OT - Everybody Has That One Special Dog

We just had to put our golden down a few weeks ago. He was the best worst dog (or worst best dog) if that makes sense. He was such a gentle dog and it's still hard to come home without him wagging his tail at us.

He's my best buddy.  His name is Blue (surprisingly not UM related).  I work from home so he literally spends almost every minute of the day nearby.  The great thing about gun dogs is that when you are hunting, its really a team effort of you and the dog, I couldn't do it without him, and he couldn't do it without me.  

However, its not the best dog for everyone.  This dog breed needs to hunt!  I had him professionally trained to hunt.  I try to take him pheasant hunting several times a year.  They are great family dogs, but not a breed where 1 walk around block in the am and pm is going to suffice.  I spend a huge amount of time (relatively) exercising my dog everyday.  I would say about 90-120 minutes per day is spent offleash and on leash.   I don't like seeing this breed as a city dog/jog dog. Yes, they will jog with you, but they want to be in a grassy field pointing on birds.  

 

Simply the best. The King of the house.

A cancer dog that visited hospital infusion patients, that settled patients, nurses, and doctors alike.

A dog that dominated thru submission. 

A dog that loved M football. Zeke helped us all.

I hate to name a favorite because all the dogs throughout my life have been awesome.  But, just because he's sleeping right here in front of me I have to go with my current dog, Buddy.  He is a rat terrier/mini poodle mutt.  He was a rescue from Rosarito, Mexico so yes he is an illegal immigrant.

Love that little guy to death and my wife and I spoil him rotten.  He will always be our first born "child".  He has a Michigan collar, Michigan food bowls and spends Saturday afternoons with us watching Michigan Football.

His name is Mogli Khan, pictured to the left. Got him three months ago from my sister, her full grown Aussie was too much for the little guy.

So far he's been an excellent choice, very cuddly throughout the night. His only flaw is that he hoards any object placed on the floor in his den, located under my bed.

Best dog on the planet. 125 pounds of love and devotion.

My family had a beagle named Chip. He was super sweet and clever. Contrary to most beliefs about beagles, he was very quiet until he couldn't hear himself and would beg and howl for food. Chip developed carcinoma in his nose that inhibited his breathing. We tried to get him treatment, but a tumor developed in his other nose. We had to put him down at age 15. He lived a great life.

I have a Bernese Mountain Dog now and she is the sweetest. She's not food motivated and all she wants is affection. She gives great hugs and is super cuddly. I've absolutely fallen in love with the breed and will probably have several Berners in my lifetime. They truly are Gentle Giants.

She was a wonderful show dog, just loved the limelight, and finished her championship at 9 months of age. She has been gone for two years and I still miss her. Griffs are such a smart, funny breed (some of you may remember the dog from the movie "As Good as it Gets"). They are very self important and want to be with you every moment. Give your dog a hug today!

I've had a couple excellent Labs. They were friendly, smart, and great field dogs. Having said that, about 8 years ago I got a short haired Border Collie, which I named Mati. She was without question the smartest, most attentive and affectionate dog I have ever had. Her sole passion in life was fetching Frisbees. That dog would fetch Frisbees 24/7 WAEUTM. Unfortunately, we lost her to liver failure, at age 7, a little over a year ago. Shortly after her passing I got a Yorkie pup, which we named Cujo. He is my first small breed companion, but my wife loves that he is easier to manage and doesn't take up too much bed space. He is also hilarious and very athletic. We measured his vertical jump, from a sitting position, at just under 48". One other interesting thing about Cujo. The day we got him, I bought a crap ton of toys to help with the teething issues. Initially, he ignored them all, and I thought he might not be a fetchy/playful sort. Later that first day, Cujo discovered Mati's favorite Frisbee, which had fallen behind the couch. He immediately brought it over, dropped it in front of me and sat down. And even though the Frisbee was literally twice as big as him, I gave it a toss. He trotted over, picked it up, dragged it back. To this day, Cujo loves nothing more than fetching up that beat up, flattened, gigantic Frisbee. We like to joke that he is channeling his inner Mati. Maybe he is.

Our favorite dogs over the years. Jackson was my favorite.

