Sometimes I hate dogs...

[DRC458]

That's awful. I feel your pain. I've had to put a few down and it is always gut wrenching. But, when the time comes, it's the humane thing to do. The wife and I both had dogs growing up, and we had dogs from the time we were married until we had to put or male Golden Retriever down. That was the toughest. That fellow raised our two kids. He was as much a part of the family as any of the rest of us. We were then without a dog for fourteen years. Finally broke down and took on a rescue Beagle mix in August, 2010. The wife thought I had lost my mind, but she has turned out to be very special ... one of the best dogs we've ever had. She's thirteen now, almost blind and losing her hearing. The day is coming and I'm having a rough time dealing with it. We have agreed that we don't think we can do this again. God bless, man.

 

[BillM]

After tugging on your heartstrings for 12+ years and becoming a part of the family, they sometimes (ultimately) get sick. One day they seem normal and the next day they are deathly ill with a uterine infection, including blood sepsis. Too sick for surgery to remove the uterus and too sick to even make it through to the next morning. Death by sepsis is ugly and painful. There aren't very many options, one being euthanasia. This is the second time I've had to put a family pet down. I may not ever get another one. I don't know yet.

Damn it! It pisses me off to no end.

Sorry for the rant. I just had to vent a bit.

ETA: get your female dogs spayed when they are young. I don't really hate dogs.

I'm 68 now. My dog is 11. His name is Orca. As a puppy he was pure black and pure white. Bounding through the grass, he looked like a killer whale in green waves. Now he's getting gray around the muzzle and eyes. He has trouble getting up off the floor. Though his tail-wagging is as deadly as ever. I'm afraid I might outlast him, and afraid I might not at the same time.

Found this some years ago. It's by Rudyard Kipling.

The Power of the Dog​

There is sorrow enough in the natural way
From men and women to fill our day;
And when we are certain of sorrow in store,
Why do we always arrange for more?
Brothers and sisters, I bid you beware
Of giving your heart to a dog to tear.

Buy a pup and your money will buy
Love unflinching that cannot lie
Perfect passion and worship fed
By a kick in the ribs or a pat on the head.
Nevertheless it is hardly fair
To risk your heart for a dog to tear.

When the fourteen years which Nature permits
Are closing in asthma, or tumour, or fits,
And the vet's unspoken prescription runs
To lethal chambers or loaded guns,
Then you will find - it's your own affair, -
But ... you've given your heart to a dog to tear.

When the body that lived at your single will,
With its whimper of welcome, is stilled (how still!),
When the spirit that answered your every mood
Is gone - wherever it goes - for good,
You will discover how much you care,
And will give your heart to a dog to tear!

We've sorrow enough in the natural way,
When it comes to burying Christian clay.
Our loves are not given, but only lent,
At compound interest of cent per cent,
Though it is not always the case, I believe,
That the longer we've kept 'em, the more do we grieve;
For, when debts are payable, right or wrong,
A short-time loan is as bad as a long -
So why in - Heaven (before we are there)
Should we give our hearts to a dog to tear?

I'm a cat and dog person. I prefer to take them to the vet, but have had to do it myself more than once. I tell them that I love them, and I'll see them at the Rainbow Bridge. And if they aren't there, I'm not going.

These are old photos of the current batch. Lotta heartbreak there in the coming years. Lotta love now.

 

[Jeff Rasberry]

After tugging on your heartstrings for 12+ years and becoming a part of the family, they sometimes (ultimately) get sick. One day they seem normal and the next day they are deathly ill with a uterine infection, including blood sepsis. Too sick for surgery to remove the uterus and too sick to even make it through to the next morning. Death by sepsis is ugly and painful. There aren't very many options, one being euthanasia. This is the second time I've had to put a family pet down. I may not ever get another one. I don't know yet.

Damn it! It pisses me off to no end.

Sorry for the rant. I just had to vent a bit.

ETA: get your female dogs spayed when they are young. I don't really hate dogs.

Yeah I had to put one down right after Christmas last year,loved that dog more than I do some of my kids

 

[BillM]

Yeah I had to put one down right after Christmas last year,loved that dog more than I do some of my kids

My dog is the only person here who is always happy to see me. Both tuxi cats also like me at least once in a while. Orange dreamsicle cat tolerates me. He's a Mama's boy.

Kids & wife not so much.

 

[j-black]

Sorry to hear that, I hate loosing my buddies.

 

[C_Hallbert]

This is our German Shepherd (rescued January this year). Vet said that she’s about 6 y.o. She was going to be executed because the boarding fee was $30/day and she’d been there about two months locked in a cage waiting for adoption. She is so loving to family, friendly to strangers and easy to care for that only an insanely cruel person would even think of killing her. Her only problem is that she believes my wife is the boss….., now she runs free on our rural property with a large field, trees big pond to explore.

 

[cmc tom]

Heartbreaking but it is a promise you make when you bring them into your family. I'm 70 and have done it 8 times in my life. I remember the 1st time (1969) and I still cry just typing this. It takes a few years, then another one wiggles it's way in. The newest just turned 3, in years to come we will see which of us mourns the other's passing.

 

[THAT Gurl]

Heartbreaking but it is a promise you make when you bring them into your family. I'm 70 and have done it 8 times in my life. I remember the 1st time (1969) and I still cry just typing this. It takes a few years, then another one wiggles it's way in. The newest just turned 3, in years to come we will see which of us mourns the other's passing.

That is EXACTLY right. You are only 5 years older than me and like I said earlier Dawg is the old man in the house now. I am torn -- I cannot imagine my life without a dog in it. And puppies learn everything they need to know from watching and interacting with the older dogs in a pack. I am not all that good a dog trainer ... But my older dogs are pros.

Anyway, I don't know if I should get another dog because can I continue to take care of it?? What will happen to it if something happens to me?? Like I said, I am torn.

Plus, MissPriss is very likely gonna bless us with her one and only litter of kittens some time about December 15th. Unless something happens and she loses them but so far she is acting (and looking) like the typical pregnant cat.

We had another female cat who was just as tiny as she is. That cat had her first (and only) litter and I nearly **** a brick -- that tee-tiny little cat had EIGHT kittens!! We lost one the first week -- even with me bottle feeding them to get some extra nutrition in. You should have seen us when we went to the vet 6 months later -- with a momma cat and seven babies to spay/neuter. Lol The vet was rolling. Said if everybody was that responsible we wouldn't need shelters. We wound up keeping Every one of those cats ... It was pretty interesting around here for several years because we also had 2 German Shepherds at the time.