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Post by jakesrocks on Feb 27, 2015 17:36:01 GMT -5
For those of you who have read LarryS's trip reports to the Lavic Siding and surrounding areas, you've also enjoyed pics of his dog Goober scampering around the desert.
Goober has suffered for the last 5 years with a collapsed trachea. Wednesday morning Goober was especially bad. Larry & his wife Diane decided that it was time to have their little boy put to sleep, to prevent him suffering any longer. As you might imagine, Larry & Diane are devastated.
Hearing about Goober hit me especially hard. He and my dog Jake are just about the same age. Both were terriers, and they looked almost identical in color & markings.
Larry & Diane, I'm so sorry for your loss. Goober will be missed by all of your friends.
Don
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Thunder69
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Post by Thunder69 on Feb 27, 2015 17:55:51 GMT -5
My they find peace in the memories of their little man..my heart goes out to them... John
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Post by jakesrocks on Feb 27, 2015 17:58:32 GMT -5
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Post by gingerkid on Feb 27, 2015 18:02:43 GMT -5
Very sad to hear about Goober, and please send my condolences to Larry, jakesrocks. Thank you for posting his website for us.
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phoenix1647
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Post by phoenix1647 on Feb 27, 2015 19:10:43 GMT -5
For most of us, our pets are members of our family. I had to put my dog down when she was 17 yrs old. Broke our hearts to do that. Larry and Diane, we know how you feel about doing what had to be done. Our prayers are with you.
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Post by jakesrocks on Feb 27, 2015 22:57:27 GMT -5
I just talked to Larry. He hasn't been on here in quite a while. He and his wife have both been having medical issues of their own. Larry says he'll check in and say hi to everyone. He misses his little buddy, and probably never will quit missing him.
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LarryS
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Post by LarryS on Feb 28, 2015 13:07:39 GMT -5
Thanks Don. Us having medical issues? Huh, putting it mildly! Bladder cancer came back twice with me over the past 8 months. Will probably keep coming back until the day I die. Use to it! Last September Diane scared the hell out of me. Woke me up saying to take her to the ER because she was having major chest pains and sweating like crazy. Had a major heart attack and if she was 1 hour later getting to the ER, doctor said she would have died. Had 3 stents installed and she's good for another 67 years! Took Goober in for a basic nail trimming which he needs to be sedated because he doesn't like anybody touching his paws. He fought so hard with the vet & his assistant, he dislocated his hip. But after a couple weeks he was running around like a puppy. Goober was a very special dog. Most intelligent dog we've ever had. I always told everyone that Goober is a dysfunctional 2 year old boy with ADHD suck in a dog's body. And he was. Rat Terriers are known for being above average intelligent & can learn up to 200 words. Think he was double that! I can write a book on the things that happened over his 11 year life. I'm sure you've all heard of a dog laying on top of their owners grave after they die? Yep, Goober would do that. He'd lay by the front window waiting for me to come home from work every day, within 1/2 hour of me getting there. Would lay like a statue. People would walk by our house but he never took his eyes off from looking down the street, waiting for my work truck or Jeep. Then we had a daily routine. We'd both go into the bedroom and I'd take off my uniform. He'd lay on the bed, lay sideways and expect a kiss on the cheek. Then I'd name one of his countless toys and he'd bring that exact toy to me. Our whole life was centered around that little guy over the past 11 years. He was more than a average dog. He was the center of our family and we were all in his pack. First there was Diane, the alpha female. Goober adored her. Then Goober and then me. Remove anyone out of that pack, he'd have a fit. We took him where ever we went. He was always by my side. When he was sick, he would come up to me, nudge me with his paw and let me know he didn't feel good. Could see it in his eyes and his body language. I'd have to touch him all over his body to find out where he hurts and would give him meds. He would stare at me from across the room and watch my body language, which is how dogs communicate. Yep, we could communicate better than I can with many people! When we had him put down, I had the vet give him the sedation shot while he was in my lap. I talked to him for about 1/2 hour. The vet used this drug called Anased (sp?) which they use on dogs, cats & horses. They gave him 3x's the