Ivy, one of my mastiffs, is nine years old–she’ll be ten the day after Christmas. She is and always has been the perfect dog: loving, gentle, protective, obedient, and playful. She even earned a Canine Good Citizen Award.
Ten year old birthdays are rare for mastiffs–I once read that there was a special club for dogs who made it that far. Why? Something about their large hearts and large bodies.
I believe Ivy has a large heart–we see it in the way she loves us, our children, and our grandchildren.
It has been hard to watch her slow down. First she stopped running, then she stopped going outside unless she absolutely has to go potty. But she still plays. Even though she rocks awkwardly on her back hips, she still wants to play.
We love her. And I am dreading the inevitable farewell.
But until then, we are grateful for every day, every doggie smile, and every cuddle. Because that’s why God made dogs–to teach us how to love unconditionally.
Do you have an old dog? Some people don’t understand why we put ourselves through the grief of losing an old dog, but the love is worth it. Oh, yes.
~~Angie
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We lose our precious Snickerdoodle (chihuahua) at the age of 17 years, 7 months, 17 days. Were we ready to turn him lose – no. While we knew we would open our hearts again for both great joy and heartbreak, we also knew to do a new family member justice that we had to wait until they won’t be compared constantly to Snickerdoodle. It had to be full concentration on them. It took a bit over two years before we knew we were ready never guessing that we would double the fun, double the trouble. While not siblings, they were raised together. So when we went to get one little boy, we came home with two – both chihuahuas. Our home is is not full again with love in abundance. At our age, getting two makes even more sense all these months later. They have each other to play with to get rid of all that energy. 🙂 Plus, they are interchangeable in whose lap they want to be in so neither of us feel left out – sort of one for each at any one time. We can’t imagine our home without them and pray they both have long, long lives.
I understand completely–we’ve always had mastiffs in pairs–though they don’t demand much playtime, except when they’re very young. I will pray with you that your pair live until Jesus returns!
I loved seeing the pictures of Ivy, Angie. My latest story, To Love a Beast, features a masttiff who is a loyal champion who helps save the day. I’ve never owned one, but I loved learning about these gentle giants and their fierce protectiveness. I wish I had known about your dogs when I was in the research phase. I bet you could have given me lots of wonderful inspiration. 🙂
Oh, yes–we’ve had NINE, and they’re all different in their personalities, even though the protective nature is still strong. Mostly, they are aloof with strangers, unless they weren’t socialized properly. But once I greet a newcomer, they’re curious and friendly. The.Best.Dogs.Ever. Did you hear the story about how one of mine was on Regis and Kelly? LOL. It was quite the event!
Sniff. Sniff. The only downside to loving a dog is how short their lives are compared to most humans. I have loved so many—border collie, shetland sheepdog, cocker spaniel, dachshund, a few Heinz 99 variety, and my two papillons. When Poppet (my first papillon) died, I thought I couldn’t bear to get another dog because I didn’t want to hurt that badly again. But very soon, I was looking for my next one, and Boo more than filled that empty place in my heart. She turned 8 this year. I hope she will live another 8. I hate the thought of being without her. And yes on that unconditional love they exhibit. Sniff. Sniff.
You’re right–I rarely last more than a couple of dotless months before I get another one. I just can’t stand a dog-less house, and it sure helps fill those empty holes in the heart!
Our first family dog lived to old age and it was SO HARD when he passed away. At the time a friend said, “Our love for them is so pure that, when they go, our grief is pure, too.” That resonated with me!As you said, they add so much to our lives that even the sadness and loss of parting with them is worth it. {Hugs to you and Ivy.}
Thank you!
I absolutely understand the love of a dog. I have a Bluetick Coonhound that’s about to be 9 years old. She is having some stomach issues and the vet is trying to figure it out. She’s still her same playful, very sassy self so we are believing she is going to be around a while longer. But we’ve had several dogs that lived a long time and it’s worth the pain of saying farewell to have that unconditional love while their here. Your Ivy is simply beautiful!!
Praying for your Coonhound! And thank you! Ivy thanks you, too!
The love of a dog is so precious! I’ve been blessed to have had 2 golden retrievers. My first, Copper, became my doctor of sorts after a life altering car accident I was in. He watched over me like it was his life’s purpose. After Copper came Remy. Sadly, on Remy’s 4th birthday, we learned he had cancer and only months to live. He died when he was 4 years and 7 months old. I miss him, but the memories he gave my family and I in that short space of time are priceless. Enjoy every moment with your fur baby!
Thank you! We have a mutt, Toby, whose life’s purpose is to stand at our backyard door and tell us if anything moves outside. He’s hysterical, but very serious about his work. Hugs to you!
Dogs are God’s gift to us to teach us unconditional love is right! The price of loving them is the grief when we lose them. Right now I have a 14 year-old Shih Tzu-Pekapoo cross who is my health-challenged husband’s best friend and companion; she is suffering from some kidney failure but with her prescription food is doing amazingly well. I also have a 12+ year-old (rescue, so who knows for sure) chihuahua with bad knees who keeps trudging along making me smile and loving her cuddles. This past February, we brought a new, rescue chihuahua PUPPY into the house and she is keeping my old girls busy with her antics, which is exactly why we all needed her. When I lost my my dog, Kaya, several years ago, it was one of the hardest things I’ve ever walked through. Thank you for sharing pictures and the story of Ivy, she’s a beautiful dog. ♥
Thank you for sharing your story, Colleen. It is hard to lose them, but I believe they are going to be with us in heaven. I can’t wait to have a house filled with mastiffs! 🙂
What a beautiful old girl. Losing a dog leaves a permanent hole in our heart but that hole is filled with memories and love. God bless you as you go through this painful last phase of life with her.
Thank you, Susan. Blessings to you and yours!
Oh my! I’m dealing with that same fear with my 14 year old pug mix, Ginger. I lost my last 2 dogs so suddenly. 1 at 5 years old (brain tumor) , the other at 11 (ruptured spleen).
So now I’m all on edge. But we just live life to the fullest while we can. She gets pretty much whatever she wants! 😊
Thanks for sharing your story! 🥰