How did you handle pts of one of your dogs in a multi dog household

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The time has come (at least I think it has - its hard and I keep second guessing and doubting my decision) to put our eldest dog to sleep. We have two other dogs a 6 year old and a 4 year old.

I am reluctant to take him to the vets to put him to sleep because I fear the other two dogs will be upset and confused when one day he goes out and doesn't come back. I don't want them horribly unsettled and wondering what has happened, and keen to go looking for him. Am I overthinking this?

Probably will request that the vet does a home visit to euthanise him. Would keep the dogs in a separate room whilst he is being pts (my daughter is concerned that if they witness the procedure they will have trust issues with the vet team and also might think that we are complicit in his death (again, possibly overthinking), and then afterwards we would let them into the room he is in to discover him and alllow them to sniff him and process what has happened.

What have other dog owners done in these circumstances?

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I'm so sorry to read this, it's such a terrible decision to have to make.

Personally, we've gone from 7 dogs down to 4 now, the most recent loss being about this time last year when we had to get our oldest boy PTS.

We've always just given them the best possible last few days, and then booked the final appointment of the day at the vet. Our other dogs do still look for them for the next couple of days, in my experience, but beyond that they've been absolutely fine. Their little pack 'healed up' pretty quickly, unlike my heart as I'm crying here typing this, still missing my old boy 😢

Best of luck with whatever you decide, there's no right or wrong answer really is there, it's just awful 😞

Just as you planned. In my case, I was bringing home my dog's body from the vet after they died during a procedure and I wanted the other dog to see their friend. I think it was important closure for us all as a family, their furry friend included. Had it been an option I'd have done exactly as you plan.

I take the dogs to the vet. For a few days the remaining dogs will looking for them, but afterward they're okay.

Dogs do grieve, of course. But IMO if they have companions still around their grief is a lot faster.

I'm sorry for your loss - it's horrible to say goodbye

You are projecting feelings onto your dogs. They won’t be upset, confused, unsettled, have trust issues or think you are complicit. Do whatever feels best for you and is least stressful for your dog.

Get the vet to come to you. Keep other dogs away so they do not see the vet coming or in your house. Possibly get someone to take them for a walk. Leave dog in basket after PTS so when your other dogs come back they can sniff him and understand he's dead. It sounds cruel but a vet told me it's best for dogs still alive as they need to understand their friend won't be coming back.

Definitely home visit to be PTS and allow the other dogs to see them after. Years ago, as a teen we had a family dog PTS at the vets and straight to crem and our remaining dog was searching for them for what felt like weeks.

Since then, even if the pet was PTS at the vets we have brought them home so the others can have a sniff and say goodbye. One we actually buried and the other sat watching before they wandered off to lie in front of the fire and it didn’t seem to bother them.

I am convinced dogs understand death. Last year my lovely dad passed very suddenly and young. His favourite dog was besotted with him and refused to eat and just led on his bed for days. My younger brother actually took her to the funeral home to see him and when she got home she came back out of her shell. It was the vanishing without a trace that she wasn’t coping with. Seeing that he was gone was closure.

im sorry you’re going through this, it’s awful when the time comes.

Kindly op you over thinking this. 5 ddogs. 1 pts. They were fine..
4 to 3. Still fine.. We place too many human emotions on the shoulders of our ddogs.. And I absolutely love my ddogs. And they each other..
Both ddogs sedated then pts at the vet surgery with me and dh there throughout..
Sorry the time has come op. It's sad...

Thank you all for sharing your experiences which is very helpful - makes me feel less alone in this difficult decision...and so sorry to those of you still struggling with the loss of your dog

all of our dogs have been pts at the vet’s; at the vet’s gentle suggestion, we took the other dog to sniff them shortly afterwards so they understand that they’ve gone. They seemed subdued, but didn’t look for them afterwards, which would have broken my heart.

Horrible time for you and the family. The worst bit of owning a pet 😔

We did this recently. A 14 year old dog and his 8 year old sensitive sister.

Our vet doesn’t come out. We used a company that specialises in euthanasia and then a cremation service. Both of which I would recommend (we’re in London).

Having dogs euthanised before I sort of knew what to expect. They sedate and then prepare a vein for the injection.

I wasn’t sure how either dog would react for the first injection so I popped the sister in the garden for the sedation element. I then invited her back in to sit with us whilst our dog died. The vet was very quiet, calm and soothing. The atmosphere was so peaceful she actually fell asleep and didn’t notice.

I put her on the lead and made her view him once gone. She knew. I also made her view him again at the crematorium just for a minute - not sure I would do that again.

Whilst sad and definitely very quiet for a spell I don’t think she thought we’d done anything untoward to him.

The crematorium was out on a farm in the country and we went for a celebration of life meal at a gastropub nearby.

We then collected his ashes and brought him home.

