No dogs?

[BlsdMama]

We’re putting down our terrier today. She’s pretty much blind and has a growth. She wandered off twice on the past three days - and has never left our yard before?!

Today she couldn’t get up and was moaning. Headed to the vet now and DS chose not to come. I get that. 
We’ve never not had a dog. It’s such a foreign thought. 

[mominco]

So sorry Kelly (((hugs)))

[MercyA]

I am so very sorry. 😞Please stay with her as she passes. 

I know how hard it is. Hugs to you.

Edited April 28, 2020 by MercyA

[Storygirl]

I'm very sorry. We had to euthanize our cat in January, and I know how hard it is to say good bye, even when it is the right thing for them. We don't plan to get another cat, and I have almost always had one. I think it's the right choice for us to not get a kitten, but it's hard, and my cat-loving DD14 finds it hard, especially.

Hugs. I know it's a hard day for your family.

[Annie G]

I’m so sorry. Pets are family. 

[Lori D.]

Crying along with you. So very sorry.

[Scarlett]

So sorry.  😞. I have had to do this twice. The last time was our 13 year old Brittany. So hard.  
 

It took me 3 years to be able to get another dog. 

[I talk to the trees]

I am so very sorry! Sending virtual hugs!

[ktgrok]

I am so sorry, but your dog is lucky to have a human willing to make that hard decision. Thank you. 

And so you know, it's okay to get another dog right away. Just saying....I know others can't or don't, but for me, the only thing that heals that dog shaped hole in my heart is a dog. I've gotten to the point of getting a back up dog when one of mine starts to get old or sick. 

Either way is normal. 

 

[Tanaqui]

Oh, I'm so sorry to hear this. But it's the right call, and she's lucky her humans are smart enough to see it. *hugs*

[PrincessMommy]

hugs

[Vintage81]

I’m so sorry. 😔 Hugs

[Hedgehog]

I am so sorry for your situation and the choice you have to make. We've had to do the same a few times now, and it never gets easier.. but I don't want to be without a dog, either! It's a little easier when the dog has had a good, long life and you know you have done what you could to give them that. Sadly we had to put a 5yo dog down several years back because he had a brain lesion/tumour and it was causing him to become erratically and unpredictably vicious. It was absolutely heartbreaking. But then, it wasn't that much easier to say goodbye to the others who lived to 12 and 13, either.. I just felt a little more at peace with that in my head.

Relatively recently - around 2yrs ago - we decided that we would not wait until one died, leave a gap, and then look for another. We would try to have two concurrently, one older, one younger. This is working brilliantly so far. We have a 12yo and a 2yo (both Hovawarts). The younger one does want to play more than the older one will tolerate the messing, but overall it means that the older one gets a lot more exercise than she would otherwise and it helps to keep her healthy. And the younger one is learning from the older one, what is acceptable dog behaviour. They're also quite a formidable pair when it comes to guarding us and the house. I never feel unsafe if they are with me. And when the older one dies, I still have the other loving, cuddly bear to grieve with.

So maybe this might be an option for you to consider in the future. 💜

[BlsdMama]

On 4/28/2020 at 3:35 PM, MercyA said:

I am so very sorry. 😞Please stay with her as she passes. 

I know how hard it is. Hugs to you.

We did. We were never really her people. From the time she was tiny, she was Tim’s. Tim was Two or three when we got her and now he’s 15! He just couldn’t go but I promised we would stay. The vet was very patient and she was surprisingly calm and unworried. It was, if possible, an overall decent experience. We’d been one to put down our GS last summer, but he ended up having a thyroid condition! He passed naturally at the end of summer after a pretty good summer on thyroid meds!

On 4/28/2020 at 3:59 PM, Ktgrok said:

I am so sorry, but your dog is lucky to have a human willing to make that hard decision. Thank you. 

And so you know, it's okay to get another dog right away. Just saying....I know others can't or don't, but for me, the only thing that heals that dog shaped hole in my heart is a dog. I've gotten to the point of getting a back up dog when one of mine starts to get old or sick. 

Either way is normal. 

 

We just can’t decide! Obviously my medical needs are part of this, but our littles are 5 & 7. I can’t imagine them growing up without a dog. We did get a dog about 5-6 years ago. Bris was amazing, but we overestimated our dog abilities. She was a very intense Czechoslovakian shepherd and way more than we were prepared for. She does Schutzhund now! Owning her resulted in about 200 +/- stitches for the terrier... zMakes me nervous for another shepherd. 

