This is the love of my life. She was a replacement for our last dog Rusty. At 64 and disabled I can’t describe how much joy and love she has added to my life.

Gene from Texas

When I was quite young my family had a large G.S.D. named Duke. He was my friend, protector, and playmate. When he passed I was crushed. And we never got another. As I grew older I always wanted another Duke. Instead I got a Bruno who from over 25 litters had shown the most personality and above all chose me. He has been with me for Five years now. Traveled the country with me and has truly been my best friend. Bailey is my new addition who is now but one year old, and as you can see from the pics has personality and additude to spare. Along with Bruno being the perfect big brother. As I have no other family they have proven time and again to be best friends, constant companions, protecrors, and most important my family. Though I am parcial to G.S.D. I love dogs and can’t imagine how anyone could mistreat the wonderful gift we’ve been given in the form of the dog.

Dan from Ohio

3 years ago, my then 19 year old daughter had a “Paris Hilton” attack and forced her boyfriend, Mike to buy her a chihuhua. We already had Peaches the cat. When I saw her walk in with this tiny little thing I said “WHY???”. She promised to take care of this dog, named Bella, and she took the little thing into her room. I had grown up with a boxer, had a german sherpherd and a collie.

I was NOT used to a dog that looked like a mouse. I shampooed the rug three days in a row so, Toni (my daughter) had to keep Bella in her room. I went out of my way to avoid this dog. Then one afternoon, I heard my mother’s voice say “Be nice to Bella” (God rest her soul) She meant it. So I started to “visit” Bella in Toni’s room. As the weeks went by, Toni was working and just too busy to care about Bella. She would call from work and say she had forgotten to give Bella her vitamins or to feed her. I could see Bella was going nowhere fast. So I started bringing her with me. I would feed her, clean up her messes, give her the vitamins.etc.etc. Bella was so thankful to have a friend in the house she was fast becoming attached to me, and I to her. I sang to her, I gave her the nickname “poopoopup” which I sometimes still call her. I took Bella everwhere with me. As she grew we walked in the park, all over the neighborhood, and Bella was becoming a celebrity. Everyone loved her. She’s a panderer to everyone on the street. The mailmen, kids, teenagers, people going to church services. She’s been in stores and there is a sub shop that especially loves to give Bella cold cuts. My family cannot understand this.
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Our 14 year old golden retriever’s name is Shiloh’s Golden Nutmeg ‘n Irish Cream but we just call her “Meg”… or Meggie, Megster, Moogie, Pookie… well you get the picture. 

We so love this dog.  We bred her and her mom and a whole bunch of siblings.  We are true “Retriever Believers!”

Meg has had many health issues over the last several years all with what seems to be leading to an imminent death but dang if she doesn’t bounce back and once again become that playful, spontaneous, creative little play friend to our family.

What will we do without her?  Goldens don’t live forever do they?  We can’t think about it without becoming immediately wounded.  She loves us when we aren’t very lovable.  She cheers us when we are sad.  She comforts us when we feel alone.  We make every moment with this little member of our family a memory and treat/spoil her to all kinds of neat things.  We also tell her repeatedly she can never get in trouble anymore either so live it up! :D

So Sprite’s story is kindof Meg’s story.  We appreciate the opportunity to share her with The Great One and all his fans.

Kate from OR

Her beautiful name was Lady. She was a beagle. We asked if we could have her brought out of her cage at the mall. She ran all over the pet store in circles and disrupted the whole store. We knew we had to have her. She was more than we could afford, Who cares, we boughtg her.. I was 30 when I bought my beautiful Lady, I grew old with her. Good times…. you bet. Then came the sad times, coming upstairs and finding her, at 14 years old, head in a corner, bleeding from the mouth and nose. I knew what I had to do. I took her to the vet and spent more money my family didn’t have to try and save her. I told my wife we didn’t have this sort of money to spend on the dog. Her response….Would you spend that kind of money on me, because she’s family just like me. Then came the drive to the vet. I knew what was next. I must say I was strong and brave I was not going to feel any emotion or cry. I had a job to do and I knew I was doing the right thing. As we were driving to the vet, she crawled over to me and put her head in my lap. She looked up at me with the trust she had shown in me for 14 years, thats when I started to lose it……we got to the vets and he came out and took my beautiful girl, my best friend out of my arms and walked thru these swinging doors….I was still doing O.K. then as the swinging doors opened….she looked back at me, for the last time. I was toast. Yes a big man can be brought to his knees with the look from an old friend. Especially the “last look” like “hey I’ll see you in a while, won’t I my master”

– Mark from CA

As I was reading your book I took a look back when I had my dogs Lady and Trixie, who was the cutest beagle you ever saw, with her big floppy ears.

Well Lady who I thought ran away when I was young but I found out a few years ago she was hit by a car and died. My parents decided not to tell me b/c it would be too hard. But it was actually harder to find out about it now; I was so upset and told my parents my anger with them. Lady would always sleep at the foot of my bed and when I came home from school was so happy and would wait by the door b/c she knew I would take her for a long walk. She was a great dog, we had her for a long time.

As for Trixie, all my friends and family adored this dog. The worst part is that we had to leave her all alone in the house when we left for school and work. She didn’t like it at all and would start hiding from us in the mornings and snip at us b/c she knew she would be alone. It wasn’t b/c she didn’t love us , it was b/c she didn’t want to be alone and I didn’t blame her. I would always spend as much time as I could with her when I was home. But it got too much on us and Trixie, we felt so bad that we would have to leave her all the time, we had to give her up to a shelter to find a family that wouldn’t leave her alone a lot. My mother couldn’t even get the strength to bring her to the shelter, so my Grandfather and I had to do it. I wouldn’t let her go when we got there and started to cry. My Grandfather, an old ww2 vet, had to pry her from me and he brought her in; I was devastated. For the next week we kept in touch with the shelter to see how she was doing and if anyone adopted her her b/c we were worried. Within weeks a family from upstate with a lot of land adopted her and they said it was a very loving family, they really couldn’t say much b/c of privacy, which we understood. I can only hope she was taken in to a family like yours!

Great book!!
Rich (Mark’s Producer)