Today Is National Puppy Day! Let's See Yours - Then and Now!

[BearBio]

We have had 6 dogs during our almost 30 years of marriage. Except for Maggie, all have been "Pound Puppies", so you'll have to settle for geriatric puppy pictures:

No pictures of Maggie, a purebred GSP. We have some but they haven'y been digitized.

Next was Buddy. We found Buddy in our closed-in backyard. Looking at his teeth, he seemed to be about 6 yo. When he was 16, he was diagnosed with inoperable cancer and we were told he had less than a month to live. He wasn't in pain, so we decided not to put him down until we had to. He lived 6 more years (to be 22!). Personality wise, he was Falstaff from Shakespeare.

(Though primarily a comic figure, Falstaff still embodies a kind of depth common to Shakespeare's major characters. A fat, vain, boastful, and cowardly knight, he spends most of his time drinking at the Boar's Head Inn with petty criminals, living on stolen or borrowed money....Wikipedia)




Next was Abby, a 12 yo GSP when we got her from the pound. She had hip problems from some shotgun pellets in her rump. We had her several years when she jumped off the bed and broke her leg. Doc said she was riddled with bone cancer. We told him not to let her wake up.

Then we got Hagrid. My wife named him and I thought "oooooh=a nice Germanic name for a hunter". Turns out, he was the big, dark, gentle, giant in Harry Potter. Our Hagrid lives up to his namesake! He has numerous fat tumors and is 12+ (since he came from the pound, we don't know)



Then came Shiloh, our psycho. He has the typical "little man syndrome" or "Wyatt Earp syndrome". Nasty and wants to fight everyone. Age unknown; he was about 2 yo when we got him from the pound. Here he is with Hagrid:



Finally, is Pasha. Our female GSP, also a pound puppy. Appears about6 and is a troublemaker (and Daddy's Girl) :

 

[Chik a Boom]

When they were puppies, Annie and Beau argued daily about who's the Top Dog in this house.

No one ever got hurt, no one was seriously bitten...just little nips and some grabbin'-hold-and-shakin' type stuff.

They never really settled the issue, but agreed to continue the discussion for the rest of their lives whenever the mood hits them.

Note: In actuality, though, Annie is Top Dog. Although Beau outweighs her by a good fifty pounds, she will give him a pretend butt whuppin' every now and again. And she will sometimes just look at him out of the blue from a few feet away...giving him that Rottweiler Death Stare and showing her front teeth...and Beau simply can't stand up to that level of intimidation, even though he is fearless at other times. He will just leave the room and won't return until he's sure it's okay or I call him.

Great action photos, with that post, Watchdog! I have two that do the very same. And very good of you to read each post and comment. Your forum name says it all!

 

[ChattanoogaPhil]

10-4 on the jumping/falling.

My major concern is to keep from stepping on her. She follows me around like a little puppy dog... (go figure, right? ) No hard soled shoes in this house for a while.

 

[Rastoff]

Then:

Now:

She's 85lbs and still lets an 8lb cat walk all over her.

 

[Watchdog]

We got Dixie as a stray in 2006. She was probably 2 years old, not a puppy but with a lot of puppy still in her. Here's the oldest picture I can find of her chasing a squirrel up a tree probably in 2008 and the 13 year old Dixie still on the hunt, chasing things and acting like a puppy.

Dixie looks like a dog that's fun to have around, fun to play with...but still small enough to snuggle in your lap when you just want to relax. I like that jaunty little tail curved up over her back. I know she's a good girl.

 

[Watchdog]

My major concern is to keep from stepping on her. She follows me around like a little puppy dog...

Ever hear that expression, "Dogging my footsteps"? There's no mystery as to where it came from.

 

[6518John]

Ever hear that expression, "Dogging my footsteps"? There's no mystery as to where it came from.

I have always wondered the origins of the expression "working like a dog?" Maybe in bygone days when old sayings were being developed dogs were hard workers? I think this picture is par for the course in today's world.

However my 12 years old still sings this song from his Sesame Street days (view wit caution, this will stick in your head). I guess it all depends on the dog!

Classic Sesame Street - Cow Dog Song - YouTube

 

[Watchdog]

We have had 6 dogs during our almost 30 years of marriage.

All your dogs were/are beautiful.

