You can bet both of you have already been included in my prayers over the last few days. I promise I will keep you in my prayers each time I give thanks for all I have been blessed with. However, I must tell you that sometimes the answer to a prayer isn't the answer we are necessarily looking for. But, I trust my Higher Power has a plan for me. Since I am an optismist to a fault, I will keep a postive attitude that ALL your needs will be met.

In the meantime, take this special time with Clyde and give her all you have in you. One day at a time, cherish in the love you and she share. These are the moments you will remember for the rest of your life.

Yeah, im trying to stay happy and enjoy every moment with her, just every so often i begin to tremble and just cry, i lose control. The thought of coming home and she's not here, scares the hell out of me. Home is home because of Clyde, even if i lived on the streets.

For every day i've shared in her life, the happiness she has and is giving me, the heartbreak i feel now cannot compete with the love we have.
We all know we wouldn't swap it for anything in the world and knew the day would come, i feel we all wish they coud go peacefully in their sleep from old age.

It's funny, they say your life flashes by you with near death experiences (even though it's not mine), for the last few weeks memories i totally forgot about just keep popping into my head, making me both cry and smile.

The most amazing one, which i'll never forget is the day we got her. My dad wanted to get a boy, so when me and my mum went to the pet shop, i spotted the pup i wanted( you always know from the first moment), i had wanted a dog all my life and was jealous of everyone who ever had one, my mum asked the guy to pick us out a male dog and i pointed the one i wanted, he gave HIM a quick check and said HE was ok to take.
When we got in my brothers named HIM clyde, anyway, that night when my dad got in, he was stroking HIM and checking HIM when he came out with 'it's not a boy, you've got a GIRL." Name was chosen and we liked it so we didn't change it.
I always wanted a girl dog, wasn't too keen on the lipstick that friends dogs liked to display :-)

Bonnie and scuby are getting on too, this expeirence will help me with them too. Bonnie still is the same dog i rescued at 18months, she's the peter pan of the dog world :-)

What a funny story- so that's how she became Clyde. We are with you, Sindii! Enjoy your precious angel. It sounds like she is having a great time too.

Sindii: You and Clyde did bring back a lot of memories of my "best friend". Her name was Gypsy and it has been many years but it was just the 2 of us when I was living on my own. It is always nice to put a face to a story and you have given us some wonderful pictures of Clyde and your other special ones.

So you can see, even though my last one, Little Guy, was different...I also know the bond and connection you are feeling with Clyde and why my prayers are with you and every time you post her doing her normal things...including walking in the mud puddles...it makes me smile just at the thought of the 2 of you being together.

Your story of giving her her name is priceless. I'll bet you even have a puppy picture somewhere..and we all know puppies and kittens just make us go awwwwwwwwwh.

Take care and give Clyde a big hug and a kiss on that beautiful nose of hers. My thoughts are with the two of you always.

It took me awhile to figure that one out. I couldn't figure out who was who until I had read the posting explaining the name and where it came from.

Judy........That was a great suggestion to ask Surinder if he had some puppy pics. I would love to see them too.

Much love to all

Sad thing is all the puppy pics we ever took were lost but i love the grown up clyde and the pictures i have of her as an adult. I've have some puppy pics of holly and clyde basically looked like her except clyde's legs got longer and holly stayed a little shorty :-)
When i look at them they remind me of her as a pup, the earliest one's i have are from about a year to 18mnths, i'll dig them up and post them.

I love your dog, GS are a favourite of mine and maybe one day i'll have one as my own too.

Clyde got me up bright and early this morning but was very tired last night after her walks, she's still going strong and makes me forget she is ill at times. She's waiting for a walk so i best get going.

ps clyde gave me the best moments in life and from what i've read it's true for all good people (you guys) and their furry companions. Anything that i've done in my life without clyde has been superceded by something i have done with her ie going partying in blackpool wasn't as good or memorable as going to the seaside with my pack.

We cannot remember our holidays before Lenny - only those we had with him! Married 20 odd years and only the Lenny holidays stay with us.

