When your dog dies....

[NaughtyBetty]

I have a 1 year old dog and the thought of him not being here anymore brings tears to my eyes just thinking about it. I'm wondering how people cope when their dogs dies? Is it as bad as if a close human relative died? I didn't really take into account that they only live for about 15 years and now it's really hit me

I lost an uncle suddenly at a fairly young age and I've lost 3 grandparents and losing a dog is almost worse. Not because I didn't love them, but because I didn't spend all day every day with them like I do my dogs. My dog is my best friend, just a furry one. Dogs are a massive part of your life.

With relatives you have the initial grief and then certain things make you sad - with a dog it's everything, just walking through the front door with no dog there is horrible for months.

I've never lost a parent, a child or a partner so I can't say for sure - but I'm pretty sure that would be of course far far worse, so I wouldn't compare a really close loss like that, but extended family yes it's right up there.

It's pretty horrendous, yes. I lost my PFB dog suddenly last September. He was only 6. It was very painful and I still get waves of grief now.

He left a dog shaped hole in the house that followed me everywhere. We got a new dog pretty soon afterwards for that reason. DH said the first time he saw me smile after first dog died was when we met second dog.

We couldn't get the same breed though, that would have been too painful.

So yes, it's awful, but at the same time I wouldn't change anything. Enjoy your dog while he/she is here, and at only a year old, you've more than likely got years and years of pleasure, joy and companionship to enjoy. :)

I think it depends. I used to be overwrought at the thought of my dog dying. Now he's really old and his hips give him grief and he's not really all there. His time is definitely coming to an end, and yes, I feel sad, but not as sad as I thought i would. I know he's had a good life.

It is horrible
but you have to think about all the positives having a dog has, and how your relationship is together and about all of that and why you have had the dog in the first place, for most people it is for companionship isnt it?
I got my first (as in me, not a child) dog when I was 18 and she lived with me through so much that i wouldn't have had it ANY other way. I was 34 when she died :( and yes it's awful, but I do try to think i looked after her as well as I could and she looked after me and at the end of the day your are companions to one another. It's not about x and y iykwim

It is awful, we lost our last dog nearly 5 years ago at the age of 13 and we still think about her, we think she died of a heart attack, she died in the afternoon when we were all at home and although it was horrendous to see, we're all glad it happened quickly and we didn't get to the point that we had to have her PTS, she was happy until her last moments. We remember all the wonderful holidays we had with her and how she loved them, the time she didn't want to be at home alone so jumped out of the bedroom window to follow us.
Any way I could go on forever about how wonderful she was.
Our other dog is now 13 and we're dreading her dying and I know how devasted we will all be, but in time you remember all the great times you've had.

hi
I lost my 13 year old greyhound 6 days ago and lost my dad a year ago - each was as bad to me. My dog wasn't just my dog - she was my world - I am not married, no kids and mum died already so after dad went - my dogs (I have a boy dog) were my family. She totally "got" me. She was so clever, knew words and whilst my boy would chill out and sleep she used to just sit for hours watching me. It is terrible. But the deal when you get a pet is that they will die almost certainly before you and you will probably have to decide when - I did - I had to lie on the floor with her all last Sunday night waiting for the emergency vet. Don't feel anyone understands the pain unless you are a doggy person. People text you on the day to say how sad then you hear nothing further - as though two days later you are supposed to be over it. I sometimes wonder how I will go on without her.
I do wonder if it makes a difference if you have family so that they are you life rather than your pets. xxxxx

Oh Lovemydog, I'm so sorry for your loss.

I also have thoughts from time to time of when my precious dog is no longer here Naughty (she's almost 2yo). She makes me laugh every day and I can't bear to think of losing her.

They have such a huge place in our hearts, and you build such a strong bond with them. They give us so much. My dog is such a positive little character and as feeble as it sounds, when I'm away from her, which isn't often, I miss her terribly.

Oh dear, your posts have brought tears to my eyes, lovemydogs and lovedogs.

It is so sad to see my dog deteriorating. It is hard to believe, but he is 18 years old now. How can it be possible? I still remember my mum and dad bringing him home, a little thing with a wonky tail (his tail has grown and grown til it is now a thing of wonder.)

He's a collie, so very intelligent. When he was younger, he'd go with my dad in the van to work (my dad is a mechanic and drives to different sites for work.) Now, he drives over the whole of the west midlands and Wales, a huge area. But my dog knew every park, every place they'd ever stopped off for a run, would jump about in the car when they got near one, even if they'd only been once and it was months before.

The one that made me laugh most was that if they were driving home, from about 10 miles away, the dog would look at the indicator if my dad went a different way from usual at a roundabout. I was in the van with them once and we went to the supermarket instead of straight home. We're going round the roundabout and the dog is looking at the road, looking at the indicator, looking at the road, looking at the indicator. I was in hysterics, but my dad said he did it all the time, whenever he went a different way.