DianeFG

Sweet Trish..... play happily and safe at the Bridge..

I'm so very, very sorry PM me if you need anything.

Fudgie liked to poop on tree branches.... I don't know why, but who am I to question something that made him quite obviously so very happy. He'd back up like an 18 wheeler, until I'm sure he was getting stabbed in the hiney by pine needles, then he'd poop and go hopping off...... he was so different from his brother. Goods is very reserved and Fudgie was just a plain goof. Goods wouldn't be caught dead pooping on a tree branch The picture of the tennis court back a few posts ago, we use to go there a lot before fencing in the yard, I'd pack a water bowl, a big jug of cold water, toys, treats, their coats, poopie bags...... we get into the court, which was always a production because I'm paranoid of possible escape routes. I get them in there and satisfy myself that all is fine. Right next to the tennis court is a full basketball court... with probably 30 kids playing and hanging around. They are watching me and ooohhing and aahhhing over the dogs. I'm feeling pretty proud I put my windbreaker (coat) on the ground and start setting up their water bowl, getting all their stuff organized..... I hear the kids laughing.... there is Fudgie peeing on my coat Akk!! I pick the coat up and the pee rolls off I wash it down with water from the water bottle. Now Fudgie is pooping.... and pooping... and pooping so more! The kids are all yelling "Ewwww!!! Gross!!! She's touching it!!!" Well, what the heck was I supposed to do?? I used a poopie bag Fudgie pooped like he hadn't pooped in 5 days.... I was so embarrased. I went home and told DH we need a fence I have never, ever, ever been able to open the refridgerator without him knowing. He'd be sound asleep on his bed, and I'd try and peel the fridge door open so quietly, as if I were trying to dismantle a bomb, and it would make a little, tiny suction sound... pssttt.... and Fudgie would be struggling to get up as quickly as possible so he didn't miss a possible treat prospect Bread was another problem. I've never made a sandwich without his nose about 2 inches away from the counter........ just incase When we first got Fudge and Goods, again we hadn't yet fenced in the yard, I'd have to take them out on a leash to potty.... no problem. Well, one night Fudgie wanted out. It was dark, it was cold.... I was in my feetie pajamas yes, I own feetie pajamas. I snapped his leash on, slipped on my DH's sneakers *because I was only going to be a minute* and off we went. I hadn't fastened his leash properly and the little springy thing on the latch popped. He was off to the races.... up the driveway and off to the right. I went running after him!! Big ole sneakers flopping! And just for your visual pleasure, my feetie pajamas had clouds and moons and stars and sheep on them I went through a few of the neighbors yards in hot pursuit, yelling "Treat!" "Cookie!" He wasn't coming back He stopped to pee and I grabbed him by the collar. Whewww!! Back to the house, everything is fine except I've aged 10 years in 10 minutes. I figure nobody has to know. He's safe.... so DH and kids don't need to know anything, especially because I harrass them about making sure they are taking all safety precautions. Well, the next day, DH comes in the house from work howling laughing...... he just talked to the lady across the street, apparently she heard someone yelling "Cookie!" in the middle of the night, she went to her window and taa daa!!! There I was, in all my glory. Her and her DH Dave had a midnight show for themselves. I was apparently a wonderful source of entertainment, and my outfit wasn't lost on them either because before I took Fudgie out, I had conveniently put on our flood lights so I could see I am thankful they moved 2 years ago........ I didn't want to hear about that story anymore. It always came up at cookouts and pool parties. Fudgie was just silly, and I loved that He'd sleep with his tongue hanging on the floor and one eye would pop open when you walked by He was my big, silly boy...... He's provided me with so many funny memories...... some are coming back to me as I sit and think I truly appreciate you all telling me how much you enjoy hearing about him. I wasn't able to talk much about losing him, but I feel so much better remembering all these funny things now Thanks

"Wanna come out in the yard for a quick Fly-by???"

Dutch Bahama eyes......

This is his....."I'm gonna roo!" face

DH took this picture of us after complaining there was never any room for him in the bed...... to this day I don't know what the problem was... there's room at the bottom corner At the time I was annoyed with DH, but now I'm so glad he took this picture I spent a lot of cold winter days cuddling up with them.

