So sorry Jay. I know how bad it hurts.We still grieve for our old timer and he has been gone 8 years now. WOW Time flies. Our new pups are now almost 9 and 6. GADS!!!! So sorry you have to wait so long for another pal to come into your life. Ya never know. Hope for you it can be sooner. They adapt to any surrounding quickly and just think he could be potty trained before you have floors.

I'm so sorry flgargoyle. I posted on the other thread to both you & Nancy. I do remember that quiet. May it not last too long for you. Of course, if your cat has the last word, you may wind up with another cat soon.

Been there, done that. It sure is hard. Thankfully you had a companion. My ex took the kids and headed out of town a few years back and left me with that decision. A few days before Christmas no less. One of the hardest things I ever had to do. I couldn't watch and I asked them to take care of.....Ginger.

So Jay, I'm going to be in Rosman, NC the 19th, 20th and 21st of June. You will be at about my 11 o'clock, plus 20 miles or so and two thousand feet down. Are you going to be up at your place around then?

Scott

No- I'll miss you by about a week. We're coming up 6/28 through 7/3 this time. I told my employer that I was leaving 'soon', but they haven't done much about the transition yet. If they haven't gotten going by the time get back in July, I'll hand them an official two week's notice.

This trip, we meet with the contractor to lay out where the buildings will go. He can get started on the foundation and septic system until I get back.

Jay, will you be waiting until construction is over before getting another doggy?

I've been thinking about cutting a doggy door into the double wide doors on the Teahouse. I do not generally leave the dogs outside because the gas meter reader does not close the gate. And my two dogs have no street savvy.

Don't know what size dog you have in mind, but I can see you with a golden retriever. They are the most laid back and family oriented dogs I know. And with your pond, they'd be in doggy heaven swimming every day.

I'm undecided about when to get a dog. I'll be living alone in the woods in a rural area- that's a little spooky for a city-slicker like me. I could see having a big 'ole dog hanging around while I work, and serving as the early warning system at night. Our neighbor has 3 scary pit bulls, so I may move fencing up the priority list. If I have a fenced-in area, a dog would be a good fit. The only times I will travel to FL, I'll drive, so I can bring a load of stuff up to SC. There's no reason a dog can't ride along with me.

I grew up with Goldens- wonderful dogs. It's hard to get a good one, though, with so much in-breeding going on. They have skin trouble in hot weather, too. Our first dog as a couple was a Bearded Collie, and we love the breed. Kinda spendy, though! My plan is to keep my heart and mind open, and God will provide me with the right dog at the right time. I just know some lovable mutt will present itself when I need one the most.

Yeah, that's the way to look at it, Jay. I was just thinking that what you need is a loveable goofy dog that can stand up for his private property should the need arise. If I had the space to deal with one, I'd look for an Irish wolfhound. My little dachshund girl is totally a hound dog, and I love those hounds. Right now, she has her nose behind the washing machine, where the water pipe comes through the floor, snorting some scent. And has been doing that for the last three hours. Tireless and dedicated to catching anything that moves in her space!!! Gotta love that dedication.

I love Irish Wolfhounds, too, as well as Scottish Deerhounds. Unfortunately, those giant breeds don't live long. I guess If I had several of them at different ages....

My mother was a dog breeder- Flat-Coated Retrievers. They area a great (and rare) breed, too, but they seem to be plagued with a lot of health problems. Between the potential loss, and the vet bills, I hate to roll the dice on a dog that may be pre-destined to genetic frailties. Hence the idea of a good ole mutt.

Jay, my favorite dog breed is the smaller dachshund. A regular doxie can be up to 30 pounds, and is a heavy dog with really short legs. So I'm in favor of the 15 pounders. Or maybe a little less, but you get the idea.

When my son was little, we had our first dachshund, and she was adorable. With her, we had two other younger doxies, a male b&t, and another red female. It was like having a bucket of worms in the house. They chased each other at breakneck speed round and around the series of rooms, then suddenly turned the other direction, and the chasee became the chaser. And, they were hunters. The male hid in the bushes and waited for birds to come to his food bowl, then he trapped them by the fence, and hid their bodies as his prized possessions in a corner of the carport. When the odor got too rank, I discovered his stash.

Each of the three had totally different personalities too. The elder female was our fishing dog, her favorite food was fish, and when we went fishing, she could tell there were oily mackerel about to strike our trolling lines, and she'd jump up on the stern and bark and wag her tail, then ZING, it was a mackerel. The male was such a laid back thing, his favorite food was ice cream. Oh yeah, he was a lazy cream puff, with a passion for hunting. Then the younger red female was a more highly strung dog, and her favorite food was liver. Totally enchanting having three at one time, watching them interact,

If I were younger, I'd have more than one doxie today. Females of course.

My little male maltese is quite old now, and he has had skin problems since Hurricane Katrina. I dread thinking of the day I will lose him. He is so loyal to me, always by my side, follows me everywhere. Talk about problems with poor breeding, MoonPie is such a case. If I had not got him from the broker who had 20 miscellaneous pups from what I learned were puppy mill breeders, then he would have spent his days in a cage and died pretty young I'm sure. So I do not count him as a purebreed, but a very loyal little guy who will always be cared for because he deserves it.

I also have two parrots, a male African grey .....and a male eclectus. They are 12 and 14 years old respectively. I raised the grey, and adopted the ekkie 2 years ago when his mama, my friend, died of cancer. Parrots are great companions, but require a lot of specific care and conditions. Definitely not for everybody.