Hi everyone, I have been reading the forum for some time, and some time seems forever, but actually it is only nearing two weeks. We had a yellow lab and he passed away at the age of 7 years, two weeks ago, a bit before Christmas. I don’t want to register the exact date in my head, as I try not to remember sad dates. It caught me by surprise, he died of gastric torsion, even though rushed to the vet, it was all too fast. I miss him and it hurts thinking or writing about it, as I am doing here. I think I did some, if not many, if not all, things wrong with my lab. I worry if there is anything I could have done differently in his short life that could have avoided the gastric torsion. I can still see him waking me up from bed in the early morningswith his gigantic paw, wanting to go on our walks, or his head in the shower while I am having a bath. He had a name, but its’ painful to write just yet. Well, to love again, we have decided to get a new lab. Our black puppy was born on December 2nd and we are picking him up from the breeder on the February 2nd. We haven’t been able to see him, as the breeder is far away but she sends us lovely pictures of Gaston, as the avatar one. Gaston is his name. Actually it is Gastão, as we are Portuguese living in Cascais, (close to Lisbon) Portugal. Moving on, I am really looking forward to new baby Gaston in the house !
Hello and welcome ! I am sorry for your loss , I lost my six year old a few weeks ago , so I can truly empathise with you ,and understand how the emotions are in turmoil . How wonderful that you have baby Gaston coming to join you and bringing some joy into your lives ! He looks adorable , and I`m sure he will help you to heal , please stay around and let us know when he arrives , we all love puppies !
Welcome from Holly and me in Wales. Labs have an amazing way of wrapping themselves around your heart, so their passing is always painful. I'm sure that, in his own way, Gaston will find new ways of bringing happiness into your life.
Hi and welcome! I'm very sorry to hear about your boy - losing him so quickly must still feel like a huge shock. Gaston is a lovely little guy and you must be very excited to get him home. Where will he be coming from? As @kateincornwall mentioned, we'd love some photos when he arrives.
Hello Kate, Thanks so much for your kind words. I have just been reading your blog. I am so sorry for your loss. I am sure your Sam and my darling yellow lab are together in doggy heaven, just as they all deserve. His name was Lion, Leão in Portuguese. I am starting to remember, and also from the posts on puppies in this forum, what an upheaval it will be again, now with puppy Gaston, and how rewarding it all is at the end of the day. Totally worth ever second. What these dogs give us, I cannot put in words. They are true companions. I will stay around for sure. Thanks.
Thank you, Hollysdad. So true about labs. At this point, I can't even imagine having any other dog, although I love them all. We did consider it for a fleeting second, before going for Gaston, but, labs are just so "us". I don't think we see ourselves with any other kind, after Leão.
Hi Emily, and thanks for the kind words, it is a huge shock, I am still trying to understand the reason why, what caused this, how can I ever avoid it happening again. Gaston will be coming from a home breeder in Coimbra (about 250kms away from where we live). I call them breeders but actually it is the first time they have a puppy litter, and the dogs live with them in their house, to me it seems natural, but is not always the case in Portugal (not sure if any different in the UK, US, everywhere else). Well, it is not a puppy mill and that is essential to me. The mom lab is yellow and is theirs, the chocolate dad lab belongs to an other breeder.
He'll have a little trip with you in the car, then. Lucky boy once he gets home - Cascais seems like it will be a wonderful place for a Lab with the beautiful coast!
I am sure you did nothing wrong to cause the gastric torsion, it tends to happen in deep chested dogs. I am so sorry that you lost your beloved dog, it is a heartache. I am sure little Gaston will bring you happiness again, just be prepared for naughty puppy, but he will bring back smiles x
It'll be my husband and a friend of ours picking Gaston up. Yes, Emily, we live in a lovely place for the dog too. At the coast, in a small village by a river and fields where sheep pasture. My husband does not agree that I take the dog to the village though, as I walk there every morning for a coffee and some shopping. I always took Leão with me. He says people can get upset because of the poo's even though I always pick it up with poo bags (or whatever you call them). He might be right as culturally I am not quite sure how elder small town people see things here. They seemed to love Leão in the most, but I did get one or two harshly remarks from a couple. It's a pity, as I loved taking the dog with me.
