Is There Anyone Who Does Not Have A Heart Dog?

[badboyz]

I knew Gherky was my heart dog after she passed away and I selfishly wished it was one of the others ;)

That's really sad Dotty that you didn't know till it was too late.

You can not choose your heart dog, you choose each other and they leave an irreplaceable hole in your heart. You never know who they will be, they just are.

This is exactly right. They just are. This thread has brought tears to my eyes just reading it and thinking of her.

I have had many many dogs in my life and each and every one were, and are, very special in their own ways, some just a little more so than others. But one fat, generally lazy, undemanding angel (with a tiny bit of devil thrown in) and the most devine big brown eyes will always be the keeper of my heart. I don't believe everyone will be lucky enough to find that special dog. It took me over 30yrs (10 spent as a breeder and showie) and some different breeds before I met her. I still have some amazingly wonderful dogs in my life now, and one particular who has enriched my life immensely (probably more than my heart dog ever did). But just to look in her eyes and see her funny tail wiggle, would always hit me right in the heart.

Edited June 22, 2010 by badboyz

[casowner]

As soon as I see those two words "Heart Dog" I begin to well up and my breathing hurts and I feel an unimaginable loss at the thought of my boy being gone. Once you have felt that bond you will have the same reaction

[HollyE]

Thank you for clearing that up for me ;)

I am head over heals in love with Joey -

I have only had him for 5 months (he's 6 months old) but i don't know how i'd survive without him.

I love just being with him, i take him for a walk and find a nice grassy area and we just lay there together, when we get onto an open area once i say the words "go on joey" he goes crazy happy, i trust him off leash, But i make sure the area is partly fenced at lest. He's like the light in my life, he makes me happy, he's there when i am sad, he makes sure i am safe and happy right now he's laying next to my chair.

He never leaves my side but in saying that i can leave him and he wont cry for me, he is such a good boy.

He's my bestfriend and i'd never replace him!

When we actually went to the breeders place there where 9 others and he just came over and sat onto my lap, he wouldn't go off with his sister and brothers, he'd just stay with me, He choose us!

I Have another dog Zarly (husky) I don't have the same bond as i do with Joey, She is had over heals in love with my partner (Michael) but i love her so much as well, i don't know where i'd be without seeing her face every morning when i wake up, she usually licks my face though ha ha!!!

Edited June 22, 2010 by HollyE

[rastus_froggy]

I have a heart dog but I will reply anyway ;) just because I love talking about him.

My heart dog was my rotty ICE, I got him when I was 16 and had him til I was 29, he was there for me through the tough teenage times. Because of him I will never own another rotty, I worry that none could ever live up to what he was and it would be unfair of me to expect that. I love my current dogs to bits but it is a different bond I have with them, my life has chanced and what I expect from a dog has changed. I love the working type bond that I have with my dogs now that I do agility with.

[black magic]

I'm not sure.

Scout is my first dog ever, so I have no idea if the love I feel for her is more than I could ever feel for any other dog!

[JulesP]

I actually think it is the dog that does the picking. I agree that it is about the bond but don't think it means you love that dog more than the others. It is sort of like a soul mate thing, you just fit right. You can have more than one too ;) I had this feeling with Fern and then Poppy picked me. Haven't had the feeling with the other 3 borders although I love them dearly.

[jemappelle]

My heart dog is waiting for me at the Bridge.

I love all my dogs I have now, one a bit more than the others, but my special girl was perfect in every way and I think about her every day. A little piece of me left with her when she died.

[tdierikx]

As soon as I see those two words "Heart Dog" I begin to well up and my breathing hurts and I feel an unimaginable loss at the thought of my boy being gone. Once you have felt that bond you will have the same reaction

I know that feeling Casowner... my beloved Rotti girl Woosie has been waiting for me at the Bridge for nearly 6 years now... and I still lose it when I think of her... *sob*

I love ALL of my dogs (and even my fosters) dearly - but Woosie was "the one". If I'm ever lucky enough to share that sort of bond with another dog, I'll know that I am truly blessed.

It's kind of hard to explain the bond one shares with a heart dog... maybe it's like finding your true doggy soul mate? Something so special that words can't really explain it... and it hurts so bad when it's time for them to take their wings... you lose a chunk of your heart when they pass.

T.

[Danois]

I'm like Jemappelle - my heart dog has gone to the bridge and when he went, he took a big chunk of my heart with him.

[corvus]

I have never had a heart dog. I loved Penny dearly. She was my girl and my oldest friend. I adore Kivi. He's just so sweet and special and makes me feel like he needs extra special care (although he doesn't). I think Erik is an awesome dog and I treat him like my prodigious child. But Kit my hare has my heart and always will. There's a grown-up quality to the relationship we have. He doesn't need me and we both know it. He's an adult in a way that domestic companion animals will never really be. He is not cuddly, or affectionate, or easy to get along with. He is not social. He is skittish, solitary, and extremely difficult to do anything with. But he's my baby. I raised him from such an early age, and he has repaid every sleepless night, every moment of panic or anxiety, every minute I have spent worrying about how to do the best I can by him tenfold. One day I'm going to write a book about what he has taught me. There's a book's worth of it.

[redkidsmum]

My heart dog is waiting for me at the Bridge.

I love all my dogs I have now, one a bit more than the others, but my special girl was perfect in every way and I think about her every day. A little piece of me left with her when she died.

That is exactly how I feel about my Kandy ..I thought my heart would break when she left for the Rainbow bridge .. ;) Have a whole little pack of furkids now ..love them all dearly..several I adore .. but they are not my baby girl

[halfthewords]

My heart dog (Carl) found me at the dog rescue I've worked at in Sydney. He came to me when I was 17; in fact he was processed from the pound less than a week after a breakup with my girlfriend that I have only recently come good from. He has been physically and mentally abused worse than any dog I have seen come through DoggieRescue in four years. Monika herself could not get near Carl and difficult dogs are usually easily handled by her.

