Farewelled our old dog yesterday and had bike therapy today

[Macktheknife]

looked up at me with a puzzled look in his eyes ... and then died a short time later. God I wish he hadn't looked at me.
R.I.P. Dusty

I know that look too, it sucks.
Sorry for your loss, but it was obviously the right thing to do.

[T.W.R]

Sympathies Oakie, it's never an easy thing to deal with loosing a family pet, dogs go that step further as a companion which makes it that bit harder to deal with.
Time alone on the bike is always the best medicine to gather your thoughts & emotions.

[Da Bird]

I will lend to you for a while,a Golden Lab pup, God said,
For you to love him while he lives and mourn for him when he's dead.
Maybe for twelve or fourteen years, or maybe two or three
But will you, 'till I call him back, take care of him for me.

He'll bring his charms to gladden you and (should his stay be brief)
you'll always have his memories as solace for your grief.
I cannot promise he will stay, since all from earth return
But there are lessons taught below I want this pup to learn.

I've looked the whole world over in search of teachers true
And from the folk that crowd's life's land I have chosen you.
Now will you give him all your love Nor think the labor vain,
Nor hate me when I come to take my Lab back again.

I fancied that I heard them say "Dear Lord Thy Will be Done,"
For all the joys this Retriever will bring, the risk of grief we'll run.
We'll shelter him with tenderness we'll love him while we may
And for the happiness we've known forever grateful stay.

But should you call him back much sooner than we've planned,
We'll brave the bitter grief that comes, and try to understand.
If, by our love, we've managed, your wishes to achieve
In memory of him we loved, to help us while we grieve,
When our faithful bundle departs this world of strife,
We'll have yet another Lab and love him all his life.

-author unknown

(originally from the German Shepherd website but just changed the breed...)

I dread the day this will happen to my GSD - my condolences for your loss Oakie.

BC

[frogfeaturesFZR]

Sorry to hear of your loss, mate been there and it's not good. Like you said thank god for bikes. I swore I'd not get another dog after I had to have my shepherd put to sleep, after 19 years. Hell we'd been together longer than my wife and kids. But after 2 years.....we got another puppy and you know its been really great to have a dog around again. Give it some time and then think about it

[Biohazard]

I too wish I never read this thread as it brings back the memories of our departed 4 legged friends of whom you could always rely.

Unfortunately, it appears that everyone knows the situation you were in and wished that you wern't , but it was certainly the bravest thing you have had to do. I know it's not easy and it may haunt you for a while. I'm sue you'll get another idiot to share ya home and life with !!!

You will always miss them (apart from your shitty slipper ) as they refuse to grow up and can't stop acting retarded...How I love 'em all especially Labs.

Chin up m8.

BTW - Certianly looked like a fun dog in ya photos.

[sAsLEX]

Pets bring some much joy, but there will always be a sad end.

Dad put had to put one of our cats to sleep so he just used the rifle, funniest thing was our dog saw him do it and after that he was really nervous when you took the gun out to get some rabbits!

[Lou Girardin]

My sympathies. My Dobe did the same thing, I cried like a baby.

[Firefight]

My sympathies. I cried like a baby.

me too,

F/F

[vifferman]

Condolences, Oakie.

But at least Dusty had his full complement of years.
Our dog died in my arms 8 or 9 years ago, after I called him and he ran across the road in front of a speeding car. Then I had to tell the kids, before taking him to the in-laws' farm to bury him.
I was more upset than when my father died, and I'm still not over it. I can't help but blame myself, because if I'd been more patient, he wouldn't have died.

[eliot-ness]

My sympathies. My Dobe did the same thing, I cried like a baby.

Ditto, and I swore I'd never go through it again. Now, by a strange twist of fate, I have two, and loving every minute of it, even though they don't like me going out on the bike and leaving them behind.

[SDU]

It was a sad day yesterday. I had to take our 13yr old golden lab to the vet to be put to sleep. Have been building up to it for a couple of months but still hard to go and do the deed.
I was coping reasonably well but then after he had received the injection and as his muscles relaxed, he looked up at me with a puzzled look in his eyes ... and then died a short time later. God I wish he hadn't looked at me.
Today I went for a quick blast up the motorway by myself to get it out of my system. It worked. Thank God for bikes huh?

(And thank God I'll never stand in another big squelchy dog turd in my slippers again either)

R.I.P. Dusty

Our sympathies to you both.
It is never easy, but know you have done the best for your mate.
From what you have said the puzzled look would have been the sadness of leaving you and thankfulness to be released.

We said goodbye to our old boy last October & bawled like babies! We were so grateful the next day for a KB ride from Dangerous' place (where we met most off the kb people for the first time) the Bike Therapy helped us get is through.

[Biohazard]

the puzzled look would have been the sadness of leaving you and thankfulness to be released.

that brought a lump to the throat

Aren't dogs just great though, will never judge ya and always listen to you (only hear ya say- blah blah blah blah walk blah blah blah dinner )...

[mstriumph]

been there too.

but what puzzles me is why we can treat an animal with this much kindness, compassion and respect but not people?

when i was in my very early teens i watched a much loved very elderly grandmother, my stepfather's mother, suffer and die from inoperable cancer ......... they took her from the family home that she had come to as a young bride, stuck her in a ward where people were dying [and being carted out feet first] all around her, subjected her to the usual institutional humiliations and generally stripped her of all humanity ...

it took her two months to die
she was in pain the entire time
she begged to be taken home and allowed to die in her own bed every time we visited - she was a proud woman and her tears must have been one more additional humiliation for her...

i remember my mother - who could have made it happen, shaking her head with a fixed false smile every time and telling her she was in the best place ...........then cheerfully saying how glad she was to be 'out of there' on the way home because 'hospitals are such DEPRESSING places'

it was a long time ago - but i doubt i will ever forgive her for it -- i never felt so powerless in the face of unutterable misery

------- so -------- it may sound strange when i say to you, Oakie, BE GLAD that you had it in your power to make a difference for Dusty - and that you had the courage to do what needed doing.


-----

[kiwifruit]

rest in peace Dusty.

[Beemer]

Always sucks to lose a family member (even if it is an animal)

Um, that's a bit like saying "well, don't worry old chum, it was only your sister - could have been worse, could have been a brother..."

Commiserations on the loss of Dusty, I know what it's like to have to make that horrible decision to have an animal put down. We're so soft we even took a lamb to the vet when it got sick. They had to put it down and the young vet had to use two doses as it was still breathing. I don't mind admitting I cried buckets and it was a two or three day old lamb, not a pet I'd had in my life for years.

We have two cats now, one a year old, the other about 15 so we know he won't last forever. It's sad when they get old or sick and then die, but the joy animals bring us is worth every bit of pain when we have to say goodbye.