don't ever shoot your dog

[Tofudebeest]

Another point:

In my experience there is no point in waiting to get a "replacement" dog. Mourning is a very personal thing, but "sitting shivah" makes no sense to me.

You have affection to share and there are literally millions of dogs waiting for good homes (or they will get the pink juice--needlessly). Your suffering will dissipate more quickly if you invest your affection in another dog.

It won't dilute your love of your departed buddy but will REALLY help you and another dog who yearns for a pack of his/her own. Just think about them sitting there, hoping...

Go to your local shelter or humane society tonight and come home with a pup under your arm. Best therapy possible...

(But don't tell them about the circumstances of how your dog exited this world, they will probably not understand and will deny your application, if they are like most shelters)

 

[rusty_tlc]

I love Jake but I still miss Rufus, 95 pounds of curly haired unconditional love.

 

[projektdotnet]

Wow. I have never had to be the one to take the family pet in for it's "last walk" but I can't imagine doing it yourself too. I am so sorry for your loss.

 

[Tofudebeest]

I said goodbye to Jive Turkey (aka "J.T.", "Jivus Turkus Maximus"), in March of 2005.
She was my "college dog" and had a legitimate fan club going. On occasion I still get choked up thinking about her. She was a chow/collie mix, and the best dog I will ever be priviledged to live with, of this I am 100% sure.

A few nights ago, my 3 1/2 year old daughter, who was born with J.T. lying by her side, had this little conversation with me while I was putting her to bed...

Daddy, do you still miss J.T.?
Yes, honey, I really do.
She was your best buddy, right?
Yeah, she was.
(10 second pause)
Well, I'm not a doggie, but I'll be your best buddy...

I had to get up and leave to go weep in privacy.
That damn kid tears me up with little comments like that all the time.

 

[CJF]

Another point...

So; you're back then?

 

[Tofudebeest]

For this thread, yes. You lucky bastards, you...

 

[Loki]

There's a story about a family who had to put their dog down. They were all saying how sad it is that dogs don't live as long as people. Someone wondered why it's that way. Their six y.o. son said "I know! It's because people spend their lives learning how to be good and love everyone, but dogs already know how so they don't have to stick around as long!" Thought it was a wonderful theory.

Dogs are amazing companions. I am so sorry for your loss.

 

[fsusteve]

I said goodbye to Jive Turkey (aka "J.T.", "Jivus Turkus Maximus"), in March of 2005.
She was my "college dog" and had a legitimate fan club going. On occasion I still get choked up thinking about her. She was a chow/collie mix, and the best dog I will ever be priviledged to live with, of this I am 100% sure.

A few nights ago, my 3 1/2 year old daughter, who was born with J.T. lying by her side, had this little conversation with me while I was putting her to bed...

Daddy, do you still miss J.T.?
Yes, honey, I really do.
She was your best buddy, right?
Yeah, she was.
(10 second pause)
Well, I'm not a doggie, but I'll be your best buddy...

I had to get up and leave to go a weep in privacy.
That damn kid tears me up with little comments like that all the time.

that's not fair a-hole, you made me tear up.



I've been thinking of this same thing lately as my dog is starting to really show her age. For a while I thought I'd be able to take care of it, but not now, I'll hold her and let the vet do it.

 

[OregonCruzer]

Go to your local shelter or humane society tonight and come home with a pup under your arm. Best therapy possible...[quote]

x2 this.

 

[Liam]

that's not fair a-hole, you made me tear up.



I've been thinking of this same thing lately as my dog is starting to really show her age. For a while I thought I'd be able to take care of it, but not now, I'll hold her and let the vet do it.

would you like me to do it??? I am over at your house anyway....

 

[beaufort-fj60]

would you like me to do it??? I am over at your house anyway....

lol... :shotts:

 

[Rhinoliner]

My wife is a Vet and she puts animals down on a daily basis. It has been nice to be able to put down our pets in our home in the past, when the time comes. It is never easy. Watching your beloved pet look into your eyes and take it's last breath burns a whole in your soul.

Quite a few years ago we had an Iguana that needed to be put down, and she couldn't bring herself to do the deed. She asked me to put it down. Pink juice doesn't work well on reptiles because their metabolism is so slow. It takes them forever to die.

She took this thing in as a rescue. The person that originally bought it from a pet store didn't feed it a proper diet and caused it to be deformed and seriously stunted its growth. Full grown it was only a little over a foot long. We called it "Stretch". It couldn't even eat on its own very well. She hand fed that thing fresh vegetables, piece by piece, twice a day for several years.

When the time came, I took it out to a remote area and put it up in a nice tree so it could hang out in the sunlight for a little while before I shot it in the head. I cried after I shot that damned lizard. Partly, I guess, because I knew how much it meant to my wife.

I couldn't imagine shooting one of my own dogs, that would be tough. Either way, if it was time for your pup, it was time. And at least he isn't suffering anymore. Sounds like it may be a good time for you to go get a new pup, or two.

 

[CodyRx7]

In my family, we lost three dogs and one cat to cancer, stroke, etc. in an 18 moth span.

In your post you mentioned having the vet come to your house and put the animals down there. (I'm assuming the other animals stayed in the yard or something - but were there during and after?).

I had a boxer female about 2 years back who chased a rabbit over a cliff, and badly rebroke her previously pinned femur and hip (hit by car when she was a year old). Anyhow, she was in extremely bad shape and in shock and we were forced to put her down to end her suffering.

