Discussion
Jevvy said:
Thanks man, had a fairly quiet week - kinda hits you in stages especially when you keep finding stuff scattered around.
Older pic from when he had the splint removed from his carpal fusion op and was able to use his leg properly for the first time in about 2 years:
It's the little things that hit the hardest. Your brain is so wired having the dog in your life that you are automatically think or do something before remembering they are not there anymore.Older pic from when he had the splint removed from his carpal fusion op and was able to use his leg properly for the first time in about 2 years:
He looks so happy in that picture. That must be a massive comfort.
You will still have some bad days. It only natural.
It really is losing your best friend or a family member.
One our third lab
first one was bought from a pup and died in my arms as i was hoovering his moult, he loved it. 12 and a half
Six weeks later Henry, a rescue lab arrived, just 15mth old Mad as a box of frogs and left us at 14 and a ahlf
my BiL said you will know when he wants to go,and believe me he had such a' pissed of with life' look on his last day Currently with our third one, another rescue but half lab half ridgeback. Arrived at 10 years old as a foster dog, so the charity can save on kennel fees .No one wanted a 10 yr old dog so he is still with us. Will be 16 in Sept.
Getting a little incontinent but it is manageable, wobbles a bit now and again and falls over when he gets his back ones crossed .Vet gave him a good MOT in june and said just watch him.( and said exactly what the BiL said)
He still goes for walks ,or slow strolls now, looks at cats instead of chasing them, So we are just waiting on him
One thing though the other two are still with us, as we had them cremated and got the ashes in a small casket. Eric died on the Sat and believe me Sunday was a b
d to say the least. The vet rang on Monday evening and just said. Eric is back here. Just to have that box in the house meant a hell of a lot.
I wanted to put wheels on it so i could take him for a walk, Mrs fox really put her foot down on that idea!
So there is a space under the coffee table for George as and when and a place for a picture as the other two ( both have first and last pics in a frame)
May not be everyones cup of tea, but the thought of my mate being put in a communal crem with cats/mice/budgies and then a landfill.........
They deserve better than that
.
BiL has his old chap buried in the back garden and planted a tree over him so he wont get disturbed
first one was bought from a pup and died in my arms as i was hoovering his moult, he loved it. 12 and a half
Six weeks later Henry, a rescue lab arrived, just 15mth old Mad as a box of frogs and left us at 14 and a ahlf
my BiL said you will know when he wants to go,and believe me he had such a' pissed of with life' look on his last day Currently with our third one, another rescue but half lab half ridgeback. Arrived at 10 years old as a foster dog, so the charity can save on kennel fees .No one wanted a 10 yr old dog so he is still with us. Will be 16 in Sept.
Getting a little incontinent but it is manageable, wobbles a bit now and again and falls over when he gets his back ones crossed .Vet gave him a good MOT in june and said just watch him.( and said exactly what the BiL said)
He still goes for walks ,or slow strolls now, looks at cats instead of chasing them, So we are just waiting on him
One thing though the other two are still with us, as we had them cremated and got the ashes in a small casket. Eric died on the Sat and believe me Sunday was a b
d to say the least. The vet rang on Monday evening and just said. Eric is back here. Just to have that box in the house meant a hell of a lot.I wanted to put wheels on it so i could take him for a walk, Mrs fox really put her foot down on that idea!
So there is a space under the coffee table for George as and when and a place for a picture as the other two ( both have first and last pics in a frame)
May not be everyones cup of tea, but the thought of my mate being put in a communal crem with cats/mice/budgies and then a landfill.........
They deserve better than that
.
BiL has his old chap buried in the back garden and planted a tree over him so he wont get disturbed
silverfoxcc said:
I wanted to put wheels on it so i could take him for a walk, Mrs fox really put her foot down on that idea!
May not be everyones cup of tea, but the thought of my mate being put in a communal crem with cats/mice/budgies and then a landfill.........
