I am moved by all you’re doing for your dog and his and your family in his final days, @snowball.
I am so sorry. I didn’t read the thread closely enough.
I’m sorry for your loss. Unlike most of the other posters, I am NOT a dog lover.
I grew up without dogs. In fact, every apartment building I ever lived in with my family had a no dogs rule. My mother was bitten as a young child and had to get rabies shots (in the stomach at that time) and she hated dogs. I grew up fearful of dogs - if we ever saw one, my mother would pull us into a store or building and we would hide till it passed by. As I got older, I swore I would never have a dog.
I married a dog lover. At first, my response to his constant nagging to get a dog was, let’s have a baby, but after 5 children that got a bit old… Twenty years ago, when the youngest was 1, I was finally worn down enough to where I agreed to a dog and the crew got a border collie. She was a smart dog and was trained to never approach me. In her 15 years of life, I never once petted her. A year later, I bought into the only dog is an unhappy dog (as the mom of 5, that argument suited me) and a mutt was acquired. Again, the dog was trained to avoid me. Years later, we acquired a Maltese, which was cute and which I actually petted. A month after the border collie died (of old age, on her blanket in the front yard), my Maltese (Chewbarka) was killed by a speeding car. I actually cried. The next month, I agreed to take in a 16 year old Yorkie whose owner was going to a nursing home. She was sweet and kept the mutt, who had never been an only dog, company. Mutt was put to sleep at age 16 and the Yorkie followed a few months later. She died on her blanket in front of the fireplace.
I was very happily dog free until the day 2 years ago when my oldest son and said a woman was giving away Maltese puppies near his girlfriend’s house. Following a standoff between a woman from a shelter, another woman who wanted to buy the dogs and my husband, H and my son came home with a free pedigree puppy. This is MY dog. While I don’t allow her in the bed, she does sit with me on the couch while I work from home. She is just the right size for me (3 1/2 pounds), she’s smart and gets along well with my cat. Best of all, my D and her fiance have offered to take her if H and I, now in our 60’s, are unable to take care of her. At age 60+, I have finally found a dog I can enjoy, but H and I both agree that there will never be another one. He is thinking about volunteering at a shelter when this one is gone.
That’s the key, you have to agree. I was angry and resentful the entire time we had the border collie because i had not wanted the dog. I do admit that the dog was a good thing for my children and I didn’t pass down my fear of dogs (and I am still afraid of anything bigger than my dog), to them, but it annoyed me every time I had to lock myself in my room to avoid the beast. My kids are all animal lovers but, interestingly, none of them wants to actually ever own a dog. They are okay with the idea of cat ownership, but they don’t want dogs.
I think that a couple has to be in agreement, especially when there are no kids at home.
“idea of your H agreeing to pay for a dog walker”- Most couples have pooled financial resources, so it’s a financial hit to both.
There’s paying for it and then there’s making the arrangements. If he’s going out of town, before he goes he arranges the walks, etc. I wouldn’t mind paying for it as long as the responsibility was his. But this is why I have cats.
Pup did well yesterday and is enjoying people food instead of his dog food! While tentative on the stairs, he is walking them if I take one step at a time standing next to him.
He loves ice cream, especially soft serve cones. I think I will have my husband take him to DQ tomorrow on their way to the appointment; that would make both of them happy! I would take him today, but afraid the ice cream may cause more upset stomach, so waiting until tomorrow will be a treat for him as there will be no limit to how much he eats. Funny story about him and DQ-We had gone through the drive thru, where my husband and I each got a dipped cone. Dog was in the back seat, and I was in the front passenger seat. I was holding the cone in my left hand, with my elbow on the center console. I think I was leaning over putting the change back in my purse, when all of a sudden, my cone is moving. Dog put his from feet on the console and was licking my cone, chocolate and all! Usually I would give him the end as he would lick the ice cream that was sitting inside the cone, and then bite the cone.
Husband and I have agreed to wait at least 3 months, and most likely longer before making any decisions. As COVID has changed both our work hours (number and time) I don’t want to add another living thing to the house until things settle down. I worry my clinic may not stay opened, and if so, I might get moved to a location not a mile from home. So we will wait and see how the next 3-6 months go.
