Meet Bear.

[intheflow]

usedtobesick and I went to the Humane Society yesterday and got a dog. :bounce: His name is Bear (wouldn't have been my first choice, but he's a rescue). They say he's a year and a half old, but we suspect he might be a bit younger. Anyway, so far he's been perfect dog -- stays out of the trash, sits and stays on command, asks to be let out, doesn't chew anything but his chew toys, and loves kids and other dogs. He's already got several nicknames: Baby Bear, Bubba-Bear, and Bearba (Bear + Bubba), Knobby-Head Dog, Goofus, Elmo (don't ask). I'm so enamored, I've shot more than 125 photos in less than 24 hours. I won't bore you with them all, but I can't help myself from sharing a few favorites.

He made himself right at home almost as soon as he walked in the door.



Belly-rub! Pure joy!



He's mostly chocolate lab, and labs are supposed to love water, so we brought him to the beach. He didn't swim, but he did drink some saltwater and puked. :( I guess there won't be many salt water beaches in his future.



But he was still pretty dang happy to be there, and was a wonderful subject:





I loved this series I took of usedtobesick and Bear running. Check out the air this dog gets!

[CC]

1. He's a cutie and look at all that personality.

Most likely salt water will be safe from now on. Dogs learn fast. Does he play fetch? If he does that is a way to get him into the water. I had a dog that hated water (her name was Desert) but would run in without a thought to retrieve a stick. She did cry the whole time she swam to shore though.

[intheflow]

5. My son's dog, Pete,

is about 50% lab, and he's terrified of the water. Which is really funny because the rest of him is german shepard and great dane, you'd think a dog that big wouldn't be afraid of anything! :rofl:

Yes, Bear plays fetch, but either gets bored soon or this crazy Mississippi heat wears him out almost immediately.

The thing about swimming in the Gulf... I wasn't even that keen on bringing him there, there's still so much sharp debris in the water. But we hadn't been to the beach for a while, and you can't tell there's still so much little, paw-slicing debris from Route 90. And then, God only knows what chemicals are still being dumped in there by the open run-off pipes everywhere. I mean, I wouldn't swim in the Gulf right now for those reasons, don't think I want Bear to. Still, the temptation was too strong to bring him to the water for us to resist. Sucker new dog parents! :D

[bvar22]

2. Oh Man! What a beauty!

He was just waiting for you.
He has the best honey gold eyes (first pic), Intelligent and Loving.

[intheflow]

6. The family that first owned him had to move.

So they surrendered him to the Humane Society. Then another family took him but they returned him in two days! I can't imagine anyone giving this dog up after he entered their home. So, yeah. I think he was meant to be our dog.

[F.Gordon]

3. usedtobesick is catching some nice air

But I wouldn't go so far to call him a "dog". I mean.... the guy ain't that bad is he?

Doggie is adorable. Can see it in the eyes... going to be a wonderful friend to the two of ya'.

[intheflow]

8. Later in the running series...

utbs actually did catch some air! :rofl: But it was blurry so I didn't post it in the OP.



"When man and dog collide--tonight on Faux!" :rofl:

[Eurobabe]

4. Be sure to post Bear in the Pets Group

We love to hear aabout great dogs and cats getting loving forever homes.... Congrats!! He's a gorgeous pup...enjoy him...

[intheflow]

7. Thanks for the heads up!

I was also going to post this in the Lounge, but figured I was was just being an overly proud new mama. :rofl:

See you in the pet group! :hi:

[Eurobabe]

9. Oh gosh now, we LOVE our furkids!!!!

I'll look for you there....you'll find lots of kindred spirits and helpful people. When I get tired of all the political BS, I head to photography & pets. ;)

[JeffR]

10. He's a charmer

The first shot is a wonderful canine portrait study. Looking forward to seeing more of this guy, and I have a feeling he'll have cameras pointed at him all the time.

Glad to see he's already got a bunch of nicknames; a sure sign that he's "home" now. (One of our dogs, Chlöe, is also known as Li'l Turnip, Tomato Head, Poopsie, Kid, Pupster, Nutty, Gladys Kravitz and Miss Crazy.) I for one would like to know where "Elmo" originated.

[intheflow]

11. Oh, I'm sure he'll be my model for many years to come.

And luckily, he won't whine and complain like my son did all while he was growing up. :evilgrin:

Elmo is from "Tickle Me Elmo" fame, I think. It's one of utbs's names for him. But it's already fallen out of favor (in less than 24 hours!) to be supplanted by UmBEARto. :eyes: If my playing paparazzi doesn't do the pup in, the bad puns might!

OK, so I 'fessed up to Elmo. Do you have photos to back up the Turnip, Tomato, and/or Gladys Kravitz nicknames?

[JeffR]

12. She gets curiously restrained when there's a camera around:

But you can sorta make out the tomato-shaped head. She's Gladys because everything that goes on in the 'hood is her personal business, and most of it warrants a soprano howl or three.