They deserve better than that
That first bit made me smile, quite a sweet idea in a way although may have atracted some funny looks!May not be everyones cup of tea, but the thought of my mate being put in a communal crem with cats/mice/budgies and then a landfill.........
They deserve better than that
Frankly though I wish you hadn't mentioned the second bit, I was wondering about leaving Jack at the vets when the time comes so that I could draw a line under the time I spent with him and just live with the memories. But after hearing that I don't think that's an option anymore.
Im a bespoke joiner so I think I will set about making a tasteful yet decorative oak box to exercise my talents and to house jacks ashes when the time comes. Something that I can look back on in years to come and be proud to have made and be a great reminder of what he means to me. I hate thinking about these things but I think it's better to be prepared when the time comes.
Berkshire
That was my second thought
She went mental when i said i wanted him stuffed and put wheels on his feet
If you want i can pm you a photo of the two little caskets.
Oh and i am a big softy
Hd three birds this year hit the patio window.They are buried in the back grden, and a couple of weeks ago, found a hedgehog wandering sroung looking like it was drunk.Took it home and net mornig found him feet up.He ids buried outside the back wall. Even feral animals derseve something
NO i didnt do the full burial service with hymms and sermon!
That was my second thought
She went mental when i said i wanted him stuffed and put wheels on his feet
If you want i can pm you a photo of the two little caskets.
Oh and i am a big softy
Hd three birds this year hit the patio window.They are buried in the back grden, and a couple of weeks ago, found a hedgehog wandering sroung looking like it was drunk.Took it home and net mornig found him feet up.He ids buried outside the back wall. Even feral animals derseve something
NO i didnt do the full burial service with hymms and sermon!
Edited by silverfoxcc on Saturday 28th July 13:58
silverfoxcc said:
Berkshire
That was my second thought
She went mental when i said i wanted him stuffed and put wheels on his feet
If you want i can pm you a photo of the two little caskets.
Oh and i am a big softy
Hd three birds this year hit the patio window.They are buried in the back grden, and a couple of weeks ago, found a hedgehog wandering sroung looking like it was drunk.Took it home and net mornig found him feet up.He ids buried outside the back wall. Even feral animals derseve something
NO i didnt do the full burial service with hymms and sermon!
Bloody half measures, I bet you didn't have any trumpets playing either. I mean c'mon if a jobs worth doing etc. That was my second thought
She went mental when i said i wanted him stuffed and put wheels on his feet
If you want i can pm you a photo of the two little caskets.
Oh and i am a big softy
Hd three birds this year hit the patio window.They are buried in the back grden, and a couple of weeks ago, found a hedgehog wandering sroung looking like it was drunk.Took it home and net mornig found him feet up.He ids buried outside the back wall. Even feral animals derseve something
NO i didnt do the full burial service with hymms and sermon!
Edited by silverfoxcc on Saturday 28th July 13:59
I'm replying to this thread as I've already found it helpful, and really feel for those others already having gone through this. OP - I hope you are starting to get over your loss.
I've had a really awful few days since we finally decided on Monday that it was time to put our wonderful Irish Terrier, Scruff to sleep. He was our first and only dog, and we've had him since he was 8 weeks old, 14 and a half years ago. Needless to say, he's been a massive part of our lives, and has only ever wanted food, water, and most importantly, our company.
We'd agreed with the vet for them to come to our home, and that today was to be his last day. He'd been getting gradually worse for several months with his back legs becoming weaker with old age/arthritis, and over the last few weeks he'd also been having problems with incontinence. We'd done everything we could for him, with hydrotherapy, and even got him some wheels, which improved his mobility for a bit, but realistically only delayed the inevitable. When it got to the point that he was basically unable to stand up and was clearly unhappy, enough was enough.
It's about the hardest thing I've had to do over the 50 years of my life so far, and I can't believe how upsetting it's been. I know it was the right thing to do for him, of that I have no doubt, but it doesn't make it any easier.
