We have to put our 14 year old dog down at noon today

We had to put the 10 year old German Shepard down with liver cancer six months ago, and that was much more painful. The dog seemed to be so healthy and then BAM....with no warning her health quickly deteriorated.

The lab/malmute has been a good companion. We called her devil dog when she was a pup because she would run......run.....run.....and rarely return. Many times we were getting calls from people where we had to pick her up. The last big run about eight years ago she got hit by a car and 2k dollars of vet bills later she was 100% and finally she stopped running, and if she did she would simply run to our front door and wait for us. She loved to swim in the river with the German Shepard, and since I have moved to colder weather she absolutely loved the snow. She loved this winter and would give herself snow baths and roll around in the fresh snow.

She is now in constant pain, and we have made the mistake in a prior dog trying to keep her alive as she was miserable the last six months of her life. We took her out for her final walk as she struggled in the same, but she is happy, cannot see or hear that well, but her tumors began leaking last night and she has lost 15 pounds and she is in pain......we will not selfishly keep her alive because we do not want to face our sorrow. The pup senses something is wrong. She has been very gentle with her the last two months. The time has come, and she had a good life.

So sad.

Sad today, but understanding she had a wonderful life of love and companionship. The sadness will fade and the cycle of life starts anew with the new pup. When a dog is suffering it cuts down the sadness knowing that you can end that suffering while the dog is surrounded by people who care and are loving. Sometimes I wish people had that option, but we play the cards which are dealt. We have many fond memories, and will have to deal with letting the grandchildren know about her departure. All a learning process of the cycle of life.

I am sorry for your sadness, but glad that your dog won't suffer. I had to do this with a 17-year old dog two weeks ago. I hated to see her go, but you know when it is time. Be at peace with your decision and know your dog had a good life, was loved and loved you too.

Sorry... but it wouldn't hurt so much if the bond weren't so strong. It's amazing how much we can love.

Seaoat, I am so sorry. And PKR, what you just wrote is true.

I'm sorry, Seaoat...but there is a dog heaven.

So hard to lose them. They are family for sure.

I'm sorry, Seaoat...but there is a dog heaven.


She simply panted and was a bit anxious, wife gently lifted her to the vet table and the shot made her give a big yawn, and she was gone. As a Christian my belief system does not believe that dogs go to heaven, and I always have been perplexed by that once having a discussion with two J. Witnesses who had come to our house when I asked the rhetorical question will my dog go to heaven? I asked this once also to a bibical scholar and she emailed verse which indicated that animals do not go to heaven, but since I do not know where I was before birth and I sure am uncertain where we go after death, I remain unconvinced that anybody truly has that answer.

I know she was an energetic dog who loved the outdoors and she died happy, but in pain. Sadly, I think we may have waited a bit longer than we should have, but we have had dogs live 15 years and she still could get around, so we rationalized trying to ignore the clear signs of discomfort. Sometimes the most responsible act of dog ownership is letting go.

2seaoat, I am so sorry for your loss. Sometimes I feel like I suffer more at the loss of a beloved pet than a close friend or relative. The friend or relative usually know what is happening and I have spent much time with such people while being care for by Hospice.

With pets, they just look to you to help them. Just as yours was hit by a car, it didn't know what to do, or why, only looking at you they knew everything was going to be okay, you were going to help them.

My thoughts and prayers are with you in this time of sadness. She was so fortunate to have you as her friend and companion for so many years.

Condolences Seaoat. Losing a pet is traumatic.

Late to read the sad news Mr. Oats. . . been working since 7:00 AM and simply want to say how sorry I, along with your many forum friends, are to hear of your loss. I lost my 14 yr. old golden a few years back and I still feel the sorrow of that loss . . . as others have said they are comparable to children and the joy they bring to our lives is only matched by the pain of losing a very close friend. My sincere condolences . . .

vv

I am glad the dog is out of it's misery, They tried to run away...poor things.

Well a Malmute faced with fifty acres of woods, river, tall grass, and wildlife runs for the joy of exploration........and runs......and runs and then four hours later snaps out of it and finds itself miles from home........but I can see where you would assume an animal experiencing ecstasy and joy would be running away from something......kinda superimposing your sex life on this thread as woman have ran from you all these years........poor things.

