I knew her time was near....

[jrabq]

..... I hope eventually the memories are a source of comfort.

I hope so too, but right now the memories are making me weep.

 

[OleRedbeard]

That's a hard lick man. Losing a good hunting dog is like losing your best friend, a family member, your hunting buddy and a part of yourself all at the same time. I'm sorry for your loss.

 

[JEL]

Gosh dang it I hate to read these threads. So hard to lose them. My last dog died at home in the middle of the night before I could get her to the vet as well. It was not a good night. Sorry for your loss.

 

[oleefish2]

…..but I can't believe she's gone. My best friend Ziba died yesterday, Thanksgiving Day. She got out of her bed and then fell over, unable to walk but holding her head up. After a while she started having seizures and I got her moved downstairs in preparation for the next step. The phone calls to the vet went unanswered, so I drove to the office not far away to see if they had any emergency contacts listed on the door, which they did (it would have been nice it they put that info on their answering machine, BTW). So I called the emergency number and got the details where to take her. Then my wife called and told me Ziba had just died in her arms. At least she died at her home, but I felt terrible for not being there. Her health had been going downhill for the last year or two, but it had been mostly mobility/hip issues. Just recently it did seem like something else was going on with her, but we couldn't figure out what it was. One thing we noticed was she had not barked in the last couple of months. Some days she looked bad, other days she looked pretty spry, wagging her tail a lot.

She was a couple months shy of her 14th birthday, I was really expecting her to last until then, perhaps even another 6 months to a year. I knew this was going to hurt, but it's hit me harder than I expected. Happening on Thanksgiving has made it even tougher. She was my best friend and hunting buddy for the last 13 years, the most special dog I've ever had.

Goodbye sweet Ziba, R.I.P.

Here's one of my favorite pics, when she was about 4, and the source of my avatar. View attachment 121364

So sorry for you loss.

 

[MT_Chad]

That sucks, sorry for your loss, it's tough to loose a hunting buddy like that, I was a mess for about a month after we lost ours. We put our first lab down 2 years ago today, missed his 10th birthday by two weeks. I still miss him a lot, but it got a little easier when we got our new lab this spring.

 

[Cheesehead]

Sorry to hear, and a tough break for it to happen on Thanksgiving. My family always had Labs or Akitas growing up, and each passing was a kick in the gut. Turns out losing a dog is tougher than losing most people.
My opinion is that at times like this, cliche tropes don’t help...but know that lots of us have gone through it too and know just how much it sucks. Sorry man. Looks like she was a great pup.

 

[jrabq]

.........Losing a good hunting dog is like losing your best friend, a family member, your hunting buddy and a part of yourself all at the same time....

That last phrase, "a part of yourself". That is so true in this case, and I guess that aspect has surprised me. I was certainly sad when I lost my other dogs, but I didn't think I lost a part of myself. But I had a much much stronger bond with Ziba, and I think it went both ways, so a part of me is missing.

Thank you for your insight and kind comment.

 

[OleRedbeard]

That last phrase, "a part of yourself". That is so true in this case, and I guess that aspect has surprised me. I was certainly sad when I lost my other dogs, but I didn't think I lost a part of myself. But I had a much much stronger bond with Ziba, and I think it went both ways, so a part of me is missing.

Thank you for your insight and kind comment.

If you do any reading. Robert Ruark has some good words on losing a gun dog.

 

[Blacktailbc]

Dang it. Sorry to hear. 14 yrs is a good run for a lab. Looks like a great dog

 

[geetar]

Sorry to hear that. I lost a good dog myself and it hurts. The memories and photos last though. Seems to help a little. It’s been awhile but I haven’t gotten another one yet. Just might not be the same.

 

[WapitiBob]

Sorry to hear bud, sucks for sure.

 

[7mm08mo]

I’m sorry to hear that. I sure know what it feels like to loose a great companion. My favorite and best got a twisted gut and died at 7 years old. I cried like a baby.

 

[Deleted member 38069]

Sorry for your loss. Think of the great life she had with you and hold on to that. There is no easy way through this. Just know that you made her life special.

 

[fulldraw]

So sorry for your loss. I went through the same thing several years ago with my lab . I have many great memories of her and still think of her often even after 30 years.

 

[VikingsGuy]

Sorry for your loss. I am sure you will savor the memories for many years.

 

[elkrchr]

First off, I'm so sorry for you loss. I've had to have three bird dogs put down and it never gets any easier. Their such an intregal part of our lives. I hope you have lots of great photos to look at and relive all the good times with Ziba.

 

[jrabq]

..... Think of the great life she had with you and hold on to that. There is no easy way through this. Just know that you made her life special.

Thanks for the kind words, all of you, she did have a great life, at home and in the field. And thinking about that today has provided me with some comfort.

One memory I'm replaying in my head right now is from a hunt when she was 6 or 7. My brothers and I were hunting in a unfamiliar spot, and we jump shot a flock of ducks and got several. But we couldn't find a pintail drake that fell in some really thick brush, and we didn't have a great mark on it either. We (and Ziba of course) looked for 10-15 minutes with no luck. We gave up and ended up sitting in a makeshift blind 75-100 yards away hoping some of the ducks would come back because the area was ice free. Nothing much happened for an hour or so, then I realized Ziba was not with us. She had just decided on her own that she was going to go look for that duck again, and she found it!

But what makes this moment so special to me was her attitude; she came "prancing" back with her head held high, and the duck in her mouth. You could tell she was so happy and PROUD of herself!! I'm smiling through tears as I write this, I wish I had a picture or video of that moment I could share. From the range of emotions you know dogs can exhibit, I guess I had never thought much about them showing pride, but man was she proud of herself, and I was too!

So that was a SPECIAL moment in her life and mine.

Being able to share these memories with folks who can appreciate them has been therapeutic.

 

[Big Fin]

This is always a terrible day for the family. Wish there were words that could fill the empty void. Sorry for you and your family.

 

[Sytes]

Sad time. Seems dogs are one of the few that hold absolute and unconditional love for the family. Great memories live on.

 

[Deleted member 20812]

The worst part about owning a good hunting dog is knowing you’ll probably outlive it. I’m sorry, I’ve felt your pain.