On 4/28/2020 at 4:56 PM, Hedgehog said:

I am so sorry for your situation and the choice you have to make. We've had to do the same a few times now, and it never gets easier.. but I don't want to be without a dog, either! It's a little easier when the dog has had a good, long life and you know you have done what you could to give them that. Sadly we had to put a 5yo dog down several years back because he had a brain lesion/tumour and it was causing him to become erratically and unpredictably vicious. It was absolutely heartbreaking. But then, it wasn't that much easier to say goodbye to the others who lived to 12 and 13, either.. I just felt a little more at peace with that in my head.

Relatively recently - around 2yrs ago - we decided that we would not wait until one died, leave a gap, and then look for another. We would try to have two concurrently, one older, one younger. This is working brilliantly so far. We have a 12yo and a 2yo (both Hovawarts). The younger one does want to play more than the older one will tolerate the messing, but overall it means that the older one gets a lot more exercise than she would otherwise and it helps to keep her healthy. And the younger one is learning from the older one, what is acceptable dog behaviour. They're also quite a formidable pair when it comes to guarding us and the house. I never feel unsafe if they are with me. And when the older one dies, I still have the other loving, cuddly bear to grieve with.

So maybe this might be an option for you to consider in the future. 💜

Very smart. We got our GS and terriers six months apart. It was a mistake. I’d really like an indoor dog, but it creates a lot more work for my DH. The terrier was both. Legend was largely outdoor except at night. I’d love an Anatolian, but they are not house puppies. So many variables! Never another terrier... Ever.

[Lori D.]

1 hour ago, Seasider too said:

Aw, Kelly, I am sorry for your loss. 

Do you qualify for a service dog? I can imagine that might be a blessing to your entire family, when the time is right. 

The thing about most kinds of service dogs is that they are trained to focus on their human partner, and part of how they keep their focus is that other family members do not feed the dog or play with the dog, so as to not interfere with that bond that is needed to allow the dog to do its job as a service dog. I do think a service dog could be wonderfully for Kelly. But it would very much be a working dog for Kelly, not a family pet in the way they are used to. This personal experience describes why this is the situation.

And I do agree that another dog, perhaps a retired service dog or guide dog or other already-trained and very gentle dog, would be perfect for fitting in quickly and easily, would help bring healing.

Edited May 1, 2020 by Lori D.

[Splash1]

I'm so sorry, it is so hard. There is no right or wrong answer to adding another dog.  When my beloved Splash died I planned to wait a bit to add another dog, my husband on the other hand called the breeder to let her know about his death and see when/if she had puppy for me soon as he knows dogs are my thing.

I don't like to be without a dog.  I truly enjoy them and think I'll always have one.  There was a period of about three years during my marriage when we didn't have one but I was actively working on finding a good fit for our growing, young family and then was on a waiting list for the dog we wanted.  My husband and kids can go either way.  The dog is for me, it's great that the rest of the family enjoys them, but I'm the dog person.

 

Edited May 1, 2020 by Splash1

[ktgrok]

12 hours ago, BlsdMama said:

 

We just can’t decide! Obviously my medical needs are part of this, but our littles are 5 & 7. I can’t imagine them growing up without a dog. We did get a dog about 5-6 years ago. Bris was amazing, but we overestimated our dog abilities. She was a very intense Czechoslovakian shepherd and way more than we were prepared for. She does Schutzhund now! Owning her resulted in about 200 +/- stitches for the terrier... zMakes me nervous for another shepherd. 

Very smart. We got our GS and terriers six months apart. It was a mistake. I’d really like an indoor dog, but it creates a lot more work for my DH. The terrier was both. Legend was largely outdoor except at night. I’d love an Anatolian, but they are not house puppies. So many variables! Never another terrier... Ever.

oh wow! Yah, not a "family pet" dog, for sure!

 

12 hours ago, Seasider too said:

Aw, Kelly, I am sorry for your loss. 

Do you qualify for a service dog? I can imagine that might be a blessing to your entire family, when the time is right. 

Honestly, this is a decent idea. As others have said, a true service dog would be mostly Kelly's, and working, not playing with kids. BUT...some private trainers will do a hybrid type thing, where the dog would perhaps be able to do some tasks, and be a playmate for the kids. Then later if she needs a full time service dog, could go that route. But one of the trainers that does this, provides service dogs, would be able to provide the right temperament, and individualized training to fit the situation in a way that a service dog organization can't do. It wouldn't be cheap - but then, neither are Czech shepherds, lol!

I know of at least one trainer here that could do a hybrid like that I think. I bet there are others.