[form74]

Chris, I've been holding off offering my condolences as I get a tear in my eye and a lump in my throat even thinking about it, hardest thing I ever had to do and it was 1999 that I put Teton down after 16 years. I still carry her Collar and Tag in my current truck , when i cleaned out the last two trucks I kept moving to the new one.

As hard as it was you did the right thing so Max wouldn't suffer anymore , my dog had the same issue not being able to stand up hardly at all and I knew it was time.

[The Boss]

Thanks Gary, his tag is on my keychain now.

[sdbob]

I remember warming my 2500 Chevy worktruck up before going to work about 35 yrs ago. I always put Penny out in the am. One morning she was sitting on the seat next to where I would sit. Dad said bring her along,we worked construction. Those memories are the greatest, as you guys have too.

[455abody]

Sorry for your loss I have a black lab as well special creatures. Brian

[Mr Twister]

Sorry for your loss.

[1oldgoat]

Sorry for you loss Chris. I went through the same thing last year with both of our dogs, one 16 years the other 9.

[njsteve]

So sorry to hear about Max. We have all gone through this way too often. It is such a shame they live such short lives.

[455firebird1969]

Sorry for your loss, I feel your pain having gone through the same thing approximately one year ago. My Max was only nine. RIP Max.

[Firedup6975]

So very sorry, I’m a dog person I have 3 presently. They all helped me fight a real battle with Leukemia, by my side every second when I came home from the hospital. My oldest is Daphne she is almost 15, has cancerous tumors near her bladder, and is simply on comfort meds and antibiotics until she crosses the rainbow bridge. What’s hard is she’s not sick like your guy, she eats, drinks, runs around, but once the tumor closes her ability to urinate, she too will have to be put to sleep. In our case our Vet will come here to my house to do that in the comfort of her own bed and surroundings. So I really do know what you’re going through, and my heart goes out to you for your loss. Stay strong Boss.....

[cnc]

Chris so sorry to read this about your Max, my heart goes out to you and I feel your pain and loss ....it is truly a horrible feeling..
I too have just gone through this .....In the past 4 months I have had to say good bye to my three dogs.
My 12 year old black lab Midnight hip issues Couldnt get up anymore without help lots of times ....
My 11 year old yellow lab Lola (2 1/2 weeks ago ) she had a Huge Lypoma ( growth ) that was beginning to fill with blood and was stopping eating....and just last week our 8 year old wiener dog Weezman....he did his back in suffered nerve damage to the point that within a week he had gone from killing rabbits to dragging his hind legs and loss of bladder controller .....He was probably the hardest to watch ....
Our home is an empty shell now.........A home isn't a home without a dog for me....Chris

[The Boss]

DAMN! Yeah, one is hard to deal with but three? I can honestly say I will never live in a house where there isn't a dog at my feet or by my side.

For all of you who have recently lost - go visit your local shelter or check the common adoption sites - there are so many pups & kits in need of loving homes and for what you give you get so much in return.

Wilson will be three at the end of this month and Penny (our pony) is a little over 1 year old now and has finally graduated from her crate without destroying something in the house when I leave for the day.

Here are the two of them on a hike a year ago - Max hadn't been able to go for even a walk in a long time. Also my most recent front yard pic - where there were three, there are now two.

[Heybuck]

I already posted earlier in this thread with pictures of our boy Harry alongside my grandsons a few days before we had to take him on his final drive.

But following on from Bosses above comment, "go to the local shelter", I thought I might tell how we came to get Harry.

So, we had a German Shepard Dog for 14½ years, Several times I thought we had taken Sasha to the vet for the last time, but she was tough and well loved. Broke my heart when it really was "time". After Sasha, I said no more dogs. But my 15 year old daughter started on me. "get another dog Dad, get another dog Dad". I kept saying no, its not fair on a new dog, Mum works every day, no-one home all day. back and forth, back and forth it went but she knew I would be a soft sell.
I said OK, we will get a second hand dog from the pound(Shelter). An older dog that is happy to lay about all day waiting for us to get home. OK, good compromise.
Off we go and I see a beautiful white GSD in the cage. But my wife was adamant. NO MORE ONE MAN DOGS...... I start to leave and the girl there says to my wife, "Nothing you like here?" My wife says Nothing HE likes!!!
Girl asks what sort of dog we want, wife says a family dog so the girl points out this black thing cowering in the corner. We take him for a walk, My wife and daughter say YES so I have a new dog.

He was about 5y/o. Black Labrador/ Rhodesian Ridgeback cross.

Bring him home the next day and I realise I better fix out falling down wire fences. Take Harry (his new name) outside with me and while I'm working I'm saying to him, Mate, if you go through this fence, don't bother coming back. While I'm working and talking I say to Harry, now I've left my gloves at the other end of the fence. He just upped and walked down and got them!!!
He had been at our house for not more than 45 minutes. Period. I was flabbergasted

I went straight back in the house and said "We are keeping this dog". I had had 2 GSD's, one after the other for 23 years. I had a pen to put them in if needed. They never got out. Put Harry in there the same afternoon while we had some little kids here (and I still wasn't sure he could be trusted). He worked out the latch in MINUTES. Out.
And he was like that for the next 12 years we had him. Smartest dog I ever saw. And he had a knack of endearing himself to anyone. I used to take him to work often. Soon as a customer came in, he would grab his lead and sit at their feet asking them to go for a walk. So many things.
One of the saddest days we have endured when we had to take him for his last ride.
So Boss, I could not agree more with you. A shelter dog is so worth giving a new chance in life.
Go out and do it.
Ian

[goatwgn]

So very sorry for the loss of your precious Max. I struggle daily with the notion of the same thing coming up in the near future with my 16 year old Cocker Spaniel companion "Maxie". She has slowed down a lot over the last year.