Back Again

[RichPB (richlife)]

I've been around TVWBB for a while, but I'm trying to be more active again. I sold my 18" WSM a couple of years ago, but just bought a near new 14.5" -- it hurt too much not to be able to properly smoke food.

Of note is that earlier this year I lost my long-time friend, 14-yr old Affenpinscher, Dante, who shared my avatar. Today, I updated my avatar with my new friend, 1-yr old Affenpinscher, Tonto. Many of you know that losing a dog is difficult and they can't be replaced. But though it took a little time, I finally realized that after you loose a beloved dog, the time to get a new friend is when the pain in your heart is overwhelmed by the hole in your life. So Tonto is settling in to his new role as my companion griller/smoker. It's rather odd how attentive he is. (BTW, you can't tell the difference physically between Dante and Tonto. That's a good thing.)

 

[Rich Dahl]

I can relate to that. Every time we lose a companion, I say no more dogs. Well that hole in my heart is just the perfect place to put a new pup that had a bad start in life. I know I'll have to grieve again but the joy of watching a timid scared to death mistreated pup become a happy secure playful pup is just too hard to resist.
Barb and I have rescued or fostered over 30 dogs in the last 28 years. Although now that were in or mid seventies we don't foster anymore.
So glad to see you got a new best friend Rich, you did the right thing.

 

[RichPB (richlife)]

I can completely identify with all you say, Rich. At 74, I had decided that there would be no more new dogs. Now I'm even interested in rescuing an older companion for Tonto. I think it would help a lot in dealing with his fears. We have always had at least two dogs over the past 40 years, but the last two losses seem especially difficult -- perhaps because being retired, we're home with them all the time. For me, the back and knees, etc. aren't the same anymore which adds to the benefits of having dogs.

 

[Brenda T]

Welcome back to the world of Weber. I'll be watching your 14.5 WSM cooks for tips. I've had one in the shed
for a couple years that I need to get up to speed on.

Very sorry to hear about Dante. No matter how many times you deal with that, it never gets any easier.
I had to say goodbye to my 17-1/2 year old Harley a couple weeks before Christmas.

“Dogs come into our lives to teach us about love, they depart to teach us about loss. A new dog never replaces an old dog, it merely expands the heart. If you have loved many dogs your heart is very big” – Erica Jong

 

[Rich Dahl]

I can completely identify with all you say, Rich. At 74, I had decided that there would be no more new dogs. Now I'm even interested in rescuing an older companion for Tonto. I think it would help a lot in dealing with his fears. We have always had at least two dogs over the past 40 years, but the last two losses seem especially difficult -- perhaps because being retired, we're home with them all the time. For me, the back and knees, etc. aren't the same anymore which adds to the benefits of having dogs.

We have a lot in common I'm 74 and feeling some (actually a lot) of the pains of getting older.
For the last 25 years or so we also have had two dogs.
We had mother /daughter golden retriever's, Golden retriever with a cocker spaniel. But the best one is our current Coyote mix and a black lab that was gifted to us as a puppy. Whitney came to us as a dog that was running wild on the Navajo Indian reservation, a complete total wild handful when we got her as a foster. It took over six months to get her to trust us and walk on a leash. At nine months of training and lots of loves she was ready to be put up for adoption. When I told Barb I thought she was ready. Barb said she would call The United Animal Friends to let them know.

About 15 minutes later she came out and said that Whitney had been adopted, I said wait a minute we have to do a meet and greet with the new people to make sure they are a match for her. Barb just smiled and said she already has. She said we put our hearts and souls into this pup for nine months, much longer than any other foster we've had. She is ours
Four years ago, Abby our black lab came into our lives as a gift and Whitney instantly took over as a foster mom and basically raised Abby. Today they are inseparable and some great comic relief for Barb and I when the get to chasing each other all over the yard and house.

 

[Bob H.]

I've been around TVWBB for a while, but I'm trying to be more active again. I sold my 18" WSM a couple of years ago, but just bought a near new 14.5" -- it hurt too much not to be able to properly smoke food.

Of note is that earlier this year I lost my long-time friend, 14-yr old Affenpinscher, Dante, who shared my avatar. Today, I updated my avatar with my new friend, 1-yr old Affenpinscher, Tonto. Many of you know that losing a dog is difficult and they can't be replaced. But though it took a little time, I finally realized that after you loose a beloved dog, the time to get a new friend is when the pain in your heart is overwhelmed by the hole in your life. So Tonto is settling in to his new role as my companion griller/smoker. It's rather odd how attentive he is. (BTW, you can't tell the difference physically between Dante and Tonto. That's a good thing.)

Welcome back Rich! I wonder if Tonto would enjoy a lightly smoked Milkbone?

 

[Anne M.]

Welcome back!
And my 2 Jack Rascals (Totsy and Sherlock) are saying hello to Tonto

 

[RichPB (richlife)]

Welcome back!
And my 2 Jack Rascals (Totsy and Sherlock) are saying hello to Tonto

Thanks to you all! Anne, what a beautiful avatar! Makes me yearn for regions in the tropics -- some of my favorite areas.

Rich, the tale of Whitney raising your pup just resonates with me. We had adopted a lab mix that, at about 3 months, within days started protecting our property from the vicious deer running around a night. A couple of ears later we got the first of our three Malamutes (not all together). Sadly the first Mal had a heart murmur and though my vet told me to return him, I couldn't bring my self to do it. I took care of him and he truly lightened my life for the 7 months afterward that he survived. Kasey, the lab mix, would not tolerate Loki at first -- simply ignored him or turned her back on him. Then one day she was laying in her bed, when Loki sat down next to her. She turned her head away and then he put his paw on hers. (I have this on video.) Kasey whipped her head around, they sniffed and from that point on she took him as hers and raised him. Later when we got our second Mal, Sundance, she immediately stepped up and adopted him also.

Unfortunately, Kasey and our third Malamute, Kiska, immediately went for the throat. That's a really long, sad story that I won't get into except to say that Kiska had to go after the first bad injury. I had to finally accept the advice of her breeder and our local Malamute rescue. I really won't ever get over it.