Packrat: Tia is a 75/25 Wolf/Malamute mix, she's kinda small for a med breed, she's about 50lbs

I think one of the problems is the guilt about maybe being too soon, She's also had heartworm for years and this last summer I tried to get her to walk faster thinking this was the only exersize she was getting. Now I kinda feel bad about that, from now on I just take off the leash and let her do what she wants at her pace.

The upside is that I do have extra time to spend with her.

 

I had to put down 2 15 yr old Black Labs and a 15yr old Great Pyrenees last year, they let you know "when" its time.........I would say more, but it makes me miss them that much more.

I know how you are feeling.

 

And, not to be too morbid, when it is time I suggest you do not wait too long to get another dog.
You can never really replace the dog you will have lost, but you are doing him/her no dishonor by getting another one as soon as possible.
My philosophy is this: You loved your pet and now you have no outlet for that special affection and bond between a man/woman and the animal. A new pet as early as is possible gives you an outlet for that affection. No it is not exactly the same, but in a short period of time you will form a bond (slightly different, but just as strong) with your new friend and it will go a long, long way to easing the pain of the loss of your old one.
I can't emphasize enough that you are not "replacing" your old pet, but finding a substitute outlet for your devotion to another living creature. And it will work wonders for your frame of mind.
At least it always has for me. I still miss my old dogs dearly and think of them often, but having the current ones to care for and keep me company makes things as right as they can be.

 

Leftover Chinese

 

My fix for this was to get another dog before the old girl has to go. What I'm really hoping is the Old girl will teach the young pup a few tricks and behavours. My lab only dumps in the woods or very tall grass, the pup. a blue tick hound lab cross, is starting to get the picture. But then it snowed.... now she doesn't know the difference between tall snow and short snow.....

 

Sounds like a nice mix, very dedecated to thier owners.

 

It works for sure, my buddy did this and his new pup is like a carbon copy of his old lab.

We have had to put 5 animals to sleep over the past 15 years (Which never seemed like a lot until just now.) 3 dogs, 2 cats.

2 dogs and both cats had some sort of cancer and the Toby my lab had hip dysplasia. Every one of them was difficult especially with Toby since I was in the room right next to him. His tail never quit wagging until the end too. It was hard but it just seemed horrible to leave him in a room with a bunch of people he didn't know. Our vet who we have had this whole time has always been very good and charges pennies compared to some of the other responses. For Toby it was 60-70 at the most.

 

And that is an excellent reason for having two dogs, as we always have. It is amazing how much easier it is to house train a dog when there is another dog there to show him the way!

 

My cat was 21 years and 3 weeks when I finally had her put down. She had no teeth and couldn't eat even canned food well. She couldn't control her potty anymore either. She couldn't get up and couldn't walk. It was time.

I took her to The Humane Society, and they did it for free. I held her while they shaved her leg, and while they injected the nastiness, and while she died.

I took her home and buried her in the flower garden.

I watched her be born,,, and 21 some years later,,, I watched her die.

 

Very true. I adopt mostly adult dogs from the county shelter and having a pack to teach them the rules makes their transition easier. Plus, they seem to enjoy having other dogs to just be dogs with.

 

Labs are the best. We're on our second one and he is just as sweet as our first. He's begging for chocolate cake now. But dogs can't have chocolate so he'll get some beggin' strips instead.

 

I just did this myself not that long ago. If you google your question you will find hours of reading. It was not easy coming to the decision. I had the vet come to our house. It was fast. It's still really hard to deal with.

We are dog people. We currently have 2 Aussies, a Shepard Border Collie mix, 3 cats and two rabbits. I will ALWAYS have a dog in my life.

A picture of Ramius last year. He was a couple of months away from his 14th burthday when to cancer took him fast. Consider yourself included in our prayers today karljay.

All the best,

Duncan

 

This quote just fits.....
He is your friend, your partner, your defender, your dog. You are his life, his love, his leader. He will be yours, faithful and true, to the last beat of his heart. You owe it to him to be worthy of such devotion."
-- Unknown

 

I read this post this am and was reminded of something that happened not that long ago. I'm sorry OP for the thread hijack but please permit me a brief detour.

I take alot of pictures so I put together these email messages for friends and family. This is one from last year.

Let me tell you a story.......

....a tale of a couple of dogs. Our story begins with a German Shorthaired Pointer named Harley. He belonged to people( not so nice) up the street from us. They would leave him out on a chain run for days at a time. So naturally he escaped quite regularly. He'd come around and I'd let him play with our pack and take him home. I'd always tell the owner that I would find
Harley a good home, but they never listened. Many of us on our road cared for little Harley, some more than they care to admit.

One day, Harley didn't make his usual visit. He had taken to run into the other neighborhood outside of ours. Fate and the dogcatcher caught up with our little friend. When a few days go by our neighbor Tom stopped by the pound only to be greeted by a familiar wagging tail. Unfortunately, he was too late to get Harley, he had been adopted the previous weekend. A few of us made the pilgrimage to Millersville to say our goodbyes.

This is where the story makes an amazing turn. Enter Poppy. You dog lovers know how it is...You can't walk into the pound without saying hello to every dog there ( and wishing you had the room at home to take every one!) There was one little dog in the second row. She didn't fuss and carry on like the rest, she just sat quiet with the saddest eyes you ever saw. She was twelve years old. Who would adopt a twelve year old dog?

Why...Our neighbors Tom and Fran of course! It was hard for me to walk out of there without Poppy. It was impossible for them. We were all pleasantly surprised to see Poppy on the "road".
However the cheerful homecoming was soon to take a turn for the worse. After a few weeks, and many trips to the vet it was determined that Poppies kidneys were failing fast. She didn't have long to spend with us. Tom and Fran made her last days comfortable in a loving home. IMO there's a special place in heaven for people like that.

Little Poppy passed over the weekend. Please include Tom and Fran (and little Pops too) in your prayers.

C Y'all....

D

 

remember that they can't do a lot of things for themselves and that they depend on you to make their life a quality life!
A PET'S TEN COMMANDMENTS.........

1. My life is likely to last 10-15 years. Any separation from you is likely to be painful.

2. Give me time to understand what you want of me.

3. Place your trust in me. It is crucial for my well-being.

4. Don't be angry with me for long and don't lock me up as punishment. You have your work, your friends, your entertainment, but I have only you.

5. Talk to me. Even if I don't understand your words, I do understand your voice when speaking to me.

6. Be aware that however you treat me, I will never forget it.
7. Before you hit me, before you strike me, remember that I could hurt you, and yet, I choose not to bite you.
8. Before you scold me for being lazy or uncooperative, ask yourself if something might be bothering me. Perhaps I'm not getting the right food, I have been in the sun too long, or my heart might be getting old or weak.

9. Please take care of me when I grow old. You too, will grow old.

10. On the ultimate difficult journey, go with me please. Never say you can't bear to watch. Don't make me face this alone. Everything is easier for me if you are there, because I love you so.