I've never heard of that one before, it is gorgeous.

You know Helena, what you said about worrying if you let him go "too soon", I think everyone feels that way when we have to let our beloved dogs go. I felt that way with all my dogs, every one of them. Believe me the time was right, everyone knows you will have wrestled with the decision, agonized over it again & again. At the end of the day it is them that lets us know, it is that look in their eyes that says 'now, the time is now' and although our hearts tear apart when we realize it, you go and do that final selfless act of love and say goodbye one last time - in this world, until you meet again in the next.

No doubt there will be many times that the tears will flow again, sometimes unexpectedly like when you see their favourite toy or a bit of their fur blowing about. But these are just material things - you have a lifetime of memories to remember him by and as time goes on I am sure you will look back on all these with less tears and more smiles.

Georgie had a wonderful life with you all Helena and he was loved right up to the very end. That's all that matters.

Huge hugs and much love xx

Wait till you start talking to him - I was doing that last night

I know it's daft, but it just made me feel better. Question is, when you start doing it - will you admit it or deny it

*hug*

Big hug from me H. I have always found it gets harder before it gets easier. I think the shock gets you through the day you have to say goodbye and possibly a day or two after that, but then reality starts to sink in - and the pain of knowing you will never see them again really hits home. I don't know how long it took before I stopped crying every day, but I know that (like you) part of my hurt was for the ones left behind.

Flame and Moss were my two originals before moving up to Scotland and had always been such great friends. Flame definitely looked for Moss and whenever I mentioned his name she would look up at me ... heartbreaking

However, as you have said, they are very resilient and they cope far better than we do more often than not.

I think if you pour all your efforts into Zena now and all that extra attention (inc the extra walk, which I bet she enjoys) will get you both through it.

How is Dave coping?

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Lisa - that is beautiful tribute and girliebiker that is a lovely poem.

H my heart is aching for you.

I'm so sorry I haven't been able to get on much in the last couple of weeks. My pc has been playing up no end.

I can only echo what others have said in that he had a diamond of an owner who loved him unconditionally and would do anything and everything for him, which you did right up until the end.

Huge hugs sweetheart xx

He's just letting you know that he's safe and well, Helena. So comforting if you let it be.

He'll guide you also in your search for a new playmate for Zena when you feel ready. I know that both Sam and Jade led us to Rosie and so much of what she does is them all over

The pain will come and go, but will never completely fade away. It will though become bearable and you'll be able to look back with more smiles than tears xx

So sorry H, my thoughts are with you xx
Run free sweet Georgie xx

Blessings to you all. X

thanks guys, I know you're trying hard to help me through, but it's worse today than it's been since Tuesday, I just can't stop crying today

The more I dig into my memories, the more it is breaking my heart, and you're right Kirsty, the realisation that I will never see him again has started hitting home, and there I was, so worried for Zena, and she see's me crying, comes over with her tail wagging and presents me with her ball, so I suppose we're both helping each other here.

I did speak to him this morning Azz, when we were up the top of Cissbury, I knew Zena wouldn't hear me, and I wondered if he might be walking behind, or rather lagging behind, as he always was. I remembered the first day he saw rabbits, when I was out on the bike with him and Cassie, and he took off like a bat out of hell, chasing them, but I knew he'd stand no chance of ever catching one! Cassie used to charge over to him and leap on his head and tell him off for that, she knew we didn't do things like that around here, but every time, off he went i hot persuit! It wasn't until we lost Cassie, that one morning his luck was in, off he raced as Dave and I ambled down the side of the bushes, and to our amazement, he had one in his mouth Dave ran over to him and by the time I got there he said "you take it off him coz he's gonna bite me" lol! Give, give, give I said, no reaction........g-i-v-e Georgie, as he had it firmly in his grasp, right around the middle with both ends sticking out each side of his mouth he gently surrendered it to me, it was already dead, but this was his prize, and I took it off him I sooo wish I'd let him carry it back to the car at the very least!

Story of his life really, he wasn't allowed anything , when he came to us, he had never seen inside a house, let alone a kitchen, and all those goodies that lived behind those doors, head in the fridge everytime I opened it, or in the cupboards everytime I opened them. When you let him out, he'd pee or poo every 5 mins thinking that was the last time he'd be let out for a very long while, because that was the life he was used to, wondering when the next meal was coming or when he'd get let out, it's all so darn sad, and that's what breaks my heart more than anything, I wish I found him sooner. I always felt so darn sorry for Georgie, he did everything I asked, and so quickly too, because I'm sure he worried about repercussions if he didn't. The night I gave him the "wrong" carrot as I stood at the kitchen door waiting for them to come in from their last wee of the evening (it was the smaller one and he always had the biggest!), and as I reached down to grab it back from his mouth, his little face screwed up and he cowered, his eyes clamped tightly shut , it was then that I knew about his previous life, and as I got down and cuddled him to death to reassure him there was not going to be any pain, I promised him there would never be any more of that here with us. I'm glad I could keep that promise.

Some of you will remember how much he flirted with the girls up on the village green. The little border terrier who absolutely adored him, and would jump up to get her head into his mouth every morning He was the gigola of Findon Village. The black lab who was his very best friend, until one morning, when he tried something ungentlemanly on old Georgie, and quick as a flash, Georgie had him upside down and flattened on the deck whilst he stood over him growling and snapping like I'd never heard from him before, but he was totally in order doing that and not a mark was left, and just as quickly as he'd done it, he moved away and left him in an embarrassed state! Oh we did laugh me and the lab owner, although I was more than surprised that Georgie actually had it in him to put his point across like this lol!

Knowing this, and looking back to when we first brought Zena home, such a fragile, tiny, furry bundle as she was, him being 55 kgs at the time, he put up with more than you could ever expect from any dog, he'd go out of his way to make sure he never laid on her, or trapped any part of her whilst they played - well, she played, he just laid down and let her do her worst lol! Cassie taught him this though, they were constantly playing, I used to have to stop them most times for fear they would die of sheer exhaustion out in the garden, and initially, his kind of play was to leap on her rear end and splat his great big paws on her back which would obviously hurt her, and she let him know, but instead of fighting, she would let out a yelp, and then walk sedately back indoors, turning her head back to him with that look of disdain that only a shepherd can quite pull off, and then she'd ignore him, until he managed to creep his way back in later, much, much later. From then on, as they raced out there to play, down he'd go, upside down, as if to say, ok, ok, if this is how you want to play I'll do it!!! Sooooo funny was old Georgie. I guess it kind of stuck, so he knew with Zena (being a female) that this is how you're supposed to play with the girls!

Now I feel better, I do have some lovely, lovely memories which I can cherish forever!xxxxxxxxxxxxx

Thankyou for the poems, the tributes, the hugs, the sad memories you have yourselves that I've managed to dig up for you, thankyou for just about everything really, I'm gonna be alright now, the tears have all dried up!xxxxxxx

More (((hugs))). Xx