🐶 So long 🐕 and thanks 🐩 for all 🦮 the treats 🐕‍🦺

August 25, 2020 9:05 PM

It's National Dog Day (previously). Dogs are one of the best parts of the animal kingdom. Their young are adorable. They were faithful companions, hunters, guardians, waste collectors, and maybe even healers in ancient Mesopotamia. Their already-impressive communication with humans is being amplified by technology. Humans devote their lives to rescuing them, even during a pandemic (WaPo). They can help people cope during lockdown (WaPo). Their most-common cancer may provide clues to treating human cancer. Did I mention they're adorable? Test yourself to find out Are You A Cat Or Dog Person? [N.B.—these are my own results, so the accuracy of this test is in dispute.] A Dog's Guide To Its Human, an edifying graphic.

And we grieve when they leave us. (from Jenny Jinya)
posted by Johnny Wallflower (14 comments total)

I guess my wife and I adopted our new dog on the right day!

(pic as required by Internet law)
posted by mmoncur at 9:13 PM on August 25, 2020 [9 favorites]

They are good dogs. All of them.
posted by blob at 9:14 PM on August 25, 2020 [4 favorites]

Cats are pretty cool, too. Thanks for the post!
posted by shoesfullofdust at 9:26 PM on August 25, 2020 [3 favorites]

I might never stop crying at that comic at the end. Thanks for posting it. Gotta go hug my cat whether she likes it or not.
posted by janell at 9:44 PM on August 25, 2020 [7 favorites]

Great post, thank you! But gosh that Jenny Jinya link is so close the bone right now.

I've just farewelled my 16 year old whippet kelpie cross, sleek black, crazy fast, bossy, sooky, entirely darling Blossom. She had a good last day - trotting along our beach, sniffing, submitting to a long cuddle on the couch for the last time. Her brain was becoming more addled and she was fretful and anxious for more hours a day as time progressed in the last month. She still wanted treats, and died mid-snatch for some liver bits as the syringe emptied.

The vets were amazing and there was a 'grieving room' where I could bring her son and 14 year long companion Clyde, so he could see her leaving us. Apparently this helps the companion dog in their steps onwards. We stayed with her until Clyde wanted to leave. We did the right thing.

The grief is such it makes my throat ache. Clyde has had a few long teardrops and a mopey face, and he has buried more than the usual amount of my socks in new mounds of dirt in my lawn. He cant stand me being out of his sight and we are both a bit lost without our beautiful girl.
posted by honey-barbara at 12:01 AM on August 26, 2020 [14 favorites]

Here’re the best photos from r/dogswithjobs (and r/dogsmiring)
posted by growabrain at 12:20 AM on August 26, 2020 [1 favorite]

Just saw this (in a newsletter, Inside Daily) and thought I’d post it here: Is this what it will be like to make friends in real life again? – from r/Zoomies, "Animals excitedly running and playing". Where "animals" is mostly dogs, of course.
posted by bitteschoen at 12:41 AM on August 26, 2020 [1 favorite]

honey-barbara, I am so sorry for your loss. What a magnificent girl. She was so lucky to have you as her loved one.
posted by Kitchen Witch at 2:22 AM on August 26, 2020 [2 favorites]

My parents never let me come with when our pets needed to move on. We have had many pets as a family, them even more so, and while there have never been regrets about letting our angels go, my parents felt that me going with them to the vet was just not feasible. So I would say goodbye (if I was there -- two of my pets died while I was in college and I still can't process that). Then whichever parent stayed behind would light candles and we'd hold a vigil and pray. We mourned the loss of my childhood dog the most because of the injustice of how he passed (contaminated dog food from China during that year when that was a horrible occurrence) but mostly because he was our best boy. The best. And our three cats passed for traumatic reasons as well and we desperately miss them, too. We never stop mourning, to be honest. How can you when your love for them was infinite? Being a pet parent (or sibling, as I often was) is so hard but so worth it.

I am now smooshing my face into my fat cat's tummy which she is not really enjoying but sometimes you just gotta smoosh your face into your pet's tummy to let them know how much you love them.
posted by Kitchen Witch at 2:37 AM on August 26, 2020 [4 favorites]

i have no idea of the original source for this, but the wholesome meme "People are Elves to Dogs" seems on topic here.

My past cats stretch out behind me covering huge chunks of my life. I left at cat at home, with my mother and brother, when I left for college, but got one of my own in 1992. My sweet girl Bob lived to be nearly 18 -- when I was nearly 40 -- and bridged from my life as a college student through my move to Houston, a couple other relationships, and eventually came to love my wife as much or more than I do. It broke us to let her go, and I still catch myself assuming dark lumps in shadows might be her. And she's been gone 11 years.

We lasted only about 6 weeks before we adopted again. This time we got two, because honestly they chose US at the adoption event. Wiggins chose me, and is not usually far away from me. Saracen thinks my wife hung the moon, and follows her around like a puppy. But now even the "new" cats are 11, so last year we added a third -- a feral kitten our pal was fostering. Ivy is an adorable menace of a perpetual motion machine that the other two mostly tolerate. She's finding her place with us just fine.

Thank you for this post. I love pets. I live our pets especially, but I probably love yours, too.
posted by uberchet at 6:24 AM on August 26, 2020 [5 favorites]

We Rate Dogs is trying to get 100,000 dog pics in a twitter thread today.

Here's our newest - Jasper, just under a year old. She's a joy in my life, through this past year. Unfortunately, she's torn a tendon in one of her hind legs and I can't get out with her for walks right now - something that was really good for my mental health. And this is Bunk, our old guy - just over 10, but still brings his A-level blep game.
posted by nubs at 9:00 AM on August 26, 2020 [3 favorites]

I'm much more of a cat person (Owain and Alice, who are currently asleep on their cat tree at least until I go snoogle them), but dogs are just the best, man. I used to be friends with someone who had a giant golden retriever who was legitimately the most beautiful dog you have ever seen. He posed for pictures. He was giant. He was furry. And the first time he ran over to greet me I got it. No creature will ever love me as deeply and unconditionally and purely as he did, I am absolutely convinced of it.

Anyway, my favorite thing is taking long walks and getting to meet all the neighborhood dogs, plus that one guy who walks his cat.
posted by kalimac at 11:05 AM on August 26, 2020 [2 favorites]

I just had to put down my beloved dog Monday, so this is very timely. Thank you for these links, especially the last one.
posted by ananci at 11:07 AM on August 26, 2020 [2 favorites]

I preach the good word of greyhounds to anyone who'll listen.

Mordin is our 2-year-old brindle who is super out-going and energetic. We adopted him 4 months ago, and we're still practicing some manners and discipline.

Garrus is our 4-year-old fawn who's more reserved and lazy, but has a lot of charm when he gets comfortable with you. We've had him for about 16 months, and he's a huge homebody. Before we adopted Mordin, he was very content to never leave the house, but he's been really matching the energy and is much more outgoing than he used to be!

The dogs have been a real boon during this pandemic, and we've gotten to know our next-door neighbor a lot better in the past few months basically just through introducing his dog to ours, and then getting to chat while the dogs play.
posted by explosion at 12:12 PM on August 26, 2020 [1 favorite]