Oh, Duane, I'm crying now. I'm so sorry for your loss, I'll be thinking of you buddy.

Hugs. I'm living with an aging Lab right now.

Duane, I too am in tears with you. But keep your ears open, because i bet he will come back soon. listen for his footsteps or his tags clinking. Or that bark through an open window that sounds just like his. He will be ok with Mom.

Ouch. Hugs!

Way too fresh an experience for me right now....I feel your pain only too well.
And I will say a new furry face eases the ache a lot.
Linda C

I too feel your pain and sadness. How fortunate for Duke that you picked him; focus on what a life you gave him that others would not have.

(((Cathy)))

Oh Duane I feel your pain and am crying right along with you! I am so sorry for your loss! I think many of us here on the forum have gone through this horrible pain you are feeling. When you are feeling better and can tell us, please share your story of how Duke saved your life. It will make you feel better, I promise!
Sending you good thoughts and hugs!
Gina

I'm so sorry. You know we all share your pain. You were there at the beginning and there at the end, what more can a good dog hope for.

Lee, hoping that the good memories will soon be clearer than the sad ones.

Duane thanks for letting us know so we can share your grief. So sorry you are having to go thru this. He was a lucky dog and he knew it. Hugs to you.
Lpink

I'm saddened by this news. It sounds like he lived a good life, and in the best possible home. May your best memories of him always be with you.

Helene

I'm so sorry for your loss..... it is so hard to say good bye to a furkid.

Alexa

Aw, Duane. I'm so sorry, but happy for all the good years you and Duke had together.

Duane,
No meaningful words, just sorrow for you over the loss of Duke.

I'm so sorry Duane.

Duane, I'm glad I actually got to meet Duke, when I brought Roxie to you for boarding. Duke was a great dog and I'm so sorry to hear of his passing. I could tell then how much he meant to you.

I read a book a few years ago about "My Forever Dog" and I'm sure Duke was yours, just like Roxie is mine. But that doesn't mean you can't love another. Duke will always be in your heart. We love them all in different ways.

Nancy

Not for nothing, Duane, but you're a great writer when you're sad. Your letter to Mom a while back literally brought tears to my eyes, and I just knew this thread would, too. My heart goes out to you.

I am so sorry, Duane. I wish I had the right words for you.... just know you are not alone in your sorrow.

jude

Duane, I have no words that will bring you comfort at this time. How fortunate for the two of you to have found each other!

I am sure your mom will take good care of him up there!

Linda

I'm sorry for your loss of Duke. He sounds like he was a great dog and companion. That is the hardest part of having a pet.

Duane,
I am so sorry to hear about Duke. Your advice helped me so much with my own aging yellow lab, Elsie. I know your words here will be helping me again as her time approaches.

When Phoebe, our lab we had growing up, died at age 14, also in October, my mom said she just had enough of Michigan winters.

May Duke be in a sunny, warm place now.
Ann

Oh duane, I'm crying here with you, I'm so sorry to hear about Duke. Some pets have that special hold on us, something that can never be replaced and shouldn't be.

I'm glad you got that last day with Duke, and your Mom will be keeping him company for you.

Annie

Duane, what a beautiful eulogy. Anyone can tell how much Duke meant to you and how much a part of your lives you shared. You were lucky to have each other. I'm so sorry for your loss. ((Hugs))

Duane, Coal and Sugarfoot are sending you some doggie hugs. I am so sorry to hear that Duke has gone over the Rainbow bridge. He will keep your Mom company now and will be waiting for you when it comes time for you to join them.

I am so very sorry for your loss, Duane. I've walked this path before and I know the pain you are feeling.

Words fail me whenever I hear someone has lost a beloved companion, but yours were particularly touching. I hope someday the wonderful memories of good times shared outweigh the sadness.

Carol

I am glad you got to spend that day with him. What you had to do took so much love and devotion, the kind he gave to you all those years.

God Bless.

Duane, I am so sorry for your loss.
Sherry

Thanks so much everyone. Gosh, I feel like you are all a part of my life even if you are all imaginary (right, Annie? LOL).

It really is funny how the brain and heart are sometimes at war with each other. In my brain I knew he was old and it was an eventuality that some day he would die. But in my heart I thought maybe he would live forever. And in a way the heart wins because he will live forever in my heart.

As I think back on our time together I remember some special times we shared.

As a puppy I enrolled him in obedience class. He was made the 'example' of every behavior that was inappropriate. We had an exercise where we were teaching our dogs how to heal. Duke wasn't cooperating. The instructor looked over at us and Duke just fell/leaned against my leg as if to say 'my daddy' and the instructor couldn't help but laugh.

One time I had a couple of buddies over watching a hockey game in the garage. Duker was pestering my buddy Mike. Mike wrote something on a piece of paper..I couldn't see what it said..and put in right in front of Duke's face. Duke immediately dropped to the ground in a laying position. Mike had an amazed expression on his face...he showed us what he wrote and showed to Duke....it said: LAY DOWN. Apparently Duke could read. Had to be a co-ink-ee-dink of course but it was funny.

I don't know if Duke saved our lives exactly but something was very strange. I rented a rustic cabin in the Upper Penisula of Michigan sight unseen. By the way...never do that. Anyway, it did have a very strange vibe about it. I can't remember if it was the first or second night we were there...must have been the second because it was a long drive up there and it was hard to find. About 3am in the morning I heard voice on the lake. Men were talking from what must have been a rowboat...I'm not sure because there was fog and mist and it was very dark of course. Well, Duke was in a fit of some type. He was only about a year old or so...but he was whimpering...turning in circles...whimpering...turning in circles....for the longest time....and I knew there was something very wrong. It was so serious (or we thought) that we packed up in the middle of the night...jumped in the truck and drove straight home...about 7 hours on the road. As soon as the vet opened I got him in. The vet examined him and his words were: "There is nothing wrong with this dog". I think that if Duker didn't put on that 'act' that something terrible would have happened to us. Robbed, raped...murdered...I don't know...but he had an intuition and it forced us to leave that remote cabin in the middle of the night.

