curious, since i am looking with my heart and not my head

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crushers

crushers

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would it be ... silly ... to want to replace my old boy with a close copy?
i have come across a 2 year old that looks a LOT like old Cruiser, cross breed, same coloring and my heart just thumped.

i wouldn't be able to take a close look at him for another 5 weeks anyway so it won't be a rush purchase.

the family needs to get rid of the boy and is looking for a good home.

please discuss
 
Wayne as you know "large" dogs suffer from hip dysplasia and associated joint ailments and often have reduced life spans as a result. I have personally buried several that could no longer walk or stand. I decided some years ago to only have small to medium sized dogs ( Rat / Fox Terriers ) which can live considerably longer than large dogs.
Having said that if you are basically rescuing the other dog, go for it.
 
yah, small dogs live much longer
but
i have a dislike for small dogs after being in the cabinet service work ... bitten a few times by a little one while watching the big guy ... damn little ankle bitters.
 
I agree that small dogs often have a chip on their shoulder and have a lot to prove.
I was always amused that large dogs were often scared sh*tless of my rat terrier.
He was a real bad*ss ( at least in his mind ). :D
 
my wife had a tiny dog, a real sweetheart
i tried real hard but i just couldn't accept her as a real dog, more like a cute toy.

but

love is where the heart is and if your heart accepts a small dog, so be it.
(after all, my wife accepted me, so i HAVE to understand and accept it)
 
I grew up on a farm where my grandfather had a number of working dogs ( cattle dogs as well as deer running dogs ) and even though he took very good care of them and treated them very well I don't think he ever saw them as "pets". However every dog I have owned throughout my life, from the smallest to the largest were definitely family members and enriched my life as well as my children's lives. :)
 
It's a tough call Wayne. All of us have our biases toward certain animals, if you're prepared to accept the new one as a new boy instead of a replacement, then go for it. If not, you may want to give it some time.

I was in a similar situation recently with my cats. I lost my baby Blondie after 15 years and had a tougher time with it than I expected. Because I am a sucker for anything with white fur, I knew my next would look very much alike and have similar temperament.

9 days later, Angel showed up at the Humane Society. 4 days later she was available for adoption and I raced down to see her. As I sat in a room with her, I was torn, she was exactly what I pictured for my next pet but I was concerned that it was too early. Despite all the excuses I could make, I know if I didn't take her home, I would regret it.

She's been a wonderful addition. The moral of the story is, only you know what's right for you. When you find him, open you heart and don't look back. Good luck with whatever you decide.

Kitties Blondie.webp


Angel 1 yr.webp
 
BrotherRob said:
It's a tough call Wayne. All of us have our biases toward certain animals, if you're prepared to accept the new one as a new boy instead of a replacement, then go for it. If not, you may want to give it some time.

I was in a similar situation recently with my cats. I lost my baby Blondie after 15 years and had a tougher time with it than I expected. Because I am a sucker for anything with white fur, I knew my next would look very much alike and have similar temperament.

9 days later, Angel showed up at the Humane Society. 4 days later she was available for adoption and I raced down to see her. As I sat in a room with her, I was torn, she was exactly what I pictured for my next pet but I was concerned that it was too early. Despite all the excuses I could make, I know if I didn't take her home, I would regret it.

She's been a wonderful addition. The moral of the story is, only you know what's right for you. When you find him, open you heart and don't look back. Good luck with whatever you decide.
Click to expand...

^This^ And it's not all about the time, it's the quality of life for a buddy.
 
Do it, you'll never replace Cruiser but this dog can help you with the healing process. Plus you keep him from possibly ending up in a shelter. I've been around and owned dogs all of my life and in my opinion nothing beats a good dog. My.02
 
as i have said, whether you have a dog, a cat, a snake, a bird or anyother living being, if you heart is involved that is all that matters.
i grew up with cats, cool creatures. independant, stubborn, lovable ... they get you ready for when you have a wife ... and teen age daughter.
i tried birds, i tried fish, neither cut it for me.
i had a chinchilla, now that was a cool creature. so much personality, lot of fun and probably the cleanest pet a person can own.
rabbits, cute but quite lazy.

reptiles, I never had an appeal for them.

thanks guys for the comments, greatly appreciated. been a rough weekend.

this is our dogs with our "found on the side of the road cat" ... i had to get rid of my two cats when my new wife came along. she had been alergic to cats as a kid. turned out we had a mole in the school house and the odd mouse would find its way in so one day a postie found a bunch of kittens on the side of the road ... so SMALL. Berni brought one home "to keep the mice out".
that was the beginning of Berni and Buddy, they sleep together, she spoils him terribly. He is a cool cat, VERY independant, a scrapper. if you were to shave his hair off you would find Frankenstien hidden underneath. i have succeeded in keeping my heart reserved knowing that this is Berni's cat (and the fact that farm cats don't live as long a lives as city cats, esp cats that roam and fight).
the last pic is Cruiser, Billie and Buddy heading to the barn on Cruisers last walk.
here he is"

armor 013.webp


baby cow 056.webp


baby cow 075.webp


baby cow 087.webp


signal 007.webp
 
i used to have a pic of Cruiser's hair after the groomer was done ...
you could make a dozen Yorkie's from it.
and
that is one of the things that my wife disliked about a big hairy dog ... it was EVERYWHERE.
but
when he laid beside us on the bed ... well suddenly she had her arm around him

armor 025.webp


baby cow 120.webp


johnston canyon 2007 with the kiwis 324.webp


IMG_1582.webp
 
i have had independent cats in the past but nothing like this guy ...
jumps in the car to go for a ride and lays on the dash.
sleeps with the dog(s)
i say to the mutts "wana go for a walk" and the cat gets up and stretches and follows us down the road, back to the barn and then back home again.
i swear, if it wasn't for his scrapping, i would say he thinks he is a dog.

Cruiser, doing what he always did, watched out for the pack. if we stopped to look at something he would stop and wait. if we hid, he would be the first to come looking.

thanks for the comments, i never noticed the color flow before, pretty cool catch there guys.
 
Great pets are a reflection on their owners.:D I have no doubt that your next will be special as well.:cheers:
 
thanks
so the new guy is here now and helping fill the hole in my heart.
sadly, there are still waves of grief that flow over me. much more seldom now but still as intense.
the little guy is completely different from the old boy. but that is what is unique about life ... everyone is different.

introducing Amigo ...:cheers:

Dec 27th 2013 002.webp


Dec 27th 2013 006.webp


Dec 27th 2013 011.webp


Dec 27th 2013 014.webp


Amigo and Billie.webp
 
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