A once in a lifetime dog.

[jcook]

I've only had Stella for 10 months but love her more than I thought was possible. I just have this feeling that I'll never own another dog like Stella. Does anybody else have a dog that was just their perfect dog? Has anybody thought they could never love another dog like the way they loved a previous dog but were surprised to find out that they could??

 

[evilfeline007]

I had a St Bernard named Stella. She was stolen from me and it was devastating. I didn't have her very long though but I felt that way. Then we got our lab and I love him so much, but there was something missing. He just wasn't glued to me like Stella was. My second dog Lou, is neo cross and despite some ridiculous behaviour challenges, I knew from the beginning that he was meant to be my dog and that I was going to be the one to help him. He's the closest I've ever felt to a dog.

 

[AKBull]

Sadly all of my previous dogs (and current) were thought of like that. Just like people, they have personalities too.

 

[DDBsR4Me]

Yes I have had my forever dog - my first DDB Bentley. I've never loved another dog the way I loved him. He was just the most amazing dog and we had an awesome bond. I first met him at 2 days old and got to spend a lot of time with him while he was growing up until I got to bring him home. I lost him too soon, at age 3, still miss him and think about him frequently. I was in college at the time and I worked very hard to pay for him myself (he was also the first dog that I bought by myself that my mom didn't buy for me). I used to take him to some of my college classes with me...well he pretty much went everywhere with me. He was just such a character, I could go on forever talking about him!

I do really love my current boy a lot, he's my baby, but it's not the same as it was with Bentley. I don't expect it to be the same, since they each have different personalities, but I don't think I will ever love a dog that much. Bentley was my world, and my world revolved around him.

 

[raechiemay]

Daisy is like that for me. I guess bc she was my first dog & she is 100% mine. I got her almost 7 years ago when I lived with my parents, completely against my mom's word. Our smooth hair dachshund had passed away & when I heard the word puppies come out of my stepdad's friend's mouth I knew I was going to have one. My mom pushed & pushed insisting that I was not going to but I did it anyway. Now she calls daisy her grandchild

 

[jcook]

I have always loved dogs, but Stella has a special place in my heart that words just can't describe. I find myself thinking about life without her and it just makes me so sad. She isn't even one yet so I don't know what the heck my problem is lol. I also imagine getting another dog and it not being like Stella and I wonder if I'll be disappointed or something. In reality I imagine that I will just love each dog I own differently, but not necessarily less. I guess sometimes I wonder what mess I've gotten myself into ha, I love this dog so much and it will kill me when she is gone, and I'll never be able to live without a dog now.

Evilfeline007 - Lou is stunning! And I can tell from those photos that he has a got a personality! Lol he looks entertaining.

DDBsr4me- I'm sorry to hear that Bentley wasn't around for long that is one of my biggest fears with Stella.

Rachiemay- ha I love that you got her despite what your mom said ha. All of my family told me not to get Stella, they listed off a thousand reasons why, and I'm very glad I didn't listen. And honestly, nobody thinks it was a stupid decision now.

 

[ruby55]

They call dogs like that your "heart dog". I had one years ago that meant the world to me. When we lost him, I couldn't stand the thought of having ANY kind of pet for years. There will never be another one like him. I love all these guys & I have my favorite (I'm not saying which one in case they're smarter than I think & read this , but that lab/golden mix I had years ago was special.

 

[Racer X]

Ten years ago I lost my best buddy. He was an 11 year old husky. Just a great dog. I have only had Gaston since June. He is like a son to me. I don't know if it is because he is a mastiff or because he is so cool. Smart strong ,georgus. I don't know. I have three other dogs and some cats and love them all dearly. But Gaston is different. I don't know why. He is a once in a lifetime dog.

 

[mx5055]

You've already read about my boxer Max in the getting to know you thread (and many other threads..lol) He was my "heart dog", and, no, there will never be another one like him. That being said, every boxer I've ever had, and my rotti Oso (and some other dogs thrown in a long the way) all hold very special places in my heart, and I loved them all and have great memories of each and every one of them. And, I believe they all paved the way for Max; so I would value him and realize how special he way. Bella is making her own place in my heart and memories now, and I am loving her more each day; but this too would not have been possible if it had not been for Max

 

[acain37]

