Raider (Nov '99-Sept '09)

[Nes]

Raider & our dog Madison on the deck at the cottage in July.

My father's dog passed away on the weekend.

He was 10 years old and was around 100 lbs all his life. We're very lucky to have shared as much time with his as we did.

In june he started feeling unwell, my dad took him to the vet & he has a massive tumour on his spleen. They went forward with the surgery and gave us 3 more months with him (this was the longest the vet has ever seen a dog live with such an advance stage of cancer).

Please send warm thoughts to my dad who is vacationing overseas & I know will have taken this news very hard. He loves his dogs & he really loved Raider.

Also to our other dog, Indiana. They have been companions all of Indi's life, and although she was mean to him at times, they were partners in crime & I know she's taking it badly. My brother has taken Indi over to live at my mother's house until my father comes back. Any suggestions for making Indi feel better would be greatly appreciated (I'm sure she's getting all the love & table scraps in the world though!).

Raider was 100 lbs, and still thought he was a lap dog! I think being squished into the couch is what I will miss most about him.


Our polar bear soaking in the lake in July.

He was definitely a big bear, but he had the heart of a gold .

It's funny, our goldens who have died of old age have always seem to last that one more summer to enjoy and then fall, and they just slip away.

My brother took him to the vets office after he started feeling unwell again over the weekend & they had to put him sleep. I'm very very glad that he doesn't seem to have suffered greatly. He was still bouncing around like an giant, ancient puppy at the cottage , but that was Raider.

His full name was "Oakland Raider's TouchDown" because the breeder was going for a football theme & we weren't allowed to have him if we didn't come up with one . He actually would have been a show dog but he was a crytorchid, I'm sure he was much happier with us anyway. He had a very full & happy life.

[jcat]

, Raider. You went too soon.

My sister had a Raider, too, when she was first married. He was half Golden Retriever, half Lab, and a whole bundle of love.

[farleyv]

old gentleman. It is so hard to let them go, but as you say, he did not suffer. My son just got a golden named Tess. They are truly wonderful dogs. Vibes to you and Indie and your family.

[Nes]

Molly & Tess were our first pair.

I'm definitely going to miss having to keep my elbows tucked in with dinner at dads or Raider would stick his massive head under your armpit and eat right off your plate . I got word from my brother Indi is doing well though.

I don't know what my dad is going to do with just Indi. I'm not sure if he's going to get another dog, his kids are all gone & he's been complaining he's travelling to much and the dogs were at home alone too often (of course he has an obsessive pet-sitter who loves them and checks on them 5 times a day when he's gone! ).

I offered to take Indi, but she is the dumbest/smartest golden retriever ever! She walks into walls, but figured out how to open my dad's back door and let everyone outside I'm not sure I want her! (I'm kidding, I love her and would take her in a second).

I just can't imagine my dad with out a dog! I know the space between Tess & Raider was less then 6 months but the house was just SO empty.

[Aileen06]

I'm so sorry. Rest in Peace Raider.

[Rosiemac]

What a handsome boy he is as well

RAIDER

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[CoolCat]

I´m so sorry for your Loss.....

I´m sure Raider will play under whe Rainbow happy...
RIP to him...