# How we got Duke



## shaneamber (Apr 20, 2005)

It was in the late '70's,we had our first Golden and wanted to get him a buddy.I saw an ad in the paper,Golden Retriever for adoption,must be a good home.I called an spoke to an elderly lady.She said that the Golden was 10 years old and that he had AKC papers.She gave me directions to her home so I could fill out a application and they could meet us.We went over and as I filled out the application she told us the story of Duke.
He had been a christmas puppy and that he never went outside for more than a few minutes.They were moving to a retirement community and couldn't take Duke.
She finally called Duke into the kitchen for us to meet him.He was 150 pounds of fat,his ears were as stiff as boards and he stank.She said that they had a lot of applications and needed to talk to her husband,who was at the store,before they made a decision.I asked if I could play with him and she said OK.
I got down on the floor and started playing with Duke.He wasn't sure at first,but then started enjoying himself.We were rolling around like a couple of kids,Duke mouthing my arms and just having a great time with me.I heard a stifled sob and looked up to see the husband standing there with a case of beer,crying.
Duke had NEVER played with anyone before and they couldn't believe that he was having such a good time.
They gave him to us on the spot.
They gathered up all his toys,blankets and dog bed.I loaded everything in the car and then they gave us his dog food.He was given 4 Gaines Burgers for breakfast,4 more for lunch and 6 for dinner,plus table scraps.He also got at least 2 beers a day.Can you imagine!
We took him home and then to the vet.We put him on good food,no BEER(except what he would steal,but that's another story) and cleaned him up.His ears were infected and his heart was enlarged.We trimed him down to a better weight and took him out for rides and walks all the time.
He would bite down on a new tennis ball until it exploded and then spit it out at your feet with a patoue sound and then give you a look that said"is that the best you can do?"
We loved him and had him in our lives for almost 3 years.He died at the Vets of congestive heart failure.The entire staff of the Vets office was there when I picked up his body,everybody,including the night staff was crying.He had spent a lot of time there near the end and they all came in to say goodbye.I buried him in a corner of my fathers yard with our other dogs.
When we sold the house,the new owners was told about the graves and they promised that they would never dig them up.They have kept that promise to this day.
I think of him often and will see him again one day at the Bridge.
You must believe,
Shane


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## Brandy's Mom (Oct 5, 2005)

What a powerful story! Thanks for sharing.


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## mojosmum (May 20, 2005)

Aw Shane - I'm ALWAYS leary on reading one of your stories because I KNOW I'm going to need a tissue by the time the end comes around! What a wonderful story about Duke and thank goodness he had you in his life. I've been trying to picture you rolling on the floor with Duke at the original owners home (all 6'2" of you).


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## MegB (Jul 19, 2005)

Shane, I think you could put a book together with all the stories of your dogs. Sort of like James Herriott's books (if you ever read those in grade school). The things you have written at this forum have made me laugh, cry, and laugh so hard I cried. Keep them coming!


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## shaneamber (Apr 20, 2005)

Thank you for your kind words.Maybe someday I'll write a book about all our furbabies.I've never really been much of a writer,but I do love to read.
Shane


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## mojosmum (May 20, 2005)

Aw Shane......all you have to do is go back and print out all the posts you have here..........put them all together with a nice big staple and send it off to the publishers. 

You have the gift of being able to see into the soul and know what's needed for these poor lost dogs. You know what their strengths are, have compassion for their fears and give them the confidence to build trust and love again. This also carries on into your interaction with humans. You've been able to make us laugh and also make us run for the tissues with tears streaming down our faces. You know how to touch our hearts because you can touch the hearts of our forgotten friends. That's why you should write a book.


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## MegB (Jul 19, 2005)

Very nicely said, Donna.


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## ron (Sep 16, 2005)

Great story Shane. You made the last years of Duke's life.........the best
That's got to be a great feeling. 
Yes, you are right "You gotta believe"

Ron


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## shaneamber (Apr 20, 2005)

Thanks Ron and everyone else,even though we didn't get Duke from a Golden Rescue group,I feel we rescued him just as he rescued us. He was a GReat Golden who will always have a spot in my heart.
Shane


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## RickGibbs (Dec 16, 2005)

I read your stories and realize that I'm not going to be satisfied with just our Samson. My wife doesn't consider herself much of a dog person, but she was best friends with our dachsund, Buddy. And she's already very close to Samson (we've only had him for four weeks now).

I'm already dropping hints that I'd like to look into adoptions/rescues in the future and she has seems pretty open to the idea. It's not something I want to rush into it.....I mean, we still have a little puppy running us wild....

When Buddy died.......well, maybe I should fill you in on how we got Buddy....

My oldest son, Ricky (he's 15 now....must've been 12 at the time), and I were standing outside of our neighborhood Safeway selling candy bars for their little league. We had been there for quite a while, since my wife and the other kids were out of town visiting my sister-in-law. These two little boys walked up, carrying this black and tan miniture dachshund. I said something about how cool dachshunds were, since my dad had two when I was a kid. One of the kids started crying, saying "we have to give him away."

I looked over at Ricky, whose face just lit up, and I thought, "Aw....crap.....I guess we have to take him."
So we took him toour house and tried to make him feel at home, since he seemed pretty nervous with the newness of it all.
My wife came home several hours later, and Ricky sat in the middle of the living room floor with Buddy sleeping in his lap under a blanket. They all came in the house and after several hints to something going on, Ricky finally moved the blanket.

