Putting a friend to rest while having multiple dogs.

TheNamesNelson · 06-16-2011, 01:28 AM

My families 13 year old rescue shepherd Rocky has been struggling the last couple years, he has DM and it has been getting worse since just before winter. We didn't think he would make it through the winter but he is a determined dog and so focused that I think his drives have kept him going long after he should. It was always possible to work with his physical struggles because he was so mentally alert and still happy.

His physical health has further deteriorated in these last couple months and we have been considering putting him to rest. He has became increasingly agitated with the other dogs, and has recently bit my parents rott puppy, and my young adult GSD. The worse part was that they weren't even pestering him, they just happened to walk by and something set him off. Now I am certain it is the best option for him, his physical health is so far gone, and his mental health is in serious decline.

After Rocky passes, I was wondering if I should let my 15 month old Apollo see/sniff him. Do dogs recognize death? Would he understand that his uncle Rocky has passed on. He loves Rocky and I feel like his sudden absence wouldn't go unnoticed. I feel bad that the other dogs would see him leave alive one moment, but then never see him again.

I live in an apartment and my parents live in the city, but my Aunt has a nice piece of property out of town. Rocky has been in the family a long time and we want to lay him to rest somewhere where we can visit and we know he is loved. Would letting Apollo see Rocky before we buried him be help him understand or would it just not register?

KZoppa · 06-16-2011, 01:43 AM

animals know what death is. They mourn loss. Its entirely up to you if you allow your younger dog to sniff him. Personally i dont think i would do it but who knows for sure until the time comes? Obviously he's going to know something is up no matter what you decide. Its a tough call.

I'm sorry your older dog is having a difficult time now. Its not easy to see them struggle.

Micky · 06-16-2011, 01:51 AM

when I was growing up we always had more the 2 dogs, the first time when Emil passed my Mother didn't let the other dogs know what happened and for 2-4 days they were looking for him, off there food. Our vet then told us that it is good when there are more then one dog in the house to give the other dogs time to say good bye, we did it the next time, and things went better from there on. I do believe that it is important for his mates to have the time to sniff him.
I am so sorry for your difficult tim but let Apolloo see Rocky after all they were together in the pack.

vat · 06-16-2011, 07:18 AM

I also believe that it is good to allow the others to see him after he is gone. We did this with our first GSD when we had to put the cat down. We brought the cat home to be buried and let Kaycee sniff him. As a matter of fact she was there while my hubby dug the hole and buried Spud. Kaycee always knew where Spud was after that.

1sttimeforgsd · 06-16-2011, 07:42 AM

Sorry that Rockys health is failing, as for your question I do not have a suggestion. As we always brought our babies home for burial, I dont ever remember letting the other dogs around the body. Again, sorry for your upcoming loss.

schatzi14 · 06-16-2011, 08:17 AM

I'm so sorry your family is going though this - it is a tough decision.
Very recently, one that I had to make. My male, Nikko - 6 years old was diagnosed with Lymphoma and given a few mos. to live. I was trying to make the decision if his best friend, Sheena - our female 6.5 at the time - should be there as he passed.
In the end, we brought Nikko to the vet (he would have come to our house) and left Sheena home. I think, no - I know - she knew he was sick. When we came home without him, she initially may have looked for him...but was quite OK. Of course we gave her extra attention and more walks than usual. For me, it was the right decision - but like many advised me, it's just your own personal choice. Again, I'm very sorry.

CassandGunnar · 06-16-2011, 08:30 AM

Sorry that this is happening to everyone in your family.
Just over a year ago, we made the choice to end the suffering for our Ruger. Normally, our vet will come out to our house for this type of thing, but in this case, she wasn't able to and we had to go to the office.
She encouraged us to bring Gunnar along with us. We had asked her about whether or not we could bring Gunnar along and she said she thought it was a good idea for him to know that Ruger was gone and that, in her opinion, it lessened, but didn't eliminate, the time that they're in grief over the lost of their friend.

My only concern was in what Gunnar would be like the next time we took him to the vet's office and I needn't have worried, he was just fine.

kiya · 06-16-2011, 08:43 AM

I am so sorry your going thru this, I truely understand. Yes I believe animals understand death. If you have the option of letting the other animals see/sniff I would definately allow it. Several years ago (over 11yrs) when my husbands horse passed away one night, I had no choice but to go to work that morning. I left work early after I made arrangements. When I got home my neighbor told me my horse had laid next to Dixie, the other horse all day. As I walked to the barn, my horse got up and whinnied to me. I wasn't sure if I was going to take him out while they came for her so he wouldn't see what was going on but I decided to leave him in the barn and he saw everything. He didn't whinny or panic, he didn't have to look for her, he knew.
As morbid as it may sound I have it in my ICE (in case of emergency) letter & my will that I want my animals to be allowed to sniff my body so that they don't worry and wait for me. I just wouldn't want them to think I just deserted them. Good luck, I am sure you will make the right decission.

