Is it time? How do I decide?

[notsorighteousthesedays]

My large breed dog is 10 1/2 and was found abandoned as a pup. He has always suffered from anxiety and now very rarely is confident enough to leave the house.

Last year he had cancer surgery and still seems ok but is getting more lumps appearing.
I think that his vision and/or hearing is deteriorating as he often startles and may snap.

My adult children no longer permanently live at home and I work away so our dog is also spending chunks of time in kennels which is not ideal.

My children are increasingly nervous of her because of her snapping and yesterday he snapped at my best friend who was always a favourite and source of treats.

He is in kennels now for a few days as I am at work and I am wondering if I need to consider euthanasia - I don't want him to bite anyone and I owe it to him to look after him until the end.

Any thoughts please?

Leaving a nervous, elderly and deteriorating dog regularly at the kennels isn't very kind or comforting for him imo.

I would take him to the vet and see what they say.

I'm sorry you're having to consider the alternative. It's always extremely difficult and sad. My gorgeous, wonderful pup is 7 in a few days and I hope she gets many more years than 10.5. I can't even bear to think about the end.

If you wait until your ddog seriously bites a human the ending won't be pleasant.

This is my dilemma - he has never even nipped anyone but what happens if he does is what keeps me awake.

Unfortunately I need to work and have been unsuccessful in looking for more dog friendly shifts, he doesn't mind the kennels - it's only small and he has been going (much less frequently of course) since he was tiny but I do hate taking him in as he is much happier at home just mooching about...

But people no longer come to the house, or I have to put him in another room as they are nervous of him and that feels unfair on everyone.

Might be worth getting a vet check up anyway, nipping and changed in behaviour in elderly dogs could be due to pain or discomfort as well as anxiety. If he's got arthritis or something they can help with pain.

If it’s spending time in kennels and your own adult children are alarmed at it snapping-
I’d say it has a very low quality of life if it needs kennelling.

Nice natured dogs can live with a house sitter at not much more money-
But they absolutely won’t take aggressive or snappy dogs -

Ask your vet and be guided by what she/ he says.

It could well be. When I put my dog down, I took about 3 weeks to decide. He didn't know what was going on a lot of the time (totally deaf, quite blind, touch of dementia?) and I was worried he would get into distress when I wasn't around and I didn't want that to be how he went. I was very aware of instances of old dogs suddenly banished outside or shut up for hours and injuring themselves and that wasn't what I wanted for my dog. His heart was strong and he was eating well and could have kept going but I feel like I saved him confusion, upset and pain.