All she said was that they better take care of him.

Over the last three years, my wife had become very attached to Buddy. He was my dog as far as anyone else was concerned, unless she was home. Then he was always in her lap, or following her around the house. My wife, Mina (short for Wilhelmina), tried to play that he drove her crazy always having to be around, but we all knew how much she loved him.

A few months ago, Buddy just all of a sudden didn't seem like himself. He wouldn't bark (if you know dachshunds at all, you know how odd that is) and wouldn't play with the kids at all. He was moving very slow. The next day, he couldn't move his hind legs. He still got around the house, dragging his legs behind him (we tried not to let him.....but if he wasn't in his kennel....he wanted to still move around).

We spent a lot of time at the vets, and he was on steriods and muscle relaxers, along with anti-inflammitory medicine. The vet told us that they could perform a very expensive operation, but they didn't feel it would do any good. They found that he couldn't feel anything from his chest down. He lost all bowel and bladder control.

He was on his medication for a month and a half, but it was just getting worse. He wasn't eating much, and he had sores all over his hind legs from still trying to drag himself around the house. Everytime someone opened the hall closet (which is where we kept his lease), he thought it was time for a walk and would drag himself down the stairs.

The kids even started asking, "we're gonna have to put him to sleep, aren't we?" 

The kids came home from school one day, and found he had chewed his tail off while in his crate.

Our vet told us it was probably best to do it..... We put him to sleep on a Friday, then my wife, again, took the kids to visit her sister, while leaving me at home to work. That Saturday was one of the most lonely days I can ever remember. Sitting here at my laptop, trying to work, when normally, my dog would be sitting in my lap or at my feet. All I could think all day was how much I missed my dog.

My sister-in-law felt bad for my wife and kids, and told my wife she wanted to get us a dog for Christmas and what kind would we like...?

So we got our Christmas present on Thanksgiving, Samson. I was a little worried at first that it might be a little to early (two weeks after Buddy was put to sleep) not wanting to get a dog to "replace" Buddy. But in so many ways, Samson has helped carry on Buddy's memory. Little things that he'll do, and one of the kids will say, "Hey....that was like Buddy."

My wife told me when Buddy died that that is exactly why she can't get close to animals. Because of the heartbreak. But I think she is realizing now, as she's letting Samson into her heart too, that all the good times outweigh the heartbreak. You just can't trade that.

And now I've been typing so long, I don't even know what my point was.....


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## goldencrazy (Dec 15, 2005)

Nice story, Shane. Thanks for sharing it with us!

rwgibbs - Sorry to hear about your experience with Buddy. I am with you about worrying about acquiring a dog too soon. My wife and I lost our wonderful golden, Abbey, on the 13th of this month. The first two days after her death were almost unbearable grief for us. Now, on Thursday, we are going to go meet some goldens at a local rescue. Is it too soon? Man, I don't know. On one hand, I feel very guilty about replacing our baby so soon; but on the other hand we have two fantastic cats that love goldens and I don't want them to forget how to love a dog in their lives. Our male cat was Abbey's best bud and I think he grieved Abbey's absence as much as we do! (How we have him in our lives is one heckva story in itself!).

Believe it or not, the goldens are at a lab rescue! Check out 
www.rescuealab.com

We are approved to adopt and we are interested in Tabitha and Dani B. We got an email from one the staff members telling us they also have several goldens that are not listed, as of yet. It's gonna be a long visit.....


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## RickGibbs (Dec 16, 2005)

goldencrazy said:


> I am with you about worrying about acquiring a dog too soon.


We actually got Samson a day short of two weeks of Buddy's being put to sleep. And I don't think any of regret it. A new puppy is just too funny, soft, cuddly (sometimes) and busy to sit around grieving.

But like I said before, I think it helps that he kinda makes us feel like he's reminding us of funny little things Buddy did.

We don't get a whole lot of snow here in the Seattle area, but we had snow within a couple days of getting Samson. And with Buddy and his short hair, he didn't even like going outside if it had rained in the last week. But we're all laughing our heads off watching Samson running, sliding, diving in the snow. Eating the snow. Burying his face in the snow. And the more we laughed, the more he seemed to put on a show for us. And we all saw the humor in the fact that Buddy would've been huddled on the front porch, shivering, just wanting back in the house. Same with the rain. Samson will find a puddle and lay down in it. Buddy just plain hated the water.

We just watch him doing different things and someone will say....."Remember when Buddy did that?" or "Remember how Buddy liked that?"

So, we were worried that we were only trying to _replace_ Buddy but instead we end up _remembering_ him more.


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## RickGibbs (Dec 16, 2005)

Oh.....and my rambling got away from me again.....forgot to say that it looks like you couldn't go wrong with either Tabitha or Dani.

My wife wouldn't let me go to a place like that, because I'd end up bringing them both home......


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## shaneamber (Apr 20, 2005)

Thank you very much,Duke will always be a part of us.
Both of those Goldens look GReat. Don't worry, it's not too soon.What would Abbey want for you? To have a Golden life.You are not replacing her,that is impossible,but you are saving an Golden soul because of her love.
Our condolances on Abbey,she will be at the Bridge waiting for you,
You must believe,
Shane


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