Thanks for asking Look at the look on his face in the tennis court He was such a goof

When I went to go adopt, I was a total greyhound novice. I went to the track instead of through an adoption group. So it was baptism by fire really. I had no literature, no support group, nothing... it was just "Here are your dogs.... have a nice life together." I went to the track, and I said to the guy "I would like to adopt a little, fawn female".... how many times do you think that guy had heard those words He must have sized me up in a nano-second because he said "Sure, but I have a male I'd like you to look at first". I said ok, but was thinking to myself "No way! I want a small, fawn female." He brings Goods out to the turn out pen..... an awesomely handsome white/red boy. Goods just walked over to me so calmly. He just looked up into my face and leaned into my leg. I was just in love so quick!! He was so gentle!! Who needs a small, fawn female anyway. I said to the guy "Oh, I love him!! I want to adopt Goods!!" He said, "Well, Goods has a littermate that he's really attached to. I won't separate them." I turned to my DH and he said, "It's up to you". So the kennel guy goes trotting off to get Fudgie..... I'm sure he was chuckling to himself the whole way. Next thing I know, I hear the thunder of paws tearing down the wooden floor!! Fudgie comes blasting into the turnout pen!! I mean he was like a hurricane!! He came running right up to me and jumped on me with both paws on my shoulders!!! I almost fainted on the spot!!! The guy pulled Fudgie off me and just laughed. I said "No, I can't adopt him, he's just too crazy for me to handle". The guy says "It's both or nothing....." and just let that hang out there for me to digest. I must have just looked so desperate, because DH comes out with "Fudgie will be my dog." I was so relieved!! So, that was that! It was a deal. Goods was my dog and Fudgie was DH's dog Well, once we got home, it only took about 10 minute before Fudgie was MY dog That's the story of how we found each other. I just want to type some funny, cute and not so cute Fudgie stories. Fudgie came to us 2 days after Goods. He had some issues at the vet's office, so they kept him longer. I took 2 weeks off so Fudge and Goods could adjust to our home. I was home the night DH brough Fudgie back. I was standing in the doorway of the house when DH pulled in the driveway with Fudgie in the back. Goods was standing right next to me!! I was so excited!!!! DH goes to the back of the Blazer and pops the back open and let's Fudgie out..... without a leash!!!! Now, I was a novice, but I knew the couldn't go off leash!! OMG! There goes Fudgie... down the driveway and he takes a left up the street!! DH was just standing there like I screamed "Go after him!!!" It was night and we live in the freakin woods!! It was just a miracle of miracles that we caught him. He didn't know us from Adam, and he could have run off in the woods, never to be seen again!! I couldn't believe we caught him. He stopped to go pee. Thank God it was a long ride home for him. DH said he thought that when Fudgie would see Goods in the house that Fudgie would go right to the door.... well, that was lesson #1 for DH. Fudgie couldn't do the stairs for weeks.... Goods was amazing, he learned in days. He would go prancing past poor Fudgie... up and down, up and down and Fudgie would stand at the bottom and whine until DH went and carried him up then down, then up, then down, then up. He finally gave the stairs a shot and looked like Bambi on Ice, but he did it Then came the first time they were separated.... Goods stayed at the vet's overnight..... we went to work not knowing the despair Fudgie felt being without Goods. Well, we got home and I went to let Fudge out to potty.... he had ripped the miniblinds off the windows and chewed them till his mouth bled, he ripped all DH's nice work shirts and pants off the hangers and had diareaha on them, then walked through the diareaha all over the house... it was a disaster!!! I cleaned everything up, and we went to bring Goods home. Fudge was a total angel once his brother was back..... lesson #2 for DH (don't leave work clothes where Fudgie can reach them) Then there were the fly-bys.... Fudgie couldn't do a fly-by to save himself. He