A Tribute to Gator (very picture heavy)

[ShrekDawg]

I didn’t even think they were that close but I guess they were. He used to chase her but then he stopped and they would lay together a few feet from each other lol that was their form of “cuddling”

 

[ShrekDawg]

Poor Luna has been more needy and lonely or clingy or something than usual, wants a lot more attention and sticking close to us humans. Poor thing. Think she definitely misses him. She also has come up to me several times today and just meowed. I know she is not hungry because one of the times I fed her so she did eat. I think she is just saying “where is he?”

 

[oldhenlikesdogs]

Poor Luna has been more needy and lonely or clingy or something than usual, wants a lot more attention and sticking close to us humans. Poor thing. Think she definitely misses him. She also has come up to me several times today and just meowed. I know she is not hungry because one of the times I fed her so she did eat. I think she is just saying “where is he?”

When I lose a dog the others definitely miss that dog. It can go on for weeks, and sometimes months depending on the dog and their attachment to the others. Cats I'm sure feel the same. It will take her a while to learn to live without Gator. She obviously enjoyed his companionship. Poor Luna.

 

[ShrekDawg]

When I lose a dog the others definitely miss that dog. It can go on for weeks, and sometimes months depending on the dog and their attachment to the others. Cats I'm sure feel the same. It will take her a while to learn to live without Gator. She obviously enjoyed his companionship. Poor Luna.

Animals certainly do develop strong attachments. Libby and Franklin are extremely attached. So much so that when my brother took Franklin to work last week, Libby was so distraught/beside herself and didn’t know what to do according to FSIL aha she showed me some pictures and videos and she looked so sad. She was looking for him all day. I guess at one point FSIL kind of wondered to herself like “where’s Libby?” And she turns around and Libby is peering around the corner, looking in the office door, just staring at her LOL then Libby finally got on the bed and FSIL thought oh good she’s finally on the bed... nope, not relaxed, she was staring out the window with her head down on the bed, then either before or after that, she actually went up to the window and rested her head on it, looking out the window for Frank (the window faces the front/street). Then FSIL was doing her exercise bike downstairs and Libby was outside and FSIL looks up and Libby is way at the far end of the yard, just sitting there with a tennis ball in her mouth, and she would pace back and forth down there and then sit again. Just staring back at the house. FSIL said it was so sad and she almost stopped her class (think she must take an online class or something for the bike) and went and played with her. She said Libby was looking for Franklin all day. So sad. Meanwhile, Franklin didn’t care when Libby went to her weekend training thing a while back LOL well, I am sure he cared, but I kinda think he was glad to not have Libby beating him up/harassing him LOL granted, he was also new, now they have gotten more used to each other and she is much less pushy in play and in fact, now he annoys her frequently too lol and they really do love each other so much, but Frank is much more a people oriented dog, loves people, so I think he is glad to have some alone time with his people, and be able to run without Libby bounding after him aha but now I think he would miss her if she went away and he is less confident on walks without her, but Libby just LOVES dogs and I think she is sooo happy to have a brother and friend to play with 24/7 that she just doesn’t wanna ever let him go maybe she is worried they won’t bring him back probably not healthy for her to be so overly attached to him either but she just loves him sooo much lol so I think she would absolutely lose it and become extremely depressed if anything ever happened to him. Frank I think would be upset for a while but would adjust. But I do think having another dog around increases his confidence a lot.

But yeah, I think Luna liked having him around but I think she is also a little bit like Frank, I think she will like being queen and not pushed around lol cause Gator would sometimes chase her just for fun or she would think he was going to chase and take off if he got too close because of his past history of chasing. She had gotten better of not running away every single time and she even sometimes runs when we come near or just for fun really but I think she will enjoy not being run off aha he would never hurt her but always had to investigate when she was near his food bowl (she liked to drink from the water bowl next to the food bowl but he didn’t know the difference aha), when she was on Dad’s bed, etc. and he always ate her cat toys so I think she will enjoy that part, having free reign and toys being able to be left out, but I think she will for sure miss his companionship. She wasn’t scared of him anymore and liked being near him. Often they would lay on the floor together or on the same couch or different couches or one on the couch, one on the floor, etc., she liked being near him and him her, and they would often want me to pet both of them at the same time, so I think she will definitely miss him but I also think maybe it has not fully sunken in yet because he has gone to boarding kennels a few times so it hasn’t been that long yet. But then again I think she probably knew or figured it out cause of signals or chemicals or something we probably give off without realizing it and voice changes and stuff lol

 

[getaclue]

KDogg, so sorry to hear about the loss of your dog. My condolences.

