A few weeks ago we bought our little pop top van 'Pokey'.
We wondered how our old 14 year old dog would take to camping - again. So some time ago we started looking on every dog rescue site as we wanted to rescue a dog from death row and give Jette some company, thinking that with a 'friend' along she would not be so anxious.
Sadly we had to have Jette euthanised last Monday. Ironically it was at 11am on the 11th day of the 11th month.
She has left a big hole in our lives and our home.
So........ another furry friend needed
We don't want a puppy - too much hassle.
Just a small to medium dog, male or female, around 2 to 6 years old, that would be happy to travel with us, staying in caravan parks as well as free camp sites, and hang at home with us the rest of the time.
Have found a couple that might be suitable but.........
They have issues with being alone(need at least 1 or 2 other dogs for company)/strangers/children/chooks/wildlife/climbing fences/men/the postman/cars etc.
I find it hard to believe that out of all the dogs out there that need rescuing we can't find one, within the size group that we want and a few hours of where we live, that basically fits our requirements.
We are happy to pay the adoption fee and for training/desexing/microchipping etc.
Are we being too particular?
Or just too impatient?
We aren't looking at replacing Jette but a home, or caravan, without a dog just seems a bit empty.
Jette at 13 years old chasing Bush Turkeys (mherfavourite pasttime - although in 14 years of chasing she never caught one. Just loves to see them run lol)
R.I.P. Jette
26.10.1999 - 11.11.2014
-- Edited by Wandererone on Wednesday 13th of November 2013 08:31:33 PM
Really sorry to hear about this. I know how you feel as I have lost a few dogs over the years and they become so much like family. I haven't had one for about 12 years now after my dog 'ran away' during a divorce. Hope you find a match.
Hi Colleen, so sorry to hear about Jette it is a terrible time when you have to make that decision. We had to put our dog Lucy down earlier this year and thought no more dogs as we could not put up with doing that again anyway after a few months like you, there was a void in our live,s and decided to get another to travel with us in the van. I looked everywhere and was going to give a homeless dog a new home but like you soon learnt that they come with issues. Thus we decided to get a puppy and after hours and hours of internet search we found a Cavoodle puppy from a breeder in Coonabarabran. Well we have now had Ruby for three weeks and she is 11 weeks old. She has settled in well and of course there are the odd accidents but she is very intelligent and leaning quickly. So we wish you well in finding your new friend I know the breeder we got Ruby from did have and older dog for sale from memory it was a pure bred Cavalier but I don't know if she still has her. The site we found Ruby on was aussie traders you can google it and have a look.
So sorry to hear about Jette it is an awful time to go through we have had to do that quite a few times and it has never been easy we haven't had a dog or cat now for over 7 years only because I couldn't face losing them again but we have a son who has a beautiful black German
Shepherd through the same blood line as ours was so we get our dog fix there wish you luck with your search.
sorry to hear about Jett. Tis heartbreaking when we have to say goodbye to a furry family member.
Have you tried dogzonline.com.au. They have some rescue dogs and older dogs who need forever homes.
Also if a lab is not too big. You could try a guide dog reject.
Good luck with you search
sorry to hear of the loss of your dog Jette she will always be in your heart. We now have our second dog that we got from a pound we looked for a while until we found the dog for us so be patient the right dog will come along
Hello Colleen. So sad to hear about your pooch, but is also nice to see your want of assisting another into your life.
Gumtree is also a place to view " Free" or "Give away" dogs.
My little sister has homed a couple of dogs, one young and the other aged as the previous owner moved into a nursing home. All parties absolutely thrilled.
Good Luck and much happiness in friendship towards what happens next.
Jette looked to be a real character, can understand what a hole she has left. My sympathy to you.
There's quite a few adoption societies around, some of them are breed specific such as poodles, also greyhounds. (bit big to travel with, but beautiful "people")... if you make contact with several different ones in your general area, or while you are travelling, surely the right dog will be there somewhere.
sorry to here about your loss, hope you find what you are looking for soon.
Just to cheer you up why not put a notice in the local vet's and see what results you get, maybe put the notice down low as most dogs cannot get up high to read a notice board at human eyesight height.
I am sure we will soon be seeing you new doggie pics on here soon.
Unfortunately, dogs don't last as long as humans, however they can provide many years of happy companionship and fond memories.
