3BayGeldings
Well-Known Member
I just wanted to do a quick post dedicated to my Labrador Holly, you can tell I’m bored on my lunch break…
We’ve had her since she was 7 weeks old and I was 7 years old. She was my ‘horse’ for most of my child years, being dragged around jump courses and forced to lie on a bed of shredded paper and wear a “headcollar” and “rug” – she did all of this with a slightly bemused look, a sigh, and never once told me where to go.
She was a fabulous swimmer – we’d take her to the beach most weekends and she would be metres and metres out, jumping over the waves and totally ignoring anything we threw at her to fetch – never her strongest point
God knows how many balls she left to float out in the North Sea. We’d also take her to a local lake and some of the dives off the end of the jetties could rival Tom Daley! She just adored water.
She was hit by a car as a 6 year old and soon after began having epileptic fits. She has had several a year ever since, but luckily none too serious. She also successfully overcame breast cancer as an 8 year old. I really do encourage anyone with Labradors to resist those chocolate brown begging eyes – I know how hard it is, but it seriously pays off in their later years! We were stupid as she got older, and let her get fat. If it wasn’t for the help and advice of the vets I daresay I wouldn’t be writing this post – she would have died several years ago.
BUT – I am writing this, and all to celebrate her 15th birthday today! In 15 years she has been the absolute perfect family dog. She is one of us, treated no less, and has never once snapped or bitten or even growled. She only barks when I tell her to – something I taught her as a 13 year old as she had not barked for so long! We still get a fabulous greeting when we return from work, complete with a scrunched up nose which is her special ‘smile’, and 20 minutes of wagging tail and being handed slippers/socks/pants/shoes etc! Even as a 15 year old she’s still enjoying pottering around the block on her daily walk, and we drive her down to the river for a dip on the hot days. She still loves the water and comes bounding out like a puppy once she’s had a little swim!
Her legs are getting stiffer, her front paws are also suffering arthritis changes, and her hearing is gone in one ear. We know she’s not going to be here for much longer. But in the meantime, we’ll continue to spoil her rotten in her old age. She gets away with murder these days – whatever madam wants, madam gets. But she deserves it, for being the epitome of loyalty, kindness and love all these years.
So raise a glass to Holly!
Some pictures of her usual pose these days!
And a few other random ones
We’ve had her since she was 7 weeks old and I was 7 years old. She was my ‘horse’ for most of my child years, being dragged around jump courses and forced to lie on a bed of shredded paper and wear a “headcollar” and “rug” – she did all of this with a slightly bemused look, a sigh, and never once told me where to go.
She was a fabulous swimmer – we’d take her to the beach most weekends and she would be metres and metres out, jumping over the waves and totally ignoring anything we threw at her to fetch – never her strongest point
God knows how many balls she left to float out in the North Sea. We’d also take her to a local lake and some of the dives off the end of the jetties could rival Tom Daley! She just adored water.She was hit by a car as a 6 year old and soon after began having epileptic fits. She has had several a year ever since, but luckily none too serious. She also successfully overcame breast cancer as an 8 year old. I really do encourage anyone with Labradors to resist those chocolate brown begging eyes – I know how hard it is, but it seriously pays off in their later years! We were stupid as she got older, and let her get fat. If it wasn’t for the help and advice of the vets I daresay I wouldn’t be writing this post – she would have died several years ago.
BUT – I am writing this, and all to celebrate her 15th birthday today! In 15 years she has been the absolute perfect family dog. She is one of us, treated no less, and has never once snapped or bitten or even growled. She only barks when I tell her to – something I taught her as a 13 year old as she had not barked for so long! We still get a fabulous greeting when we return from work, complete with a scrunched up nose which is her special ‘smile’, and 20 minutes of wagging tail and being handed slippers/socks/pants/shoes etc! Even as a 15 year old she’s still enjoying pottering around the block on her daily walk, and we drive her down to the river for a dip on the hot days. She still loves the water and comes bounding out like a puppy once she’s had a little swim!
Her legs are getting stiffer, her front paws are also suffering arthritis changes, and her hearing is gone in one ear. We know she’s not going to be here for much longer. But in the meantime, we’ll continue to spoil her rotten in her old age. She gets away with murder these days – whatever madam wants, madam gets. But she deserves it, for being the epitome of loyalty, kindness and love all these years.
So raise a glass to Holly!
Some pictures of her usual pose these days!
And a few other random ones
Last edited:
