What is the longest you've had a dog live? What breed? Did you have to make the dreaded decision or was death natural?

Ask your vet to tell you what signs to look for. If he's just slowing down it's not time yet. On my Sheltie's last day I buy him a filet de mignon, ice cream, & other favorites & snaffles them. Then we go to beloved places of his. When we go to the vet. I hold him and tell him how much I love him, what a good dog he's been, thank him for protecting me, & remind him to keep an eye out for me because some day I'll be with him again only this time for always. Then he gets his shot, I have him cremated & spread the ashes high on a mountain in Puerto Rico where my family is from. It's always difficult. I adore dogs. I've had Shelties forever. I go through this every 15 years or so and it always makes me sad for ages. I miss every one of them. i really miss a bi blue named Riley. I still can't think of him without crying,

Just this past year I had to take our 10 yr old American Pit to get him put down. We had been battling with his cancer for almost 6 months and the doctor said that there was nothing he could do for him. Give him pain pills make him comfortable. He stopped eating and and lost alot of weight. Even though it was my husbands dog I had to do the deed, I had to look into those sad loving eyes just before the doctor gave him that shot, I had to take off his collar and leash and leave paying the bill knowing that I wouldn;t be back to pick him up. I felt and still feel terrible wishing that something could have been done, being haunted by his sad eyes. But I also know that he is at peace and not hurting anymore makes me feel a little bit better but not much!! I told my husband that we are not getting another dog after his passing, can't handle that much heart break anymore...

We have had several dogs. Mostly larger breeds. All of the dogs lived fairly long. When they started getting old and developed disabilities my parents usually chose to put them down. But me, I will try anything to keep them alive. If you have seen an animal die naturally you can really see them trying their hardest to keep breathing. One cat we had developed a back problem and lost control of his back half. My solution would have been to get one of those pet wheelchair like things and just keep him cleaned up back there all the time until it was really his time to go. He was otherwise healthy. But my parents put him down without even telling me about it. A German Shepherd we had also developed problems in his back end. He also kept going in and out of a kind of semi-conscious state. We tried everything for him. Even acupuncture. I am willing to do whatever it takes to try to save my animal because I know they like their life. Unfortunately some people don't have the money to try everything. The best case scenario, which happened to one of my cats who had diabetes, was that one day he just died in his sleep, curled up on his favorite chair by the pool. I think I could only support euthanasia if the animal was in great pain with no hope of recovery.

Princess was a spitts and cocker spaneil mix, but she looked like a small golden retriever, she was 14 when we put her to sleep, she had arthritis, and cadaracs. she couldn't walk to go outside to the bathroom anymore and she laid and slept by her dish so she didn't have to get up anymore. my cousin was very close with our dog and she was more heart broken that i was when she heard she was being put to sleep.

I had a cinnamon hcow for 8 yrs, and he came down with lymphoma..so, i had to make the dreaded decision..I waited until he couldna eat or drink anymoe, cause he c=acted the same, but, when he couldnt eat, oy, my faughter and i took him to th evets,,If i had known then, what i do now, I would have bled him myself, and he would have just got to sleep..the doctor brutalized him

I had him cremated and he is stilll with me!