I’m so sorry.
I had to put my 16 year old down 3 weeks days ago. He was still eating but lost all control of his hind legs. Its the hardest thing… :’(
I have a lot of empathy for old dogs, being one myself.
I’ve often looked into a dogs eyes,
searching reminders
to patience, faith, love,
better traits,
we humans are prone to
proctor ourselves,
from pulpits
and professions
of theos,
and ethos,
and…
with not one finger
nor ego wagging,
perhaps though a tail,
I found them,
with a best friend’s help.
Sorry for your loss.
She was a brave gal to ride second-seat in a one-seat Voyager. I imagine the pilot might have been a tad nervous, what with his second looking over and around his shoulder for her bow view from that skinny cockpit.
@qajaqman said:
I had to put my 16 year old down 3 weeks days ago. He was still eating but lost all control of his hind legs. Its the hardest thing… :’(
I hope you’re not referring to a teenage son.
(Sorry if anyone finds this little joke in poor taste. Often humour helps people to continue on through grief.)
I have reserved a Standard Poodle puppy who currently doesn’t exist. The mother will be bred in January. If the attempt is successful, the pup will be available in May.
We are not obligated at all so some thinking time is a good thing .
I’m not sure I can give a large, active dog the exercise she deserves.
@Sparky961 said:
@qajaqman said:
I had to put my 16 year old down 3 weeks days ago. He was still eating but lost all control of his hind legs. Its the hardest thing… :’(I hope you’re not referring to a teenage son or daughter.
(Sorry if anyone finds this little joke in poor taste. Often humour helps people to continue on through grief.)
We had a daughter like that. We were glad to see her go , and so was she. After 3 of her own, she understands how tough a prodigal can be.
@string said:
I have reserved a Standard Poodle puppy who currently doesn’t exist. The mother will be bred in January. If the attempt is successful, the pup will be available in May.
We are not obligated at all so some thinking time is a good thing .
I’m not sure I can give a large, active dog the exercise she deserves.
Consider a mature “rescue” dog. Not only is much of the hard work of training done, but with some wise selection you may be able to find one who’s energy level is a good match for your own.
@Sparky961 said:
@string said:
I have reserved a Standard Poodle puppy who currently doesn’t exist. The mother will be bred in January. If the attempt is successful, the pup will be available in May.
We are not obligated at all so some thinking time is a good thing .
I’m not sure I can give a large, active dog the exercise she deserves.Consider a mature “rescue” dog. Not only is much of the hard work of training done, but with some wise selection you may be able to find one who’s energy level is a good match for your own.
This is actually a hard thing to find. We went that route and because we gave in to " nobody wants her" for unknown reasons we moved into the land of hundred dollars a month medication… The dog was 50 lbs overweight and supposedly weight reduction would help her. After the 50 lb loss she still would not walk more than 50 feet without sitting down. She was in pain but never cried… And one day she lost all control of her hind end… No feeling whatsoever… She was ostensibly ten but I think older.
Now we are seeking another senior dog and one of our requirements is the dog must be able to walk a mile without coaxing or cajoling or worse dragging. We are getting a little pickier and want a dog that can move but one that will not outdistance us and has a more moderate activity requirement.
Sorry that the time came String. Sadly it always does.
I am thinking about the pet future myself. I have always lived with cats. Not that I don’t like dogs, and heck only knows they like me. More than one alarmed dog owner has pulled his dog away from me thinking there was something dangerous going on. But if kitty litter is not an option a pet doesn’t really work for me to live with. I have it at two now and that is the number of cats I can take with me when I go to Maine in the summer.
I opted for adults the last two times, but I wanted younger ones (about 3 years old at adoption) to buy a break from the medication routine. I had been dealing with challenging care requirements for the last five years of our older cats’ lives. The medication round will be back, but for right now I have a breather.
But the question is what to do after these two go. I am currently considering something like fostering cats for a local organization, assuming I can set up times of the year I will not be available. I van still get a cat fix. And I can do just about any meds needed including nasty needles, so I could help with the difficult ones.
This is still early and lots of things could change. But aging animals, then add aging people, the answers get a lot more imperfect.
We have always had cats. Our 20 yo died this year. We have a 14 yo half Maine Coon who has been a great cat. Almost dog like in many respects. Cats don’t interfere with our lives as much as dogs do.
OTOH, I have a younger friend who has told me that if we get to the point where we can’t handle a dog , he’ll take her. He knows we only have good dogs.
Right now , I find myself unwilling to get a new animal. It will take a while to get past Reina’s passing.
Condolences. While Otis is part of my makeup , I will be lost without Paris
No way I’m ever getting a teenager.
Thats for sure.
@string said:
I’m not sure I can give a large, active dog the exercise she deserves.
Don’t sweat the little stuff . Poodles are very good at exercising themselves if you just get them outside. We have a 7 year old female standard who will do laps around the yard when let out, to exercise herself, especially if she’s hasn’t been walked in a few days. Puppy classes and training should go a long way to help get yours off the leash so she can wear herself out. Dog parks are also great for this as they’re usually fenced in, and there is often lots of other puppies and dogs to romp with.
Lastly, often breeders will match puppy personality types with their new owners, giving low key puppies to deserving folks, and the feisty ones to unsuspecting newlyweds. Our girl is a complete clown, and took 3 years to calm down, but is now a fantastic companion for our 5 year old son.
So it might take a year or two (or three) to get her to where you want, but it’s a worthwhile investment, and will pay off once she’s matured a bit.
JS, this ain’t our first pooch rodeo. We’ve had a terrrier x that hiked Pike’s Peak with me, a Brittany Spaniel, a bulldog/ golden doodle, a Standard Poodle and a couple of mutts. Our remaining dog is a Poodle/ Bishon/ Jack Russell.
All great dogs that were very socialized. I believe that pups, esp early on , need a lot of human attention. All of the dogs got long walks/runs in the woods. I can’t do that anymore. Dogs, like all of us ,need exercise to stay calm and enjoy life.
Just thinking out loud.
Sorry man, didn’t mean to imply it’s your first doggyeo, just saying it might be a little different as things have obviously changed a bit, but you can do it! I’m sure you can find volunteers to get the pup out for long walks, and find time to enjoy outside yourself as well, just watching a puppy play at the dog park is amusing.