Having an old dog myself (15 this December) perhaps I could offer a few thoughts? I'm not the sort of person to rush out and get another dog when Molly passes away. I'll morn her loss for a very long time. If there is a "next time" and I do take on another "fur-person" then the first thing I'll do is put $10 a week into a special interest bearing account so that when the dog is getting on in age and vet visits become more frequent, then I'll be able to dip into that money instead of having to come up with a lump sum from my main account.
Apart from an annual vet visit to get Molly vaccinated, she's cost me very little until about 18 months ago when she was playing in my sister's back yard with a ball she was tossing to her and Molly did her right rear ACL. That cost me almost $2,000 in one hit and so far the biggest amount I've ever had to fork out for her. If I'd been saving that $10 per week over those 13 odd years, I would have had well over $7,000 in the account.
Hope you find the right one soon,
kind regards,
Aime.
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Proud owner of an 2006 3lt turbo diesel Rodeo. Van will be next!!
From my experience with a rescue dog, nice as it is to "rescue" a dog, sometimes they come with baggage, as mine did. Because she had been starved and beaten, she was fearful, nervous and would bite when scarded. Great watchdog, and very protective of me, but not a good dog with others. I had her for quite a few years, and never really gave up on her, but she was lots of effort! So, be careful.
We now travel with 2 poodles... raised by us from puppies. We are happy with them for quite a few reasons.
The don't shed everywhere... but you do need to give them hair cuts regularly.
They don't get that "wet dog" odour... don't ask me why, but they don't.
Intellegent, and easily trained.... not perfect though.
If we were doing it again, we would choose a smaller dog- ours are minis, would go for toy, and we would get one and not 2.
As with Queen Kombi above, one of ours has done 2 ACLs and a disc in his back, so NEVER EVER again would I have a dog with a ball fixation. Despite being great excercise and entertainment, the damage to their backs and knees is very expensive !!
This post set me bawling! Part of the reason we haven't left yet is our Rocca - almost 17, and too old/sick to travel - we suspect he will need a trip 'across the river' (aka to the vet) before Christmas, as the weather heats up, and his discomfort increases beyond a manageable level.
I can imagine losing Jette must have been heart-wrenching for you, and I think it's wonderful you are looking for a rescue.
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The Mobile Madhouse: me (Rosie), him (Troy), a kelpie, a kelpie-dingo, a husky & a rainbow lorikeet.
This is my first post I just had to say how sorry I am for you ,I'm in the same situation with the Loss of my beloved Buffy three weeks a go. I know how hard it is to handle them not being there when you wake up.
Yesterday I placed a deposit on a little 6 week old pomme cross he will never take place of my Buffy but I will love him and I hope he will help me get out of void that I am in....
Good luck with find your new mate I found mine on gum tree .....
Sorry to hear you had to lose your Jette Wanderone. Hope you can find a special dog who needs your love and care. We have our son's 14.5 yr old kelpieXterrier. We never wanted a dog but we will also find it hard to see him go when it's time (he has cancer).
Welcome to the forum Gra88. Glad you could post to empathise with Wanderone. Hope we see more posts from you and sympathy to you to on your loss.
I can fully understand how you feel with the loss of your family member. We had 2 German Shepherds, one from the pound (Max, a shep/husky cross. And Georgie a pure bred shep from a home that didn't know how to look after dogs and she had been beaten). Both were about 18 months/2 years old when we got them and were fantastic family/watchdogs/mates and companions. Max had to be euthenised 2 years ago, and Georgie last year on my birthday. They were both around 14 years when they passed and were an important part of out family. Even though they will never be replaced it would be nice to have another dog around.
Would you believe, I'm still finding dog hair in things around the house, and in the car. They were both indoor dogs too.
It's hard when you lose your furry friend, but remember that you gave her a good life and in return she gave you her love and loyalty. I think most of us who love dogs have lost at times, but I believe it's worth it for all the good years. I have two now, after managing to get thru a year alone after my last divorce. Wouldn't even consider trying that again as I need my furry friends to keep me sane and happy (well, what passes for sane in my case anyway).