My favorite dog ever was one I got when I was about 10 and he passed away when I was 19. I got him from my uncle because he couldn't keep him anymore and he saw how much I loved Brutus. He was a mix of boxer and Saint Bernard. His body looked like a boxer but was stockier and his face was more Saint Bernard with the Boxer's short hair. He was the most friendly dog I've ever been around.

My favorite memories were of playing catch for hours, he would go swimming with us at the lake and he would carry anything around including rocks. The only time I ever saw him snap at anyone was with the neighbor girl who would throw rocks at him, otherwise he was the most gentle dog and very loyal. 

His only misfortune was being named after a certain nut mascot, but I think he was named Brutus because he was a big brute.

Nova Scotia Duck-Tolling Retriever (real type lol) her name was Hannah and we rescued her when she was 3 and we were also her 5th home (she had visible cigarette burns on her skin) so needless to say she had some abandonment issues.

This dog though had the heart and soul of an angel, when you were sick she was on the floor next to you, when you had a poor day at work she was at the front door ready to greet you. We had to put her down in 2015 at the age of 12 but she was a tremendous friend and I find it so hard to believe that so many people rejected her.

Been fortunate to have several good dogs in my time, but my current one is the best of the bunch. Fritz is a cavalier King Charles spaniel and he is the man.

I have several.  All but one were castaways either on their way to the pound or in the case of my never ending energy filled border collie, thrown out of a car on side of the road.

 

Still I wouldn't trade them for anything.  They are sweet as can be.

I have an 8-month old tree walking coonhound puppy. She is adorable, and has so much energy.

The dog I have now. His name is River and he's a one year old English Springer Spaniel. I love taking him camping, fishing, and of course bird hunting. Such a loving dog with quite a personality.

We've had two of them, both fun, great with kids and really athletic.

I think that it is very cool to see the folks who favor a certain breed.  The funny thing is that whatever those dog owners and lovers say...........they are all right in every respect.  Their opinions are in fact, factual.

One of the best things ever is when one comes home from an ugly day at work, in traffic jams and all the other daily bullshit and then..........that little puppy or big dog comes out and starts wagging his / tail and life becomes wonderful again.

 

Dogs can't be trusted.

 

A few years back, a friend of my sister became ill and as a dying wish asked her to find a good home for his dog, a one year old daschund terrier mix. I joked that I didn't want him because we already had a dog (a chihuahua that was always pooping in corners and generally making a nuisance of herself, though I loved her anyway.) But of course we took him in, and although I'd always joke that I never wanted him, I quickly became his favorite person in our household. I'd even jokingly refuse to call him his given name, and would just call him "brown dog" instead. But it never swayed his affection. He'd follow me everywhere - I couldn't even go to the bathroom without him waiting outside the door. I'd go out to get the mail and you'd see a blur of brown fur bouncing up and down in the front window. Five of us in the house, and I was the one he decided to orbit at all times like my own personal furry brown moon. We went on walks frequently, and he'd get so excited we'd go ten minutes before he'd stop screaming with joy (and I mean screaming - it wasn't barking, he was just that excited.) I've never met a dog with a higher level of non-stop energy. I'd run sets of full speed sprints along side him and he'd never seem to tire out. When I went to bed at night, he'd look at me like he was heartbroken. He wanted to keep playing. We only got two years from him before he was taken from us suddenly - I won't even type up the story because it hurts too much. He had enough life in him for ten dogs, and yet it all disappeared far too quickly. More than a year later, I still half expect him to jump all over me when I get home from work. I've had a lot of dogs in my lifetime, from childhood to 38 years old. Some my parents chose, some my wife or kids chose. But Brown Dog chose me.

My service dog with a Michigan color. Loves the Big House, Crisler, and Yost. Literally with me every step of the way

Shetland Sheepdog. Lived 17 years. Put down Sept. 10, 2001. Next day ... 9/11. Emotional few days.

Had a beagle put down last February at the age of 15. Lost one eye to glaucoma at 10. He looked like a war veteran. Named Murray after Bill Murray and the character Murray from Flight of the Conchords.

2 and 3 year old Brittany spaniels. Beets and Chef. We don't have kids and don't need them. These two are amazing.

I'm pretty sure she's the nicest creature on the planet

I've got a rescue black Lab/ Pitbull mix. Her name is Maizey and she's the best dog. How someone could've abused this sweet dog is beyond me. Loyal and loving. My wife and I couldn't have gotten a better companion than her. Go Blue!