I've had little sleep, and yesterday evening, after digging the grave in the garden, did resort to several very large glasses of whiskey. Co-incidentally it happened to be Aberlour a'bunadh as recommended by the OP, although I hadn't read this thread then.
Today, the fateful day arrived, and I held his head as he went to sleep for the last time. He's now at rest in the garden by his favourite hole in the fence through which he used to watch next door's kids playing in the garden. They are now grown up, but came over yesterday to say goodbye to him.
I've spent the rest of the day looking through old photos of him between periods of basically losing it. I know people without dogs will probably think this strange, but I think I'm more upset about this than when my Mum passed away. Thank goodness I've managed to book today and tomorrow off work.
Seeing as I've been going through his photos, below are a few, and a short video of his encounter with a young squirrel, which always puts a smile on my face (neither dog nor squirrel came to any harm)!
Bye Scruff, and thanks for gracing our lives with your presence...
S1 by conradsphotos, on Flickr
S2 by conradsphotos, on Flickr
S3 by conradsphotos, on Flickr
One with my brother's dog after a long day out - sadly both have since passed away:
S4 by conradsphotos, on Flickr
Video - click and it should play hopefully.
P5200364 by conradsphotos, on Flickr
.. off to get another top up of that whiskey.
I've had a really awful few days since we finally decided on Monday that it was time to put our wonderful Irish Terrier, Scruff to sleep. He was our first and only dog, and we've had him since he was 8 weeks old, 14 and a half years ago. Needless to say, he's been a massive part of our lives, and has only ever wanted food, water, and most importantly, our company.
We'd agreed with the vet for them to come to our home, and that today was to be his last day. He'd been getting gradually worse for several months with his back legs becoming weaker with old age/arthritis, and over the last few weeks he'd also been having problems with incontinence. We'd done everything we could for him, with hydrotherapy, and even got him some wheels, which improved his mobility for a bit, but realistically only delayed the inevitable. When it got to the point that he was basically unable to stand up and was clearly unhappy, enough was enough.
It's about the hardest thing I've had to do over the 50 years of my life so far, and I can't believe how upsetting it's been. I know it was the right thing to do for him, of that I have no doubt, but it doesn't make it any easier.
I've had little sleep, and yesterday evening, after digging the grave in the garden, did resort to several very large glasses of whiskey. Co-incidentally it happened to be Aberlour a'bunadh as recommended by the OP, although I hadn't read this thread then.
Today, the fateful day arrived, and I held his head as he went to sleep for the last time. He's now at rest in the garden by his favourite hole in the fence through which he used to watch next door's kids playing in the garden. They are now grown up, but came over yesterday to say goodbye to him.
I've spent the rest of the day looking through old photos of him between periods of basically losing it. I know people without dogs will probably think this strange, but I think I'm more upset about this than when my Mum passed away. Thank goodness I've managed to book today and tomorrow off work.
Seeing as I've been going through his photos, below are a few, and a short video of his encounter with a young squirrel, which always puts a smile on my face (neither dog nor squirrel came to any harm)!
Bye Scruff, and thanks for gracing our lives with your presence...
S1 by conradsphotos, on FlickrS2 by conradsphotos, on FlickrS3 by conradsphotos, on FlickrOne with my brother's dog after a long day out - sadly both have since passed away:
S4 by conradsphotos, on FlickrVideo - click and it should play hopefully.
P5200364 by conradsphotos, on Flickr.. off to get another top up of that whiskey.
Edited by C&C on Friday 28th September 06:07
So sorry to read about Scruff, what a magnificent and noble looking dog.
Although it will get easier, you will always have a Scruff shaped hole in your life - but you know it was the right thing to do for him, especially after giving you so many years of happiness.
Put up a few of your favourite photos somewhere prominent and say hello to one every morning, I found that helped. And let yourself be upset for as long as you need.
There are a lot of dog lovers on the forum, sadly most have been through this more than once, we are here for you in support and to share both the good and bad times.
