Ode to An Old Dog.
Millie being an adoptive mum to a one pound pup.
Poem about a dog we had for 15 years and losing her was one of the hardest things, I hope this poem will bring comfort to others
Ode To An Old Dog
By Ellen Karman
You came into our house, just a fur ball, a little mouse.
Prickly teeth chewing everythying in sight,
Never sleeping through the night.
Playing with the kids, Never missing a beat.
Out in the snow, coming in with frozen feet.
You've kept us warm on cold endless nights.
You drove off the boogie monsters for the tykes
You've greeted every visitor with a wag and a bark.
You guarded our house from prowlers in the dark.
You've seen us at our worst, You've seen us at our best.
You stayed at our side - whatever the quest.
You rallied around our joy and lapped away our tears.
Hearing all of our dreams, while wishing away our many fears.
A Keeper of secrets, an endless friend; something only Heaven would send.
We owe you our lives, our happiness and success.
You've given us your all, nothing less.
Now, my friend your days are few, If only you knew
How much of us, you will be taking with you.
Written by Ellen Karman
Another Dog that was stolen, made her way back; only to be stolen again. Use micro chips every one!!
Dealing with the loss of a Dog. Ode To An Old Dog
Comments
AUTHOROh Ryan what a nice reply! I would love to read the poem Jimmy Stewart wrote about his old dog! I can write so easily about my animals, especially if it is something that has touched me, which doesn't take much lol! Thank Ryan for the reply, you stay warm up in NE! Ellen
- AUTHOR
Oh that is so true! In a nutshell! We have four now, we live on a big forty acre farm, and my daughter just went and took a dog off death row and is fostering it and it is a sweat heart and had no problem entering this house filled with dogs. God bless all dog and animal lovers! So God bless you! Ellen
A beautiful sentiment to our silent friends Ellen. You should do a search for a poem I heard Jimmy Stewart read on the Johnny Carson show many years ago when I was young. He read a poem he wrote for his old dog and you would love it. Cheers!
As we have gotten older, we have had many dogs over the years who have all departed. We still have three wonderful mutts we love as much as the ones who came before. Each of them holds a special place in our hearts. You have graciously described a few of the many reasons why. Thank you for bringing back the wonderful memories.
- AUTHOR
Dear Sharon, so sorry to hear your dog has gone missing. It's a horrible feeling!! Was your dog Micro chipped? If not, I would contact all the shelters and animal control officers in your area and it might be a good idea to post flyers at local vets offices and pet stores and local stores. I wish there were a national list of lost and found pets where one could put in the breed characteristics, color, sex, markings etc and then have them matched up to one's found. I wish someone would start a national data base. I wish you the best of luck in finding your dog and sorry if I couldn't be of more help, Ellen
hi sharon here our dog 15 yrs old missing 8 months new house children and i heartbroken do you sell books on missing dogs please or know where i can buy them thankyou sharon and children please email dixieandgizmo1969@talktalk.net or if you know anyone sell s books please thanks please email love to hear from you thankyou sharon
- AUTHOR
Dear Cashmere, Thank you ! Yes, our dogs, or pets are family and I too can remember with each pet, each with their unique personalities but mostly for the love they gave every day, no matter what! Thank you, Ellen
Beautiful Ode! Losing a dog is something that stays with you no matter how many pets you keep after that. Can still think of my first pet at age 11 if I just close my eyes.
- AUTHOR
Dear Dusty,
I love that you saved that pup and kept her and the way you described how she acts and I got a kick out of her not getting the pecking order and she wants to be
Bravo but she doesn't get why she's Echo! You are a wonderful writer, I love your vernacular and the way you tell your story's of your happenings. I saved two day old goats in January when we lived in up state New York in the Adirondack Mountains and we had sixty-three days of below zero, every horse stood under their heat lamp, and were double blanketed! So, the goats had to live in the house while I got them over some illnesses and they wore diapers, they loved to lay behind the wood stove and when I'd see their diapers steam I knew I had to change them ! My husband put up with these goats and two litters of kittens that winter, I will always help out one of God's creatures! He said he was at the brink of having me committed when I said to him very casually "are you going to be home for a while?" He said "yeah, why?" My answer was "because I need some one to make sure our goats don't catch on fire while I run to the store." He said, "how many husbands have ever heard that from their wives?"
