<p>I am so sorry for your loss. I have been there a few times myself in the last couple of years …the last one very unexpected and was particularly hard on me ( probably because it was unexpected )
I had a hard time telling my oldest because it was kind of her baby. Sending hugs your way</p>
<p>I am so sorry, Sherpa. </p>
<p>I have been on medications that made it hard to feel things and I know that discomfort. Have patience with yourself and the grieving process.</p>
<p>I am so sorry to hear about your dog. When I used to work for a veterinarian, we used to hold deceased animals in a freezer until Spring for people. You might want to see if your vet would do this for you if you want to bury him on your own property. Again, so sorry…</p>
<p>Sherpa - so sorry to hear about the passing of your dog. Both of my sons are aware that our dog is nearing her end so when I have to call them, they are already somewhat prepared. I’m not sure what is worse - the sudden passing of a pet or the lingering and then you have to put them down, pet. We are the latter as our beloved dog has bladder cancer.</p>
<p>We all grieve for you and your pet</p>
<p>Thank you all for your thoughts and kind words. When I read all of the beautiful and caring responses it brought tears to my eyes for the first time since I’ve been on my emotional incontinence meds. It felt wonderful.</p>
<p>They say that a dog is “man’s best friend”, but in our family DS was “dog’s best friend” until he (son, not dog) went off to college, after which DD filled the void and became the new “dog’s best friend”, so it was especially traumatic for both kids. I was able to reach DS at college during a 2 hour break between classes to give him the news; he must have told a HS friend or two, because later today some nice remembrances started appearing on Facebook.</p>
<p>We all agreed that we didn’t need the ashes but we liked the plaster pawprint idea, and it turns out that for about $65 you can get a cast bronze pawprint, so we’ll have that to remember him.</p>
<p>Singersmom: Rainbow Bridge was great. Thanks.</p>
<p>Geezermom: I can relate to your loss. Poodles are great. Ours was a standard.</p>
<p>Amazingly smart breed. So regal and confident. The day we brought him home he went out and met the neighbor dog, a yappy mutt, in the middle of the street, took one quick sniff to size him up, immediately turned and walked away in apparent disgust and never bothered with the mutt again.</p>
<p>Intelligence and arrogance can be a bad combination. One time at an IHOP, oh, never mind.</p>
<p>Sherpa: Our poodle was pretty much indifferent to dogs. A Buddhist I know told me he will be reincarnated as a human, so he’ll be quite pleased with himself.</p>
<p>Take care.</p>
<p>sherpa, thanks for checking back in. Your post brought a tear to my eye, followed by a smile to my face. I know your memories will comfort you. I’m so glad the pawprint idea was something that helped.</p>
<p>Glad the cast pawprint is bringing comfort to you. I look at my sweet dog’s plaster print, dogtag from his collar and his photo every day…</p>
<p>sherpa, I am so, so sorry for your family’s loss. we lost a pet last spring and my H took it especially hard. </p>
<p>
</p>
<p>that is priceless. I’m glad to see that there is still a sense of humor mingled with your grief.</p>
<p>I’m so sorry for your loss. One suggestion that we took from a book lent by our vet was to plant a shrub or tree in memory of the dog, especially in a place they liked. We planted a lilac in the spot our dog liked to use for his surveillance of the property. (He was a GSD, so although very friendly to humans did feel the need to keep an eye on things!)</p>
<p>We had him cremated, but not individually so we don’t have the ashes. When our golden died–on Valentine’s Day a few years ago 
--we did have him cremated separately and do have his ashes. I now wish that we had done that with our GSD.</p>
<p>The paw print is a great idea- I am going to do that with my lab- she is almost 16 & her bad days are getting more frequent- how much joy she has brought to us- but it is so hard to be the one who decides when to take her in.</p>
<p>I don’t know why my pets live so long ( our cats were in their early 20’s), but it makes me worry about getting another one- cause who knows how long * I * will last.</p>
<p>This book isn’t really about pets, but again it is. The narrator is a dog, who is telling the story after he has passed ( and been reincarnated).
[The</a> Art of Racing in the Rain](<a href=“http://www.garthstein.com/arr/]The”>http://www.garthstein.com/arr/)</p>
<p>It is very sweet- and a good read.</p>
<p>Try not to worry about not feeling things, that isn’t always cause of the meds.
The summer my dad died ( I was 17 & it was very sudden), I was stunned & couldn’t process it- so I didn’t. It took me a long time, before I was able to mourn- but that is ok, cause we deal with things the way we need to. We don’t always have to take care of everything right away. </p>
<p>Onward- I also put our cats in the freezer- not because of the ground, but because I wanted both of the girls to be able to be present at the ceremony where we said goodbye- with our dog though- I don’t think I could do that, even though we * do* have a chest freezer- I was planning to get her cremated- then we can sprinkle her at her favorite places- * anyplace where there was water!*</p>
<p>On a beautiful spring April day, Casey started anew with no pain or suffering. She is now my guardian angel and I sure do miss her. She is in a far better place and though my tears fall like raindrops, I will always remember my girly-girl. 4/15/2010</p>
<p>I’ve never had to put a dog down before and I sit here feeling like a truck hit me. Totally spent. But I feel at peace knowing that Casey is not suffering and she was in my arms during her final moments here on earth.</p>
<p>You will have flashback moments for many months. Our dog- shih tzu- died last August and as the seasons pass we have our “firsts” without him. I have a daily reminder with a family room photo of H and dog as my desktop background. Definitely gone but not forgotten.</p>
<p>While driving to work today I passed a woman wakling 3 Cavalier King Charles Spaniels. I almost stopped the car to visit with the dogs. We lost ours 5 years ago and I still mourn like it was yesterday.</p>
<p>{{hugs}} to sherpa and laxmom.</p>
<p>My sympathies to Sherpa and Laxmom.</p>
<p>I second EmeraldKity’s recommendation of The Art of Racing in the Rain. Every poster on this thread will enjoy it.</p>
<p>My sympathies, too. My sweet poodle died in November, and I still feel his presence. You will grieve harder than you imagined. I cried for weeks. It helped us to make a little shrine, tell lots of stories, and tell everyone who knew him. My H even opened his next class lecture with a PowerPoint slide of our dog!</p>
<p>{{{{ Hugs to all who’ve lost their dear pets }}}}</p>
<p>My cat Mittens died 3 weeks ago, and I miss him terribly.</p>
<p>My two new kitties are precious, but I still miss my Mittens.</p>
<p>Our dog is still hanging in there- but she doesn’t have joy in life like she did when she was a puppy- not obviously anyway.
But since it is spring, and she still enjoys going outside and barking at people going by- I can’t find it in my heart to take her in and you know.</p>
<p>In the winter of 2008, we spent thousands on her for a surgery that I think was brought on by meds that caused internal bleeding & the vet was apprehensive about her chances.</p>
<p>But how do you say to a family member, I think it is time for you to go now?</p>
<p>I know my struggle is exacerbated by the loss of my mother ( who was barely 75- which I still consider- if not * youthful* at least not decrepit), right before this past Christmas.
Almost everyday, I think of something that I want to remember to tell my mother, and then I remember, she isn’t here anymore.</p>
<p>It is hard- my dad died when I was 17, and my H’s side of the family, have never cared for me and were always very blunt about it.
So recent things, like, my younger daughter being excited about college and getting A’s and our oldest getting into the grad school she wanted, there is no one to tell.</p>
<p>My mom would have been so happy for us. She was so proud of them- she freaked admittedly when D2 went to India by herself- but this was also the same woman that thought I could learn how to swim in water that barely came up to my waist ;)</p>
<p>Our dog is really amazing- always so patient-and the neighbor dogs are really good with her- they are much younger- but they are careful not to bounce into her.
I don’t really remember * her* being so careful when she was young.</p>
<p>It’s good to have someplace to talk about it- Some of my friends with pets have higher turnover than we do, and have learned how to compartmentalize better I guess-</p>
<p>emeraldkity, what terrible losses you have had in your life. My heart goes out to you. Your dear dog must be a real comfort. I understand completely why you are hanging on to her.</p>