TheNamesNelson · 06-16-2011, 03:32 PM

It can never be easy. I held Rocky's face in my palms and put my forehead to his and just held him while he passed. I felt his head get heavy but I had to just stay there for a few minutes holding him and crying. He went quiet and peacefully in my hands though, and now I know he is in a better place where he is running full speed along side my bike.

I did take young Apollo with us and allowed him to see and sniff Rocky's body before we put him into the earth. I think it was a good thing. Before we lifted him out of the back of the truck Apollo was running around looking for him, when he first saw him his tail was wagging and it was heartbreaking to watch but he sniffed him and worked around him, then watched us bury him. I feel like he knows Rocky has passed and where he is.

Thanks for the kind words everyone.

rjThor · 06-16-2011, 03:48 PM

I am so sorry for your loss, when I lost my first GSD when I was a child, I was so lost n missed him, for me he was like a big brother always around to keep me out of trouble or get me out of trouble, I can see you are hurting, but the good thing is you got to enjoy your Rocky for many many years, and I feel your pain, and I'm truly sorry for your loss, by the way my first GS, his name was Rocky also, so It really hit home when I read your post.

06-16-2011, 01:28 AM	#1 (permalink)
TheNamesNelson Senior Member Join Date: Apr 2011 Location: Michigan Posts: 207	Putting a friend to rest while having multiple dogs. My families 13 year old rescue shepherd Rocky has been struggling the last couple years, he has DM and it has been getting worse since just before winter. We didn't think he would make it through the winter but he is a determined dog and so focused that I think his drives have kept him going long after he should. It was always possible to work with his physical struggles because he was so mentally alert and still happy. His physical health has further deteriorated in these last couple months and we have been considering putting him to rest. He has became increasingly agitated with the other dogs, and has recently bit my parents rott puppy, and my young adult GSD. The worse part was that they weren't even pestering him, they just happened to walk by and something set him off. Now I am certain it is the best option for him, his physical health is so far gone, and his mental health is in serious decline. After Rocky passes, I was wondering if I should let my 15 month old Apollo see/sniff him. Do dogs recognize death? Would he understand that his uncle Rocky has passed on. He loves Rocky and I feel like his sudden absence wouldn't go unnoticed. I feel bad that the other dogs would see him leave alive one moment, but then never see him again. I live in an apartment and my parents live in the city, but my Aunt has a nice piece of property out of town. Rocky has been in the family a long time and we want to lay him to rest somewhere where we can visit and we know he is loved. Would letting Apollo see Rocky before we buried him be help him understand or would it just not register?

06-16-2011, 01:43 AM	#2 (permalink)
KZoppa Crowned Member Join Date: Aug 2010 Location: Maryland kinda missing CO Posts: 13,832	animals know what death is. They mourn loss. Its entirely up to you if you allow your younger dog to sniff him. Personally i dont think i would do it but who knows for sure until the time comes? Obviously he's going to know something is up no matter what you decide. Its a tough call. I'm sorry your older dog is having a difficult time now. Its not easy to see them struggle. __________________ The more people I meet and talk to,the more I love my dogs and their intelligence. www.krystalscollarcreations.weebly.com Riley GSD/BC 1/10/05 Zena GSD 6/1/03 Shasta GSD 5/5/10

06-16-2011, 07:18 AM	#4 (permalink)
vat Knighted Member Join Date: Jul 2010 Location: Kingston, IL Posts: 3,027	I also believe that it is good to allow the others to see him after he is gone. We did this with our first GSD when we had to put the cat down. We brought the cat home to be buried and let Kaycee sniff him. As a matter of fact she was there while my hubby dug the hole and buried Spud. Kaycee always knew where Spud was after that. __________________ Valerie Shewana's Maximum Velocity (aka Max) Shewana's Hot-Spice (aka Callan) Kaycee 11/97-5/10 Rio 10/08-2/10 Handle every stressful situation like a dog. If you can't eat it or play with it, pee on it and walk away.

06-16-2011, 07:42 AM	#5 (permalink)
1sttimeforgsd Crowned Member Join Date: Jul 2010 Location: West Virginia Posts: 4,897	Sorry that Rockys health is failing, as for your question I do not have a suggestion. As we always brought our babies home for burial, I dont ever remember letting the other dogs around the body. Again, sorry for your upcoming loss. __________________ karen, mom to: ace-gsd (bi-color) 6/14/2010 mandy-yellow lab 1/31/2009 baby-terrier mix 11/25/2000

