.

[Jims5543]

Good point Joe.

Sorry no pictures, but, we had a pet Goat for 6 months. My dad got it from one friend on Long Island for free and another friend in Pennsylvania wanted it. So we hung on to it for 6 months until we were going to visit him.

We named the Goat Ralph and it was really cool to have around. He followed you around the yard and could be seen on the roof of the shed just standing there. He liked being up high, he would climb the wood pile to get up there.

He like it when you would put your hand out and let him ram them with his head. He was young so he did not have horns yet.

We have had mostly dogs my entire life but Ralph stood out.

The best part was taking it in the back of our little Dodge Colt station wagon to Pa. Driving through NYC with a goat in your car will get some looks. I was about 14 years old then and thought it was the funniest thing in the world at the time.

[cantdrv55]

Spunky, Australian Shepherd, live to be 17 y/o. Smartest dog I have ever had or come across. I miss the old guy.

Rufus was a 120lb choc Lab/Rott mix. As friendly as any lab but scary big. I miss him too. He was hit by a car after he escaped from the back yard. I left the gate open while at work. I haven't forgiven myself for causing his death.

[notfarnow]

Daisy, beagle, 6 years old. The brains of the operation. Alpha female, knows how to open the closet, fridge and power windows. Was on NBC's "TV's Funniest Moments" for a clip where she kept honking the horn during a news interview.

She'll swim as far as you can throw a dog treat.



Chance, beagle. ~12 years old. A rescue dog who was left tied in the woods at the end of rabbit season. Had him flown home to us, our vet said to get another dog... we got another vet. Dumbest dog I've ever met. You can bounce treats off his head and he just flinches and waits for you to give him one. He couldn't survive on his own for a day... his only survival mechanism is a huge heart. Everyone loves him, even when he was at his most infected, stinkiest stage.

He had 8 teeth pulled in February, and that really improved his health. Now he sleeps with his tongue hanging out:


Here he is "helping" me when I was painting the house a couple weeks ago. Like I said, dumb, dumb dog.


He's old, he's dumb and he eats his own poo. He's my best bud.

[Joeaksa]

Originally posted by cantdrv55
Spunky, Australian Shepherd, live to be 17 y/o. Smartest dog I have ever had or come across. I miss the old guy.

Rufus was a 120lb choc Lab/Rott mix. As friendly as any lab but scary big. I miss him too. He was hit by a car after he escaped from the back yard. I left the gate open while at work. I haven't forgiven myself for causing his death.

Had a wonderful Malamute years ago, my first dog. Really mans best friend and a wonderful pet.

He loved to chase anything and needed to be kept in the yard. Once he learned that he could jump the fence it was all over... He tangled with a Caddilac and we all know won.

Photo taken while he was still a pup at home keeping my Mom's feet warm.



Still miss him...

[lisa_spyder]

mikester what a lovely thread ...

I grew up in a "doggy family". Dad was a real dog person - big dogs mainly. Mum was like the pied piper - any and every animal would gravitate to her -she would do nothing; they would just come to her.

Dad was a sporting shooter and bought himself a Champion of Champions German Shorthaired Pointer when I was about 5. What a dog! Norrie was 5 I think when Dad got him. He was a big baby around Dad - in fact Dad slept in the garage with him for a week to settle him into his new home! He never barked; growled ferociously when he felt any of us was being threatened and howled like you wouldn't believe!

Mum would let me walk Norrie at 5yo. This dog wouldn't let anyone near me. I could romp and play with him like a puppy; but when he was in "work mode" it was all "point and retrieve". He had the softest mouth - his prior owner demonstrated Norrie's abilities to us by putting a quail chick several foot up in a tree. He gave Norrie the command to "seek" and we watched in awe as Norrie found the chick (pointing first) and carried him back so gently he didn't ruffle a feather. Norrie put the bird at the feet of Jack (the breeder and prior owner). Jack said "bad dog - put it here" pointing to his hand. Norrie picked the bird up and placed it in Jack's hand.

