My dog Patches?

My dog Patches, is about to be put down i've had her for 8 1/2 years. i'm almost 15 now and she was one of the biggest factors in my life, i always cringed at the thought of one of my dogs dying, her brother is also 8

how do i get over losing my dog? with time? what? and the biggest question is will her brother like..know? i know that sounds stupid and obvious, but i want to be 100% sure of it and he will now be alone and that is so depressing for me. she had a lot of problems with her heart, i was hoping we could do something for her but we can't :( please help

Comments

  • I'm so very sorry to hear what you're going through. And I've certainly been there myself. It will be very hard for you, and yes, it will take time. But you WILL get through it... At first, the emotional pain of your grief will be very raw, and you will think of her all the time, and probably cry a lot. But in time it will get easier, and eventually, you will get to a place where you can remember all of the good things about Patches, and be grateful for the time you had with her, without so much sadness.

    Your other dog won't necessarily 'know', but he may go through a shorter grief of his own. It's hard because it's not like there's a way to explain it to him, but he may need a little extra love and attention. He, too, will adapt though, and, like you, can get past the grief.

    This kind of thing is so hard, but it's a part of life and love. Be as brave as you can for Patches and your other dog, and trust me, you'll be okay.

  • I've always had dogs. They've always been the best people i know and it will always hurt when then die. I've found it's easier if you make sure that you're there when the time comes. It's better both for you and for her. Better for you because you can be sure that she knows exactly how you feel about her right before she dies. You can cradle her, let her last moment in this world be with you.

    As for the brother, yes he will know she is gone. They've been together all their lives. I must tell you though. When my last dog died, his fried had been "taking care of" him for several months. you could tell she knew something was wrong and he had a lot of pain. When we finally had to put rocky down, she almost seemed relieved when he didn't come home with us.

    Further, If you have anything to do with it, having another dog there when your girl doesn't come home, seems to make their transition better. Dogs are naturally social, pack animals and they don't like being alone. So do what you can do to make sure he isn't alone much in the first week or so. just like us, it seems to ease up after that. He might still look around for her occasionally, but he'll be ok.

    I hope this helps and i hope you can be strong through this always difficult time.

  • I'm very sorry to hear that you have to put a beloved family member down. When I lost my chocolate lab to valley fever/ stroke, my entire family was devastated. Everyone and every dog handles losing a dog differently. For my family, not having a dog in the house didn't seem right at all. So after we had grieved for about 2 weeks, we decided to get another dog not replace our other dog, but to help us with the grieving process and bring more joy into our lives. I am not telling you or suggesting that you do this because it's different for everyone. If you think that not getting another or getting another dog is right, then go for it. As for your other dog, it is likely that he will be lonely without his companion and it is up to him if he wants another partner or not. Hope this helped :)

  • If you love your dog, you need to let go. The dog is suffering. This will be the last gift of love you will give to your dog. I had to put my pet down and it hurt. Yes the other dog will notice it's sister or brother gone. It might even morn the dog gone. I think it might get sad or go looking for the dog. The best way I go over my pain is to get a new pet to love. No mater what in life, things die, or go away, or change. This is what life is. Happiness and tears. You can't love with out getting your heart broken one way or another.

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