On reflection I don’t think it could have been more peaceful and straightforward. It was time and his end was dignified. I miss him terribly.

When our dog needed to be pts at 18 the vet came to the house and it happened in the garden with our 2 other dogs there. That was what was best for all of them. They seemed to fully understand that it was goodbye. But it was the best way it could be done and in a place he loved.

Vet came to our home and put our girl to sleep in our arms with her sister watching. Peaceful. Vet - who the girls adored - came when it was time for her sister to join her.

Having had to make this decision for other dogs - being at home trumped being at the vets.

Our vet came to the house to pts older dog .She suggested strongly that we let our other dog have a good sniff after the dog had passed which we did .The cat also had a sniff and a stronger reaction tbh but they had always been good pals .If you can do this at home it's nicer than in the vets surgery although we also had to pts in vets surgery after sudden illness while we were on holiday.Again the vet encouraged us to go and get our younger dog to give a final sniff .Hope all goes as well as can for you all .

I am so touched by your story ,it just shows the impact dogs and humans have on each others lives ,so sorry for your loss.
I work in a vets and my late boss always said the living dogs should see their friend after being pts .
Op i hope your dogs passing is peaceful however way you choose, i am so grateful that we have the option to be able to put to sleep our precious pets when their time has come.

We had our oldest dog PTS last year. We also have two younger ones.

Despite being obsessed with him (he was the boss!) they actually couldn’t have cared less. We showed them the body and neither paid any attention. One even stood on him 🤷‍♀️ Maybe my dogs are heartless but honestly they didn’t pine at all!

I have alwas had a muti dog household. My experience has been that when the dogs are old the other dogs seem to sense this. They often distanced themseves a bit from the older dog. In these cases the dogs have moved on really quickly and not appeared to grieve. I did not aways let the dogs see the dog after they have been pts.

Do what makes you feel better.

It is the hardest time.

Our very old DDog who was eldest of 3 went downhill rapidly and became ill, and we knew it was time. His last day at home was spent snuggled in his bed with us and his sister & brother next to him. Then he had his favourite food for his lunch!
As we were getting ready to take him to the vet, both our other dogs went to him and they 'hugged' and nuzzled each other. When we came without him, they didn't look for him. They knew.
When we brought his ashes home, it was as though they knew it was him and they spent time sat next to the box.
Our younger dog who was inseperable from his old friend was sad and quiet for a while, but now he and his sister are good companions.

Our vet came to our house when it was time for our older dog to go.
We left 2nd dog in her bed while he was euthanised , then , once he had died , she came through , had a sniff, before the vet took him away.

She didn’t look for him in our house, but was very interested in every male dog we met for a few weeks. None measured up, clearly.

She was off her food and very quiet for a while. Don’t know if she was picking up the vibes from us, or this was her grief.

She is doing better now. I am not 😢

A lot depends on the relationship between the dogs. Our old boy had to be PTS very suddenly a few years ago. The two younger dogs were (and remain) very close to each other (but weren't as close to the old dog) and other than seeming a bit baffled now and then for a couple of days, they adapted seamlessly.

OTOH a friend had two dogs who were very close. She said that when one was PTS the other seemed very low for several weeks.

My dogs have all been PTS at home. They had a last walk, a favourite meal and then went to sleep in their own beds. The remaining dog was out of the room for the procedure, but then allowed in to have a sniff and 'say good bye'. I once read this helps them to understand that the other dog has gone and stops them from searching for them. I don't know if it's true or not, but it does no harm so why not allow it?
I have then taken the dogs to the crematorium myself.

When able to preplan I prefer home euthanasia as although it costs more, it's less stressful all-round. Many practices don't enough staff cover to offer it but my vet came after work and there were also quite a few options online for vets that specialise in home euthanasia. i have seen vets PTS dogs while laid in car boot if lacking mobility or they'd stress in a consult room

I wouldn't have the other dogs in the same room mainly as it's likely they will be an unwanted distraction when your focus is on your lovely dogs last moments. I had one PTS in a nearby paddock as the others were likely to cause a commotion, he loved being outdoors and enjoyed a pre-vet picnic.

i prefer the remaining dogs to see their friend after so they understand they've died not disappeared, they tend to have a sniff and then carry on what they were doing. The dogs that were lost at the vet practice under treatment I've brought home & then taken onto a local pet crematorium but could also return to vet if using their service.

I've just had to have my boy PTS two days ago. My other dog didn't go to the vets as they put us off doing it and said it wasn't really worth doing as he won't understand. I regret this now as he's really pining for him. They were inseparable, my boy was PTS outside at the vets laid on a blanket on the grass. Our younger dog would probably have benefited from seeing him to understand. All he knows now is DH took him off in the car and didn't come back with him 😞

I'm so sorry Fennelseeds