We are both animal lovers, and in the past, both before and after we were together, we have had cats, dogs, a horse, a goat, a couple of parrots, and tropical fish, to name a few. Terry loves cats and had a magnificent lynk/manx/Himalayan mix named Sasquatch for many years. He got his name because he was also polydactyl, which means he had multiple toes on both his front and rear paws.
I am partial to dogs, except for those barking rats that some people want you to believe are dogs. I have had springer spaniels, an Irish setter, and quite a few German shepherds, which in my opinion is the best dog breed in the world.
After we lost our last pets, we both decided we were not going to have any more because the heartbreak of losing them is so damned hard. But now we are asking ourselves if it’s time to rethink that position.
I confess I have been looking at German shepherds on several Facebook groups, as well as polydactyl cats and kittens. For both of us, a pet is a part of our family. We don’t believe in letting them run loose, and anyone who gets a dog and then makes it spend their life tied up in the backyard does not deserve one.
Over the years, different people have told us about a dog or cat that was available, but our hearts were not ready for that. And not just any old animal will do. As Terry says, it has to speak to her, and there has to be a connection. Will we find a furry friend or two who speaks to us? I guess time will tell. If it really is time, we’ll know it when we meet it.
Be sure to enter our latest Free Drawing. This week’s prize is a copy of the new hardcover edition of the RV camping journal donated by Barbara House. Barbara makes several variations of these, and they all have pages where you can list the date, weather, where you traveled to and from that day, beginning and ending mileage, campground information including amenities at RV sites, a place for campground reviews, room to record activities, people met along the way, reminders of places to see and things to do the next time you’re in the area, and a page for notes for each day.
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And finally, here’s a chuckle to start your day from the collection of funny signs we see in our travels and that our readers share with us. I never said a word about overcompensation.
Thought For The Day – What counts in making a happy marriage is not so much how compatible you are but how you deal with incompatibility.
Nick Russell
World-Famous, New York Times Best Selling Author, and All-Around Nice Guy!
My husband and I have been full-timing for almost 10 years and we’ve been delaying getting pets because we have no one to watch them when we take cruises or other tours. However now we are buying a home so we’re rethinking our decision as well. I also love german shepherds.
I am 73 and know I will never have another puppy. LOVE them, but the needs of a puppy are just too much for me to handle at this time. I will likely always have a dog, if I am able to care for it properly. Breed doesn’t matter. Size doesn’t matter. I just need to have one that I can live with and care for. My plan for any other dog, when my present rescue goes peacefully on to the next Great Adventure, is to go to the local county animal shelter and adopt the oldest dog there or one who has been there the longest, waiting for a loving home. I can afford vet bills, have lots of patience, and lots of sympathy and love. I have the energy to play at most levels and would love to make the last years of any sad dog their best ever. That is my goal.
I’d say it’s time but then the longest we have gone between dogs is one year. Like everyone else, it crushes my heart when they are gone but I need something to fill that hole. I’m almost 74 and this new puppy has been a challenge but also so much fun. Go for it!@
They say that dogs and their owners look alike. Not sure there is a breed of dogs called Bearded Bulldogs, for you though.
Adopt a pet from your local Humane Society.
We lost our 13 yr old dog over the winter and told ourselves the same thing. It hurts to damn much when they go. Why should we get another? But then we started watching the rescue groups and even visited a couple of shelters. We couldn’t find a grown dog that had lived with cats (we have two) so we started looking at puppies. We found a 5 month old rescue just a few weeks ago. It is exhausting becoming parents in your 70’s! But she is wonderful. She forces us to play and be happy.
I’m sure if you found another sheppie like that one , you’d be a new dad !
Good luck on the “hunt” ! A nice kingdom for a pooch ya got there ..
A Maine Coon Cat for Terry perhaps? Plenty of toes and could help sheppie guard the ranch too. (and that’s no joke). A girlfriend had one and named him Coco.
I called him The Coe !
Adopt, don’t shop! You can find just what you want. And reputable rescues have vetted and evaluated the dogs they take in. All my dogs have been rescues including 5 purebred Scottish Terriers, including my current boy, Brendon.