A LETTER TO MY DOG.

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A dog’s love is truly something wondrous.  They never point out our flaws, though surely we have them.  What good hearts they have, teaching us by their example.  Honor your dog’s memory by heeding the lessons that they thought you of living a fuller life, which they enriched.

Equally, the loss of your dog is never easy.  Their lives are far too short from the start, but the place they fill in our lives is huge.

Here are some actual letters written by their owners to preserve and memorialize a beautiful bond shared, they never want to forget.

  

                                   Meredith Claire as a 4 year old with Abbey.

Some of you may know that our 14 year old dog, Abbey, died last month. The day after she died, my 4 year old daughter Meredith was crying and talking about how much she missed Abbey. She asked if we could write a letter to God so that when Abbey got to heaven, God would recognize her. 
Meredith dictated to her mother, Joy Scrivener, and she wrote.

Dear God,

Will you please take special care of our dog, Abbey? She died yesterday and is in heaven. We miss her very much. We are happy that you let us have her as our dog even though she got sick. I hope that you will play with her. She likes to play with balls and swim before she got sick. I am sending some pictures of her so that when you see her in heaven you will know she is our special dog. But I really do miss her.

Love,
Meredith Claire .

Two weeks later to their amazement the family returned home to find a package wrapped in gold on their front porch addressed to 'Mer' signed by God  and one of his special angels'.
Some kind soul working in the U.S. Post Office answered and wiped the tears of a little girl.

                                       

                                                                       

                                                                    

TONY BENNETT (Singer)

Dear Happy,

Before I met you, I always thought that happiness was just an emotion-intangible, not something you could feel or touch. From the first moment I saw you, I knew that we would call you Happy and now I know that happiness is also something that can lick your face, jump up onto your lap, and run around in excited circles when I come home, and make me laugh out loud.

I am sorry that there are many times, because of my schedule and having to travel on the road, that I do not get to see you for a few days. But I know that the greeting you will give me when I return home will be the size of a tidal wave, which is so unbelievable because you only weigh seven pounds!

I guess I know now that happiness is a thing called Happy!

And that is what you have made me…

With Love,

Tony

                                                                     Oprah Winfrey & Sadie

                

OPRAH WINFREY (American T.V. Talk Show Host/Owner)

 “It was definitely puppy love at first sight. Our first night together sealed our deal forever.” – (The media maven, to her dog, ‘Sadie’, a constant presence in her life)

Thanks for letting me put those stupid bandanas around your neck. I know you don't agree, but it really adds to your personality. Thank you for not taking shadoobies on the floor. And thank you for not being a cat. You were my dog the minute I laid eyes on you. Thank you for making me a mommy. You will always be my main man." 

                     

FRAN DRESHER (American Film/TV actor – Cancer Survivor – 
Married to:    Shiva Ayyadurai in 2014 -  Inventor of E-Mail)

“You are a magical creature and I witness you as you cast your loving spell on all who cross your path.” –  to her Pomeranian.

When all the others are out busy sniffing for adventure, you're the one who returns repeatedly to the trail to see if I'm OK and following your lead, the one waiting on the porch for my return from places too far off for a dog mind to ponder. You're always in the now, always present. Always love. You're my alpha." 

                             

MICHAEL VARTAN (French-American Actor)

Michael Vartan pens a letter to his dog ‘Millie’….

Dear Millie This might seem a little odd because you can’t read, so I’ll explain it to you over a beer and a few treats very soon. I intended to write a letter thanking you for your unconditional love and unwavering loyalty, qualities most dog lovers would agree are the most beautiful you possess.

                               

ROBIN ROBERTS (American  ABC TV Show Host of ‘Good Morning America’)

You are a light from God. An angel. You don't have a mean bone in your body. I am blessed to have you in my life. You taught me a great life lesson: that you can love, lose and love again! Thank you for that, my darling girl-you are a magical creature, and I witness you as you cast your loving spell on all who cross your path. I love you, ‘Esther’. Don't ever leave me." 

                                

KELLY PRESTON (American Actress, married to John Travolta)

"Can't imagine my life without you and I don't wanna! You helped me ... laying your sweet head on whatever was hurting me. How did you know? I love you!" 

                                 

WILLOW SMITH) (American Singer, Actress, Dancer and daughter of Will Smith)

"You found me when I needed you most. I looked in your eyes and felt I'd known you before. I feel I know who helped guide you to us.... Your sweetness helped heal my heart. Some say we rescued you.... I think it was the other way around."

                                   Rory Barish with Nike in old age with leg support.  

RORY BARISH (Actress)

Rory Barish to her old dog, ‘Nike’: "In the last moments of our final chapter, darling Nike, we are at the beach. In the last few weeks you can no longer walk and you are in a red chariot/wagon. Although tired and weary at almost sixteen...(you) still do not want to give up."

