Hard decision made tonight.

Yes, they sure do. And like people, different dogs deal with it in different ways. Koa was the 3rd dog my wife & I have lost in our 20+ years together. It certainly never gets easier, that's for sure. :/
 
It's amazing (and sometimes unbelievable) how a person and dog can bond. When I was much younger I had a Dalmatian named Domino. When he was only about a year old I had to relocate and it took me a while to find a place for the both of us. So my parents took care of him for about three months, and during that time I would come over to visit him whenever I could, which was only once every couple weeks. It was never planned ahead and I never gave my parents notice that I was coming to visit. But they said that on most of those occasions they knew I was on my way because Domino would sit by the door and wait which never did otherwise. Sure enough, an hour later (the time it took me to drive there from where I was staying) I'd knock on their door.

I ended up giving Domino away to a family when he was 7 years old. I never saw him again but would dream about him once in a while. Usually we'd be having some sort of adventure. But one night, many years after I last saw him, I had a dream where he came up to me and just hung out with me. After a few minutes he started walking away, turned to look at me with a sad but content look and then walked off. I had no idea why but I woke up immediately crying. I did the math and figured that I last saw him 6 years earlier. He would have been 13, about the typical lifespan of a Dalmatian. I believe to this day that he came to find me as he was leaving this world. I've never dreamed of him since but I still tear up when I think of that night.

Now I have a 6 year old Llewelyn setter that looks a lot like a long haired Dalmatian and Has exactly the same personality as Domino. I like to think he was reincarnated just to be with me again.
 
brettS4 said:
It's amazing (and sometimes unbelievable) how a person and dog can bond. When I was much younger I had a Dalmatian named Domino. When he was only about a year old I had to relocate and it took me a while to find a place for the both of us. So my parents took care of him for about three months, and during that time I would come over to visit him whenever I could, which was only once every couple weeks. It was never planned ahead and I never gave my parents notice that I was coming to visit. But they said that on most of those occasions they knew I was on my way because Domino would sit by the door and wait which never did otherwise. Sure enough, an hour later (the time it took me to drive there from where I was staying) I'd knock on their door.

I ended up giving Domino away to a family when he was 7 years old. I never saw him again but would dream about him once in a while. Usually we'd be having some sort of adventure. But one night, many years after I last saw him, I had a dream where he came up to me and just hung out with me. After a few minutes he started walking away, turned to look at me with a sad but content look and then walked off. I had no idea why but I woke up immediately crying. I did the math and figured that I last saw him 6 years earlier. He would have been 13, about the typical lifespan of a Dalmatian. I believe to this day that he came to find me as he was leaving this world. I've never dreamed of him since but I still tear up when I think of that night.

Now I have a 6 year old Llewelyn setter that looks a lot like a long haired Dalmatian and Has exactly the same personality as Domino. I like to think he was reincarnated just to be with me again.
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Not many things in this life bring a tear to my eye. This post did just that.

I believe it, Brett.

Amen, brother.
 
it certainly helps take the pain/loss away when the dogs have each other and not just one where it would be more isolated and depressed (the case with my dogs after one passed). paul, glad you the wife and the fur babies are doing well... :)
 
speaking of tear to my eye...
i think we all can learn something from this video...
 
VISITOR said:
it certainly helps take the pain/loss away when the dogs have each other and not just one where it would be more isolated and depressed (the case with my dogs after one passed). paul, glad you the wife and the fur babies are doing well... :)
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Thank you, Allen. And it really means a lot to me that you followed up on my post. Truly.

Also glad it got more members telling stories of their own dogs. Sad or not, I think it is a subject most of us at one time or another deal with, and also one better shared.
 
paul, the wife and the kids (below) doing all right?
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VISITOR said:
paul, the wife and the kids (below) doing all right?
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Well, the one on the left was old Koa herself.

Violet and Opal are next to her, and we now have Sage (aka the wrecking ball). ;)

But yup, all are well!
 
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