Forum adverts like this one are shown to any user who is not logged in. Join us by filling out a tiny 3 field form and you will get your own, free, dakka user account which gives a good range of benefits to you: No adverts like this in the forums anymore. Times and dates in your local timezone. Full tracking of what you have read so you can skip to your first unread post, easily see what has changed since you last logged in, and easily see what is new at a glance. Email notifications for threads you want to watch closely. Being a part of the oldest wargaming community on the net. If you are already a member then feel free to login now.

Crying when it happens means you won't have an outburst after it has been completely dealt with.

I'll try to be strong for my mom, I'll save the crying for when I go to bed that night.

She's gone. Went while I was scratching her behind the ears, cried like a baby when it happened.

Thanks for the support, guys.

R.I.P. Hunny Bear, your sorely missed already.

I remember when my childhood dog, Aspen, also a Golden, passed away back in 2007. My parents had brought her and the younger dog, Fiona, now the senior to visit while I was in school. About a week later after they returned from the trip Aspen had passed away while my parents were at work.

I still remember walking Aspen on a family trip to Montana during the summer of 7th grade. One day in Billings we stopped at a McDonalds for lunch and my dad kept sneaking out hamburgers and fries to her in the car, I think he fed her about 3 burgers and some fries. Anyways on the hour long car ride back, she gak in the back of the cab of the truck from eating too much grease, but everyone had thought I had farted really badly, before I turned around and discovered her peeing out of her butt!

My family still gives me grief for that.

I guess the point of sharing my story is that the family members you have that have passed on live with you, with your memories. This is how I remember Aspen, the best pup.

I remember this time where I walked in the door from school and tried to force my way passed her to get to the stairs, but at that time she was big on jumping on people when the walked in the door. In order to get to my upstairs room, I had to walk passed her and go next to the stairs going down. Well, she didn't like the fact that I was ignoring her, so she jumped on me and I found myself at the bottom of the stairs with her looking down at me like "Oh man, he is going to kill me......"

I don't think she ever jumped up on anyone after that.....

And she used to help with laundry. She would stand over the basket containing the cloths, we would throw socks at her, she would catch them with her mouth and drop them into the basket.

I am sorry to hear about your loss. Just reading all this makes me think about my cat that died on April 1st. I had him 11 years.

It is tough, but at least everyone in this thread is understanding. I can't stand those people who think a pet dying is no big deal.

Lord Scythican wrote:I am sorry to hear about your loss. Just reading all this makes me think about my cat that died on April 1st. I had him 11 years.

It is tough, but at least everyone in this thread is understanding. I can't stand those people who think a pet dying is no big deal.

Thank you, and I'm sorry to hear about your cat.

Slarg232 wrote:

Lord Scythican wrote:I am sorry to hear about your loss. Just reading all this makes me think about my cat that died on April 1st. I had him 11 years.

It is tough, but at least everyone in this thread is understanding. I can't stand those people who think a pet dying is no big deal.

Thank you, and I'm sorry to hear about your cat.

Did you see the tombstone I made him? We we came back from the Vet, there was a heartshaped rock in my driveway. I painted my cat on it in the position he would always lay in.

Lord Scythican wrote:

Slarg232 wrote:

Lord Scythican wrote:I am sorry to hear about your loss. Just reading all this makes me think about my cat that died on April 1st. I had him 11 years.

It is tough, but at least everyone in this thread is understanding. I can't stand those people who think a pet dying is no big deal.

Thank you, and I'm sorry to hear about your cat.

Did you see the tombstone I made him? We we came back from the Vet, there was a heartshaped rock in my driveway. I painted my cat on it in the position he would always lay in.

Yes, you showed me that, it was very pretty then, and it's still very pretty.

Slarg232 wrote:[Yes, you showed me that, it was very pretty then, and it's still very pretty.

Sorry about taking over the thread and talking about my problems. It is still pretty fresh in my mind. It hasn't been even two weeks, but I am feeling better about it, so I am hoping you all feel better soon. I know my wife is already looking at kittens. I have told her to wait and not make it a impulse thing.

Lord Scythican wrote:

Slarg232 wrote:[Yes, you showed me that, it was very pretty then, and it's still very pretty.