                           

                                                          AND MORE MAIL…

Dear Ozzy, We had no idea how you would change us when we first brought you home. You came into a house with a broken family, and you healed us; you healed a broken family. Your spirit, your sense of adventure, your loving nature, and your big, round, puppy dog eyes reach right into my heart. But it is the way you forgive, the way you trust, the way you love unconditionally that reach into my soul. You are my first love and my soul mate. I love you Ozzy, you are my super dog!

                                  

My precious, little, wild child. There is never a dull moment whenever you are around. You have such a spirit about you that makes me envious at times. You certainly keep me on my toes. I love how you follow me around when you know i am feeling blue, and try to put a smile on my face by doing something silly. You make everyone around you so happy with your wagging, bushy tail and your “I am small, but mighty” bark

                        

To my sweet, sweet girl. Your presence in my life has been such a blessing. You have filled my life with so much purpose, and filled my heart with so much joy. You have taught me not only about being a responsible pet owner, but also about being a mommy. You are the “happy” to my “ness” and I will not forget how you show me every day, what true love is, and what it looks like.. a furry bundle of joy. I love you, my darling girl.

                        

I love you sooooo much. Every day when I’m not at home I think and wonder what you are doing there alone. It broke my heart when you became very ill and had to get surgery. But you gave back and stayed by my side when I was ill. You would always be in my heart…… Forever!!! Love your owner, Mom

      

Dear Jazzie, I will never forget all the memories and joy you brought to my life. But one thing that will always remain is your unconditional love. You showed your love when I was in a wheelchair severely injured after a serious car accident. You sat on my lap in the wheelchair and were not phased with me being different you loved me for me.

            

        DOGS DON'T HAVE SOULS, DO THEY?                        

One of the worst feelings or moments in the world is watching your dog die.

                                   Thank You for Taking Care of Me... (Click)

If I could hold you close,  like you were never gone,  if I could hear your voice,  you'd tell me to be strong but sometimes I just can't.  I just don't understand,  why you had to go,  guess I'll never know.

              

You’ve been gone for forty three days. We don’t talk about you much because we can’t without crying. We can’t think about that day, that day that was the worst day of my life because it hurts. You came into my mind the other night, I cried. I walked to the bathroom and Mum was still awake. I told her, she had been thinking about you too. Were you there? Was that the reason you came into both of our minds at the same time? If you’re here, around me, I want to know. Show me. I’m not afraid. I’ve never been afraid of you. You were the gentle giant that wouldn’t harm anyone, your bark was always much worse than your bite, even with the size of your teeth.  I Love you. I miss you.

                                              

Hey boy, 

I’ve decided to get a tattoo of you. Your face somewhere on my body. I still miss you as much as I did the day you left me. I still cry whenever I think about you. I love you so much. I wish you were here. Can you come back? Please? Just, come home because it isn’t the same without you. 

I love you, I miss you. 

It’s been 23 months since you left me. Twenty three months since my heart broke into tiny little pieces and I still miss you as much now as I did then… I can talk about you now, I can laugh about the things you did, the way you would do them and it doesn’t hurt as much. Talking about you still makes me stop and think. It still makes me look around for you but you’re not there and it doesn’t hurt as much but it still hurts. I haven’t forgotten you. I never will. 

I love you. I miss you. 

Your collar that I’ve been looking for ever since that day appeared in the kitchen today. Why? Where did it come from? I don’t know, Mum doesn’t know. How did a collar that I’ve searched high and low for suddenly appear today? 

Tell me? 

I love you, I miss you 

                        

Cokie.

He died today. I need to write this because I want to tell you, that you are not alone. I lost someone that I love more that anything in the world, I cry over and over and I can’t get over it, because he was my soul, my sunshine, my little mouse, my everything. 

He was pretty sick for about a year, then yesterday’s night he started to feel worse, he can’t even walk for the pain. This morning I take him to the vet, so… he was put to sleep. I can’t stop crying. I’m heartbroken. He was my everything, my soul.

Thank you God, for this 14 1/2 years he was with me. Take care of Him, please. I want to see him when we meet at heaven. I’m so heartbroken, please, take the pain away.

I love you. I will always love you.

I Miss you so much.

I don’t care how many rants I have……I miss my dog. My heart is empty.. my stomach sinks every time I think about him.. I never want to have a dog again to go through a pain like this. RIP FARLEY. 8 years of love.. I miss you. Love, Lindseyy.

   

         

You are my little angel on four paws. Thank you so much for bringing me joy and comforting me during the days where times are dark. Even as my vision comes and goes, the softness of your head leaning on my arms reminds me that I am never alone. You are the laughter and joy in this house and even if you never knew a single trick I would love you just as deeply for your cuddles and endearing eyes.