My favorite dog was named Buddy. My husband's son found him and his sister in the woods eating the corn put out for the deer. He was only 4 or 5 weeks old at the most. He was covered in lice, and a little yellow puff ball. He ended up being a HUGE yellow dog. My son was 2 when we found him, and he was the love of our lives. He was a guard dog for EVERY kid in the neighborhood. He jumped the fence and chased an entire group of men through the factory we lived behind one day when they started yelling at the kids jumping on the trampoline in our back yard. When my friend down the street was dying of cancer he would jump the fence and go lay in her yard in front of her picture window while she was laying in her hospital bed and watch over her all day. She would tell her husband in the evening that it was time for him to go home and he would go outside and tell Buddy she as going to bed and he could go home. He did that every day til the day she died. He never left the yard after that day. He lived to be 16 years old, healthy as a horse. The day he died he walked in the house with my son and I and my son said that something was wrong. Buddy looked at me and smiled, lay down on the floor and I knew he was going to die. I laid with him on the floor and in about 10 minutes he let out a great big sigh and was gone. I cried for days. But was so thankful he went like that because I knew I could never have had him put down. He was 16 when he died. I still miss him every day, and it has been 5 years.

 

[Bentley]

I love my current dogs to bits but Ben (another Bentley) was special, he could be a sod if another male challenged him, but with smaller dogs and especially kids he was so gentle. If someone was weak, my great aunt for example, then he would be at their side so they could lean against him. He was three and a bit when I lost him and I'm in tears as I type. All of this gentility was despite the fact that when I got him at five months he had been starved and tortured (cigarette burns). As I mentioned I adore Ronnie, Billie and Jimmy but Ben was special.

 

[jersey girl]

JCook - I know how you feel and i feel the same about Crickett. I had a lab for 15 years and I had to put him down almost 5 years ago. I was devestated, we had a great bond and he was my boy....I had him since he was 8 weeks old and I swore I would never own another dog. I just shut that part of me off.
About 2 years ago my husband told me he wanted a dog, I wasn't interested at all. Then after several months of talking it over and researching various breeds we decided on a Corso. After the first night with Crickett I knew it was all over for me...I was head over heels in love with her...and she seemed to feel the same about me. Each day our bond grew and I even said to my husband...I can't imagine my life without her...the thought of not having her around can bring me to tears. I loved my lab to death...but there is something special with Crickett...my whole family feels the same. Simply put...she is my heart.

 

[mx5055]

I love my current dogs to bits but Ben (another Bentley) was special, he could be a sod if another male challenged him, but with smaller dogs and especially kids he was so gentle. If someone was weak, my great aunt for example, then he would be at their side so they could lean against him. He was three and a bit when I lost him and I'm in tears as I type. All of this gentility was despite the fact that when I got him at five months he had been starved and tortured (cigarette burns). As I mentioned I adore Ronnie, Billie and Jimmy but Ben was special.

I know of what you speak. God Bless you for giving him a safe and loving home

 

[BlackShadowCaneCorso]

Hemi without question is my heart dog! I would do anything and give up just about anything to keep her with me forever and when I almost lost her I just about packed it all in. She is my world and is so intune with me I don't think there will ever be another that will take her place.

 

[Sadies Mom]

Sadie is my heart dog. We have had our struggles and I have worked so hard with her and we have an incredible bond. I am taking advantage of every single day with her. She does have some health issues and they seem to progress and I can not imagine my life with out her. I have accepted the fact that she will be gone sooner than later but every single day with her is a blessing. I have never had a bond like this with any other dog.

 

[Yamizuma]

I've had the priveledge of having had several truly great dogs in my life. The black lab I grew up with has a special place in my heart. He died of cancer on a Christmas eve, and every year I miss him at the holidays...but I am so glad I've had and loved other dogs. Each has been uniquely their own entity, with faults and fabulousness, but always a source of unending unconditional love flowing both ways. I hate to think of the day when I might not have a dog of my own. For as long as I'm able, I'll be sharing my life with some doggie.

 

[Duetsche_Doggen]

Thor without a doubt was my heart and soul, I'd even call him an extension of me. I don't know what is was or why, that came to be but it did. Oddly enough Thor and I really didn't make much of a connection in the beginning. I think about a year or so was when we REALLY starting bonding. I just learned so much from him about dogs in general and where that passion came from. Needless to say I was sick, still am when he left me.

Now I have Stone, who is more taxing to me than anything. I'd probably be sad too if Stone left, but I don't think it will come close to what Thor was.