Sorry about taking over the thread and talking about my problems. It is still pretty fresh in my mind. It hasn't been even two weeks, but I am feeling better about it, so I am hoping you all feel better soon. I know my wife is already looking at kittens. I have told her to wait and not make it a impulse thing.

Don't worry about it, it's fine.

Slarg232 wrote:We just found out my dog for fifteen years (Got her when I was four) has a "growth" that has enveloped some of her organs. Without talking too much about it, when it, not if it, ruptures, it will cause her to die a painful death. My Parents have to leave, giving me two weeks with the house completely by myself at the end of next month, and they don't want me to be alone with her if it happens.

So sometime in the next month, we have to put my dog of fifteen years to sleep. I just don't know what to do

Oh.... This happened to my cat. She developed this tumor on the back of her neck that was about the size of a softball. It broke my heart, but I suppose it was her time to go... She was about 14......She died peacefully in her sleep and we buried her out back.

....Have you thought about putting her down? Maybe dumping her off in the woods somewhere? It may sound harsh, but it's better than watching her die...

My heart goes out to you. At least she had a good long, happy life.
One of my dogs I had to put down still tears me up after years. He was a rescued animal, covered in scars at 3 months old. Even after I had him for a year he would still fall over in terror and wet himself if I picked up a broom. (I would never dream of hitting a dog with anything) He loved me and my son and all he wanted was to have someone pet him-all day. But he was very fearful of others and I knew he could easily bite someone out of fear. (He was Pit bull/Rhodesian ridgeback) I don’t want to take all day explaining, but he ended up biting someone and I had to put him down. I tried everything I could to avoid it and even briefly considered releasing him somewhere. Just thinking about it now after 6 years still makes me well up. He was only two, he was afraid of the vet, and he died looking at me like he was waiting for me to help him-he didn’t close his eyes.
I still feel like I betrayed him.

Graveyman wrote: I still feel like I betrayed him.

I know. My dog absolutely trusted us, and we just led her to be put down. I know we had to do it, but I still feel like I betrayed her trust in doing so.

Slarg232 wrote:

Graveyman wrote: I still feel like I betrayed him.

I know. My dog absolutely trusted us, and we just led her to be put down. I know we had to do it, but I still feel like I betrayed her trust in doing so.

Sometimes you have to. I know when I came home from work and my cat couldn't walk I knew we had to do something. We wrapped him in a blanket and rushed to the vet. The vet said there was little chance that he would live. His core temperature was really low and was in a lot of pain. He was meowing at us as I left him in the room to be put down. I feel like I betrayed him, so I know how you all feel.

Oh god, I would never have been able to leave Hunny to be put down by herself.

For once, I actually feel an emotional response necessary. I like dogs a whole lot more than people.

I was more upset when my dog got put down than I was when both my grandparents died, I didnt see them too much so, it was easy to deal with, plus they were old. And old people are supposed to die right? I mean, its sad when young people die, but not the elderly, we all gotta go sometime.

Take solace in the fact that your dog had a long life. Its what i told myself and it helped alot. None of us get out of this life alive, all we can wish for is a long and happy one before we inevitably shuffle off, and your dog has most certainly had a great one. 15 years living with an owner who loves it, thats a great life for a dog right there.

Putting him/her to sleep is the least cruel thing though, so make sure you grit your teeth and get it done, dont let the poor little fella suffer, and console yourself with a long life well lived.

It gets easier as time goes by, and in a year or two you will look at all the old photos and get a big grin on your face remembering the faithful hound.

Yeah, it isn't always as bad when someone dies after a long life. But hey, 15 years is pretty good for a dog. At least she had a good, long life.

Still, it is unfortunate when we are forced to have an animal put down.

mattyrm wrote:It gets easier as time goes by, and in a year or two you will look at all the old photos and get a big grin on your face remembering the faithful hound.

I hope so. I am gathering up all our photos, but they are too small to be able to see her clearly on them. So I have to wait until we get all the photos on the families computer (missing six years :/) and then uploading them all to a special Facebook Photo Album, because my brothers don't have access to the real photos.

I'll post a link up to it when I'm done, but it's going to take a month at least for us to get all the photos scanned.

God, it's only been two days and I want to hug her to make the pain/loss go away, like I always used to, but I can't for obvious reasons

My other dog , while friendly, has never been the huggy type.

Go play some fetch in the park.