Buddy seems to have lived a charmed life, and to have made it to 22 (!!) is incredible, and probably a testament to his own hardiness and the love you gave him.

Thanks for posting your dogs' photographs.

 

[Watchdog]

Great action photos, with that post, Watchdog! I have two that do the very same. And very good of you to read each post and comment. Your forum name says it all!

Thank you.

Regarding my commenting on all the posts, I look at it this way. I started the thread in hopes of bringing some smiles and fond memories to forum members. Members have been kind enough to respond with their photographs, thoughts, anecdotes, and memories of their Best Friends.

I may have missed commenting on posts by someone...but I'll get there.

 

[Arik]

I took this picture because I don't know how he figures out which leg is which and which one goes where. I know I'd be tripping over myself if I were to get up from that

Sent from my XT1650 using Tapatalk

 

[rolomac]

Here's Charlie at ten weeks and now at 9 years. He's a very special friend.

rolomac

 

[muddocktor]

Here is the oldest dog we now have. She's about 5 years old now and spoiled rotten. She is supposed to be my daughter's dog, but she stays with my wife and I about 75% of the time because of both of them working.

This is then, Kira when she was around 4-6 months old if I remember right:


And this is Kira last year after she turned 4 years old. She hasn't changed much since this pic was taken:


We also have another dog that was a pound rescue dog and is a live wire. His name is Reno and he was named by the inmates at the Iberia Parish Correctional Facility, which happens to be next door to the Parish pound facility. This is Reno not too long after he was adopted:


And this pic is also about a year old, like the second picture of Kira:


And Watchdog, your Rotts are beautiful man! I used to raise Rotts back in the 80's and they are really wonderful and extremely smart dogs. My first Rott, Elkie, was about the smartest dog I ever saw and could train her to do almost anything. I even trained her to retrieve and she would duck hunt with me. She was my Rottreiver.

 

[SAFireman]

Border Collies are such fun...and such hard workers when they're doing what they're bred to do. I used to photograph sheep dog trials and was amazed at their intelligence and drive. And at the end of each round, there was a big tank of cool water for the dogs to jump in and cool off...they really worked hard. They are just totally focused on their task...also outstanding dogs for agility and frisbee trials.

Your dog's red scarf sets off her coloring beautifully.

This is the first Border Collie that we have ever owned. Her sire was an ever-present source of entertainment at a buddy's saddle shop, and we were so taken by his intelligence and personality that we paid for pick of the litter when they were going to breed him.

She has been one of the best dogs that I have ever been around. She is protective, loving, and ever watchful of the horses. She has enough energy for 3 full dogs, yet she is very sedate in the house. If we are discussing intellect, this dog wouldn't change light bulbs, she would rewire the house to new NEC codes

My wife never was allowed a dog growing up, but having experienced this Border Collie, she will not go without ever again!

Many thanks to all for the posters here, I needed a break from the rest of the world

And here is another gratuitous dog pic

 

[Watchdog]

And here is another gratuitous dog pic.

Her intellect shines through in her photographs.

Oh, and there are no gratuitous dog pics.

 

[ChattanoogaPhil]

Unfortunately I got my sweet girl when she was a young adult but now at 6 she still acts like a pup whenever we get company or are outside playing. Hope it's acceptable to post up her pic, though it's of her in a more relaxed moment .

Any chance she recently had a litter of puppies in Tennessee?

 

[S&W Fan]

Any chance she recently had a litter of puppies in Tennessee?

Haha, that's an excellent question looking at those two! I can assure you though that didn't happen. That is a great looking pup, hope you have many happy years together.

 

[Watchdog]

Speaking of puppies...

A local bride decided to forget about floral bouquets and use puppies instead, in hopes of getting them adopted. I do believe it worked.

 

[Rustyt1953]

^^^^^^^^^^

What a great idea.

 

[SparkyAZ]

Couple of photos of my best friend ever Zoey. I got her at 8 weeks. The 3rd photo is at 7 years young.
I lost her last fall due to a vascular event... I miss her every day.
Thanks for letting me share.

Great photos and stories, please keep them coming!

 

[Watchdog]

Couple of photos of my best friend ever Zoey. I got her at 8 weeks.

Beautiful photographs of a beautiful girl. This one got to me...had to get up and walk away from the keyboard for a few minutes. I'm so sorry about Zoey, but thank you for showing her to us.