That night we buried her out near the flagpole at my gf's dads place. We had family in town with their basset hound who was like our dog's best friend. The basset hound NEVER really had any energy, never barked....was just an overall lazy bastard. That night...all he did was pace and whine by the door. We let him out and he ran straight for the fence towards the flagpole which was on the other side. He whined and whined and howled even...as if he was crying and knew what happened.

That night, he just laid down and passed away.

At first we just thought it was a strange coincidence, but after hearing other people's similar stories, its like the animals just died of heartache themselves.

Did your animals act strange post other animal's passing?

 

[Aggie]

Go to your local shelter or humane society tonight and come home with a pup under your arm. Best therapy possible...

x2 this.

x3

My 2 yr old chocolate lab got hit by a car over memorial day weekend while I was out wheeling. Try coming home from a great weekend of wheeling and camping and finding your baby (we have no children) on the side of the road. Well it about tore me up. I read this thread earlier this morning and it brought me to tears thinking about my baby who passed. I have to agree with the above comment because just a week after everything happened a friend clued us in to some lab pups that were available and the owner felt so bad for us she gave us one.

That little s*** in 4 weeks has become attached to my hip and I love her as much as I did Roxy (my old chocolate lab). She will never replace Roxy but she damn sure distracts me from the void to let me heal up.

 

[Sporin]

My condolances.

I can't imagine putting my own dog down with a bullet, but we're not gun or hunting people so that's natural. It seems so loud and violent compared to a nice quite needle and a permanent nap.

Our 4 year old BorderCollie/Lab mix got cancer and died at 4. We had the vet do it with us there to comfort her.

Our current dog is 8 now and I hope she lives forever, she's our 4 year old son's best friend and I can't even imagine him having to deal with her death.

 

[Tofudebeest]

To answer post #53...
Listen, this is hard to write about (really), but I will keep typing.

We had four dogs (J.T., an Irish setter, a yellow lab, and another chow mix-probably a chow/keeshond).

J.T. went first. Then the Irish, then the lab, then the cat. We still have Ty, (the other chow mix). And we adopted another chow mix about a year ago.

When J.T. was put down, she was in the middle of the living room floor and surrounding her in very close proximity were me, my wife, my daughter, and the other three dogs (and the vet). Sitting on the sofa nearby were the four cats, in a row, close together, watching, which had not happened before (or since), as two of them did not get along. All these animals laid there, heads down, mopey looking. THEY KNEW WHAT WAS HAPPENING, and that's not one bit of anthropormorphizing (attributing human traits to non-human animals). This amazing spectacle reduced every person there to tears (except my daughter, because she was too young to understand).

When it was all done and a few minutes had passed, I picked up J.T. in the comforter she was lying on, and carried her into the back yard with the other three dogs following me. I picked up the shovel and dug, crying uncontrollably, surrounded by yellow and red hairy friends. The dogs didn't budge one inch during the long time it took to dig a five foot deep hole. When I lowered J.T. into the ground (absolutely the hardest thing I have ever done), barely able to breathe bawling so hard, I looked up to see three faces peering down. Those eyes... I just lost it and squatted in that hole for a few minutes, hugging J.T.'s body.

My wife and daughter watched this, but when I was insane with sorrow, my wife brought my daughter inside.

None of my dogs ate for two days and they were absolutely in mourning. Nobody seeing it would have a shred of doubt about this.

I REALLY do not wish to hjack this important thread, but Google/Amazon these books:

The Parrot's Lament

When Elephants Weep: The Emotional Lives of Animals

The Emotional Lives of Animals: A Leading Scientist Explores Animal Joy, Sorrow, and Empathy - and Why They Matter

Animals know, feel and have HUGE emotional capacities (at least mammals and birds, and in my own observation most reptiles, but perhaps not fish, amphibians, invertebrates, etc.--but I don't know and I am giving them the benefit of the doubt) and when we are honest with ourselves, we know it, hence my politics regarding them.

 

[scottm]

Damn, this is a painful thread. You guys are tearing me up. I've had to put a few down, hopefully not again for a long time. A good and loyal friend is a very painful thing to lose.

 

[Wildman]

Recently I had to put down my old lab after 14 long years of faithful service.

It was by far, the single hardest thing I have ever had to do.

I was a total wreck for about a week. I grew up with Bo, from age 11 to 25, he was always there to greet ya and was always happy. Right up to the last walk I took with him in the woods behind the house. I am planning on planting a large tree where we burried him in the back yard as soon as I can.

My mother always said 'that will be the first dog this family has, and he will be the last' (he wasnt always easy) They got another golden from the pound imedialty. I will be looking for another big black dog that slobbers and leaves hair everywhere, as soon as we buy a house. I fully expect the girlfriend to move out soon there after.

If you guys havent yet, read Marley and Me its a good book about life with a dog!

 

[koop]

"Don't ever shoot your dog" is probably about as useful advice as "Don't stick your dick in a light socket"

pretty low down the list of things I would be likely to do

 

[Atticus]

"Don't ever shoot your dog" is probably about as useful advice as "Don't stick your dick in a light socket"

pretty low down the list of things I would be likely to do

I'm glad you clarified with your last line. For a while, I wasn't certain if you were recommending a course of action.