Why you always look at me so quizzically I’ll never truly know. Perhaps you see a part of me that I can’t seem to find in myself. Your loving look and quiet calm, the way you put your paws on my chest as if to tell me that instead of pondering the world I should just focus on the moments now. You bring me that peace that can be so hard to find.

Do you know of the world around you? You seem so fearless for such a small little thing. I swear you think you are a person. You walk so confidently among the crowd, so sure of yourself and so accepting of everyone. If only you knew and understood the people that love you from afar. You bring so much happiness to everyone. I know you’ll be an amazing therapy dog and I am glad that I have chosen to share a piece of you with the world. We need more love around here. We need to be inspired to live like our dogs, to live like you. You are always so willing to give. You should see the things people write to you. I bet you would be so happy to see the good you spread.

I hope every night that you are happy and safe in your bed. I wake up to peek at you and sometimes find you staring right back at me. You are such a little stalker bear. Must you always watch me? That’s supposed to be my job, to watch and take care of you. I just wanted to let you know I love you and thank you for all you do. My sweet little Misa Minnie, my angel on four paws. You will always be in my heart.

Love you always,

Your Human Mom.

                                                 

   THE LITTLE DOG ANGEL

        High up in the courts of Heaven today
A little dog angel waits;
With the other angels he will not play,
But sits alone at the gates;
"For I know that my master will come, " says he,
"And when he comes he will call for me."

        He sees the Spirits that pass him by
As they hurry to the Throne,
And he watches them with a wistful eye
As he sits at the gates alone.
"For I know my master will come for me
If only I just wait patiently."

        And his master, far on the earth below,
As he sits in his easy chair,
Forgets sometimes, and he whistles low
For the dog that is not there.
And the little dog angel cocks his ears
And dreams that his master's call he hears.

        And I know, when at last his master waits,
Outside in the dark and cold,
For the hand of Death to open the gates
That lead to these courts of gold,
The little dog angel's eager bark
Will comfort his soul in the shivering dark.

- Nora M. Holland

             

       

WHELPING

WHELPING:

Whelp:  The young of various carnivorous mammals especially of the dog.

Dam   :  A female parent.  Used for a four legged animal

Over ninety percent of all dogs deliver their puppies without assistance or complications.

But when it is your pet that is set to deliver, it is exciting as preparing the birth of a baby, like planning the color and decoration of the nursery, so equally don’t overlook preparing the family dog with her new babies.

Although most owners are very careful to keep their pets confined when they are in heat, sometimes a breeding does take place, perhaps without the owner even realizing it.

No matter what the circumstances, knowing the earliest signs of pregnancy can help you determine if conception has taken place.

IS MY DOG PREGNANT?

There comes a time when many a worried owner may have to ask ‘Is my dog pregnant?’

You might think the answer is simple - Yes or No – but unlike humans, it can be difficult to gauge.

There is no blood or urine dog-pregnancy test because the normal changes a dam goes through are relatively similar whether the dam is pregnant or not.  Therefore, you have to rely on symptoms of dog pregnancy, at least initially.  If you’re still not sure, consult your vet.

SYMPTOMS OF PREGNANCY:

 

     Increased or decreased appetite.

     Enlarged nipples.  

     Firm abdomen.  

     Lethargy and increased tiredness and sleeping.  

     Nesting and territorial behavior.  

     Clear vaginal discharge. 

     Morning sickness.

Many females will show change in behavior, often becoming more affectionate.

Some pets will appear to be confused, wanting to be with the owner.

Some pets will become irritable and may even act aggressively during pregnancy.

Be sensitive to your pet’s behavior changes.  If you observe any abnormalities, alert your veterinarian.

As soon as your girl is beginning to show that she is pregnant, there are several things you can do to help prepare a dog for the new addition to the family.

Perhaps this is your first experience of your pet whelping, it would be wise and a good idea to make an appointment with your vet and get a professional advice, especially if she hasn’t had one yet.

Your vet should be able to answer all your questions and suggest whether or not you need to increase her food, her medication, any supplements, her exercise and rest routine etc. for remaining of her pregnancy.

Pregnancy in all dogs (all breeds) lasts about 2 months (60 to 64 days).

FALSE PREGNANCY:

False pregnancy also called pseudo-pregnancy or phantom pregnancy usually occurs somewhere between 6 to 12 weeks after the dam goes through her normal heat cycle.

A non-pregnant bitch can undergo the same response, resulting in pregnancy like symptoms. Symptoms can be so convincing right down to:

… Swollen belly, nipples and lactation.

… Licking the mammary glands (self-nursing).