 

[ShrekDawg]

KDogg, so sorry to hear about the loss of your dog. My condolences.

Thank you very much.

 

[Eggscaping]

Aww...it's always so sad to lose a furry family member. Every time it takes a little piece of your heart with them.
Would you share how you and he came to meet each other? Was he a rescue dog? A puppy you got someplace? It's always (for me at least) good to share positive memories of whatever little friend leaves me. Virtual hugs and sympathy!

 

[chickens really]

Everyday it gets a little bit easier...

 

[Callender Girl]

Your loss is heartbreaking. Gator looks a lot like our boy, Soupy, a black Lab mix who was with us from the time he was a stray pup until November 2015. We had him cremated and his ashes are in an urn that bears his picture and the engraved message, "He was a very good boy."

If you believe all dogs go to heaven, imagine Gator, Soupy and all those other good boys and girls play bowing to each other and running free, buoyed by the love they gave and the love they received during their too-short lives.

 

[ShrekDawg]

Aww...it's always so sad to lose a furry family member. Every time it takes a little piece of your heart with them.
Would you share how you and he came to meet each other? Was he a rescue dog? A puppy you got someplace? It's always (for me at least) good to share positive memories of whatever little friend leaves me. Virtual hugs and sympathy!

Thank you so much.

I actually found Gator on eBay classifieds believe it or not lol I had been looking for a little while, our other dog had been put down 3 years before and it was definitely time but my dad kept saying he wasn’t ready, but I kept looking anyway. I originally found a rescue, a Lab mix puppy, we almost applied, but then I saw this ad for eBay classifieds and decided to check it out. I had been on it a long time ago but had forgotten about it. I went on it and almost right away I saw this ad for this litter of Lab/Pyrenees puppies and they were adorable so I showed my dad and he agreed so then it was between the rescue and this one and we decided this one was cuter and I think he called and we went right away the next day. I think we showed my brothers first and they agreed he was adorable. I think it was just my dad and I and my older brother met us there (it was 3 hours away in Western MA and he went to school out there). I think my lmom stayed home and possibly my little brother. There were only like 2 puppies left and my brother wanted a big, dumb, goofy, lovable male and I think there was only one male plus he stayed and cuddled, the other puppy went outside. So it was set lol and I think there was a white one left (only one white one in the whole litter) but it was really attached to another puppy so we told the people getting the other puppy that they could have her. I think we made the right decision getting Gator.

Then for his name, he was nameless for like two weeks cause no one could agree on a name and then we finally decided on Bear and he had that name for maybe like a week or few days, when my dad and brother started calling him Gator as a joke cause he would lay on the Gator and snap like an alligator and sometimes also roll lol sooo... it stuck. He chose his own name and I think it was a much better name than Bear anyway.

Also, the first time we brought him home, my brother brought him in the kitchen and was carrying him around and dropped him by accident, only maybe like a foot or two at most, I think he was setting him down or the dog jumped or something, and Gator immediately started limping around, holding his little leg up. Oh my brother was so upset, he thought he hurt him badly, and we called the vet immediately, we were ready to rush him to the doggy ER LOL, until the vet said “puppies are very dramatic. He is most likely fine.” Sure enough like 5 minutes later, he was completely fine and walking on it like nothing ever happened. He was just a major drama queen looking back now, it was really quite hilarious, but at the time, my brother was so upset because the dog had been home for like 5 minutes tops and he already “injured” him lol

Everyday it gets a little bit easier...View attachment 1627871View attachment 1627872View attachment 1627873

Thank you so much. Love these

Your loss is heartbreaking. Gator looks a lot like our boy, Soupy, a black Lab mix who was with us from the time he was a stray pup until November 2015. We had him cremated and his ashes are in an urn that bears his picture and the engraved message, "He was a very good boy."

If you believe all dogs go to heaven, imagine Gator, Soupy and all those other good boys and girls play bowing to each other and running free, buoyed by the love they gave and the love they received during their too-short lives.

Thank you very much. So sorry about your boy too! He sounds like he died young? That is a sweet idea though. We are getting Gator’s ashes but unsure if we will keep them or spread them somewhere nice.

Aw I bet they are having a lot of fun up there together!!