A Man's Best Friend

[Robusto]

Our golden labrador boy Max died yesterday afternoon after a couple of days when it was clear the dear old chap was on his way out. My younger lad and I are off college and work at present so we were able to give him the love and attention he needed. Had it been a normal working week, we might have just discovered him gone when we walked into the house.

We've had him for five years from a local labrador rescue centre, and we estimate that he was twelve years old at least. Impossible to know. My boys have grown through their teens with him pottering around. I'm a 50 year old man, and he's the only dog I've ever had. I'm not ashamed to say the tears are real.

I go on about smoking in my shack. Max was a frequent feature of my cigar rituals. He would follow me down there five or ten minutes after I'd left by the back door.

He never moaned about Havana clouds. I made bloody sure I got him on my side.


Just wanted to connect with a few laugh-sharing BOTL. After all, these windows have been around for almost a year now, and we've talked about pets more than once, as well as just about everything else cigar and non-cigar related over the months!

It feels bad when you lose a close friend. It feels bad in the family right now.











The last snap will be a constant reminder of how much we are/were both into keep-fit.

I'm sorry if this seems mawkish and ridiculous to write about losing a dog. Dogs aren't humans! Even so, we're feeling it very hard here.

I'll either write far too much from this point, or I'll try and back off from the forum for a while and leave you folk in peace.

Were it not for the laddish brotherliness of this forum, I wouldn't be writing a word.

Bryan

[Drewmidorn]

Sorry Bryan. Best Wishes flying your way.

D

[cj121]

Oh mate, so sorry to hear about your loss. No doubt, you'll all have some very fond memories to get you through some of the harder times. I lost my 'Diva' (14yr old Akita) at the back end of '07 and totally know where you're at Bryan. You shitetype away or abstain, whatever feels good
Nice shot, the chairobics one

[Stevieboy]

Sorry to hear about this Bryan...always hard when a beloved pet dies

Don't back away from us...post even more shite than usual ...whatever helps Big Fellah

Here's a for you

xxx [Note - those are lower-case manly kisses ]

[cohibaIV]

Sorry to hear the bad news mate...never easy when you lose a good friend..

Dale

[whisky77]

Real sorry.

Real sorry to read about your dog Robusto.I know how attached you can become to a dog and the loss can be really difficult.

Try and keep your chin up mate.

[Boss Hog]

My thoughts are with you, we're here when ever you need us. BOTL

[Robusto]

You are good men.
Wet eyes on and off down here.

My missus is the strongest.
My lads are really gutted.

I'm sorry for being such a pillock currently.
It will pass.







On the beach near our house.

(The address is showing. That's OK).

[nicwing]

Hi Bryan, sorry to hear the news man, It's a sad thing that often it takes a loss like this to make you realise how just much a friend meant.

However once a dog man always a dog man, just give it some time and let the keep fit regime slide for a couple of weeks my friend.

[Pantomimehorse]

sorry to hear about Max Bryan, human or not he was still a friend to you.

[Robusto]

It's ironic that an ugly grown-up chap like me should feel so deeply for a mere creature.

And - by the way - I NEVER claim exclusivity on this sort of stuff. I know some of us will have gone through far tougher things with relatives and friends human, let alone with animals.

I started that thread about the cartoon emotions of soap operas, and here I find myself going up and down like a bride's nightie. (John Shuttleworth).

No more doggy wet sniffs. No tinkling collar. No soft fat teddy bear blob at my feet while I try and press on with this tape marking.

All these things are the soppy triggers of stupid TV shows, or gay slop novellas. And I'm caught up in them.

I can say totally honestly - because of the peculiarities of my upbringing - that I'm feeling more churned up about Max's death than for the death of certain very close relatives which didn't knock my heart at all. I came out of a Nagasaki-like family, you see.

I'm not a total wreck here, but I'm dropping some tears in every hour at present. My younger boy is still in bed. He was completely distraught yesterday.

So far today I have:

• Phoned the vet to say we want Max's ashes so we can scatter them in the garden
• Contacted Kent Labrador Rescue to see if a lab-houser nearby wants a big bag of unopened adult food from Pets At Home
• Moved his final existing shit on the lawn to a special plant that will benefit from it
• Prepared his big bed for laundry at a nearby Dot Cotton launderette which we'll then store in the eaves

This must all look as camp as fuck - this man can laugh through tears, girls - but if you can put up with me "expressing" even arch and farcical stuff, it will help.

That's mostly what I think my schtick is like on here in posts from day to day, anyway, I guess.
With the smell and taste of a good cigar always suggested.

And writing a bit will in its own way help the glums pass.

[daverave999]

Oh man that's terrible news.
We've mentioned labs in the past. You must be gutted. A big sincere hug from me.

[Deano]

Sorry to hear it mate.

I don't think anyone thinks your soft for feeling the way you do, I certainly don't.

I've had dogs, cats, other animals in the family and am always absolutely gutted to the same extent you are when they pass away.

I'm glad he had a bloody good life after being rescued by you.

[Ramon]

Sorry to hear about Max, at least he had you around for his last days.

Our last two dogs were Golden Labs, and it felt terrible when we lost them, it took a while to get over it.

Now we have two black Labs, pic of the older one below, taken last year when she was 4. Hopefully it'll be quite a few years before we have to face this again.

[Robusto]

What a beautiful girl, Ramon.

Men shouldn't cry, really, so I'm taking my boy to the end of Deal Pier for lunch in another seaside cafe type place.

Thanks for your thoughts, guys.
I'll probably be embarrassed by what I've written in this post in a week or so, but what you've written variously is comforting.

I know non-dog people are probably hit by doggy smells when they come to a dog owner's house.
You know... Like those wankers who wave their arms around when you're on a Bolivar in a pub garden.

I don't think Max was a particularly smelly dog.
Moving his things about today, I think his Max smell will be one of the things I will miss the most.

And I've got a picture of him as the start screen on my electronic whiteboards at work.
The kids love him.

All of these things can be altered at the click of a switch.
I just need to sargeant-major myself back into normal working order.