Lost My Beloved Border Collie Recently

[Border Collie Lover]

Hello all:

 

  I just lost my beloved Border Collie recently. She had just turned (18).. I had Shelby since she was (8) months old. We were meant for each other. I am trying to work through the grief but its hard. Shelby had incredibly good health her entire life. - until near the end. That dog was my rock. My world. I miss her dearly. I'just joined this Forum today. My energy level is bottoming out rapidly. Normally, I have lots of energy but now I only feel like doing the most basic things. I like to watch baseball & football on TV bit even that seems meaningless now. I am eating. My sleep pattern has been disturbed. Sleeping like (3) or (4) hrs,. if lucky, at night. I am reaching out to people to talk. Most have been very supportive. I'm even keeping a journal about my dog (sharing all the good memories). Some days I write a ;lot; other times just a little or nothing at all. This has been extremely hard. I've been down this road before and went through the healing process. What is so hard is that Shelby and I were together for a lot of wonderful years. I miss her dearly.

Jim

[kayc]

Jim,

I am so sorry for your loss.  I lost my little boy, Arlie (Siberian Husky/Golden Retriever) to cancer 8/16/19, and I haven't felt this kind of pain since I lost my husband 14 years ago.  I have bawled every day he's been gone, I've lost other dogs/cats before but it's never been as hard as this.  He was only 11 1/2...I know it's not how long we get them because no matter how long we get, it's never enough.  It's that empty void he's left in his wake.  I look at the loveseat he used to lay on and I see him and then it fades into nothingness.  This morning I heard dogs barking outside...he would have ran to the recliner by the window and looked outside excitedly, then come to me talking in excitement to let him outside so he could go check out what was going on!  Only he wasn't there.    I miss each and every moment I should be having with him.  My house is all too quiet and it feels like the joy is gone with him...like a colorful world turned into black and white.

If you want to share some of your stories, I'd be interested in reading them, I started a "Memories of Arlie" thread here, I want to write down the memories I've shared with him.  He was my world.

[Border Collie Lover]

kayc:

Thank You for your kind words and  support. My heart goes out to you about the loss of your beloved dog in August. I hear you loud and clear about the empty house syndrome. I'm experiencing that right now. The pain is sometimes unbearable. I have found some peace by keeping a journal. When I'm up to it, I will be posting some of my writing in this Forum. I've al;so found that reaching out to friends and pet-loving people has been helpful, as well. Most of the people have been nothing of wonderful. In addition, I have been posting in various pet forums. For now, I'm just taking it one day at time. I've been down this road before and I know it can be a bumpy ride. Take care and God Bless.

 

Jim

[kayc]

It's hard, I can't imagine life w/o a dog in it, but Arlie was my perfect dog, absolutely made to order...for me!  He was super intelligent, goofy, fun, loving, beautiful, my wild-eyed little boy.  He got up to 140 lbs...a far cry from the 63 lbs they'd told me he weighed in as an "adult"...he turned out to be just under a year with four more years of growth.  He was sick with Kennel Cough and acute chronic Colitis which he had life-long, so I had to cook for him and give him probiotics and supplements, he couldn't tolerate the antibiotics they usually prescribe for it, nor the gastrointestinal dogfood.  But he and I were a family, I walked him every day, twice a day and spent evenings with him as a family as well as any days off.  We enjoyed hikes and walks, although he slowed down considerably with the cancer.  
I'm glad you got each and every day you had with your girl, just as I am thankful for each day with my boy.  I used to say, "Every day with Arlie is a good day!"  

My grief journey is in Living With Loss and also I have Memories of Arlie.  It helps to express ourselves and know we're heard by others who get it.

I look forward to your sharing your memories when you are ready.

I may get a Border Collie pup 5 months old but someone else has first crack at it, they're supposed to look at him today so will find out later.  Not even sure how to hope, I'm still heavily grieving and not sure I'm ready for a pup after living with the perfect dog he became...I am remembering my first year with him, he was a handful!