# My Big-Boy's last trail



## car2ner

My mom passed away of cancer a couple of years ago. My big-boy who was attacked by the same enemy. Today we gave him his last command, "Patton, Find Grandma".


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## jarn

I'm so sorry. Cancer is an awful thing. RIP Patton. I hope all the good memories comfort you.


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## cagal

I’m so sorry - such a terrible disease. My thoughts and prayers to you and your family.


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## Buckelke

sorry for your loss, always difficult.


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## Bearshandler

That’s sad to hear. I always enjoyed watching your videos working with him.


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## Heartandsoul

That is a beautiful picture and last command. I’m sure they have found each other. Letting go is so painful but that picture seems to capture the wonder of everlasting health. I am so sorry. He is such a good boy.


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## Sunsilver

'Go find Grandma'...

😥 😥😥 Darn, that touched my heart! Probably because I lost my husband to that dreadful disease...

So sorry, Car2ner!


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## Cassidy's Mom

I'm so sorry for the loss of your beautiful boy. 💔


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## LuvShepherds

I’m so sad for you. What a beautiful boy. He’s with Grandma.


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## doubleroll

So sorry for your loss 🙏

Run free Patton..


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## car2ner

thanks, that big-boy had so much Joy of Life that he made people smile by simply showing up. That was his super power. Mom's taking him for his next walk, I'm certain


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## Stevenzachsmom

I am so sorry. I am seriously sitting here sobbing. I hate cancer so much. Lost two long time friends to cancer recently - one in July and one a few weeks ago. It doesn't get easier. I know you gave Patton a wonderful life. I have no doubt he found Grandma. I am equally sure both will be waiting for you, on the other side. Sending really big hugs!


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## Sabis mom

I told Bud to go find Sabi. I'm so sorry for your loss.
Good boy Patton. Good Boy.


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## brittanyS

I should know better than to read these threads by now - they always make me cry. So sorry for your loss.


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## Sunsilver

Me, too, Brittany! 😥


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## WNGD

Patton and Grandma are both looking down in perfect health. You'll see them again.


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## finn'smom

I'm so sorry for you loss.


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## tim_s_adams

Sorry to hear this. It's never easy even when you know it's coming. RIP Patton!


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## dogma13

I so sorry! R.I.P. Patton.


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## wolfy dog

car2ner said:


> My mom passed away of cancer a couple of years ago. My big-boy who was attacked by the same enemy. Today we gave him his last command, "Patton, Find Grandma".
> View attachment 579805


OMG, that was the sweetest goodbye. I am sure he did.


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## NadDog24

so sorry for your loss! Patton was a very handsome boy and you gave him the best final command


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## Fodder

oh no, i had no idea….. so so sorry!! will miss the big handsome guy!


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## gtaroger

I'm so sorry for your loss.It hurts so much when you think about how much you loved you Patton, but it might make you feel a little better when you look back and remember how much love he had for you.


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## Dunkirk

I'm so sorry for your loss. Paton, what a very beautiful good boy.


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## davewis

Thank you for everything you have shared about Paton over the years. We are all better off for having learned from you two.


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## car2ner

davewis said:


> Thank you for everything you have shared about Paton over the years. We are all better off for having learned from you two.


Thank you David, I really appreciate that.


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## car2ner

Now begins the week of "this isn't right". When I say that GSDs love adventure but thrive on routine, who am I kidding. We do, too. And now the routine has been changed in ways I do not like. The memoires make me smile. Realizing that there won't be more, makes me tear up. Realizing I won't hear those big soft paw steps come across the room again to bring me that big nudge of "hey, time to go outside", is breaking my heart. 
But we go on. I still have my gal-dog and she is under strict orders to not get ill for at least another 6 years! I am putting my foot down.


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## Barrie

R.I.P. Patton. x


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## David Winners

Oh my heart goes out to you. Thank you for sharing your big goofy boy with us. 

Just take it in and let it out. It's because we love them so that we miss them so. 

Hugs


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## GatorBytes

I am sorry for your loss, RIP Patton


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## ksotto333

Oh ****, I hated seeing this. My vision is of your Mom and Patton together.