Every day in Lennys last two weeks we hoped, prayed, wished, and did everything we could physically and mentally to try to make him better. Sometimes he improved a lot. We even started planning his next holiday. It was (is) hard to balance the black outlook with the rosie one we'd rather have.

I tried to treasure every day with him. Do that with Clyde. It may not help you at first, but it will in time. And be open with her. She does understand more than 'bla bla bla bla Clyde bla bla bla walk'. She understands a lot more than she's given credit for (by those who have never experienced such love) and she will be picking up on your sorrow and distress. Tell her you love her, that the end may be coming, but that your love for her will never end.

And the later pictures are (to me) so much more valuable than the earlier ones. So treasure those and don't worry about any puppy pics that might be lost. The love and bond you share has culminated in the friends you are now, so while puppy pics might be cute, the later pictures are closer to your heart.

I feel for you because you are treading my road - a road which I have not reached the end of yet. Today I can type this. Last night I had to touch type because I was crying so much. But we'll get through, because others have gotten through, and lots of them are here to help us.

I can totally relate with the above statement. Though Jim and I have been married for nearly 35 years, it has been the last 11 1/2 years that have been the best. When Goliath passed away our world fell apart. Neither of us could imagine life without Goliath. Together, we wept for days in each other's arms.

After I came upon this site, I began to change. Over time I began to heal. As I began to allow myself to feel the happiness of the great memories we had with Goliath, the deeper emotions of grief and sadness lessened dramatically. There isn't a day that goes by that I don't think of Goliath many times. But, thoughts of him today bring me smiles of joy. I am so thankful to have ever had such a love in my life. Goliath will always remain in my heart because he brought so much love into our lives and our home.

Singii: Whatever pictures you have of Clyde are all special. I would love to see them. She looks so good in the ones you posted.

By the way, 1 year old I still consider a puppy!

I found mine started acting more like an adult around the age of 3. I guess when they used to say 7 years x3 = 21 human years old...I used as a guide. I know it is not set in stone but mine did seem to settle down around age 3.

I read back where you talked about being scared when you think of coming home and her not being there........you might think about taking your very favorite picture of her and having an 8x10 made up, put it in a frame and put it where your eyes meet hers when you walk in the door. I felt such an emptiness in my home when my Little Guy left and I have put his pictures in every room so when I walk into a room, I see him and for me, that helps. I also kept his favorite toy and a bit of his fur as physical reminders. Many times I will walk up to the picture and touch his face and tell him I miss him. Even a small comfort is a comfort.

In fact, from what I see in your photos, Clyde is looking so good you might think about taking some pictures of the 2 of you now and putting those in frames. I love the one you first posted here of the 2 of you. You two looked so close together it was as though you were a part of each other and one could not tell where one ends and the other begins..and I am sure you feel that way about her.

My prayers continue to be with the both of you and I wish for you two many more quality of life times together. There are stories here where vets have been amazed how well someone's special one is doing so we really never know and all we can do is enjoy them and love them and hug them as much as possible and thank each day together as a blessing we will never forget. It doesn't surprise me that a dog's spirit can amaze a vet...we already know our special ones are........special!

I'm praying that you and your baby will have as many long, blessed days as you still can. I hope she will make it to her birthday, since that is what you wish. Myself, I think I'd be a little ambivalent about losing her on her b-day. Hug her sweet neck for me, and tell her I hope she sees her 21st birthday.

Mack and Sadies Mom,
Dayna

Thanks for your prayers guys, She looked a bit uncomfortable last night, maybe cos she was squashed inbetween me and my girlfriend on the bed. I did have half my body hanging of though to give her more room :-)

We've just brought her back from an early morning walk that lasted over an hour, which was nice and steady for her and she didn't look to struggle at all.

ps i feel so selfish for feeling so bad for her and myself when i keep seeing new posts popping up with tragic losses and stories that are so heartbreaking. My heart and sympathy's go out to all of you guys. It really is a hard time for all of us.

Grief and worry IS hard work for all of us Surinder, just as you said. It's painful and nobody enjoys feeling that way.