always knocked someone over Goods would come so close that you could probably only slip a piece of paper inbetween him and his fly-by victim You could stand still as a statue and know you were safe as he came barrelling across the yard, but when Fudgie got that look in his eye from across the yard, he would stop in his tracks, put a laser beam stare on you and here he came, 90 miles across the yard like a giraffe on crack, tongue flopping all around...... if you didn't go screaming and running for cover you'd find yourself looking up at the clouds wondering what the heli just hit you!!! Everyone in my family (except for the 4 yo) has fallen victim to Fudgie's fly-bys.... *it was always funny when it wasn't you* He looked so funny afterwards.... like he didn't know what happened Another thing about Fudgie was no food was safe, you couldn't sit at the table and not keep him on your radar.... if one of the kids was having a snack and stupidly got up and walked away from the table.... whaaa laaa!! Food has vanished!! He has gotten more free meals that way There was one time when I made a delicious steak dinner for myself (this was in the early years) I put it on my t.v. tray and went back into the kitchen for something... came back, steak was gone two dogs sitting in the sphinx position, neither one licking their lips..... I still to this day don't know which of the two of them did it, but they have my respect because they managed to outwit me, so they deserved that steak as far as I'm concerned Fudgie loved to take my kids stuffed animals When we first adopted them, the kids were 5 and 7. It was a common occurence to hear one of the two kids screaming their brains out, I'd go running to the rescue and I'd see Fudgie go prancing by with one of the girl's stuffed animal hanging from his mouth, happy as a clam I'd pry it from his mouth, all slimy and gross The kids learned quickly to pick up their stuff I liked that part. Then there was the time Fudgie realized we had a pool, and he couldn't walk on water although he gave it his very best effort. I was at the far end of the yard, DH let Fudgie out to go potty, and he sees me.... directly across the yard from him.....the only thing separating us.... the pool. Here he comes, shortest path to me, a straight line! I know exactly what's coming, I'm yelling, he's not changing his course!!! SPLASH!!! He sank like a rock!! I jumped in and pulled him out. He was probably in the pool for 5 seconds, if that, but he never, ever went within 7 feet of that pool after that. He did love the kiddie pool I bought him though He'd lay in that, and have a nice slurp of water ever now and then He was such a funny, goofy dog He hated the car! We tried nice little, short rides to the park, or around the block, but he just never like the car. He would pant and whine the whole time. He would never lay down. Everytime I took a corner he'd fall over I ended up having to drive like 10 miles an hour so he didn't kill himself. Whenever Fudgie had to go for his check up, nobody would take the ride with me. Fudgie got very bad gas when he was nerved up..... even with the windows down that car was toxic He never got over that in all the years. Fudgie would sleep like a rock, until about midnight... that was usually the first of three wake up calls I'd get from him. He LOVED to prowl the yard at night. I always put the flood lights on and would check for unwanted visitors, then Fudge would go poke around for a bit, come back in and sleep for another couple of hours until he decided it was time to check the yard again. I actually had Denise (Angelwhispers) talk to him and ask him to stop and he did stop for a few months, but he started again and I just learned to deal with it. I'm still waking up, but I'm waking up to silence. He rooed like nobody's business. If I started he would chime right in!! You could hear us in the yard DH would be with a neighbor and the neighbor would be like "What the heck is that???" and DH was embarrassed to say it was his wife... he'd just say "Oh, the dogs" I loved when Fudgie rooed.... Goods can't roo, so I'm really missing that. Sometimes Fudgie would stick his nose up to the sky to roo, but nothing would come out Those are just a few of my thoughts for now. I feel better having typed it.