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## Aly

I am so sorry to read this, @car2ner. I always imagined that I'd meet you and your dogs IRL. I so loved the videos that you posted of you and the dogs playing in the leaves. I am so sorry for your loss. I'll share what my grandmother told me whenever I lost a beloved pet, "That pain you feel right now is just your heart growing so that you can love some more." It always comforted me and I hope it comforts you now. Many hugs...


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## car2ner

Aly said:


> I am so sorry to read this, @car2ner. I always imagined that I'd meet you and your dogs IRL. I so loved the videos that you posted of you and the dogs playing in the leaves. I am so sorry for your loss. I'll share what my grandmother told me whenever I lost a beloved pet, "That pain you feel right now is just your heart growing so that you can love some more." It always comforted me and I hope it comforts you now. Many hugs...


thanks, right now it breaks over and over again. I got teary eyed over hair in a vacuum. So it must be growing (grin)


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## Kathrynil

Oh, I'm so sorry, car2ner. I know it's rough. I too loved seeing the little videos of you and your dogs. Your big boy would always be focused on you, while your gal would be running circles around you two. My sympathies.


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## car2ner

Kathrynil said:


> Oh, I'm so sorry, car2ner. I know it's rough. I too loved seeing the little videos of you and your dogs. Your big boy would always be focused on you, while your gal would be running circles around you two. My sympathies.


thanks, so far my gal-dog is clueless that the big-boy won't be back. That is a blessing, She doesn't understand why we would cry our selves to sleep all last week as we watched our boy loosing his fight. Sometimes ignorance really is bliss.


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## mikegray660

Run free sweet boy

and best wishes on your recovery from such a painful loss


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## wolfy dog

These stories always make me teary. Deja came up to me as I was writing this so I petted her for you. Take care.


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## CactusWren

Sorry for your loss.


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## dogfaeries

I am so so sorry.


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## selzer

I'm sorry. Right now the pain of losing them overshadows how wonderful having them was. But that turns right-side up in time. I think too that when we see how a disease like cancer is taking them, making that transition easier for them, when it is possible, can make it a little easier. Dogs are so special though, losing them takes a chunk out of our lives and hearts. They accept us, and love us, and trust us beyond our ability to do those things a lot of times, and I, at least, am always left wondering how I deserved such a wonderful creature. I think the answer is that we don't. It is kind of like the definition of grace:"1a*: *unmerited divine assistance given to humans for their regeneration or sanctification." Perhaps the dogs in our lives are there to move us beyond ourselves. I think even losing them, maybe especially when we lose them, it makes us grow in compassion and empathy, though maybe what gifts our dogs leave with us differs with what we need. What a beautiful thing a dog is! And how rich we are when we have been able to share a bit of our lives with such a magnificent being.


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## Benjaminb

Sorry to hear of your loss. I always enjoyed seeing him in the videos you would upload.


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## car2ner

thank you


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## Sabis mom

I have said before that one of the crappy parts about being in this online forum is that "we" are constantly loosing dogs. We see them as puppies, young dogs, watch them grow and learn and succeed and we grow to love them. We celebrate their accomplishments and cry at illnesses and injuries. We worry and fret as a community. 
The upside is that we grow to love them. 
I would have happily added Patton to my board and keep.
Hugs to you

*A Heart Of Gold*
A heart of gold stopped beating,

Two shining eyes at rest.

God broke our hearts to prove to us,

He only takes the best

_– Author Unknown_


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## GSDchoice

What a beautiful poem.

So sorry to hear about Patton :-( 
If only they could live forever.

When we thought we were going to lose our dog to bloat, I caught my husband tucking a piece of Rumo's fur into his wallet...


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## Kathrynil

car2ner said:


> thanks, so far my gal-dog is clueless that the big-boy won't be back. That is a blessing, She doesn't understand why we would cry our selves to sleep all last week as we watched our boy loosing his fight. Sometimes ignorance really is bliss.


True. That is an encouragement. My cat died in June, and his sister was prowling around the house and calling for weeks afterward. It made the whole experience so much worse, but I'm so glad she got lots of love and has seemed to forget.


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## Jenny720

Heartbreaking. I’m so sorry and will miss Patton’s videos. Such a handsome boy. Your home must be very quiet. No doubt he has found his grandma and he is watching over his family.


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## wolfy dog

I think that's why I have grieved deeper for dogs than for friends or family members that passed on. But I never lost a kid or husband so I don't know about that luckily.