Thanks Stacia and you know it's comforting for me to read that. It is precisely what I would need to know for some closure I guess. I did know it happens even before I got Leão, but it just seemed so far fetched, something you read about but far from home. I am still speaking to the clinic where I took Leão last as his regular vet does not deal with emergencies as these at least, trying to understand it all. I also wonder if it's something that ran in his family, as it could be genetically related, reason enough to happen to some and not others of the same breed I have heard. I guess I am trying to learn so that somehow I can try avoid going through it again. Also, I've watched Petfooled which got me thinking too. Yes, labs are always naughty, arent they ?
I hope you'll change your mind, or maybe I should say change your husband's mind. Everyone loves a puppy, so taking him out while he's little (carried before his vaccinations and on lead after) will be a great way to get everyone in your village accepting him early. There are always some people who don't like dogs and may make a comment, but that's life. The great majority of people, thankfully, are kind. I live in Spain for part of the year and I know that black dogs are not the most beloved, so if it is similar in Portugal, then it is even more important to get little Gaston out there and well socialised. It will be good for him, good for you and good for people to see how wonderful a big black dog can be. You will also set a great example for other dog owners in town when they see you using your poo bags. Again, I don't know if this is similar in Portugal, but in Spain (at least in south where I am) people tend not to take their large dogs out for walks, especially in town. Overwhelmingly, large dogs are kept at home, behind gates and walls, never to get out. To me, who took my dog everywhere, this is really sad. My dog was large and a breed that people typically do not think of as friendly (although he was VERY friendly and well-behaved - that's him in my avatar) and while we did have negative experiences, the positive experiences we had were priceless. Like you said, I loved taking me dog with me and he loved it too. So all that to say that I hope you do continue your tradition that you had with Lion and take Gaston on your regular coffee and shopping walks!
That's a really sturdy way of putting things, you are right that everyone loves a puppy and the sooner the villagers get to know him, the easier it will be for them to accept him as a member of the community And I am all for the socialising. Thanks for the good advice Emily. Yes, for the most large dogs are kept at home here. The new generations do see matters differently, dogs are not a utility and are our companions in life, though the older generation and especially rural people do not have this mindset at all. In my opinion, it seems like in Portugal they do love their animals, but they don't go about seeing or treating them farther than them being a property I guess. At least in old towns and villages, and mine is an old town even though very close to Lisbon, people are born here and die here and I'd say they are just set in their old rural small village ways and lifestyles. It does have its' charms, as I guess you know from Spain, especially in the South I think. I don't know about the black dogs not being liked much, why would that be, some kind of superstition or are they more frightening ? Maybe we do have it here, but I am not aware to be honest, could be because I have never had a black dog, so maybe I will feel it from others with Gaston coming along in all his black splendour! That is a really good looking dog in your avatar, he looks like an oil painting, so very handsome. What was he ?
Hello and welcome to the forum from Fred, Annie and me. I am sorry about the loss of your dog, but its great news that you will soon have a new little pup. As you can see I have to beautiful black Labs and I hope you have as much joy with your new pup, as I do with my two.
I don't really know for sure - just that in Italy and Spain, those are the hardest dogs to get adopted in the dog shelters, so I wondered if that was true in Portugal too. Personally I love big black dogs (and brown dogs and yellow dogs and white dogs...) Thank you for the nice words! That's my Brogan - he was a Rottweiler and the photo was taken on a rare sunny day on our favourite beach in Dingle, Ireland. He's now passed away, but as an assistance dog who traveled everywhere with me he was a wonderful ambassador for big black (and tan) dogs. Hopefully we converted a lot of people from being afraid of Rotties to thinking they were big teddy bears.
Hi Cath, thanks very much for your words. Fred and Annie are gorgeous, and such shiny coats, lovely! How old are they ?
Thanks Boogie, your black lab is wonderful too, is that the lab and a golden retriever you have (just seen in your blog)? I'm not really knowledgeable on the show and work lines of labs, and I'm not quite sure how to distinguish one from the other. Gastons mom and dad look very robust to me, so I would just say they're from work lines, but may not be the case as I have seen his dad's family on the inernet participating in shows. Well I guess it's not important, but I do love the strong wide look on your black lab too. Lion was like this.