06-16-2011, 08:17 AM	#6 (permalink)
schatzi14 Master Member Join Date: Sep 2005 Location: Long Island, NY Posts: 511	I'm so sorry your family is going though this - it is a tough decision. Very recently, one that I had to make. My male, Nikko - 6 years old was diagnosed with Lymphoma and given a few mos. to live. I was trying to make the decision if his best friend, Sheena - our female 6.5 at the time - should be there as he passed. In the end, we brought Nikko to the vet (he would have come to our house) and left Sheena home. I think, no - I know - she knew he was sick. When we came home without him, she initially may have looked for him...but was quite OK. Of course we gave her extra attention and more walks than usual. For me, it was the right decision - but like many advised me, it's just your own personal choice. Again, I'm very sorry. __________________ Joyce (NY) Sheena 12/10/03 *********** Forever in our hearts.....** Nikko GSD 7/17/04 - 1/4/11 Schatzi GSD 5/12/90 - 3/12/04 Sheena GSD 10/22/86 - 5/7/90

06-16-2011, 01:51 AM	#3 (permalink)
Micky Senior Member Join Date: Jan 2011 Location: Germany Posts: 262	when I was growing up we always had more the 2 dogs, the first time when Emil passed my Mother didn't let the other dogs know what happened and for 2-4 days they were looking for him, off there food. Our vet then told us that it is good when there are more then one dog in the house to give the other dogs time to say good bye, we did it the next time, and things went better from there on. I do believe that it is important for his mates to have the time to sniff him. I am so sorry for your difficult tim but let Apolloo see Rocky after all they were together in the pack.

06-16-2011, 08:30 AM	#7 (permalink)
CassandGunnar Crowned Member Join Date: Jan 2011 Location: Minnesota Posts: 3,578	Sorry that this is happening to everyone in your family. Just over a year ago, we made the choice to end the suffering for our Ruger. Normally, our vet will come out to our house for this type of thing, but in this case, she wasn't able to and we had to go to the office. She encouraged us to bring Gunnar along with us. We had asked her about whether or not we could bring Gunnar along and she said she thought it was a good idea for him to know that Ruger was gone and that, in her opinion, it lessened, but didn't eliminate, the time that they're in grief over the lost of their friend. My only concern was in what Gunnar would be like the next time we took him to the vet's office and I needn't have worried, he was just fine. __________________ He is your friend, your partner, your defender, your dog. You are his life, his love, his leader. He will be yours faithful and true~ to the last beat of his heart. You owe it to him to be worthy of such devotion. ~unknown

06-16-2011, 08:43 AM	#8 (permalink)
kiya Elite Member Join Date: May 2010 Location: Long Island Posts: 1,913	I am so sorry your going thru this, I truely understand. Yes I believe animals understand death. If you have the option of letting the other animals see/sniff I would definately allow it. Several years ago (over 11yrs) when my husbands horse passed away one night, I had no choice but to go to work that morning. I left work early after I made arrangements. When I got home my neighbor told me my horse had laid next to Dixie, the other horse all day. As I walked to the barn, my horse got up and whinnied to me. I wasn't sure if I was going to take him out while they came for her so he wouldn't see what was going on but I decided to leave him in the barn and he saw everything. He didn't whinny or panic, he didn't have to look for her, he knew. As morbid as it may sound I have it in my ICE (in case of emergency) letter & my will that I want my animals to be allowed to sniff my body so that they don't worry and wait for me. I just wouldn't want them to think I just deserted them. Good luck, I am sure you will make the right decission. __________________ Carolyn Apache - Shiloh Shepherd 12/15/02 Kiya - Shiloh Shepherd 5/15/04 Lakota - WGSD 1/13/10

06-16-2011, 03:32 PM	#9 (permalink)
TheNamesNelson Senior Member Join Date: Apr 2011 Location: Michigan Posts: 207	It can never be easy. I held Rocky's face in my palms and put my forehead to his and just held him while he passed. I felt his head get heavy but I had to just stay there for a few minutes holding him and crying. He went quiet and peacefully in my hands though, and now I know he is in a better place where he is running full speed along side my bike. I did take young Apollo with us and allowed him to see and sniff Rocky's body before we put him into the earth. I think it was a good thing. Before we lifted him out of the back of the truck Apollo was running around looking for him, when he first saw him his tail was wagging and it was heartbreaking to watch but he sniffed him and worked around him, then watched us bury him. I feel like he knows Rocky has passed and where he is. Thanks for the kind words everyone.

06-16-2011, 03:48 PM	#10 (permalink)
rjThor Senior Member Join Date: Mar 2011 Location: San Antonio, TX. Posts: 387	I am so sorry for your loss, when I lost my first GSD when I was a child, I was so lost n missed him, for me he was like a big brother always around to keep me out of trouble or get me out of trouble, I can see you are hurting, but the good thing is you got to enjoy your Rocky for many many years, and I feel your pain, and I'm truly sorry for your loss, by the way my first GS, his name was Rocky also, so It really hit home when I read your post.

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