I'm sure your daughter's understand the way you love to live! I think it's great you are living on your terms! We need to protect our rights so we can chose to live that way!! God bless you!
I am a fan of you, Ellen
Ms Ellen, I enjoyed this very much, I'm not much of a poet or writer but I've never tried to capture my feelings in a few off my passing dogs. I find them dumped on back road out here in the desert a place so harsh to a man with water and the thought to rest in the shade and walk at night if he were to be lost 115* in the shade just a few days back, I see 100 or so for today, but the Monsoon clouds are gathering seems a bit late, but God has sent them in his time, not mine. I sometime back found a box with a litter of pups and they were all dead except for one little girl, she was weak, eyes still closed, but I carry a hydration kit with me for animals a small tube on a syringe of 1cc that I fill with a re-hydration mixture used by us in Search and Rescue before I stopped doing that a year or two back I think, the troops in Afghanistan drink it as well. I held the little dog in the shade of the jeep top with my electric fan running and in the corner of her mouth I inserted the tube and squeezed a bit in and finally felt her tiny throat swallow and again several times, I had a small 6 can cooler with root beer and ice, I took out the drinks and drained down the water added some from my desert canvas water bag, to bring it to less than lukewarm and stuck her down in it to try to reduce her body temperature talking to her constantly as my Rotty wined as she heard the little one squeak a few sounds, Dolly had raised her own puppies one time, she took a mean streak and I figured being a mother might settle her down and it did for a while but ever since she guarded anything that squeaked like a small animal she had 13 puppies that were healthy at first and later on for a reason 4 vets could not say one by one they passed away. This dog looks much like the one in your picture the spotted skin is masked by her hair being black for the most part, she a mix of some sort, and a good funny dog afraid of her shadow and hands under blankets are monsters and she runs. She is worth every hour spent saving her life, she doesn't understand the pecking order of a pack, she knows I'm Alpha and she wants to be Bravo but for now she is Echo and gets sternly reminded to her dismay, but all get the same treatment from me and care I have taken to my found Feist Sidekick who rides bare back with me up on the horse on long trips that she would rather be in my lap asleep like right now and go out only to do her business and dart back inside. I've quite the crew here these days and life is good and I'm growing old and hope I wander off into the desert before they can try and capture me to cage me up in some nursing home. I hope my daughters won't allow it but It's not for me to worry with right now, God has made a new day and I will rejoice in it,
May the Blessings be,
dusty
- AUTHOR
Dear Kenneth,
Yes we will, and isn't that reassuring! I always tell my girls about my experiences and tell them not to be sad when I pass, we will all meet again, of course you have to except Jesus the only son of God died for our sins. I am not a religious fanatic, I pray where ever I am and I still have questions about the written word like probably anyone. I just know what I experienced - and for a long time that set me off on reading about all religions, I soaked information up like a sponge. Anyhow, that's a talk for another time. Good night, sleep well! Ellen I've been working on an article, I'll finish in the morning. Night Kenneth, Ellen
Dear Ellen,
at 9:10 p.m., CDST, 8-13-2012
You are most welcome. I am so relieved that WE both will get to see our pets, and each other there in that perfect place.
Good night, my Good friend.
KENNETH
- AUTHOR
Dear Kenneth, thank you for sighting that, I knew something like that was written in the bible but thank you for quoting it! I know Patches will be with me along with other pets we have loved. I passed to the other side after a sugery I had after my second child was born, and I was in a coma for three and a half months, and I had eight heart attacks and anyway, I know life is beautiful on the other side! Thank you Kenneth! Ellen
Dear Ellen . . .thank you for the reinforcement. Only a TRUE friend such as yourself could possibly understand what a loss of a loving pet will do to someone. And Patches is in a better place along with my pets. I can prove this in the Bible--Isaiah; Ezekiel, talks about our Spiritual bodies where ALL Life will be in spiritual dimensions, and so will our pets because GOD loves His animals. He made them first.
