My SKylix is gone

[Kulindahr]

My buddy's dog Tripper is wandering the house sniffing and whining. He keeps coming up to me and whining. He's definitely missing Skylix, who was his playmate -- they wrestled every evening; we'd had to rearrange furniture so they couldn't knock anything over.

The calm of no dogs rampaging is actually a good feeling -- this is the most peaceful evening in several months!

Meanwhile, I have a possible line to a new puppy, not nearly as gorgeous and awesome as Skylix, though. I'm trying to not get my hopes up. And my counselor prefers a puppy a bit older who may actually be larger than Skylix was! I haven't heard back, but I suspect that one is a cross between a small hound an a Great Dane.

 

[ChristianGianni]

Sorry for your loss kulindahr

 

[frankfrank]

I am so sorry to read about your huge loss. I just saw this NOW, because you posted a link to this thread in the Quotes thread - otherwise I would have never seen this.

All good dogs have a big welcoming committee there, I feel certain of it. I wish I was there right now, to give you a good hug.

 

[Nude_Dude]

I'm trying hard not to blame myself.

This is inevitable, mate, to anyone that's loved and lost their dog in such a tragic nightmare of circumstance
But you shouldn't
My Australian Silky Terrier, Didj, was just the greatest companion and friend friend a man could have ever had
He never left my side at home - and always slept in my bed
I never went anywhere without him
He literally 'died in my arms' while I was giving him mouth to mouth after 'inhaling' a large piece of food that lodged in his wind pipe
It's all still raw - four years later - and it hit me harder than when my Dad died, two years later

I know it's probably unthinkable at the moment, but you should think about getting another dog
Not to replace SKylix, but to help fill that giant void you're left with - and somewhere to give all that love, still inside you

You could even consider a 'rescue dog' from an animal welfare group
In the knowledge you have saved a dog's life

 

[Kulindahr]

This is inevitable, mate, to anyone that's loved and lost their dog in such a tragic nightmare of circumstance
But you shouldn't
My Australian Silky Terrier, Didj, was just the greatest companion and friend friend a man could have ever had
He never left my side at home - and always slept in my bed
I never went anywhere without him
He literally 'died in my arms' while I was giving him mouth to mouth after 'inhaling' a large piece of food that lodged in his wind pipe
It's all still raw - four years later - and it hit me harder than when my Dad died, two years later

I know it's probably unthinkable at the moment, but you should think about getting another dog
Not to replace SKylix, but to help fill that giant void you're left with - and somewhere to give all that love, still inside you

You could even consider a 'rescue dog' from an animal welfare group
In the knowledge you have saved a dog's life

I'm primarily looking at rescue dogs -- I can't afford the breeder prices!

I really want one with the same dignified look Skylix had already as a puppy, but different colors.

 

[Kulindahr]

I swear I posted a summary of the burial here, and I don't see it!

Did I accidentally put it in a different thread????

It had some pictures even.

 

[Kulindahr]

I found this quite dignified-looking fellow online--

He has that same look of imperturbable calm that Skylix had.

Unfortunately the shelter gal says he doesn't get along with other dogs.

I'm still trying to figure out what happened to the post I did about the burial. I'm wondering if I tried to post it just when our internet connections crashed -- that could have made it appear to go through while not actually getting there.

 

[Alistair]

^ I didn’t see any post or pictures of the burial and I looked at the thread often.

Good luck on finding a rescue. I’m sure it will happen when the time is right.

 

[Kulindahr]

^ I didn’t see any post or pictures of the burial and I looked at the thread often.

Good luck on finding a rescue. I’m sure it will happen when the time is right.

I can't find anywhere else I might have accidentally put it -- I'll try to reconstruct it from memory.

...

We buried him in the dunes he loved. That required a hole six feet deep.... The top foot and a half took as much time as all the rest because we kept running into roots -- which is a good thing; roots like that mean no animals can dig down from the side. We filled several really big tubs with sand and still had piles big enough to bury several bodies under!

I was a little optimistic about my measurements; when we started to lower the coffin in it got stuck and I had to pull it back out and do some trimming. On the second try things looked good until one of the ropes we were lowering it with slipped and the coffin tipped down at one end and a bit sideways. But between digging around the places it touched the sides and prying at it with a log we got it all the way down at one end and about six inches short on the other.

So it went in the hole with a layer of regular dirt underneath and then around the sides, and I filled the hole with sand, rocks, sticks, pieces of logs, and dirt at every layer to guide the worms down. On top went some fallen logs I'd cut just for this reason; they had ferns like this--

with the same moss coverage, and some like this--

plus a few--

I added one big soft-sandstone rock in the middle, kinda like this only more rust-colored--

There's a kind of empty spot, and I have some of these at home that are kind of too big for where they are--

that I think I'll dig up and take one or two out to plant there. And while I'm at it, a bunch of these--

because I have more than enough of them in my flower beds, and besides, they express my condition just now; they're Bleeding Heart -- and the nice thing is that they'll be starting to bloom soon.


I also came across Skylix's favorite stick in the yard today; it will go join the Bleeding Heart.

 

[Alistair]

^ sorry

Where the Red Fern Grows I’ll remember your Skylix every time I think of that book.

 

[Kulindahr]

^ sorry

Where the Red Fern Grows I’ll remember your Skylix every time I think of that book.

Time to pick out the ferns to go plant.

 

[PrinceCory]

^
Try not to be too hard on yourself, Kulindahr.

You weren't being stupid, you were trying to do what seemed best at the time.

I agree with this. He knows you loved him.

 

[Kulindahr]

Thanks for all the encouragement, guys.

Though I never got to picking a fern yesterday, I did fill three tubs of mulch with bleeding heart in what will be the upper layer when they're flipped; once those are out there he should have a nice swath of flowers.

Today I made myself go through the steps of building the extra-large crate that was going to be his. I felt numb the whole time so I don't know if that was therapeutic or not.

 

[Kulindahr]

The mulch tubs with flowers are in place. Someone told me that bleeding heart gets nibbled on by rabbits, so I placed some dead branches on top; the flowers can come up through the twigs but bunnies can't get through. I also poured five gallons of water on the grave itself to help things grow. And I left space to plant that fern I still haven't dug up.

 

[frankfrank]

I swear I posted a summary of the burial here, and I don't see it!

Did I accidentally put it in a different thread????

It had some pictures even.

I remember reading your description of the various layers, but I don't remember seeing any photos.

 

[Kulindahr]

I remember reading your description of the various layers, but I don't remember seeing any photos.

I did my best to reconstruct it, up in post 29.

 

[Kulindahr]

Had a nightmare that Skylix wasn't actually dead, just passed out, and woke up buried in the coffin I built. Woke me up in a cold sweat.


Then something odd happened: the next night I had the same dream, except it was a dream within a dream... and in the main dream Skylix poked me with his snout and woke me up and looked at me like I was being stupid.


Meanwhile, Tony's dog still wanders around the house looking for his playmate and comes to me and rests his head on my knee or arm.

 

[Kulindahr]

Well, the puppy I found that I wanted got adopted before I finished the application process, so I'm back to square one. I guess I don't have to debate if it would be worth theeffort to drive to Arizona, now.

 

[frankfrank]

Oh man, I'm sorry. I was hoping!!

 

[unloadonme]

There must be plenty of dogs in need of a good home. I'm sure you'll find the right one soon.