Labrador retriever I've had since he was a puppy. Got him when I was 17 and knew nothing about training a dog, so he's always kind of done what he wants (jumping on the counter, furniture, barking when he wants his way. Think Marley from Marley & Me). That being said, he'll be 10 at the end of July and I couldn't imagine the last ten years without him. He has his faults, but under all that, he's a big ball of fluff and a very friendly dog.

Love them all. I've lived with cats that were unlikeable but never had a dog that wasn't great. Current dog is Bobby the Boxer. He's insane but I sitll love him. Some old pics from the rescue: https://www.facebook.com/pg/NorthwestBoxerRescue/photos/?tab=album&album_id=1084089804938716

Best dog I ever had just passed away last year. He was abandoned at an auto repair shop when he was 10 months old. When we got him he was filthy and his ribs were showing but he was really tall. I knew he'd grow into a big dog. Got him cleaned up and fed and he was my loyal companion for 12 more years. He was a Doberman I named Kane. 30" at the withers and 130lbs. He looked menacing but was the friendliest dog you'd ever want to be around. Just an awesome awesome dog. I miss him.

She never had puppies but she looked after our tame ducks and geese for close to fifteen years I believe growing up out in the country. Many mink, weezles, racoons and darn skunks she battled with on many nights. Her name was Tootzy. We called her Tootz and she was an Australian-Sheperd and Border Collie mix. No matter where we went as kids on foot or on our two Big Red Honda three-wheelers, she was always there guarding and protecting. Tagging along and running ahead of our direction of travel to make sure the coast was clear. Such a great dog.

If you have kids and live outside of town, this is a great choice in my opinion. Not going to run off like some labs do or claw your childs eyes out like a Rottweiler or German-Sheperd could or might do. Yet, strong and smart enough to fend off animals that might have rabies. Here is a spitting image of her. She had no black though. All yellowish tan and white. May she rest in peace.

Every dog I've ever had (3) always had a special place in my heart as I loved them all.  The current version's name is Harbaugh.  My girlfriend and I adoped him from the humaine society.  He was supposed to be a pit mix, but we're pretty sure he's not a pit.  He's about 55 lbs, short-ish, stocky, really high energy, super cuddly, loves people and other dogs, but is really protective of my girlfriend, particularly around other male dogs and men.  He loves chasing the chuckit or any ball and loves sticks even more.  He is a big time chewer.  There isn't a toy on earth that can withstand his chewing.  I've said this about all of my dogs while they were alive, but he's the best dog I've ever known.  My girlfriend and I want more, but we rent, so it's hard to have lots of dogs while we rent.  But, a boxer, blue pit, and dogo argentino are on our list of next dogs we want.

My best friend Newton is a Wheaton terrier poodle mix. One Saturday evening I was walking down south U and Mitch McGary walked by and goes "I love your doodle!".

Anyway newton is an agility dog, and a pretty good one at that. We also go mountain biking, trail running, and hiking together now that I live in New Hampshire.

Please be careful taking your dog with you on runs. Dogs, having fur and lacking the ability to sweat, are not as able to cool themselves when exercising in the heat. Humans are much better distance runners than dogs (or basically all other animals!) for this reason. Please be mindful and aware when your dog is struggling in the heat -- many dogs die in this way, as their owners are not aware!

evil stepfather put her down one day without telling me. But my current golden retriever Henry is awesome, the best family dog we could have hoped for. Great with the kids.

Had a Rottweiler for 14 years named Unit. She was the most gentle best behaved dog I've ever been around. Awesome with kids and other pets. We got another Rott female last year that we named Maize. Another very sweet, cuddle loving dog. Great family dogs.

Rottweiler-People came to the door and they freeze. 

Miniature pinscher/fox terrier mix-Great lap dog

They're all good dogs.

I am not a dog person but did grow up with dogs and have a really great chocolate lab right now. The best dog, though, was a Great Dane named Kissy(Kismet) we had when I was in grade school. Sweet disposition, she put up with all an 11 year old girl could dish out. I dressed her up in my mother's clothes and took her for long walks, looking like she was heading to her office job. And she would get crazy and gallop from one end of the house to the other, like a 125 lb puppy.

They were all great. I like dogs better than most people I have met.