On mornings that Dad didn't have time to exercise Norrie, Mum would take me to school and then stop at a large park nearby with Norrie. She would spend some time with him doing the training exercises and then sit in the car whilst Norrie would run around the oval. One morning Norrie would not leave the side of the car. He just sat next to Mum's door. Mum was starting to get cross with him apparently, got out of the car and threw his ball. He refused to retrieve it... finaly she managed to get him to move from the side of the car - he walked BACKWARDS away from her and never took his eyes off her. He sat in the middle of the oval watching her. A guy came over to the window of Mum's car and proceeded to ask directions for a street that Mum knew didn't exist in that area. He was attempting to open her door - quick as a flash Norrie was beside the door baring his teeth and growling at this guy. The man tried to "befriend" Norrie - no dice. The more the guy tried the more vicious Norrie got. Norrie chased the guy out of the park and raced back to Mum. Mum thinks Norrie got a good bite or two in as well - he was fleet footed and we don't think the guy could have outrun him; Norrie would have given up to come back to Mum.

Dad used to take him almost everywhere with him; he had a bed in the workshop and would spend most of his time mooching around the shop with the guys. He did cause Dad some trouble with a few people though - one guy came in with a suspension arm and brandished it up high at Dad asking if Dad thought it was repairable - Norrie flew out of his bed and jumped the guy - had him flat on his back in an instant and had grabbed him around the throat. Dad had a bit of an effort calling him off - but this man had threatened Dad in Norrie's mind - turns out the guy was as bent as his suspension arm too. Norrie was a good judge of character that time.

Dad's parents loved dogs too so he would sometimes leave Norrie with them for a few hours. One day my grandfather was carving some meat with a very large knife. He was talking to Dad and waved the knife at him - bad move. Luckily Dad had Norrie on a leash, but nevertheless my grandfather never raised the knife to make a point again. Norrie would still go to visit, but he would stay by my grandmother and never entirely trusted my grandfather again.

Norrie was a fabulous dog - he was amazingly loyal and loving with his family and was an incredible hunting dog. His only real vice was the "silent but deadly" wind he produced. He was save it all up for car rides - he used to sit at Mum's feet in the Benz and then let 'em rip! God they were bad! At least he would always look at Mum apologetically after letting one go, but sulphur had nothing on these!

The next dog came years later - my Border Collie X. That's a whole other story - she was my best friend for 13 years; smart as a whip, gentle and beautiful. She was "all girl" this one and was happiest when she was with me no matter what I was doing. She was a fabulous car traveller and loved going on trips. I had to put her down when Charlotte (now nearly 10) was 4 months old. I still miss her like hell...

Now we have the toy schnoodle who is a scream. She is proving to have the diligence of a schnauzer and the arrogance, smarts and attitude of a poodle. Nothing gets past her and she considers herself a little queen. She is not my dog, but the family's dog. She is simply wonderful and we all love her. But I could never, ever replace the Border Collie; she was one in a million.

[RoninLB]

had a German shep junk yard beast w/me day and night for 10yrs. If a friend walked up and held his hand out to shake the dog had his wrist first. etc etc.

I'd introduce him to everyone in the campground and have them repeat his name. If any car or wanderer came into the campground the loose dog would go nuts and when campers found out there was no Colorado crooks around the masses would yell "Sebastian, shut up." Then he came back to our site.

when the vet said he had to be put down i took him for a boat ride w/a colt python and cement blocks. He went down painlessly Anzio style. No way was he going into a garbage bag at the vet.

[Chocaholic]

13 years old and the best friend my kids ever had...

[Shaun @ Tru6]

[azasadny]

Here's my daughter Rebecca with her buddy Corky. Corky is very sick (but not in pain) and will not be with us long...

[azasadny]

More of Becky and our ferrets...