Oh, what a bitter sweet story!! I am so sorry for your losses, particularly so close together. What a hit on your heartstrings!

Here's to Rebba and your husband <<<<drinks sip of wine>>>>

Did you ever replace Rebba?

We had two cockapoos, Rusty and Rover, for over 18 years, but let's focus on Rebba and hubby for now, and my story will be told soon! <<<<tears>>>> Thank you for the "tail", and sharing your feelings. People without animals often don't understand the mental/emotional healing power having a pet can bring, and the attachments we form for them.

On July 5, 2006 my younger kids, my (then) SO and I rescued a puppy from the local Humane Society. Cody is a beautiful, reddish brown Boxer mixed with Sharpei and Pit. He has gorgeous brown eyes that always make him look a little sad. We don't know what happened to him in the first 7 months of his life, but he was very afraid when we got him home and seemed to expect to be punished all the time. The only time he was happy was when we'd take him to the dog park and he could run. What a beautiful sight - he is grace in motion! Over the next couple of weeks he got more comfortable but I was a little disappointed that he wasn't very affectionate. He would shy away when I'd try to touch him and hid out in the bathroom most of the time. I'd always had dogs that liked to cuddle and be petted so this was really bothering me.

About 3 weeks after we brought Cody home my relationship ended. We'd been having problems for a while but I thought we could work it all out. I was committed to making it work so the break up not only shocked but devastated me. I was curled up, zombie-like, on my sofa when I felt Cody nudging his head up under my arm. He tentatively climbed up next to me and licked one tear off my cheek. Then he settled in, resting his head on my shoulder as if to say "I am here for you and I'm not going anywhere." From that moment on Cody has been a member of the family. His presence made the following weeks much easier for me. He wrestles with my son (who weighs only about 10 ponds more than Cody). He walks like a show dog on a lead for my daughter. And he makes a spot for himself near me, wherever we are.

Earlier this year I had a heart attack and was in the hospital for five days. My house mates took great care of Cody, but he was obviously distressed at my absence. He alternated between sitting by the door and lying in my bed the whole time I was gone. He'd lost his appetite and wouldn't go outside except to relieve himself. The day I came home Cody seemed to know I needed extra care. I settled into bed (the walk from the car to the house exhausted me) and Cody climbed right up next to me, rested his head on my shoulder and breathed a sigh of relief. He didn't leave my side for more than a few minutes for the next few days.

Things are back to normal now. I am better than ever (health wise). We love to go walking together and Cody is back to running like the wind.

Well we have had a few other dogs come through our home. I had a Boston Terrier&something mix; Lady which we lost to a snake bite while camping.

Now we have my sons pug Sparty who we have had 5 years and he is silly and makes me laugh

I have a little tea cup chihuahua that I rescued from my daughters abusive room mate can you imagine hitting something that barely weighs a pound? She only weighed 18 oz when I took her from the ding bat that had her.I was helping my daughter move out and after the girl left the dog for 2 days not caring that she left her pinned up in a crate and then seeing her hit the dog. I simply took the dog left her a check for the $150 she paid and explained in a note that if she had a problem with me taking the dog she could tell it to the local SPCA. While i care deeply for our new little girl Bella in the 16 months i have had her my heart has never opened to her the way it did to Rebba. Maybe it was so hurt when she left us that it just keeps it self safe. Maybe I should try another large dog but I was always afraid I'd compare it to Rebba.She was really a special soul. Yes I believe animals have souls not the same as you and me but souls none the less.

Cody sounds so special. Dogs have away of just knowing all they really want is to be loved and to love us.No expectations of anything else except pure love.

They never get mad if you leave the top off the toothpaste or squeeze it in the middle and they are always there with a cuddle even if you did forget to pick up the dry cleaning.

Glad to here your health is improved and am happy you have such a wonderful companion in Cody

Oh Anne- I know exactly how you feel about Rebba. I had a very very dear friend just like Rebba for 17 years. His name was Lulu. I know I know- that's a girl's name, but when he was a kitten, I thought he was a girl, and by the time I found out that poor Lulu was a male, the name had already stuck.

I adopted Lulu from an abusive situation in Seattle when I was only 22, so I feel like we grew up together. He stuck with me through thick and thin. One time I had to move to Japan for 2 years, and leave him with a friend, and it nearly drove me out of my mind to be without him. I actually sent him presents every month, and sent my friend way more money than was necessary for his room and board, just so he could buy Lulu plenty of toys and special treats, to make his life more enjoyable.

I can't TELL you how close Lulu and I were. Because he had been abused as a kitten, he was extremely guarded around anyone but me, hiding from my husband and son, even after they'd been around him for years, and had made serious, long terms efforts to draw him out.

At the age of 16, Lulu's kidneys began to fail. I spent over a thousand dollars in vet bills, and learned to do twice daily subdural injections of IV fluids to keep him hydrated, but when I realized that his quality of life was beginning to take a nosedive, I relented. I had his vet come to my house one cold rainy night and put Lulu to sleep in my arms. I can't tell you how distraught I was. I couldn't go to work for a week. I just went from room to room, literally howling in pain. I can't explain it. Sometimes the friendship we feel with a certain animal exceeds the friendship we have even with dear human friends. Anyway, I begged Lulu to communicate with me somehow, from wherever he was in the 'great beyond', if his spirit was still there. This went on for months. I waited.

Finally, 3 months to the day, after his passing, I dreamt about him. Very strange. I dreamt I met him in the lobby of San Francisco International Airport. He was nervous about all the people coming and going around him. He was young and spry again, and he kept coming up to me and cuddling, smashing his forhead into my face playfully like always, and wrapping himself around my ankles, and then darting away, and coming back. We laughed and played together for 15 minutes or so before he ran off for good. I was sad, but so happy that he had come to say hello and goodbye to me this way. I woke up abruptly, in tears, and went out to the living room, to where his box of ashes sits, and put my hand on it to tell him I loved him.

A week later, I had 'Lulu' tattooed on my belly, just below the bikini line!

Thanks for sharing, and thanks for starting this group!

Sheila,

What a beautiful and heart-warming story.

Thanks so much for sharing it with us.

It is amazing how much our dogs can sense our distress and know when we need their loving attention.

It truly is wonderful to experience how much better our dogs can make us feel and comfort us just by their gentle presence by our side.

Oh Anne,

That is so sad about how you lost your sweet Rebba. I can feel you recalling grief at her loss as if it had just happened even though it was almost 17 years ago. Isn't it amazing how our dogs just know when we need them to be by our side.