I'm so sorry

What a handsome, soulful face... {{{hugs}}}

What a handsome face I'm glad you posted a picture of him. {{{{hugs}}}}

I'm so sorry for your loss She sounds like such a special girl {{{hugs}}}}

I'm afraid for his thread to drop off this page..... it will be so final and complete then I know that's not rational....... But I just needed to say that out loud..... I can't believe he's gone.... I know this thread has to move down, there will be others who lose their beloved hounds and they need support. I'm just being selfish and don't want to let him go. I keep thinking I'm ok, but then I'm not. I picked up his ashes last night...... that makes me very sad.... I don't like to think of him in that little box so confined and locked away motionless on my mantle. There, I've actually said it. I can try and move on now. Please don't anyone respond to this, I know this thread needs to close for me now or I'll just keep upsetting myself. I keep looking in here and its making me cry. I keep re-reading the whole thread. I need to stop that. I've gotten wonderful replies from all of you and I thank you from the bottom of my heart. It's time for me to try and let him go so I don't make myself nuts.....

I don't really want to go anywhere else..... those strangers didn't know Fudgie. People here knew him, and that gives me a lot of comfort. You all knew he ran around the yard like a girafee on crack, that he coudn't do fly-bys without knocking me or one of the kids off our feet, even though that wasn't his intention. You knew that he didn't like to ride in the car. That he loved to sit in the kiddie pool. He loved peanut butter but absolutely hated bananas. He loved his brother. He had bad SA when Goods wasn't around. He didn't wag his tail for the first 6 months we had him, then one day his tail was whipping around like a helicopter... that was great. He couldn't do stairs for such a long time, DH carried him up and down. He was a champion Rooer, I loved when he would roo. That if you scratched right at his breastbone his back leg would start shaking. If you scratched the top of his butt, he'd dance back and forth from foot to foot, he loved that. Strangers don't know those things about him. I'm having a hard time. Goods is having a really hard time. Night time really seems to be difficult for Goods. He's been up crying every single night. He cries all night. I tried to have him sleep with me in DDs room (put DD in bed with DH) he wouldn't come in and lay down. He'd walk in and then cry and walk out. I slept on his bed with him the other night, but I can't do that each night. I'm so tired and so is he. I called the vet, I was told to give him benadryl to help him relax. Give him some before we go for our walk. I pray this gives him some peace tonight. It's killing me to watch him suffer How long does the mourning usually go on?? What did you do to help your other pets adjust?? Did you have to help them with medication?? Where they worse at night than in the day??

OMG All those things.... how aware you were of all those wonderful qualities and little gifts given to you by Harley {{{hugs}}}}

{{{hugs}}} to you. I'm so sorry. There is something very comforting in picturing Fudgie giving Skye a nuzzle at the Bridge. Thank you for that.

I went out and played Shadow's dog license number tonight. I don't play the lottery generally... the odds aren't good enough to be tossing my money away, but I thought maybe Fudgie was sending me a sign and a bit of luck as his vet bill was pretty expensive. I played 4398...... and in true Fudgie fashion 4903 came out LAST night Just a bit off the mark, but that was him. He can still make me laugh Maybe that was his goal I'm feeling better tonight...... I'm ready to go get him and bring him home. I didn't think I would be, but I am.

Interesting day.... I went to the rehab to visit MIL and make sure she's doing alright. I go down to the business office to open a cash account for MIL and the woman at the desk had pictures of greyhounds all over her desk. I got so excited! I said you have greyhounds??? I have 2 myself...... then I remembered, I don't have 2 anymore. Tried to compose myself and not look like a loon. I told her about GT and hopefully she logs on and checks us out. Anyway, after I left the rehab, I took a ride to the crematory. What a pretty location (that sounds weird I know) There were rolling hills, and the grass must have just been cut. Two little white houses at one end, one of those was the crematory. I sat out in the field for a bit, just looking around and a woman came out. She asked if a needed help, I told her my dog Fudgie was here to be cremated today. She knew who he is. She asked me if I wanted to come in and see the crematory. She took me in. It was a clean place. She showed me the one they used for just one animal at a time, and the other big one. She explained how I will indeed get Fudgie back. She showed me the box he will be in, it has a little gold lock on the front. My friend Mary has an urn she wants to give me, she's engraving Fudgie's name on it for me. I can go get him tomorrow. I didn't want to stay while he was cremated.... that was just too much for me. I sat back out on the grass for awhile and told him I love him and miss him. On my ride home, feeling sad, I see a black lab running in the middle of the street. I stop, and he comes right over to my car. I open the back door and he hops in. Thankfully he had a dog license number on his tag. I drove over to the pound, but nobody was there to identify this lost pup. I called police to see if anyone reported him missing... nope. I called town hall and got a really nice person in the clerks department, she looked up his number 4398. His name is Shadow. The clerk gave me his address, I drove him home. I rang the bell and a woman about my age answered the door. I asked her if she had a black lab that was missing.... her face just fell, she looked in my car and said "The kids must have let him out!!" She ran over to my car and took shadow out. She thanked me a thousand times That made me feel really good I told her I had a nice ride with Shadow around town for a bit. I'm going to take Goods for a nice long walk right now.......

I don't want them to cut him open to check. I just don't want him bothered anymore. He was poked and prodded so much yesterday it was really distressing. I guess I also don't want to know really. What if its something I should have noticed.... I can't know that. I have to say something.... its not going to sound very nice, but I have to say it. I'm angry with MIL. If she had taken care of herself and not smoked herself almost into a coma (hypoxia) I would have been home like I normally would have been. I was out all weekend looking at rehabs. I spent hours going from rehab to rehab, then back and forth to the hospital. My BIL and SIL slept over so they could be near her I was busy making them comfortable, cooking and stuff. I may have missed something very important because of all this. I know that sounds awful, but I've been thinking it and I finally said it. I will never be mean to MIL, and I will never breathe a word of that to DH, but that's just how I feel right now. He will be cremated in a private ceremony tomorrow and I can pick him up Wednesday and bring him back home where he belongs.

