BLAKE
Posted: 11 Feb 2014, 23:37
10th September 2005, the day that changed our lives forever. The day that our little black bundle of fur bounced into our lives aged 10 months old.
Blake came home with us that day and we soon found out that as mad as he was, he was also the most nervous, scared little dog ever. He didn’t know how to play, he didn’t know what a ball was (but that soon changed !), when he ate it was like he was never ever going to get another meal again and he was frightened of everything. We soon gained his trust though and before long it was as if he’d been with us forever. He soon realised how to play us though, we listened to all of the advice about making sure he stayed downstairs to sleep but after a week of howling after we’d gone to bed, I felt so sorry for him that before long, his basket was on the landing, I left the bedroom door open so that he could see me and soon after that, he progressed to lying on the floor by the side of the bed. I woke up one morning and he wasn’t by the bed, he wasn’t in his basket, I flew downstairs and he wasn’t down there either. Sheer panic took over as I couldn’t find him. I came back upstairs and lo and behold, the cheeky monkey had found his way into the spare bedroom and was sprawled full length on the double bed. That room then became “Blake’s room” and is where he slept until his first bout of illness struck.
He had a such quirkiness all of his own and some very strange foibles. When getting in the car, he would only get in on the drivers’ back side door, he would never approach from the front of the car, he always had to walk right the way round the back of the car to get in. He wouldn’t walk through a half opened door, it had to be fully opened for him. He absolutely adored going to the vets to the point of crying outside the door when it wasn't his turn to go in. We were never allowed to play music in the car as he sulked if we did, he didn’t like football on the telly, if you had a cough or a cold, you had to stifle the coughs and sneezes as he couldn’t weigh those up at all. He didn’t like the wind and rain and he was scared of the dark. His biggest issue though was fireworks – bless him, he was absolutely terrified and the number of nights he sat and shook with fear we’ve lost count of.
We were sat talking the other night about the places we’d been with him and my goodness was he well travelled, there isn’t a park or a field in the area that we didn’t walk him in at one stage or another. We met so many people whilst out and about and everyone knew Blake, they knew him but could never remember OUR names.
The day he learnt to swim was a revelation. We were walking in one of the parks near us that has a boating lake in it, took our eye off him for one second and just saw the leap that he took at the water. He went in and didn’t come back up again. I shouted at Darren that he’d have to go in after him, he half had his coat and shoes off when Blake suddenly popped his head up in the water not far from where he’d gone in and started paddling like mad to get back to shore. Quite a sight I can tell you.
2011 was the year that changed things for my manic, happy go lucky boy. He ruptured the cruciate ligament in his back leg. We nursed him through, the vet telling us to “keep him still and rested,” much easier said than done, but we did it and just as we got him sorted, 13 weeks later his second one in his other leg ruptured. We got him through the second surgery and after that he did slow down quite significantly, but, his head was telling him otherwise. He’d wander about with his 2 tennis balls in his mouth (NEVER just one for Blake, he’d always had two right from the very early days) and was known affectionately as “Blakey Two Balls.” Given half the chance he’d have been off racing after those balls – that’s what he lived to do – he thought it was his sole purpose in life to chase his balls.
Sadly, as you all know, my special boy lost his very brave and courageous battle on Friday 7th February at 6.35pm at only 9 years old. He was so very poorly at the end, it all happened within 3 days and as much as I battled to save him (and I DID battle for him, I was willing to try anything), it just wasn’t meant to be. He was in end stage liver failure, the symptoms only showing themselves right at the very end when nothing could be done to save him. He was so very, very tired, all the life had gone from his face and he looked at me and told me it was time to go. He went through so much illness in his short life, more than any one dog should ever have to go through and never complained about any of it. I held him in my arms whilst he drifted away and then brought him home for one final night. I first of all took him to the place where he loved to play the most and sat with him in the car for 15 minutes with his 2 tennis balls by his side. I lied with him all night just talking to him and stroking him. He was cremated on Saturday and came home to me today.
I miss him so much but know that I did the kindest thing I could for him.
I could sit here and write all night about the daft things he’s done and the daft things we’ve done with him but I don’t think there’s enough room on the website.
It was because of Blake that I found Labrador Rescue. When I first got him, I was looking on the web just for general information on owning a labrador and found the website. Since then I have made so many friends on the site and over the years those friends have been a constant support to us, especially now when I’m at one of the lowest points. Thank You to everyone for your kind words and for keeping us in your thoughts. I've also posted a small slideshow of him at the bottom of the post.
