Last night I dreamed that while the OH and I were hiking our dog fell off a cliff and was killed.  The weird part is that it was our previous ESS, who has been gone for 14 years.  It was awful, real as day and I woke up crying and couldn't stop for over half an hour.  I can still see it, plain as anything as her little white body falls and falls and falls, then a thump.

I guess I'm worried about losing our current Lab, Jet, who will be 13 next week.  She's not sick or anything but I do know the average age for Labs is only 12.  I think maybe my mind is just getting me ready but what an awful way for it to work.  I had sad, sad dreams about all my animals after they died, cats, dogs, horses, and I thought I was pretty good about handling the death of an older animal that has had a good life.  A younger animal that dies before it's time is a different thing and we've had our share of those too.

I don't know what I expect out of posting here.  Maybe I just know that it helps to tell such things to people who will understand and I don't want to keep seeing this dream, as I am now.  I guess I'm giving it away by telling you.  Thanks for listening.

{{{{BIG HUGS}}}}}}}  I have very realistic dreams sometimes too - often I find it's something going on deep down that perhaps I haven't acknowledged - maybe it's the same with you?  I have had to stop watching Dog Borstal though, as that seemed to be making them worse....

Dreams can be terrifying. I had an awfull dream about  my youngest duaghter she was about 7 at the time. We were on holiday and I let her go off riding a bike. Later we went to look for her when he heared somebody say the body of a little girl had been found in a canal.
When I woke I was in such a state. My husband thought I was stupid I phoned my mam to tell her and I couldnt stop crying. I was upset over the dream for along time.
Over this time I had many bad dreams about my youngest child. The only rerason I could come up with is that she was my youngest and she was growing up getting more independant and knew I was losing my baby.

I had a dream that one of my poodles, Liberty, fell off a cliff and I saw her bouncing down to the bottom. The next thing I remember was finding her lying in a high street with a broken leg! Fortunately she hasn't, as of yet, fallen down a cliff or suffered any major injuries.
Becky

Do you mean a real broken leg?  Or was that part of the dream? 

In my bad dreams the bad thing has always been ABOUT to happen, but never does because I wake up.  This is the first time it's actually happened and it really bothered me.  It upset our whole household and the dog we now have and two of the cats came up and snuggled with me till I went back to sleep.  And the OH too.

18 (next post), wow, that's amazing.  Healthy I hope, right up to the end?  My mechanic's Golden died this past summer at 16 and had only about 6 months of reduced ambulation, no "senior moments" and was happy the whole time.

Just to update had dream went to visit a friend in South Afriica last night but when I got there I realised I hadn't put the dogs in kennels and had left them in the boot of the car!!!! Needless to say legged it back to airport then woke up!
Becky

....if it comforts you any, I have known very many labradors in good condition make 16 years old, one famously locally made 18! Really a Labs average age these days with better feeding and care is around 13 / 14 years of age - and thats just an 'average' ;-) Who wants to be 'average' - not your girl, i'll bet - grin!

Di