LoveThem suggested some very good ideas to you and I agree with her 100%. Framing pictures and placing them around the house has helped me tremendously. There is at least one pic in every room. Just yesterday it occurred to me that I should make one of my pics into a screensaver. So, I added a variety of pics to my puter and can change the background any time I choose.

Do whatever you find that provides you with comfort. Keep coming back and know just how much we care and genuinely understand. You are not alone, for we all come together here out of love.

I been thinking of you and your precious one today. Glad to hear it was a good one.

Thoughts and prayers,
Dayna

That feeling of inevitability is finally dawning on me and it is sickening :-(
Her bum is swelling a bit more from a tumor and needs cleaning everyday, along with giving her tablets to stop infection, she's also generally eating less but is at least still eating.

I had a beautiful coffin made for her 6weeks ago by a friend, who works at an undertakers, but now im seriously thinking of getting her cremated so her ashes will always be with me. It feels like i need her remains at my home and not in the ground where she will be without me near here. Even when she's gone, i feel like i'll need to protect her remains because that's what i've done all her life.

I have read a lot of posts here of people who have created their special ones and I have not read one who regretted that decision.
In fact, it seems reassuring knowing they have an urn that can be with them forever....wherever they live. I hope some of them post here to give you their ideas on how to memorialize a baby. I guess some places that do it...will also do something with a photo..I don't really know but you may find a special comfort in knowing if you ever move..she will be with you physically as well as being a part of your heart. You might spend some time checking into various results....whether to have a picture, etc. I have no idea of what is involved. You might search through topics here where the topic has been about the ashes, etc. and see what ideas people had.


Every day together is a gift and I hope you two have some more time.

I lost my parents in 2000 and they belonged to the Neptune Society that does human cremation. They had kept the ashes of their beloved dogs in beautiful small wooden boxes. My parents were to be created and their ashes scattered from a boat out in the Pacific Ocean outside San Diego, California. The Society said they would be willing to also include scattering the pets ashes at the same time at the same place. I liked that idea and I think my folks would have also. I had not heard of it done before but the thought of them all being together forever gave me a feeling of peace. Just another way having ashes can be a permanent way of having them forever.

Whatever feels right to you will be the right thing to do...it just always seems to come out that way.

My prayers are with you and Clyde everyday.

Hi Surinder..............There is so much sadness when these decisions must be made. You have some time before you have to decide.

I had to consider many things. While I would have liked to bury Goliath out by the lake that we live on, I also know that there are many wild animals here who may have not have left him there. Also, I can't say for sure that we will live in this house for the rest of our natural life. I wanted him as close to me as possible.

We opted for cremation and I never regretted making that choice. I wear a gold heart locket with Goliath's name inscripted on it with a pawprint. Inside of his locket is a small amount of his remains sealed with love. The rest of his remains are in his urn which I keep with his picture in an open cabinet, where I can see him from my bed. On the top of his urn I have placed Goliath's collar and tag. Since Goliath slept with me all of his life, it seemed to be the right place. It is still at night when I miss Goliath the very most.

Do whatever makes you the most comfortable.

My thoughts and prayers are with you at this most difficult and painful time of your life.

HUGS...............Beth

We had Duffy cremated as well and it was something that I had always figured that I would do because I just like the idea of having him close. I would like to be cremated when I go and I would like to be buried with him eventually. I recently became aware of the Neptune Society that Judy was talking about because my aunt passed away recently and was a part of it. I've thought about that.
My heart goes out to you right now. Give your baby a big hug for me-

Thanks for saying that Steph. I had forgotten to add that to my response to Surinder. We recently updated our wishes in our wills so that all will be in order when we too pass away. When we have all gone, we have asked that all of us be returned to the lake where our home is. Looking onto our lake is when I feel the most peaceful.

I know it. I hate it. I had it several times with Lenny. I kept telling myself that he was still with me at least, that he hasn't given up yet so nor should I. So I battled on and we still had some good times. You will too.

In terms of cremation, it sounds like a good idea for you - everyone is different when it comes to that decision. If it helps you can read about My Final Gift which was what we needed.

I just finished reading "My Final Gift" for Lenny and was touched by it deeply. May you also find some comfort in this true labor of love.