dosage. It basically knocks them out where their muscles don't work, lights on but nobody is home. I softly petted Goober and talked to him with the words he knows and knows the meanings. Also had my hand in front of his nose so he could smell me. I had to leave to use the restroom and Diane took my place. When I left the room, Goober actually barked and violently moved! He knew I was leaving him. He did that under full sedation! But subconciously he knew what was going on. During all our camping and rock hounding trips, thing I enjoyed the most was being with him. He loved to explore and sniff all the different scents. When he got tired, I would find a big rock to sit on and put Goober on my lap. Again I'd communicate with him softly and he'd look at me, give me a soft kiss/lick and give me a hug. He'd show love just like a cat minus the purring. He demanded love sometimes! And like Don & his Jake, I always worried about me dying first and the impact it would have on Goober. He'd never be the same and wouldn't recover. Goober would spend the rest of his life looking out the front window, waiting for me to come home. We did everything together. Drove around town and out in the country, just to get out of the house. We'd go on long walks and check out wildlife. He followed me thru the house. He had a full size pillow and his own blanket, right in the middle of our king size bed. We napped together. If there wasn't a place that didn't allow dogs, we didn't go. Our whole life was centered around him. He was worth it. He wasn't a dog. His personality was so exceptional, he was a little boy. The evening we put Goober down was so empty and odd. Diane said it perfectly. "We need to buy an elephant to fill the void that Goober left in his household." And it's so true. Both me & Diane still feel so sad and such a great loss. I knew a guy at work who said when his dog died, he mourned more than when his mother died. Oh how can I relate to that now. I lost both my 86 year old parents a couple years ago and it hurt but I expected them to go. I was with both my mom & dad when they passed. Awesome experience. Goober was such a major part of my daily life. Diane & I went to the usual place we'd take Goober running every afternoon and it was so boring. We'd normally watch for wildlife, birds, etc and take pictures and have fun. Without Goober, it wasn't fun and we wanted to go home. I feel weird driving my Jeep alone. Goober would always sit shotgun. Now I feel really alone. Goober is being creamated and I've requested his ashes be put in my urn. We even thought about getting another dog but there will never be one like Goober. He was one of a kind and will always miss him.
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grayfingers
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Post by grayfingers on Feb 28, 2015 13:11:51 GMT -5
Sincere condolences. The above is very well said, thanks for sharing it. Bill
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LarryS
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Post by LarryS on Feb 28, 2015 13:44:29 GMT -5
....and also. Goober is one of the few dogs I've known that will actually look in the direction you point your finger to. Try that with any dog. Dogs understand words and not so much sentences. They get confused. Goober knew countless words and their meaning. Frequently I'd do this trick to wake Diane up if she's sleeping in too late. I'd tell Goober "bed", "momma" and point my finger to the bedroom and then say "go get her." During that conversation you'd see his little brain working, thinking out each word and putting them together. Then he'd take off in a frenzy, jump on the bed and lick her face until she wakes up. Of course Diane got upset with both me & Goober! Verbally we could make Goober do almost anything and communicating with him was so easy. Think that is the main reason we're greaving his loss so much. He was more than just a dog.
My late dad was a old macho WWII vet who owned many dogs but never broke down and kissed one. Nah, he was too tough! About a year before he died, he was sitting on our love seat and I told Goober to give him a kiss. Goober jumped on his lap, leaned over and exposed his cheak for him to kiss. Goober expected my dad to kiss him. If he didn't, Goober would have given him a facial lick job! My dad broke down and kissed him. Goober made his usual yodeling sounds and was so excited.
And I could hypnotize Goober from across the room. He'd just be laying or sitting there and I'd say softly "Goober sleepy" over and over. He'd actually close his eyes and fall asleep. That's what I was doing in the vets office. Just softly letting him know it's ok and to go to sleep. Whenever he needed help or was scared, he came to me for guidence & help. I knew it was important to make his experience at the vet's office a pleasant one. He knew even when we were going there. He knows the street and hates it. He knows they're going to stick thermometer's up his butt and poke him with needles.