It used to be funny to watch her run with the German Shepard. She would run circles around the Shepard, and the best part was to see her bounding in the snow looking for mice. They have done studies of wolf in Alaska trying to figure out how they survive.......they eat mice in the winter......she would smell the surface of the snow then burrow in the snow and catch mice......it was amazing, and once she got out of ear shot.....it was hopeless.....if you could cut her off and get her attention she would come right to you, but the instinct to run is hard wired in a malmute. She was half lab, so the stick in the water routine would wear you out, but the Shepard just would fetch until you dropped. The joy they had in the wild......it was a beautiful thing to watch, and all the domestication of dogs.....when you put them in a natural habitat their instincts kick in..........

She would tunnel and completely disappear from the surface, and then bound out of the snow, and flip over on her back and wiggle in the deep snow on her back......it was amazing to see her interact with snow in her later years. She would also run at full speed and take her snout, and cut the snow flinging it with joy. You begin to wonder about the things which are hard wired in humans, and how we can return to our instinctual roots and have that much joy. It was a beautiful thing and I am happy to talk to someone who knows the nature of a malmute.

The timing of this thread is a coincidence for me when it comes to dog love talk.
About a year ago I babysat a pit bull for a week for friends who went to Las Vegas.
They found Scooby (the name they gave him) camped out behind a house they had moved out of but not sold yet.  
In just a week with me, he and I had grown really attached to each other.
Gentlest pit bull you ever saw.  He stayed in my recliner with me most of the time.

Yesterday for the first time in a year I visited my friends.  They live near the Cantonment paper mill and I don't get that far up very often.
The reunion between me and Scooby can be best described with a photo because in this case a picture does say 1000 words.   I liked the photo so much that just this morning I made it my facebook profile picture.
My friend yella's grandaughter also has a bulldog and she is just as lovable as Scooby and just as much a family member to me.  When I posted the profile picture,  yella commented below it and said "you need to find a sweet bulldog and marry her".  lol

p.s.  I realize I'm definitely not photogenic so pretend I'm not in the picture and just concentrate on Scooby.  lol

That's cool bob... pure love. It's funny... I've kinda been adopted by a little dog... a papillon. I've never owned a little dog... and frankly never thght I would. My sister bought this dog for my mom about six years ago... and the first time I saw her she nearly fit in my hand. Anyway... she feel in love with me at first glance... not the joy love like in bob's picture... but more like an obsessive fatal attraction kinda love... lol. Long story short... they finally made me take her a couple of years ago cause she would pine and mope for weeks after seeing me. She's very smart and cute... but I still can't get over having a little dog... funny stuff if you knew me. That little dog at your feet bob looks like the same breed... but mine is black and white with a bandit mask.

I had a Black Lab. His name was "Scooter" At the shipyard we had a 'Yard dog", A Golden Retriever" Critter loved to swim, he would swim across the Bayou and people would call us to come get him. Most of the time we would just tell them to leave him alone, and soon we would see him swimming back across Bayou "Chico'. Many times thought he would drown but he never did. He knew where to cross and if he was tired he would walk down and cross where it is was narrow. After a few years, he knew all about the dangers of fork lifts, cranes and such. He was a great dog. Sometimes I would bring Scooter to work with me and they would play together..
The barge that they sank in the bay as a memorial reef, used to be our work barge. Scooter and Critter would run and jump off of it, just for the hell of it. Amazing dogs and they were fun to watch.

Scooter got some type of cancer. My son was about 10 years and we took him to the vet. I told him "Scooter is really sick and I dont think he will live. But this is life so be ready for some bad news. My son said "OK". The Vet took him into the examination room. She came back with a long face. She said "Sorry but he is terminal, there is not much I can do for him"
My son Said "OK He is good dog" Then I started to cry. I dont think my son had ever seen me cry. It is something I rarely do. The vet looked at me and asked "If he means so much to you. I will operate on him, there is a chance I can save him. But I dont have room to keep him after the operation. You will have to do that. I will do it for the cost of operation. 150 dollars." My son looked at me said "See Dad, I told you it would be OK". It was a moment that bonded us forever.
Scooter lived for another 5 years. He went completely blind and old age took its toll on him. I had to put him down. I still think of him a lot.