… Digging and nesting and guarding it aggressively.

… Restlessness, whining, anxiety and depression.

… She may also decide to ‘adopt’ some babies to fill the void. This could be puppies from

.    someone else’s littler or might substitute toys or stuffed animals.

Give her time to come to terms with the situation on her own.

Phantom pregnancies are not physically harmful to your bitch but they can lead to emotional changes for the duration, so it is important to work closely with your vet to take the best course of action to follow.

PREPARATIONS:

THE DAM:

Clipping the long hair from underside of the abdomen allows the puppies to find the nipples

easily.

Trimming the rear quarters helps keep the mess to a minimum.

If she is not clean, she should receive a bath before delivery and then kept in the house.

            

Remove the dog collar before whelping to avoid a danger to puppies.

SUGGESTED SUPPLIES:

Newspaper      Line the whelping box for the mother and puppies: before, during and after 

                        whelping.                                                                                                                     

Paper Towels  Clean up whelping area.

Bath Mats       Bedding for the dam and puppies after whelping.

Heating Pads  Keep puppies warm.  Be sure not too hot.

Ribbons          Colored ribbons to identify puppies.

(Under your veterinarian’s guidance)

Thermostat    Check dam’s temperature before whelping

Scissors         Cut puppies umbilical cord (if the dam doesn't cut it on her own).

Iodine            After umbilical is cut, clean puppies abdomen.

Important:  Should an emergency arise, keep your vet informed about the expected delivery, contact details and availability in after hours etc.

  

WHELPING PLACE:

The place where the mother dog is to whelp should be prepared well in advance, allowing her to sleep there at night and rest there during the day, so that she will be well accustomed to the strange surroundings when time comes to whelp.

The place should be clean, comfortable and a secure place for your dam to whelp.

This spot should be in a quite area well away from household traffic and other pet animals, especially other male dogs, as keeping focused is essential for a smooth delivery.

Anything can distract the dam, such as strangers, your pet animals even if she is acquainted with them, and kids may cause undue upset to ‘mom’. This can cause her to destroy her pups, lose her milk supply and snap at intruders.

Dams normally do not hurt their babies. First-time moms are sometimes terrified of these squirming babies trying to snuggle up to her and nurse. You must be understanding and calm her during these moments till her maternal instincts take over.

Some dogs like the owners to be with them the whole time they are in labor. Others prefer to have their puppies in seclusion. Respect your pet’s wishes and avoid intruding any more than necessary.

A whelping box is a good choice and a comfortable place to give birth.

WHELPING BOX:

The benefits of a whelping box makes preparing for birth less stressful for your dog,  because you can teach her that she has a special place to go and have her puppies,  instead of wandering around trying to find a private spot on her own.

With a whelping box, the mother dog can come and go as she pleases after birthing, and the puppies will be kept confined to the safety of the box. The box also keeps the puppies better protected from drafts.  It also helps to contain the birthing mess and puppy messes are kept in one place.

Since this will be where the pups spend the first weeks of their lives, it should have 12 to 18 inch sides to keep the puppies safely inside.

A heat lamp should be placed high enough that the mother dog cannot contact it, but close enough to heat the area.

Line the whelping box with newspaper about 5” deep.

Do not put any kind of sheets, blankets or pads because they will just get wet and soiled during whelping,

Plus newborn have a tendency to get caught up in or under them and can suffocate.

Never,  never use wood shaving in the box for pregnant or new born animals.

Once she is done whelping and is taken outside to relieve herself, the entire box is changed and dry paper put in.

A blanket or a sheet stretched over the top to give the puppies traction.

If the puppies are moving around and crying, they may be too cold or too hot.  If they are bobbing their heads, searching and crying, they are hungry.  They should be put with their mother as soon as possible to nurse.

CHOICE OF WHELPING BOXES:

 Cardboard box:

One of the least expensive whelping boxes is a simple cardboard box.

Make sure it is strong not to collapse and big enough for the type of dog you have for it to stretch out in it.  The one thing about this box is that you can simply throw it away when you no longer need it.

Plywood:

Or if you can hammer a nail, you can probably build a simple whelping box for very little money and without too much trouble.  Just spend some time looking at whelping boxes available, so you know how they are made. Under no circumstances paint the wood as this can be harmful to the puppies.

Plastic trays or Children water pool.

Commercial Whelping Boxes:

These boxes cost a considerable amount of money, but they are a good investment if you plan to be a professional breeder as they can be used over and over again.

Whichever whelping box you choose, be sure to install 'Pig-rail' a couple of inches up off the floor and runs along all 4 sides.  This is a safety measure for the puppy who might be accidentally crushed behind mamma's back if she fully pushes herself against the wall.

                                Happy Parenting.