I've read and watched on TV a lot of stuff about dogs. Average person have no idea how dog's think. We picked Goober out of the litter and breeder said he was the fastest learner and most mature out of all the puppies. So we knew Goober since the day he was born. And with dogs, most of their memory is gathered when they are puppies. GOD made them that way, a survival thing. If a puppy is abused or has had bad experiences, they may never recover as they age. Important to train a puppy right from the start and know what you're doing. So you can say we helped make Goober for what he was, faults and all! Whenever we complained about him, Diane and I would always say to each other that it's our fault, we made him that way!
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Post by jakesrocks on Feb 28, 2015 14:44:50 GMT -5
Hey Larry, that first pic especially hits home. I can't get over how much Goober looks like Jake in the face. Jakes right ear droops, and left ear partially stands up just like goober. and almost the same white blaze. That intent look, almost like he understands every word you're saying.
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Post by rockpickerforever on Feb 28, 2015 15:13:25 GMT -5
Larry, my heart goes out to you and Diane. You are correct, you didn't lose a dog, you lost your baby. When a dog is so much a part of your life -no, the CENTER of your life - the void is tremendous when it is time for them to go. Time will not heal what you are going through now, you will always miss him. But I hope with each passing day that your pain will ease.
I never did have the pleasure of meeting Goober in person, but have heard so many stories that it almost feels like I have. Goober was a very special dog, cherish your memories of him. Jean
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LarryS
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Post by LarryS on Feb 28, 2015 15:37:11 GMT -5
Yep Don, that's the look he gave when he was trying to tell me something. He'd make a kinds of weird sounds and start nudging you with his paw if you didn't pay attention. He demanded you to figure out what he was trying to tell you. 99% of the time I figured it out and he'd get all excited that I knew what he was thinking. Stupid humans! If you didn't figure out what he wanted, he'd bark louder and more often until you figured it out. He'd get frustrated with me. He knew what time of the day it was and reminded me on what we had to do. He knew when he was suppose to get his pills, tucked inside turkey weenies of course. He'd remind me it was time to go for our afternoon walks. His clock was accurate within 1/2 hour! And you can say Goober was so smart and thinks like a human. More like me thinking like a dog! We could relate to each other's thoughts and wants. We both worked together to drive Diane nuts! Yep, us boys would work great at tag teaming her and getting our way!
Thanks Jean. Hope to meet up with you someday. Diane mentioned that it wasn't us who decided when the time was. It was Goober and we didn't want him to suffer more than he had to. Would have been selfish to keep him around for our pleasure. We've spent thousands and went through 4 vets over the years, knowing what to expect. The evening before was probably the worse evening he's had in 5 years. Yet that whole following day was probably his best. He didn't cough once and we walked & played all day together. But we knew it was time and believe that GOD wanted his last day to be a good one. It was. Yep, I'll probably never get over him but will remember the countless good times together. There was Rin Tin Tin, Lassie and then Goober! One of a kind for sure!
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jamesp
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Post by jamesp on Feb 28, 2015 17:28:05 GMT -5
So sorry for your loss.
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Post by jakesrocks on Feb 28, 2015 17:41:09 GMT -5
Danged dogs. Jake knows I'm still down over your loss. A little while ago he hopped up in my lap, crawled up onto my chest and started washing my neck and cheeks. That's his way of trying to cheer me up. Dogs understand a damned site more than most people give them credit for.
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Feb 28, 2015 19:26:55 GMT -5
Sad. Best wishes. Be well.
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Fossilman
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Post by Fossilman on Feb 28, 2015 21:14:14 GMT -5
Sorry for the loss!!!
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Tommy
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Post by Tommy on Mar 1, 2015 0:16:22 GMT -5
LarryS - First of all I'm terribly sorry for yours and Diane's loss of Goober. Secondly I'm glad to hear from you. Last time we spoke you told me about your issue and I haven't wanted to pry into your personal life but I have been concerned about you. I didn't expect this about Goober damn ... it's been a tough stretch for RTH dogs.
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meviva
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Post by meviva on Mar 1, 2015 1:52:39 GMT -5
I'm so sorry for your loss. I'm sitting here crying reading this. Goober sounds like an awesome dog.
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Post by drocknut on Mar 1, 2015 10:28:43 GMT -5
So sorry to hear about Goober. May he rest in peace.
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LarryS
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Post by LarryS on Mar 1, 2015 11:07:41 GMT -5
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