For some reason, I never noticed his extreme fear-aggression, and treated him as I did the rest of the dogs. The area he slept in was specifically built so he would avoid any contact with staff; he would simply walk to and from his day yard to his kennel. At the end of my shift, I would give the dogs in his area some chicken wings as a treat. I would crouch and he would prop himself on my knee like everybody else. The manager at the time saw me petting him and she yelled at me, saying "he would take my hand off, he is dangerous, he should be PTS." I was confused since he had never shown any aggression toward me, or fear. But I had never treated him as an "abused" or "special needs" dog.

From then on, I was on a mission to adopt or at least foster this dog. It took me eight months to convince my parents that I would be able to rehabilitate him. (My family is big - sisters, a younger autistic brother.) I started walking him at the beginning and end of my shifts, and taking him to the beach where for some reason I let him offleash. He always came back. He had quite a reputation at DR for biting staff and volunteers so there was a strict rule that nobody was to handle him but me; he wouldn't take food from anyone else. When he was sick and had to be medicated, I was required to be there every day to do it, even though I was doing my HSC at the time. The look on his face was nothing but grateful.

After a particularly bad incident in which he bit a feeding volunteer who, as many tried to, attempted to make friends with him, despite the fearful body language, I knew had to get him home ASAP. I brought him home once I convinced my dad in May 2008. After two weeks, I fostered him officially on my birthday. His adoption followed six months later in September, and there hasn't been a moment since I've regretted taking this dog with so many issues, both fearful and aggressive, into my care. He has expanded my knowledge of dog behaviour and psychology extensively. I've learned different ways of training, feeding, and exercising just from owning Carl. He and I have a bond that is unexplainable, and understandable only to us. He's come a long, long way in that time.

Carl has his issues, but he is fearless when it comes to protecting me, loyal, hysterical, and so loving and affectionate, that I wouldn't want him as a "normal" dog. ;)

Edited June 22, 2010 by Hanna Gibbs

[Gayle.]

I love all my dogs equally, and very, very much.

but Dusty makes my heart sing.

[Kirov_grrl]

My heart dog left for Rainbow Bridge just before Christmas - my eyes well up whenever I talk/type/think/see pics of her.

Its still very raw for me - even after 6 months.

Whilst I love our remaining dog to bits - we play, cuddle, train, vege out together, and generally have a great time - we just don't have the connection or bond that I had with Flynt.

I agree with the others that have heart dogs over the bridge - you really do lose part of yourself when they go. I know that any pet leaving you is devastating - but heart dogs change you forever...

[OSoSwift]

Hmmm, well if you had of asked me that a few years ago it would have been my Dobe girl, we travelled a lot together and did so many firsts together and were very very close. When she died I felt my heart had broken in two, It took at least year before I could speak about her and not cry. I still get tears writing this.

However. I honestly have to say that both of the dogs I have now I also have the same sorts of feeling for, the are both fantatstic but quite different. I am quite sure if anything happened to them that I would be completely devistated.

I do feel I will probably never have another Rotti after my girl Arizona and I know I will never have another Dobe. Maybe that is how I cope? Not have another of the same breed after a much loved one has passed?? Not sure.

I love all of my dogs (and other animals) and each one takes a chunk of my heart when they leave and each one hurts, but do I or have I had a heart dog? No I don't think I can pick one above the others - yet anyway.

[W Sibs]

Charlie is my heart dog. Growing up with dogs and I have had some special bonds with a few of them but nothing that compares to the bond Charlie and I have. We bonded from the moment we met. He has taught me so much.

Doesn't mean I don't love Emmy any less because I'm totally and completely in love with my little girl. Emmy brings a whole new energy into my life, she is the dog that I love to train, she is sooo much fun to play around with and she is sooo happy and loves life. She can always put a smile on my face and everything she does is so damn cute.

[Chicken]

I used to think that people were nuts when I heard this term.

I loved my dog Fern for sure, but never the way that these people used to talk about their "heart dog".

Then Abby came into my life. The rottie who was recommended to me by her breeder. She came into my life for a reason and we love each other unconditionally and completely. She was a scared frightened thing when she came to me and she just wanted to be back with her breeder in the home she knew. I was a scared frightened thing when she came to me as well, maybe thats why we worked so well together. I was patient with her and she was patient with me.

Now when I sit anywhere, she is there, resting her head on my leg and gazing at me while I gaze back at her, patting her head and scratching her ears.

The best compliment I ever got about her was from her breeder. I went to a rottie show with her and left something in the car, so I left Abby with her breeder while I went back to my car. Ab did everything her breeder asked of her, but watched me the entire time I was gone, and was so excited when I was coming back. Her breeder was rapt that this special girl had found that special bond.

I thank my friend and Abby's breeder every day for putting the two of us together. It is a match made in heaven and I know that any other dog will never ever compare to her. She is my one and only.

[DaisyDog]

My current girl is my heart dog. My soul. We're so bonded she knows when I'm in a dangerous place (severe depression issues) and will break all the house rules in order to be touching me. If she doesn't know where I am she will look in every room until she finds me, she needs to know where I am at all times. She came to me in an incredibly tough period of my life, a time where it looked like suicide was my only option. She wasn't the dog I'd intended on getting, I found her by pure accident and we instantly connected. And we've been inseparable for 2 years now. The mere thought of losing her breaks my heart. She’s saved my life. She gives me hope and something to live for.