When a dog dies - Page 3

When we had to put our Shepherd down and came home, I swear our other dog knew what just happened.  She immediately came over to us with that sad look in her eyes.  They had been together for 11 years so I knew she would have a hard time adjusting.  She didn't eat for 3 days and then settled very slowly into her new role.  She had never barked because Zauber always sounded the alarm when someone came to the door.  After he passed she started announcing visitors. It was so weird to hear her bark and try to take over a more protective role.  She adjusted as we all did with time, but she was never quite the same again.  She definitely lost a bit of her happy go lucky attitude.

Hi Jackie,

no, he's still with us but his life is coming to an end this year due to the kidney failure, and much as I hate the thought, our other old dog, 14 years now, will likely also move on. Not an easy time for us.

We have decided not to let the dogs be in the room while the vet does what he does. We don't want them to associate the vet and his assistant with death. Whether they would or not isn't even the issue. That they might, is. GSDs are smart. They do know how to draw conclusions - we see it in training each and every day.

We will bring them in after the vet has left to do whatever it is they want to do. They can just be dogs and let us cry into their fur, that would be good.

Aqua,

I'm sorry to hear about your dogs, yeah its hard.    I wouldn't take your other dogs at all.   But thats just me,  I wouldn't take mine to the vet in the first place.  Again thats just me.    Animals do morn the loss of other animals, well some do and some dont.  Dogs know where your taking them and why I believe.  Again just me.   All I can really say is that it's our responcability to be as kind to them as we can and make the hard decisions when the time comes.

You have my sympathies, I know what its like.

Regards,

Brent.

I have been dancing past this thread for a few days.Now I know why.My heart has sank into the depths remembering my friends of the past.We all lose pets at some point and our pets lose there friends and pack mates.You know that they all mean something to you but there are those special dogs that you just will always remember the most.I know when those times come how you seem to almost mourn more than if a person dies.Weird huh.Then one day comes and we move forward.I  struggled in getting my next dogs and fault getting close again.Now I feel like crap  sometimes because I did move on.Here's a shout out to all our buddies looking down at us .Deacon,Onyx,Coral,Dusty,Bandit my favorites.

Moving on is the only way.   You never forget. 

I don,t know if dogs morn but i just put my first dog down this evening suffering from cancer and my chest hurts so bad ... I,m going to miss him so much... God i loved that old dog

Condolences to you Bob; know that your friend waits for you at the rainbow bridge....jh

Bob, my deepest sympathies. The pain we feel at their loss is sort of a tax we pay for having loved them. You'll miss him always but that deep sorrow eases a little as time passes. It may help you to know that you're not alone in your grief. Take a look at our Website ellerbach.com/In_Memoriam/index.html and read some of the words people have written about their dogs. What connects all of us is love and loyalty.

Two Moons, you may have misread my post. We don't take the dog anywhere. The vet comes to the house. We do, later, take the body to the vet's for cremation.

My deepest condolences Bob.  I don't think anyone on here has not been thru the same thing.  When I got my pup less than two years ago I fell in love with him almost instantly.  All the while, tho, in the back of my mind is this is this gut wrenching feeling of "i know how this ends".  They are with us such a short short time.