[Avie]

I haven't posted anything on it, not wanting to be dramatic, but I felt it was about time to post, as a part of moving on and introducing a new dog.

It's been over a month since Charlie died, my white swiss shepherd. After having his bleeding spleen removed, he turned out to have malignant cancer in an advanced stage. By the time we found out, he was already going into shock and we decided to put him to sleep.

He was 11 years old, which was a decent age for a shepherd, but we had hoped he would make it to 14 like his parents had. It's sad but unfortunate that Charlie didn't make it to that age, he was still so vital until the very last day.

We decided we didn't want to deal with the silence anymore. The house was so quiet after Charlie's death, it was becoming unbearable at times. We missed having a dog around.

I was the one most reluctant to the idea of a new dog, let alone a new white shepherd. I thought I'd compare too much if it were another white swiss, and no dog would ever be able to live up to Charlie anyway.

But I decided to take a chance, as the dog sounded like it could make a good match for us. So we made the decision to go for the adoption...

And now, I'm able to introduce you all to Mike!

He is 2 years old so we hope to be able to enjoy him for a long time to come! Charlie was 2 centimeter too big for his breed and we already considered him large with his 68 cm (27 inch), but Mike tops every scale being a freaking 71 cm--28 inch! Thank goodness he's already stopped growing in height. He's still a bit thin though and he's a picky eater, so putting some weight on him will be a challenge.

In many ways he is very much like Charlie, and it's not a rare occasion when I'm reminded of that old guy, which is sometimes a little tough... But then, Mike is an entirely different dog, in persona as well as in looks. His big pink nose is certainly unmistakable. I'm beginning to see all the differences that make him an individual and not just a Charlie lookalike.

To be honest, I'm beginning to like him more and more He's certainly a lot more effeminate and slight compared to our masculine Charlie

 

[Amaryllis]

Welcome! What beautiful dogs, both Charlie and Mike.

I really relate to your story. Muggsy was vital, right up until cancer caused his liver to fail. One day he was fine, the next we had to put him to sleep. And the silence in the house was so awful. You never realize what it is dogs do, just by existing, until you don't have one.

Anyway, I hope we see more of you and Mike.

 

[Spirit_of_Cotons]

I'm so sorry again about Charile, Avie. May he rest in peace; he was a sweet boy from what you've told me. And congrats about getting Mike!! He looks handsome and fun to be around. Is it different from White Swiss Shepherds (or any shepherd for that matter) to have a pink nose? Tell Mike, Luke and I say "Hi!" and welcome!

 

[Avie]

Yeah, a pink nose is a big fault for the breed, but that doesn't matter to me. I like it because it makes him vastly different than Charlie or any other white swiss shepherd. He's not a showdog anyway, with his short stockhair coat and lack of pigment But he's beautiful in his own right.

Amaryllis, you're right, that's exactly how it is. I didn't think we'd have another dog for at least 6 months or so, but how wrong I was. I guess once you're used to a dog around, you really don't ever want any different.

 

[JessCowgirl88]

so sorry to hear about charlie its never easy

Mike is such a beautiful boy and looks like a super sweet dog. I cant wait to see more pictures in the furture

 

[marsha=whitie]

Sorry to hear about Charlie. Its crazy how some dogs show no signs of any illness, then they're gone.

Mike sounds like a great dog, though. I can't wait to see more updates on him!

 

[Amaryllis]

Yeah, a pink nose is a big fault for the breed, but that doesn't matter to me. I like it because it makes him vastly different than Charlie or any other white swiss shepherd. He's not a showdog anyway, with his short stockhair coat and lack of pigment But he's beautiful in his own right.

Amaryllis, you're right, that's exactly how it is. I didn't think we'd have another dog for at least 6 months or so, but how wrong I was. I guess once you're used to a dog around, you really don't ever want any different.

Right after Muggsy passed, I said I'd wait a year. After 2 weeks, I was checking out petfinder and 3 weeks after that, I got Kabota. I never want a life without a dog in it.

 

[Spirit_of_Cotons]

I wasn't saying having a pink nose was bad, I was just wondering if it was common or not. Mike is a cool looking dog and I know dogs differ from hamsters, but I was like that too. After Sophie died, I waited only a few months before getting Chewie.

 

[Avie]

Ah like that, well even though it is a fault, it is not uncommon for a them to have a pink or partly pink nose (btw, partly pink is not favored, but acceptable by standard; ideally a white shepherd should have good and dark pigment)

 

[wvasko]

1st, so sorry for Charlie. It's something we all have to go through cause these rascals just do not live long enough. He will always be inside of you to draw on as needed. 2nd Congratulations on the Mike dog. 3rd Welcome to DF.

 

[CrazyDogLady]

I'm so sorry for your loss of Charlie. I lost Valen very suddenly, too. He saw me off to work one morning, I came home and realized he wasn't feeling well, at 11 I realized something was seriously wrong and brought him to the eVet and by 8am the next morning, I was sending him off to the Bridge. He was my first dog and I was sure it was going to be at least a year before I was ready for anothrer. Within 2 weeks I was on PetFinder and within three I had applied to adopt Mercy.

Congratulations on finding Mike. He is absolutely gorgeous and I love his pink nose.