I've only once ever re-homed a dog. After my second divorce my min. poodle was very distressed about being home alone all thru the working week (prior to the divorce we were on a farm and someone was always at home) . I was at wits end when I read an ad in the local paper placed by an elderly lady who wanted an old dog because since theirs died her husband wouldn't even get out of bed most days. They took my old girl "on trial" and it worked out perfect for them and the dog. (I was lonely)
Of the two I have now, 1 came to me as a baby puppy and is outgoing and confident (a bit too boisterous at times) and the other I got as a young adult. He has some "issues" as he had been abused, but he is a sweetie and we just have to work around his problems. If I hadn't taken him he would have been destroyed, and he deserves better. So yes, rescuing a dog requires some patience, but so does training a pup, and I think the important word here is "rescuing".
Keep looking, take your time and I'm sure you will find a loving bundle of fur to fill the void.
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Cheers, Marianna.
The more I learn about people, the more I like my dogs (Mark Twain)
Hi Wandererone, sorry for your loss. Take a look at www.shuyak.com & look at Usha, she is 2 years old, we are thinking of rehoming her, do not know where you are so it may not work out. She is the sort of girl that just wants cuddles, there would be a cost involved but no where near what a pup of the same breed would be. If interested please feel free to contact me on the phone number on the web site.
IMHO the RSPCA is the best place to get a dog. They do all the medical stuff and chipping, plus they assess the dog's temperament. They will tell you if it digs, or if it has any potentially troublesome character traits. They will also cover any medical problems for the first 3 months.
I don't care whether the dog is a pedigree or a crossbreed. In fact the latter are less likely to be affected by genetic disorders, and in any case there are enough unwanted animals without breeding more.
To be honest I'd rather not have a dog because I take the responsibility of dog ownership very seriously. This means taking it for a 3km run every other day (she's a kelpie), plus giving it several hours of personal attention every day. That's something to consider if you're not an active person, especially if the dog is a large, energetic breed. That said, I love my dog very much, and I'd take her with me everywhere when the time comes.
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"No friend ever served me, and no enemy ever wronged me, whom I have not repaid in full."
R.I.P. Jette, I prefer dogs than people some times..
I lost my 14 year old border collie ben the wonder dog 3 years ago and miss him
maybe some day will have another dog down the track...
good luck wanderone ,
in your search for another furry friend ...
IMHO the RSPCA is the best place to get a dog. They do all the medical stuff and chipping, plus they assess the dog's temperament. They will tell you if it digs, or if it has any potentially troublesome character traits. They will also cover any medical problems for the first 3 months.
I don't care whether the dog is a pedigree or a crossbreed. In fact the latter are less likely to be affected by genetic disorders, and in any case there are enough unwanted animals without breeding more.
To be honest I'd rather not have a dog because I take the responsibility of dog ownership very seriously. This means taking it for a 3km run every other day (she's a kelpie), plus giving it several hours of personal attention every day. That's something to consider if you're not an active person, especially if the dog is a large, energetic breed. That said, I love my dog very much, and I'd take her with me everywhere when the time comes.
That's why I have a snake, feed every second week (when she is awake) and no 3k walk
sorry to hear of the loss of your dog Jette she will always be in your heart. We now have our second dog that we got from a pound we looked for a while until we found the dog for us so be patient the right dog will come along
Yes we can understand how you must feel= losing your dog is the same as losing a family member - sorry for your loss
Hey Ponde -just saw your ****er picture , hows this for a similar pic of a golden ****er- ours is called Blaizey and is 6 years old and goes everywhere with us
Thank you so much everybody for your kind replies.
We were blessed to be able to look after the neighbours kelpie/collie cross for 3 days last week.
She is a beautiful dog and helped to tempoarily distract us from our loss.
I am on the internet daily looking at all possible sites - RSPCA, dog rescues, Gumtree, Trading Post etc etc (My daughter rode horses for years so I became expert at searching and sorting suitable horses. I've found it's not much different with dogs)
I know the right one will come along at the right time.
I am just a little impatient for another 'kid'.
Jeff Usha looks lovely but may be a little too high maintenance for us when camping?
And we are in Tumut, by the way.
We are actually looking for a backyard for our little Jack Russell, Bella. She is 7 years old and just gorgeous with a wonderful personality. She loves exploring around a yard but would need to be fenced in as she does like to investigate further afield. She has always been treated as part of the family and we are loath to give her up but would do so to the right family. She has been living with us on the road in our caravan for the last few years but is getting tired of the car and yearning for her own piece of backyard that doesn't keep changing every week or so!!!
If you feel that you would like any further information you can email me at kazandshaz@live.com.au.