And this is Faust, AKA Big Guy, Shnooples, Wolf Boy, Farm Dog, Snow Dog & Dopey Dog.

[intheflow]

13. Ah, the Kravitz connection becomes clear!

:rofl:

BTW, we saw a beagle-y kind of dog at the shelter that I would have picked up at the same time -- if this wasn't utbs's first dog, and if we were actually allowed more than one dog at our rental home. That dog looked very much like Chlöe, and it kills me still to know s/he may still be there waiting for a good home. Not to mention that Bear doesn't get a sibling, which is sad.

Faust's nicknames, on the other hand, need no explanation. Well, maybe Schnooples, but he is definitely Big Guy, Wolf Boy and Dopey Dog personified. Very handsome and furry, a killer combo!

[JeffR]

14. Beagles are really a breed apart, so to speak

Chlöe makes a great sidekick for Faust, though he's getting on for 14 and she's pretty much "on" all the time. He lets her do the running around when it's time for one of those mock-dogfights that involve a lot of contrived snarls & such. His shagginess tends to be a curse in spring and fall, when there's more of his hair on the carpets than there is on him! You chose a sensibly short-haired dog.

Let young Bear enjoy his only-dog status for a while. A puppy will be the perfect gift for him when he's a few years older.:)

[Duppers]

16. what sweeties! nt

they're adorable!

[uppityperson]

15. Congratulations to all 3 of you!

Bear looks like a cutie, am so glad you found yourselves a good companion. Drink saltwater and puke, check. I wonder if he has some chow in him, spotted tongue in that 1 picture. He looks like lots of energy! woof!

[Duppers]

17. I love him!

Some one's really "at home" there. He's soulful and intelligent, I can tell.

And I jealous! And I miss my yellow lab terribly. She died many yrs. ago. I can see parts of her in him.

It looks as if you two are already enjoying him.

[intheflow]

19. I've never really gotten over my Ziggy's death.

Not a lab, but, as you say, "at home."


Aftr Zig died, we went to the pound and got a black lab who was definitely not home--literally and figuratively! Ben was dumb as a box of rocks (jumped off the same cliff twice, for instance) but he could find a way out of every attempt to restrain him (actually chewed his way through the kitchen door to get outside one day). Because of Ben, I learned how to really identify good dogs at the pound.

I hope you have other dogs in your life since your lab passed away. Different dogs can never replace beloved pets, but they can help lessen the pain. :hug:

[TahitiNut]

22. My black lab ('Bo' - Bojangles) died 17 years ago November

It was November 15, 1989. A daily part of my life for 12 years, I don't think I'll ever get over his death. I knew it would be difficult, but it was twice as difficult as I'd imagined. It was a few months before I went more one day in a row without crying, usually while showering in the morning. Even now, I can close my eyes and remember the feeling on every fingertip when I'd scratch him and pet him as he stretched and wagged his tail. I can remember his "kisses" (not on the mouth, Bo!) and every look on his face.

To say I have a soft spot in my heart for labradors would be a huge understatement. If that part of my heart were gone, I'd have no heart left worth mentioning.

[Duppers]

23. awww!

Thanks for posting a pic of your beloved Ziggy. And for the hug. :)

Our Dupps was psychic or at least very intuitive. I could think left and she'd go left. I could take a deep breath and she'd immediately come and ask me 'what's wrong, mom'? She WAS A PERSON and we loved her almost as I do our dear son (human). As Con said below: "Dogs teach us how to be human."

Please keep us updated on Bear with more of your great pics. :)

[ConsAreLiars]

18. Dogs teach us how to be human. And don't worry about the salt water.

Lucy the Gentle Pit Bull loves retrieving sticks from the water - thrown or not - and her first saltwater experience apparently including drinking a fair bit. She didn't puke - it ran straight through - but she quickly learned not to swallow it. Regarding dogs and humans, people might enjoy reading Sherri S. Tepper's Sci-Fi book "Companions" for a reminder of what role they have played and what cripples some humans.

Anyway (and you know this is just an excuse to pay tribute to Dog)... Here's Lucy - a street rescue and a truly wonderful being:

Jumping


Waiting for a stick


Finding one


and retrieving.


(and thanks to xs.to for free hosting)

Looks like you and he and usedtobesick found woderful companions, all of you.

[intheflow]

20. I always love your Lucy pics!

The first two are great shots! I love the form she has while leaping. :rofl:

Thanks for the sage wisdom on salt water. The fresh water around here has gators and cottonmouth snakes. Hard to know which is the worse threat: debris and pollution in the gulf, or gators and poisonous snakes in the fresh water bodies.
:dilemma:

[MissHoneychurch]

21. I love the first picture

what a beautiful dog.

And your series with usedtobesick and Bear running is just amazing.