We had to put our best friend to sleep today. He was the best dog. He loved doing firewood, and would carry pieces for us. I can’t possibly say enough about him, so I will post a picture or two. He was always happy and ready to go for a ride. I miss you Nova.
He looked like such a good boy. I can see it in his eyes. It is always the saddest thing to do and go through. It diminishes me each time and leaves me in a funk for some time to come. We have a spot on the property where all are buried and my fathers ashes are there too. The last one we lost was one of the best and we did not know if we would get another but found one a couple weeks later that really needed a family. She went from this: To this: and is a really happy girl. Think about another it helped me feel better and there is one that needs you somewhere.
We used to have a Golden/Chow that looked almost identical to your dog. She had an interesting personality and lived to be 16.
Never an easy decision to make. I've put a few of my cats down over the years. Our current tabby is 16.5 and slowly failing (he just looked up at me as I was typing that)
It’s hard. We have an area of the yard where we bury pets. It has become so large that we allow extra space now because we don’t want to run into previous burials. The ground is still at least partially frozen here, so if the bobcat can’t get through it, my brother said he can bring his backhoe over and get through the frost. I don’t know how long it will be before we get another. It was a matter of months between our last one and Nova. We got him at 4 weeks and that was awesome because he really bonded with us at that young age. My son was about 6 when we put our other dog down, so he could understand what was going on. He grew up and matured with Nova, and is 18 now. He couldn’t stand to see Nova go, go he turned away and hugged mom until he was gone. Nova died in my arms as I sat in a muddy snow puddle. He just fell asleep. I was going to put him down myself, like I did with our last dog, but he was so smart and knew exactly what would have been going on and my wife told me that “no man should have to kill his best friend, even if it is the best and only thing he can do for him”. It was the only thing we could do for our other dog, but the vet was available yesterday, and was able to come to the house. Nova had lymphoma and had gotten to the point of misery and trying to wander off alone, so we made the decision to let him rest. He had given us “the look” and we knew he was done fighting. He was smiling the whole time, even through his groans of pain before we called the vet. He will be dearly missed. He was always full of energy, running around, chasing squirrels, and squeaking his toys. He loved snow, and would do donuts in the first snow of the year. He would tell hs it was time for bed at 10:00 on the dot, every night. He helped take care of the pigs, chickens, and rabbits, and always had to check out the newly arrived babies. He loved going for rides, especially in the truck. He caught several woodchucks over the years, and would chase one every time he got the chance. He imposed a heavy cheese tax, always waiting for a handout when the cheese drawer opened. He was always nearby and would make sure the coast was clear when we were outside, except for the times he would venture into town to get snacks and visit his girlfriends. He was the best dog a person could ask for. He loved snuggles, and would lay on the couch with us and watch movies and eat popcorn. He didn’t like water, but could swim like a duck. He was always on watch duty and would let us know when anyone was here. He helped with firewood too, carrying pieces and breaking small branches down to size. He even guarded the wood piles and kept the squirrels out. He was a beautiful dog who got all the attention everywhere he went. He was polite and a gentleman. He was very careful when taking treats from your hand. He faded away while sitting in my lap.
I'm so sorry!!! What a nice looking dog. I honestly get more choked up when I hear about a pet passing than a person. Very rarely come across a pet I don't like. I come across lots of people I don't like. RIP Nova!!
(We used to have a Golden/Chow that looked almost identical to your dog. She had an interesting personality and lived to be 16.) The quote box got removed when i trimmed this. She is a miniature australian shepherd and chow. DNA confirmed. We got her at a county animal shelter. She had a lot of behavioral problems and was not house trained. She had been so abused that you could not reach out to her but would fall over on her back or duck her head in anticipation of getting hit. She is mostly past all that but carries just a little bit of trust issues still. The one she replaced was a chow shepherd we found in our barn at 11 weeks of age and he was outstanding. A fierce protector of my wife. He once chased a census worker a hundred yards down our drive and into her car. Dummy shouldn't have walked past our gate and no trespassing sign. He was an outstanding dog.
We did have to bust him out of jail once…. He decided to run into town and got picked up by the cops. We got a call from them letting us know he was locked up in the slammer and I had to get him. He was in a cell and had a blanket to lay on. Boy was he nervous when I showed up. He knew he was in some trouble. He went straight to the car and was quiet for the whole ride home.
That’s tough. I’ve been through it a couple times, too. One of the cruelest things in this life is the short life span of dogs.