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## car2ner

Mom was living with us when she was hit with her 2nd bout of Cancer. She did hospice at home. Since we could talk to each other and could understand what was going on, it helped easy the leaving. I miss her but it is very different. But it is still their absence in our routine and the end of making new memories that bring the tears. 

Every now and then our gal-dog looks for Patton and then looks at me to see if I can explain it to her.


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## WNGD

That's why I can't live in a house without a dog; MY routine is disrupted, they're a constant equalizer to the craziness in my life.


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## Beau's Mom

So very for your loss. I’ve enjoyed your stories and videos, the love and respect on both sides was evident. Take care 😢.


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## Peter Maddalone

Omg I’m so sorry for your loss of Patton . You brought a grown man to tears with your last command to Patton ! God bless you , Patton, grandma and your family .


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## car2ner

it has been 3 weeks now and I suspect my mom and Patton and our other pets are having a good time together again in the beyond. But picking through some turkey scraps (had an early Thanksgiving with family) I missed my big-boy waiting for his share. One reason this loss might be harder than the others in the past is that I have wrapped part of my identity around my dogs. My hubby and I are "those people with the German Shepherd Dogs", in a good way. When my hubby brought our big-boy along Patton made everyone smile. I don't have that power but I sure was glad to be the caretaker of the one who did. 
Who am I now? I still have Chief and she is adjusting better than I am. Now that she is out from my big-boy's shadow people are telling me how beautiful she is. This is going to take awhile to adjust to.


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## LuvShepherds

car2ner said:


> it has been 3 weeks now and I suspect my mom and Patton and our other pets are having a good time together again in the beyond. But picking through some turkey scraps (had an early Thanksgiving with family) I missed my big-boy waiting for his share. One reason this loss might be harder than the others in the past is that I have wrapped part of my identity around my dogs. My hubby and I are "those people with the German Shepherd Dogs", in a good way. When my hubby brought our big-boy along Patton made everyone smile. I don't have that power but I sure was glad to be the caretaker of the one who did.
> Who am I now? I still have Chief and she is adjusting better than I am. Now that she is out from my big-boy's shadow people are telling me how beautiful she is. This is going to take awhile to adjust to.


Are you thinking about adding another any time soon? That seems to be the only thing that helps me get over a loss. Although I never completely recover.


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## car2ner

Never say never but as of now, we have no plans to. We will be snow birding in our RV, and we have to think about who will take our gal-dog if we pass before she does. That being said, these two came into our lives after my "last dog" passed away and we have zero regrets, only great memories.


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## dogma13

Understandable. Samson is my last puppy.He'll be 8yrs old soon but I'm often tempted to add just one more. Not practical at all really, but you never know...
My kids love our dogs and the dogs love them so they definitely have secure places to live just in case.


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## Finn'sLegacy

car2ner said:


> My mom passed away of cancer a couple of years ago. My big-boy who was attacked by the same enemy. Today we gave him his last command, "Patton, Find Grandma".
> View attachment 579805


I'm so sorry. We lost the love of our life in July and I dont know when we will recover. Your command is precious. Beautiful dog.


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## car2ner

Finn'sLegacy said:


> I'm so sorry. We lost the love of our life in July and I dont know when we will recover. Your command is precious. Beautiful dog.


Thanks, I guess what we can pray and hope for is to enjoy the memories without tearing up. We had family and friends last week sharing tears as they told me about the ones they are now missing as well. I don't think it ever completely ends.

I am praying for an acquaintance of mine who is loosing her Doberman. If anyone has part of her identity attached to a dog it is her. This is going to be rough. This is her first personal dog, it protected her from attach 3 different times, was there for her wedding and the start of her business and is part of her company logo. She has a pack now and an in coming pup, but she is still going to have a struggle.


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## RockyRoads62

car2ner said:


> My mom passed away of cancer a couple of years ago. My big-boy who was attacked by the same enemy. Today we gave him his last command, "Patton, Find Grandma".
> View attachment 579805


Thanks Car, I have only been a member a short while but I am on my 3rd gsd in this life. Its hard to lose one. God bless and maybe you will see him again. I love the final command. I hope if my boy outlives me that he is given the same command to find me.


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## Rob P

I'm very sorry for your loss. Your boy, Patton, was beautiful!


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## car2ner

Thank you Rob. His memories still follow me around some days.


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