jshell

This was my experience as a single guy with my lone girl. We'd do a big-ish walk in the morning (25-35 minutes) and a shorter walk in the evening (or longer, depending on temperature) and then I'd be at work all day and she'd have the loft to herself. The only time I really ran into problems was when she was a senior and had developed ongoing on-again/off-again digestion issues. I'd be gone 8 hours on average, but she handled longer, including close to 11 or 12 (happened very rarely, but it did happen a couple of times). When I first adopted her, I only took a couple of days off work. I started separation training pretty immediately. At the time, however, I did have the benefit of living on the same block as my office so I could check in easily; and I had something to do when trying longer separation periods (2 hours, 4 hours) by coming to work. I agree that it's important to get the dog on a schedule pretty quickly.

Thanks everyone. I can certainly share some more pics! We loved going to the Farmers Market together. We'd get up early in the summer as it was about a 25 minute walk each way from our house so we wanted to beat the heat. It was fun. She loved market, especially for The Sharing Of The Breakfast Burrito. This may be from one of the last ones we went to, back in 2014. This really was a great thing to share together. I started going with her immediately, since we lived just half a block away when I first adopted her and thought it would be a great way to get/keep her socialized. More than anything, though, she loved to lay in the sun on the patio. This is just about 10 days before she passed, seen here taking in a big sniff of springtime air. Even as fall would move in and the area of sunshine on the patio got smaller, she wanted to be in it. Sometimes when there was just a little corner of sunshine left on the patio she would paw at it like she could pull it back. Her last winter was a very mild one, and I was working from home a lot, so she got a lot of extra sun time.

Thank you both. Yeah, it's strange. Thought I was done with the big cries but they still show up. Less frequently but still there. Lots of good memories too.

It's been a year... Goddammit it's been a year... As that awful night unfolded... Going from "maybe it's bad" to "maybe it'll be OK" to "oh my, it's very bad." Thought I'd have something more eloquent to say but I just miss Betty. But we did have such a nice wonderful month and an excellent couple of weekends right before the end, which came up suddenly so we only held on to those days and nights before it like we always did and I always made sure to tell her I loved her and I'd ask her if she had a good day and if she was looking forward to tomorrow and her ears always would perk up for the word 'tomorrow'. Did the same thing our last normal night. So... trying to have no regrets but miss her crazy and still can't get around (yet) to getting another hound but ... someday.. Anyways - Betty. I love you. Thanks for nearly 10 good years together.

yup

I started talking to Betty's ashes a few nights ago as I was getting in bed. And then just exploded into tears, wailing "You're supposed to be there!" and pointing to the top of the stairs where she would patiently be waiting for me to get into bed before joining me. Coming up on five months gone. Those last hours really stick with you, don't they? It sometimes (hell, often) feels so hard to push beyond those and remember the full life together. But the full life was just our life. Nothing special, just a good life together. Which I guess is what made it special. My final hours with Betty were not expected, and I had to make hard decisions as that night wore on and wanted so hard for them to be right. I just remember her eyes. Her eyes had lost their shine. I had to be in the moment and wanted to hold on to every final minute that I could and maybe that's part of why they stick around so much... I don't know. I just know that stupid awful night still sits heavy in my memory.

Big . Aug 14 would have been my Betty's 10th gotcha day but she too is bridgeside when she's supposed to be curled up in bed!

I can't say it better than this, so.. I'm so sorry. What a lovely boy.

Could you add "Stan" next to / below "Drew". They were both together and Stan passed away just a few days after Drew.

You almost share a birthday with my Betty who is also over the bridge with you. Hope you found some lovely treats.

Betty Joan would have been 12 yesterday. I miss her a lot. Last weekend was my first time going to our local farmer's market since she passed. Except for some serious illness back in 2011 and a small handful of times over the years, we've gone pretty much every week since I adopted her back in the summer of 2005. It's not the same without you, sweetheart. Looking back at her 8th birthday when we were going through some major health issues, I remember worrying that she wouldn't even make it to 8. So I should treat the time since as a very nice bonus. She was on the rebound here, but we had a couple of months of prednisone therapy to go to get her albumin levels back to normal but she rebounded pretty nicely. Ninth birthday. Tenth And her last birthday, from last year, her 11th.

From that same Instagram user: her other hound 'Stan' passed within just a couple of days of 'Drew' (But I think that Drew made it to the ripe age of 15, gods bless her!) Fixed link for Drew - https://instagram.com/p/3gtEb5hsWb/ And for Stan - https://instagram.com/p/3lmUzuBsZ_/

From Instagram: "Drew" https://instagram.com/p/3gtEb5hsWb/

I'm so sorry. Such a wonderful dog.

As others said, it's wonderful that you gave her a good home and even if it was for only a year, it was a good year. And I'm feeling this in a similar way. It wasn't until my Betty passed that I realized how sick she had been getting over the past year, and how I had just woven that into my life and schedule and didn't think anything of it.. besides stress and worry but also a lot of hope and enjoyment of the good days.

I'm so sorry.

I'm so sorry.

Crud. There was yet another one in March that I also knew from Instagram and never got him on here. Such a big list already but also needs: Astro, 12 Mar 2015 - https://instagram.com/p/0H3kBHN4Dp/ Cruel cruel month, March was. I'm missing my Betty something fierce tonight.

That's quite the life! And you got him just one day before I got my beloved Betty. So sorry for your loss.

I'm so sorry for your loss. I may have said that already. I'm still in a bit of grief haze myself. But such a beautifully handsome hound and a good life, I'm sure.

Got no words, just hugs.

A couple more from Instagram. All from Tuesday/Wednesday (same as Betty. What a cruel week): Jasper - https://instagram.com/p/0po0_TAavD/ Willow - https://instagram.com/p/0oTRwvKDqe

Thank you all for the kind words. It's hard, as so many of you know. Part of the price for the privilege of sharing our lives with such wonderful creatures. I took Wednesday off, so yesterday was the first day of coming home from work to an empty house. Oh man, that hit hard, not having that greeting and interaction. I crossed the threshold of the door and was crushed. This morning, it's missing getting to kiss that sweet little head...

Also for this list: "Fagin" From Instagram member "smallworldgirl" https://instagram.com/p/0nJfkDLwzA/

Thank you for adding Betty. I miss her so much right now but she's in good company.