He was a special dog and I will always have great memories of him. One time we drove to Mississipi to visit my wifes' folks who were living on a houseboat. We took Duke with us and we were walking along an area where there was a clubhouse with a man-made cement pond....it was about a 12 foot drop into the pond from the walkway. We were just walking along and you know how labs love water...well he couldn't help himself he just jumped right in ...a 12 foot drop! I about had a heart attack...but he was okay other than drinking some water from the scummy pond and throwing up. Another time we took him to a lake to swim. Well, he loved water and started swimming...I swear he was almost halfway across the lake with me shouting "Duke...cooooooooombaccccccck....come baaaaaaaaackkk". Thank God he did...crazy dog.

He loved opening Christmas presents..because there was a toy or treat inside. Well of course he started to think every present was his...and would try to open them all! He had his head stuck in one box my MIL was opening and knocked her over in the rocking chair...now I thought it was funny...but he got banished to the other room after that.

Every time I would buy him a new toy it got a name. He immediately knew the name of every one of his toys. There could be 20 in his toybox and I would say...get your football...get your ringy-dingy...get your fuzzy ball...etc. etc. and he would bring that exact toy to me.

He also loved pizza. I would order and as soon as I hung up the phone he was at the front window looking towards the road where the driver would be coming from. I always said "Duke, it take them a few minutes to make it and drive here so it isn't that fast! LOL".

I hope I'm not boring you all too much with these stories. They help with the healing process and thank you again for your kind comments...they mean more to me than you could ever realize. Bless all of you.

Duane

Those are great Duke stories, I love them!

More???

Duane,

I e. mailed you.

dcarch

Hey Dcarch, my email account through GW is no long valid. My account is now dukerdawg@aol.com

Thanks!

Duane

Duane, post all the stories you want. Pet owners understand. I just look at my little 20-pound fur baby and don't want to think about life without him. Do you have any pictures of Duke I can post for you?

Hi Gina, thanks for understanding. I don't have many pics on this computer since I got it not long ago...but I do have one recent picture. Thanks for your offer to post a pic...I don't have any accounts right now to do that. If you want to send me your email addy to Dukerdawg@aol.com I will send you the pic I do have. And...thanks so much for your offer and kindness. I appreciate it so much.

Duane

I 'm so sorry...I will have to go through this with my two doggies and I can't imagine the pain.

Oh man Duane. I'm so sorry to hear about your loss. I totally know what you mean with Duke being your dog. I've had two after living on my own and many dogs growing up. Love the stories....the Christmas stories make me smile and bring back many great memories for me from years past. It's so d@mned hard to see/let them go....

David

I'm sorry, too. Your stories make us all remember the critters we miss. I hope Duke meets up with our labigator (picture lab body on 6" legs), Lucky, who went off in the woods a few months ago.

My sympathies on the loss of your wonderful friend. He was very lucky to have you. You gave him a great life.

You're right, you will never have another pet like him. But I hope that after some time takes the edge off the pain, you will love another dog lucky enough to find a home with you.

I'm so sorry for your loss. Your recollections tell us that Duke was extraordinary pal and he'll remain in your heart forever.
Ellen

I am so very sorry for your loss...I found coming here to "talk" about losing our pets to really help.

Time will heal.

Susie

Oh Duane, I am sitting here reading your stories thru tears and they are wonderful. 14 years is a very long time. I am so sorry for your loss. It is still hard for me many times a day since we lost Cleo. He was very lucky to have you, and vice versa.

Janet

Thanks again everyone. A couple more quick stories and then I'll let this thread fade away....

One time we were watching t.v. and Duke was walking by the television when a Burger King commercial came on....at the end the screen was filled with the picture of a big hamburger..the timing was perfect...Duke walked by at that exact time and licked the screen!

One time Duker was riding shotgun in my pickup truck and we were sitting at a stoplight. The 2 guys in the next lane (left turn lane) were looking at Duke and he was peeking around me smiling at them....you know...the lab smile..and they were laughing, obviously because Duke was so happy to be riding along his radiance just showed...then Duke looked over at them again and then licked the side of my face...one big wet dog kiss...and then looked over at them again as if to say 'I'm ridin' with my daddy!'.....well these two big guys were about on the floorboard howling with laughter...I think my half embarrassed look on my face elevated the hilarity level.

Duker never knew to lift his leg to pee....he always squatted...well....again my buddy Mike was helping Duke lift his leg to demonstrate how male dogs should urinate. It worked! The problem was he was orchestrating this example in the middle of my living room!

Thanks again folks. Appreciate the kind comments.

Duane

I'm so sorry, Duane, for your loss. I don't have time to read the whole thread, but I wanted to jump in here to give you my condolences.

Sally

Here's Duke:

{{gwi:1454904}}

Hi Gina, thanks so much for posting Duke's picture. I appreciate it.

Duane

That's a very sweet face. Smiles.

I'm sorry for your loss. He sounds like a wonderful dog.

Duane I'm so sorry to hear you've lost Duke. That's a lovely photo of him.
My tears are welling up as I read your stories of him.
I know that feeling of terrible loss and send you a hug and my condolences.
You gave him a good life and cared for him tenderly at the end.

SharonCb

May I add my condoleances, he looked adorable; I laughed at your story about him licking the screen......

Duane, I'm so sorry for your loss-- as a fellow dog lover I know the only problem with our buddies is they never live long enough... what a sweet photo of Duke -- sending you healing thoughts

((((Duane))))