IMO, there are certain things that require a unanimous opinion. Having kids, which house to buy, adopting a pet. A third party isn’t going to be left with the consequences of the decision. This is something the two parties involved will have to come to an agreement on, or at least be able to agree to disagree and move on.
Sending love and support to you @snowball. I know it’s going to be a very rough day. I hope your pup has a peaceful transition across the rainbow bridge.
@snowball, my sympathies for your impending loss. I know, it’s so very hard.
We had to put our 13.5 year old dog down a few months ago. A couple of weeks ago, we lost our 18 year old cat to cancer. I’m still mourning.
The last months with each were very difficult as they declined. Any pet owner knows what I’m talking about: the smells, the accidents, the vomiting, the expense, the extra effort, the constant worry and pre-death mourning.
As much as I love dogs and think they are just amazing animals, I don’t want another one ever. In spite of being told “I’ll take care of it,” it has always always fallen on me for the most part.
I’ve had cats my entire life, save for when I was in college. The one we just lost was the sweetest, most perfect pet I’ve ever had. But the end was ugly. Six months of pee problems and vomiting issues have worn me out. We are about to put our house on the market. I mentioned to DH that I suspected that either the dog or the cat had peed on or near both sofas, or perhaps the carpet right in the vicinity. Lol, the next day, the sofas were gone and we are taking delivery on a new sectional tomorrow. Not knowing how long our house will be on the market (several houses on our street have just been languishing for months and months), it could be a long break with no animals, and I am surprisingly okay with it.
I will definitely want another cat someday, and I really hope DH will be onboard, but I highly suspect he will want to negotiate a “if you get your cat, I want my dog,” and I will be in Snowball’s shoes. Not looking forward to that.
@snowball Thinking of you today. Sometimes the right thing to do is also a hard thing.
There will be sadness, but no regrets.
Sending Hugs your way.
This is hard but really give it time. With time one of you or both will change your minds. I love cats and always had one (cats aren’t nearly as demanding) but after the last one passed we decided not to get another one. Any animal demands work. Just having the lack of hair in the house halves the housework. We wanted to travel more and being able to go without all the extra pet arrangements makes a difference. The longer you live without getting another dog the more it will become apparent whether the extra work is worth the companionship.
You’re in my thoughts today, too, @snowball.
Thinking of you today @snowball! We lost our dog, after a very long illness in December and I still miss him (despite falling in love with our new puppy) .
@snowball it’s so hard when our four legged friends aren’t doing well health wise.
Regarding getting a new pooch…I would wait. I wouldn’t make any decision. In the Thumper household, pet ownership is something that had to be 100% agreement on with the spouses. If one said no…it was no.
We love dogs, but we also recognize that having a dog is a huge responsibility. A friend described it as “like having a two year old for the rest of its life”.
Sending my thoughts to you and your family today as well @snowball . <3
Hope you and hubby are doing ok without your fur buddy.
Would you consider a cat? We have 2 cats rescued from the same litter. One follows H around like a puppy! Since they have each other it is easier to go away for a weekend-set our water-food and we set up a video in that area to make sure they are doing ok while gone for a week. They are strictly indoor cats as required by the rescue.
Thank you for all the thoughts and prayers. Monday was a hard day, but we are both doing ok. My husband and our vet visited for a good while in the room with our pup before the final injection. She is a great doc; she and my husband bonded when she joined our vet clinic.
I came home and picked up all the blankets, beds and toys; why one dog had 5 different places to rest, I will never know! We still have the toy basket from all the toys he and his sister had; she liked to play with them more than he did. After all the blankets and beds are washed, I will take them to our storage unit as we have no closet storage here. The family room looks empty without his big bed in front of the tv and the house is quiet 
So sorry, @snowball.
Take some time for yourself. Our dogs 14th birthday was today. My daughter made him a cake and we all ate some. We are most likely not far behind you. Yes, it’s funny how many spots he has to sleep/toys. He knew you cared. ?.
Cherish the memoirs.