Dogs
They're a yappy, friendly bunch of mans-best-friend type of thing. They trust humans lots and have been so out-bred of real natural instinct that they are the epitome of man's domestic pets. They fetch slippers, the newspaper and if properly trained the odd curry.

Anyway, back to realism.

Myself and Greg knew his dog was blind (you can see where this is going) and we were pretty cool with that. We were pretty considerate and clapped whenever we called him to encourage him to move with the sound. He was good and learned where holes and flower beds in the garden were - pretty cool. He was a damn fine dog and wouldn't hurt anything, even when my kid sister poked him in the eye, he just sat there and wondered what had happened/why something had done that to him.

He was a chocolate labrador and would potter around *HIS* garden all day and recognised when his food was being ready by hearing the sound of the tin opener being removed from the drawer at about 5pm. Even then, he wouldn't run; just pad his way to the back door and stand there until he was invited in to have his dinner.

He loved children because they would makes lots of laughing noises whenever he moved and that's what he loved - pleasing people for no other reason that they just petted him on his head and stroked his ears. Like I say he was a wonderful pet and in his own right, one of my family when I was very young.

His demise was particularly distressing but not caused by myself. Greg and I were chucking a tennis ball around in the garden where 'said chocolate lab' lived and Greg got a bit too enthusiastic. Off the ball went, over the fence, into the road. Realising that the dog would try and follow the ball we shouted, "No!" and he stopped. He followed Greg's command like a statue and waited patiently for the next step. What a good dog :=)

Greg went out of the gate and retrieved the ball from the gutter at the other side of the road and threw it back to me in the garden. Bad move! He was a crap throw and couldn't see where the dog was. The ball hit the front of a moving car on my side of the road and bounced off. Hearing this the dog set off to get the ball. He knew where the fence was and clumsily jumped over; sprinting for where he thought the noise came from he ran into the middle of the road and just smelled around 'looking' for the tennis ball. I remember so clearly the feeling as I saw him there with the innocent face and lolling tongue waiting to be told what to do.

And then the car came.

Some fucking stupid Talbot Horizon was driving towards him and (it seems) was only yards away from the trusting labrador!
Screeching of brakes and a horrible yelping sound emitted.

I opened my eyes to see Greg holding 'Choco Lab' in his arms. My stomach was like a black hole and I thought the kind old mutt was dead. But the noise had come from Greg! What he'd actually done was jump in front of the car to save his dog: "Lab" was fine but Greg has forever suffer from a rather creaky back where the car had hit him.

Lab died of a heart attack when he was about eight - I was at uni by then so couldn't see *his* family at the time.

I'm still friends with Greg and every time we meet we talk about "Lab" (much to the annoyance of everyone else) until they tell us to shut up.

I don't care. That Chocolate Labrador was the best dog I've ever known. and I don't care if this doesn't quite fit with this QOTW topic but there you go.

Length....about 25 years ago now and I still see it as if it was yesterday.
( Fr_Jerry_McGwier looked over both shoulders at, Fri 7 Dec 2007, 3:26, 3 replies)

You got a click from me :)
I have a chocolate lab myself, named Charlie. He's now 13, terrible cataracts and deaf as a post, and I was really relieved when he lived through me going to uni. They do make lovely pets :)
( mr_wicksy is.... old., Fri 7 Dec 2007, 9:24, closed)

Maybe relative to last weeks QOTW too....
I must agree with the Labradors being fantastic comment.

I am lucky enough to own a BLACK (ref last weeks QOTW!) lab about two years old, bloody massive but great round my neice & nephew (4 & 6) he is the most patient animal I have ever met6 and won't even nick the kids crisps when they hold the packet at doggy mouth level!

He loves creeping into bed with me (no mean feat for a dog that measures over 5 feet, nose to tip of tail, and there is no better cure for my (daily) hangover than Max tm moaning at me for waking him up too early in MY bed!!!
(TAZ220 Not giving a toss since, Fri 7 Dec 2007, 11:07, closed)

That gets a click.
Also, I love the idea of an African-American labrador.
(Musuko, Fri 7 Dec 2007, 14:37, closed)