Love
JOANNE
XXX
http://s760.photobucket.com/user/Blakester2/slideshow/
Blake came home with us that day and we soon found out that as mad as he was, he was also the most nervous, scared little dog ever. He didn’t know how to play, he didn’t know what a ball was (but that soon changed !), when he ate it was like he was never ever going to get another meal again and he was frightened of everything. We soon gained his trust though and before long it was as if he’d been with us forever. He soon realised how to play us though, we listened to all of the advice about making sure he stayed downstairs to sleep but after a week of howling after we’d gone to bed, I felt so sorry for him that before long, his basket was on the landing, I left the bedroom door open so that he could see me and soon after that, he progressed to lying on the floor by the side of the bed. I woke up one morning and he wasn’t by the bed, he wasn’t in his basket, I flew downstairs and he wasn’t down there either. Sheer panic took over as I couldn’t find him. I came back upstairs and lo and behold, the cheeky monkey had found his way into the spare bedroom and was sprawled full length on the double bed. That room then became “Blake’s room” and is where he slept until his first bout of illness struck.
He had a such quirkiness all of his own and some very strange foibles. When getting in the car, he would only get in on the drivers’ back side door, he would never approach from the front of the car, he always had to walk right the way round the back of the car to get in. He wouldn’t walk through a half opened door, it had to be fully opened for him. He absolutely adored going to the vets to the point of crying outside the door when it wasn't his turn to go in. We were never allowed to play music in the car as he sulked if we did, he didn’t like football on the telly, if you had a cough or a cold, you had to stifle the coughs and sneezes as he couldn’t weigh those up at all. He didn’t like the wind and rain and he was scared of the dark. His biggest issue though was fireworks – bless him, he was absolutely terrified and the number of nights he sat and shook with fear we’ve lost count of.
We were sat talking the other night about the places we’d been with him and my goodness was he well travelled, there isn’t a park or a field in the area that we didn’t walk him in at one stage or another. We met so many people whilst out and about and everyone knew Blake, they knew him but could never remember OUR names.
The day he learnt to swim was a revelation. We were walking in one of the parks near us that has a boating lake in it, took our eye off him for one second and just saw the leap that he took at the water. He went in and didn’t come back up again. I shouted at Darren that he’d have to go in after him, he half had his coat and shoes off when Blake suddenly popped his head up in the water not far from where he’d gone in and started paddling like mad to get back to shore. Quite a sight I can tell you.
2011 was the year that changed things for my manic, happy go lucky boy. He ruptured the cruciate ligament in his back leg. We nursed him through, the vet telling us to “keep him still and rested,” much easier said than done, but we did it and just as we got him sorted, 13 weeks later his second one in his other leg ruptured. We got him through the second surgery and after that he did slow down quite significantly, but, his head was telling him otherwise. He’d wander about with his 2 tennis balls in his mouth (NEVER just one for Blake, he’d always had two right from the very early days) and was known affectionately as “Blakey Two Balls.” Given half the chance he’d have been off racing after those balls – that’s what he lived to do – he thought it was his sole purpose in life to chase his balls.
Sadly, as you all know, my special boy lost his very brave and courageous battle on Friday 7th February at 6.35pm at only 9 years old. He was so very poorly at the end, it all happened within 3 days and as much as I battled to save him (and I DID battle for him, I was willing to try anything), it just wasn’t meant to be. He was in end stage liver failure, the symptoms only showing themselves right at the very end when nothing could be done to save him. He was so very, very tired, all the life had gone from his face and he looked at me and told me it was time to go. He went through so much illness in his short life, more than any one dog should ever have to go through and never complained about any of it. I held him in my arms whilst he drifted away and then brought him home for one final night. I first of all took him to the place where he loved to play the most and sat with him in the car for 15 minutes with his 2 tennis balls by his side. I lied with him all night just talking to him and stroking him. He was cremated on Saturday and came home to me today.
I miss him so much but know that I did the kindest thing I could for him.
I could sit here and write all night about the daft things he’s done and the daft things we’ve done with him but I don’t think there’s enough room on the website.
It was because of Blake that I found Labrador Rescue. When I first got him, I was looking on the web just for general information on owning a labrador and found the website. Since then I have made so many friends on the site and over the years those friends have been a constant support to us, especially now when I’m at one of the lowest points. Thank You to everyone for your kind words and for keeping us in your thoughts. I've also posted a small slideshow of him at the bottom of the post.
Love
JOANNE
XXX
http://s760.photobucket.com/user/Blakester2/slideshow/
. Your love for each other just shines out through your words and what a wonderful life you gave Blake after his awful start. He returned your love for him with his antics and has given you all these happy, funny memories which will stay with you forever. 
He was so lucky to have a life where he was allowed to be Blake, and where no-one tried to change him.