This is topic Still greeving for Tillie in forum Member forum at The New Huntmastersbbs!.
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Posted by Leonard (Member # 2) on May 16, 2026, 12:52 PM:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XAWSSQOe1TQ
I don’t even remember when I first heard this song, but it moved me deeply. I was maybe 17-18 years old and I memorized the lyrics, never forgot them.
Yesterday, I played the video at least 30 times; nah, more like 50. I couldn’t get it out of my head.
Tillie was the best dog I ever had and I have had several. Never had a dog that I didn’t grieve over, but with Tillie; I am all alone now, and I’m really hurting. If I had not left that Sago soaking in a 5 gallon bucket, she would still go to bed with me every night. Her bed was down in the corner on the opposite side but I felt every time she got up and circled a couple times, and I’m sure she knew how soundly or not that I was sleeping. She had two responses to the question; Do you need to go out? Either she jumped down and waited at the slider that was 5 feet away….or she would studiously ignore me. I tried to teach her to say WOOF, but her response was just as certain. The only time she ignored me, and she did her best to assure me that she was good, by putting me on ignore.
I don’t know what to do? We were buddies, shared everything! When I had to leave her, we both suffered, but she understood that I would take her along, if I could, so she gradually understood that she just couldn’t go Bye Bye, this time. When I came back, I really think she knew the sound of tte car. I would stop in the street, not turning into my driveway, until she came up to the gate. Never failed.
I used to stop in the driveway, even if I was going into the garage. I would put it in park and bring a Mcdonald’s cheeseburger over to the side gate, unwrap it and give it to her as a peace offering for having to leave her behind. Sometimes, it was a Pup Cup, but she knew it was an apology for leaving her behind.
Yeah, I spoiled the hell out of her, She was my buddy! If I has not left that Sago making deadly soup in the bucket, she would still be here. I guess I already said that? But I feel responsible. She was a perfect companion, and I have had some damned good dogs. I’m wondering if I should get another pup? Maybe I will know if and when? In the meantime, I am incredibly lonely. Every time I eat anything, I think about not being able to share it with her. She never begged, she was confident knowing that when I finished a bowl of cereal or chile, or an ice cream bar, i’d hand it to her and she would lick the last bite and splinter the stick, then drop it. Not polite enough to put it in the trash, but I never cared. She was spoiled rotten, and why not? She was a good girl….and that’s the nicest thing I can say about her. I was very, and hopelessly attached to her. She was the best buddy I ever had.
LB🐝
[ May 16, 2026, 01:05 PM: Message edited by: Leonard ]
Posted by Kokopelli (Member # 633) on May 16, 2026, 01:58 PM:
The brutal truth is that losing a good dog sucks and losing a great dog sucks with a level of hurt that will never completely go away.
Sadly, it's what we sign up for when we bring the puppy home for the first time.
It may be too early but my suggestion would be to go to the local shelter or out in front of Wally World where they give away free puppies and pick out a couple of litter mates.
You will never replace Tillie but saving a couple of rescue dogs might ease the hurt in your heart a bit.
Sorry that I can't offer anything more than that.
Posted by Kokopelli (Member # 633) on May 16, 2026, 04:13 PM:
Ok ............ Taking my own advice, I just came home from Wally World with a three month old Boxer pup.
This is gonna get interesting. ![[Smile]](smile.gif)
Posted by TA17Rem (Member # 794) on May 16, 2026, 04:50 PM:
My son went out to farm kennels to do chores today and called me right away saying one of my females was not moving. When I got home, I fired up the tractor and had son drive it out to farm for me and I followed in the pickup. Yep, my female was dead, liver, kidneys or heart failure unsure and not going to pay a vet to find out.
I took tractor back by the grove and picked out a spoy next to where I had buried a few other dogs and dug a hole and then went put my dead female in hole and covered her up and said a few words and then went back to kennel and let my remaining 3 dogs run around the big yard.
Not much I can do so I just get over the loss and carry on. Koko is right if the loss is bad enough just go get a fresh pup and find one you comfortable with size wise.
Good choice on pup Koko you look like a boxer type man. (fit profile)
[ May 16, 2026, 04:52 PM: Message edited by: TA17Rem ]
Posted by Kokopelli (Member # 633) on May 16, 2026, 08:13 PM:
This new pup will NOT in any way, shape or form replace the dog that was a family member and had to be put down after having a stroke earlier this year.
However ...... It's a pup with it's own personality. A little cute and a little goofy. On the plus side, it's teaching me patience. Housebreaking doesn't happen all at once.
Posted by www (Member # 3918) on May 17, 2026, 06:26 AM:
Heaven goes by favor. If it went by merit, you would stay out and your dog would go in.
- Mark Twain
Posted by Leonard (Member # 2) on May 17, 2026, 09:22 AM:
Might be some truth in that? For sure, Tillie never did something wrong. I could not ask for a better behaved dog.
Today would be her seventh (7) birthday!
She was registered with the United Kennel Club.
One time I had a sandwich in my right hand, and she was following me on the right side. I absent mindedly dropped my hand and she snatched it like I was intentionally giving it to her. At least it sure looked like it, from her perspective. I hardly reacted, at all. I could leave anything by my chair or the side table that Keep my computer on and walk away, confident that she would keep track of it for me until I came back from the bathroom, or whatever. She never once snuck a bite or took a cashew.
Cashews are Pinky’s favorite food and Tillie loved them almost as much. She never took one, but I gave her one when I fed Pinky. That was expected. Pinky got 3 cashews, 3 Fritoes, 3 Cheetos, 4 stick pretzels, 2 dog food discs and a small scoop of Safflower seeds. You know Cockatoos can count, right?
I can’t decide if I should get another dog? One indication of the changing of the guard. Yesterday, a squirrel ran right past me on the upper deck! That never happened before! If one ran on the back wall, Tillie would raise hell and he would turn around and go back to his pine trees. I have never seen a squirrel right up next to the house. He appeared to be heading for the fig tree. Discipline is going to hell around here!
LB 🐝
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