 

[KristinandCianna]

I've had a few important dog's in my life. The first one being the rottie/lab mix I grew up with. I LOVED that dog, he was my best friend as a kid. We had him since I could remember, and we lost him when I was 13. He was my mom's dog for sure, but I was his second person. I still miss him even now, he taught me a lot about dog's, and is a big reason behind my love for a mastiff type dog. He was a very, very serious guard.Very confident and stable, and not at all afraid to bite. But not like most dog's you these day's ( a lot of bark and no bite) he was the real deal. He was the dog that thrust my mom into training, for him when he was young it was train him or euthanize him. After he was trained, he was by far the best dog we've ever owned. He was my mom's heart dog and my best friend. I loved all of our dog's growing up, and still think of them all and shed a tear from time to time, they all brought something to my life and I loved them all, but he was speciaL. Then there was Nero.. Not our dog, but he is the first Cane Corso I met, or even saw. I had never even heard of the breed until I met him, he was in one of our classes at 5 month's old. He was painfully shy, clearly didn't have good structure now that I am more knowledgeable then I was back then, but to me he was beautiful. Long and the short of it, I started working with him to bond with him so I could pet sit him, this was after a couple of sporadic spurts in our class ( had about 5 surgeries before he died at 3, including both hips replaced). We really bonded, he just lost it whenever he saw me, and was very protective of me. He even warded off a creepy guy once but sitting in front of me, thankfully the guy backed off. He was another best pal of mine we had a lot of fun together, and he always let me hug and kiss him if I was down. He was put down for a bite, broke my heart =(. If I could have taken him I would, but it was already hard to find a place to allow me to have a Cane Corso, let a lone one with a bite history ( more then one bite, 3 to be exact). I also already had my baby girl =). She's a whole nother story =). Cianna is definitely my heart dog. She's my babygirl, my best friend, and my constant companion. She goes everywhere with me, we play together, we work together, sometimes we just hang out. She's my working dog, but also my pet. She sleeps in bed with me ( i know i know lol) and hangs out in the house with me. She's all mine, and I'm all her's. It's nice to have a dog that I'm first to lol, she is also my first dog of my own. Because of our bond, Cianna genuinely WANTS to work WITH me, not for me. We are a team, a partnership, we work in harmony together and we both love it. I don't know what I will do without her.. I love her more then word's can describe. So theres the story of Kelso, the dog that sparked a love of guardian breed's, Nero, the dog sparked an intense passion for the Cane Corso, and Cianna, who is my heart and soul. It's amazing how these dog's touch our lives, and a lot of times, even change our lives

 

[jcook]

All of your stories are so heart warming and emotional for me to read! I know a lot of people say they love their dogs, but I truly feel like the people on this forum, REALLY love their dogs. I dont feel like im some sort of nut job when I am on here ha (i am often told that I am 'obsessed' with my dog). You all have had more experiences with dogs than me, and I love hearing your stories.

I am so glad I got Stella, I really feel like my life was incomplete without her. I really think I could be happy with just her and me. She has also sparked my interest in dogs on a whole new level, I am now curious about various training methods, dog psychology, dog nutrition, and even dog politics ha. I just want to know everything about her!

@ Kristina - if I lived alone, Stella would most definitely be sleeping in my bed with me!

 

[mx5055]

All of your stories are so heart warming and emotional for me to read! I know a lot of people say they love their dogs, but I truly feel like the people on this forum, REALLY love their dogs. I dont feel like im some sort of nut job when I am on here ha (i am often told that I am 'obsessed' with my dog). You all have had more experiences with dogs than me, and I love hearing your stories.

I am so glad I got Stella, I really feel like my life was incomplete without her. I really think I could be happy with just her and me. She has also sparked my interest in dogs on a whole new level, I am now curious about various training methods, dog psychology, dog nutrition, and even dog politics ha. I just want to know everything about her!

@ Kristina - if I lived alone, Stella would most definitely be sleeping in my bed with me!

jcook...This is a great thread you started, and I am truly enjoying reading it every time someone else adds their story. I love this forum; in the short time I've been here I have learned so much and look forward each day to learning more. It has also led me down many trails in memory lane and helped remind me of all the wonderful dogs that have been in my life; and I get to share that here with people that truly understand what I am feeling and talking about. I am like you, every time someone makes a post about their "heart dog" I get emotional and misty-eyed. I think this thread helps us understand and know each other just a little bit better. Thank you