Kenneth
- AUTHOR
Dear Kenneth,
Your Dad was right, she didn't suffer the whole way and was taken very quickly, I think that's the best way to go. The dog I wrote about I still talk about the fond memories, me and the neighborhood kids would attach a kite to her harness and she flew that kite every where! The mailman knocked on our door and told my Mum "know I have seen everything!" She'd pull us on our red sleds in the winter and she was only maybe twenty pounds if that! My sister and I had to trade nights when we were little on who was going to sleep with her. When I was 17 or 18 I had to go with my Mother to put her down as she was suffering. I knew my mother would collapse but she wanted me to stay with patches the whole time! And I did, whispering in her ear and holding her on the table. But I love all that she gave us and at forty five I still talk about her. Thank you for reading this my friend, Ellen Karman
Dearest Ellen,
Sincerely, I LOVED THIS HUB. I have went through this when I was six. And it still eats away at me. I had this one small collie, "Ballie," who went with me everywhere. She loved me and we had great times. But as you say in this hub, time sneaked up on her and her senses grew dim and a neighbor accidentally hit her. Years went by and what my dad, who was full of wisdom, told me at age six, rang true. "getting hit was rough, but life seen fit for Ballie to not suffer," and he was right.
Keep up the great work.
KENNETH
- AUTHOR
Dear LetitiaFt, I Know I hate to hear of dogs being mistreated or any animal for that matter, all deserve to be treated with love and dignity. As pets give us so much, especially if given love and respect. I, like you, wish that all animals had that! Ellen
- AUTHOR
Dear Yeagerinvestments, Thank you, I know the thought is frightening. All we can do is be thankful of the privilege they gave us during the time spent with us. I hope Dakota stays well, what breed is she? I have sent this poem to a few friends that have lost a pet in hopes it helps. Thank you for liking my tribute. Ellen
- AUTHOR
Victoria Lynn thank you so much for enjoying my poem. Sorry this took so long I was on vacation on Cape Cod visiting my family and I fractured a few ribs walking up the beach through the thick sand and fell on my beach chair and the metal bar hit me right in my ribs. I could barely move until just recently! Prop's from you mean a lot! Ellen
How lucky your dogs are to have people like you. Would that all animals be so lucky!
- AUTHOR
Thanks so much Suse, I appreciate it, yeah have always written, ask nelson I once wrote a funny poem about a, well, fart. I wish I still had it, I could never read it without cracking up and tears running down my face. I'm sure he inspired it lol. El
Yeah, they don't know how much of our hearts they take with us. I recently lost an old cat. He took part of my heart, too. Nice poem. :-)
- AUTHOR
Dear Melchi, thank you for the compliment of thinking my poem is beautiful, that means a lot! Yes, I to am an animal lover and I can't remember a time when I did not have a dog or two or four as we have now. The two older ones are sitting with me as I write this. It is very difficult to lose them, if it's old age at least we know we gave them a good life, if it's a loss like my Boston Terrier who was stolen - that, I am guilt ridden I didn't have her micro chipped as before we got an electric color for her, she loved to visit all the neighbors and one of them stole her, other neighbors called and said these people had her and I thought I heard her bark from up there as we live a half mile back off the road. The police got involved but they can't just go in with out a search warrant but one day six months after she went missing, she got loose and came down the driveway - we were elated, deep down I knew she was alive, everyone thought I was crazy where she is so small and she was gone the whole winter with below zero temps. But almost a year later she was stolen again! There is no closing and I just hope they love her. Thank you for writing, I'm going to check out your site. thanks, Ellen
This is such a beautiful poem! I am a huge animal lover and have always grown up with pets - it is excruciatingly hard when they leave us, they are family. I hope your little one finds his way back to you, keep the faith...miracles happen every day. Thanks for sharing this.
- AUTHOR
Dear Yeagerinvestments , thank you so much. Yes losing a pet is very hard but then you start to realize the time you had with them was such a gift and a privilege! Thank you for enjoying this Ode to my dog!
Dear Susie, Thank you, I appreciate that so much!! El
What a touching tribute! I don't know what I would do if anything happened to my little Dakota.
Ellen, that was really inspiring. I heard you say you write, your so talented. That should be published..Suse
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