Just came in from the yard with Goods. We had a great game of tag. It was strange without Fudgie. Goods does an excellent fly-by. He will come within inches of me and never, ever hit me. Fudgie has taken me out at the knees I don't know how many times. I always ran for my life when Fudgie was heading at me, he was like a giraffe on crack, his legs were all over the place and he kinda galloped around. Very silly. The kids and I would run and scream when Fudgie was coming cause we knew we were in for it. The only safe spot was on the stoop to the shed, we would race to hit the stoop before Fudgie got in striking range. He always looked suprised when he hit one of us... kinda like "Oops! That wasn't supposed to happen". I would be pretty happy to get one more "out at the knees" tonight. Anyway, I let Goods enjoy his bone for awhile, then took him in the yard, just him and I.... no kids or DH. We chased each other, he layed in the grass, we had a long talk about things. I told him things would be different now, but he was loved more than ever and I am always going to be here for him. He just layed in the grass and listened to me. I know Goods, Sassy and Penny know Fudgie is gone. They saw me take him out after he was vomiting... they knew something was wrong with him. I remember looking up the stairs as I was trying to get Fudge out the front door and seeing all three of them looking down at us. They know. Fudgie has gotten me up on an average of 3 times a night since 1999, to be let out to patrol the yard. I'm sure I'll get up tonight on habit, I'm use to it now. I'll go give Goods a nice brushing... he likes to be brushed, and we'll have another talk. My house feels weird..... I don't know how to explain it..... just weird. Kind of like when you have to do something you don't like the next day, like go to a wake, or fly (if you're afraid of flying) I feel funny like that. Like I am going to do something I am dreading. I have a stomach ache and a head ache. I need to take a shower, but I always cry in the shower. Its a safe place and the kids don't know I'm crying in there. I'm putting that off because I don't want to cry anymore but I know its coming. I've told the kids that Fudgie is at the vet's office and they are trying to make him better, but they saw him before he went. My two oldest are looking scared and not sure if they believe me. The youngest believes me. I wish they would stop asking me questions and stop looking at me...... I guess I'll take my shower now. Thanks everyone. Fudgie was a good boy. Think of him.

I'm so sorry I answered the phone so nasty. I am just beside myself right now. I am glad you called, I think it was very sweet. Thank you for thinking enough of us to call. Again, I'm sorry I sounded so nasty at first, I'm just floored. I'm angry he suffered, I'm afraid I missed something. I panicked in the vets office. I just feel like I did 15 things wrong. I just came back from the supermarket because I don't want to be home. I bought Goods a great, big bone from petsmart. I feel so sorry for him. They've been best buds and are littermates. He's going to be so sad without Fudgie. And so am i Kari, thanks again for calling me. You're a good friend. Thanks to everyone here for sending me their hugs. I really need them. I pray there is a Rainbow Bridge and I pray he's doing his goofy giraffe run across the fields. I pray he waits for me cause I feel like I didn't get a very good goodbye with him. There was a lot of panick, fear, pain and tears.

I still don't know what happened.... I woke up and everything was just fine. Let all dogs out to potty. Everyone came in and got on their beds because we were heading out to visit DH's mother in the hospital. Came home 3 hours later and Fudge had vomited. I let him out and cleaned up his bed and the floor. I let him in and he started vomiting again. I called the evet told them I was coming and put him in the back of the car and left to get him over there. He was vomiting in the car. The evet is about 45 mins from my house, he vomited 3 times. I get him in the vets office and he just let go with bloody diarehea and bloody vomit!! I don't know where that came from! There was no blood before. He was gone within 1 hour.... major gastrointestinal hemoraging. He didn't get into anything!! I would know! The garbage is always put out in the shed, there was nothing! I don't know what happened. The vet did xrays and gave him pain meds to get him to relax... he was trembling and panting. He never stopped panting. I'm just floored. We got up and everything was just fine.... I just don't know what happened. I feel sick to my stomach. I don't even know why I'm typing this because I really don't want to talk about it........... he was a good boy. I've been so busy with MIL in the hospital... I hope to God I didn't miss some sign from him that he was sick and I blew it.

I'm so very sorry

I'm so sorry Jeff