RIP Scruff
Although it will get easier, you will always have a Scruff shaped hole in your life - but you know it was the right thing to do for him, especially after giving you so many years of happiness.
Put up a few of your favourite photos somewhere prominent and say hello to one every morning, I found that helped. And let yourself be upset for as long as you need.
There are a lot of dog lovers on the forum, sadly most have been through this more than once, we are here for you in support and to share both the good and bad times.
RIP Scruff
Scruff looks like a beautiful dog and it sounds as though he had a long and happy life. My 15 year old Jack russel cross is laying on my legs while I type this so it is very close to home.
Jim Seeing as this thread is alive again hows life going now? Any plans for another on the cards?
Jim Seeing as this thread is alive again hows life going now? Any plans for another on the cards?
Mezzanine, Moorx, and Berkshire, thanks so much for your kind words. It's really appreciated.
As Mezzanine said - there is definitely a Scruff shaped hole in our lives - the house seems so empty without him, and I'm still losing it whenever I see his stuff around. Even our neighbours are missing him - apparently they always used to know when the postman was coming as even almost to the end he'd go nuts when he heard someone coming to the house!
I don't think we'll be getting another dog for a while just now, but definitely will at some point in the not too distant future, despite knowing the heartache that will come in the end. The joy of spending time with such wonderful and loving friends is something that cannot be missed in life.
As Mezzanine said - there is definitely a Scruff shaped hole in our lives - the house seems so empty without him, and I'm still losing it whenever I see his stuff around. Even our neighbours are missing him - apparently they always used to know when the postman was coming as even almost to the end he'd go nuts when he heard someone coming to the house!
I don't think we'll be getting another dog for a while just now, but definitely will at some point in the not too distant future, despite knowing the heartache that will come in the end. The joy of spending time with such wonderful and loving friends is something that cannot be missed in life.
Bloody hell C&C - you’ve made me get some dust in my eye....
A very sad post, but quite wonderful at the same time. A cool dog indeed, you never fully get over losing them but it does become easier eventually.
I’ve still not been able to replace my boy even after 5 years. This thread has given me hope to reconsider my stance though. It’s not so much a fear of disloyalty now but more the knowledge of going through losing them again which keeps me from dog ownership.
Keep drinking the whisky!
A very sad post, but quite wonderful at the same time. A cool dog indeed, you never fully get over losing them but it does become easier eventually.
I’ve still not been able to replace my boy even after 5 years. This thread has given me hope to reconsider my stance though. It’s not so much a fear of disloyalty now but more the knowledge of going through losing them again which keeps me from dog ownership.
Keep drinking the whisky!
So sad reading this thread-
I lost my Staffie in January last year.she was only ten.we still miss her every day.i cried like a baby when we got home from the vets.
My wife really struggled to cope,so I took the decision to get another after about a month(felt slightly disloyal,but I really didn’t like not having a dog around the house)
We got a rescue staffie ridgeback cross that hadn’t been treated very well in her earlier life-now she’s won the bloody lottery in dog terms living with us!!![](https://thumbsnap.com/sc/x7jgpf3i.jpg[/img]</a> <a href="https://thumbsnap.com/OLZjjBA5" Target="_blank" rel="nofollow">[img]https://thumbsnap.com/sc/OLZjjBA5.jpg[/img]</a> <a href="https://thumbsnap.com/wzYqbLmB" Target="_blank" rel="nofollow">[img]https://thumbsnap.com/sc/wzYqbLmB.jpg)
I lost my Staffie in January last year.she was only ten.we still miss her every day.i cried like a baby when we got home from the vets.
My wife really struggled to cope,so I took the decision to get another after about a month(felt slightly disloyal,but I really didn’t like not having a dog around the house)
We got a rescue staffie ridgeback cross that hadn’t been treated very well in her earlier life-now she’s won the bloody lottery in dog terms living with us!!
Edited by and31 on Sunday 30th September 09:35
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