So sorry .I do know how hard it is.

My sincere sympathy.

We adopted our current mutt (my 3rd, OH's 1st) as a "senior" dog - 9 years old going on 10 months old - and I hope she has many years of life ahead of her but we've dealt with a couple of medical issues that started to bring home the difficulty of that final responsibility. I hope we have the strength you had when the time is right.

So sorry for your loss. I know how hard it is to make the decision and leave the vet, lead in hand, and no dog at your side. Love hurts.

Our Golden will be 13 soon and i'm dreading the day sorry for your loss.

My big lad is 10 ... Still runs like a mad thing ... Teen son is a youth counsellor at the kids camps at the BC SPCA this summer ! I have told home he is not To come home with any family additions!!

Will update at end of summer !

Good luck with that

I've just been outside for a smoke and as usual on this weekend, people are prematurely ejaculating fireworks.

There have been only two weekends per year (Canada Day and Labour Day) when, for the last many years, I didn't take Geordie for a walk at about this time of night.

He wasn't ever on a leash for the last decade. Too smart to need one.

Ah well; We're off to France again on Tuesday (Geordie never came with us) so that will help us get over it I think.

The other thing I heard when outside for a smoke was two adult Russian women screaming at each other in the nearby park. In Russian.

Dogs, Neighbourhood. Going to.

The leash thing must be a border collie issue
Ours hated being on one but if you just let her roam off she'd be fine
Would come back the instant you called her and stick like glue to your leg
Occasionally she'd try to herd random strangers back into the pack

Enjoy France
Drink some wine for me !

I will. Although mostly for me.

Apologies in advance for getting the following off my chest, but like many others I'm sure who have posted here, I have found this thread quite cathartic, and it was indeed a coincidence when Novo started the thread, that I read it having just gone through a similar experience.

Well (tissues at the ready), in the interests of closure for me, yesterday, the deed was done. It was the longest day of my life, and the hardest thing I have experienced in a long time. When you have set the date that has allowed everyone to say goodbye, and everything you do up to that date is a final landmark, ie, this is his last dinner, this is his last car journey, I don't mind admitting I bawled like a baby so many times yesterday (wet eyes again now!). On the one hand, prolonging it was difficult, but at least we all spent some quality time with him recently.

I brought him there in the car and the vet came out and attended him. He was still 'smiling' and wagging his tail, but I held his head in my hands and stared into his eyes to distract him from the vet's efforts to find a vein in his leg, and then he drifted off. I couldn't speak, at all. I just drove home with him.

But it was very peaceful, and he was only going to become more uncomfortable, so a quiet passing in the end for him. He is now sleeping in my back garden, but before we buried him, the two cats we have that regarded him as their "minder", came and sniffed his face, then curled up against his chest, as he had always allowed them to do.

I know everyone feels their dog is special, ....they all are, but this guy was extra special. So many people in the past commented that they wished their dog was like this guy, or if they ever got a dog, they hoped he was as good as him. There was never a shortage of volunteers willing to adopt him while we went away on holidays, etc.

I could go on, but I won't. I'm done now. I feel better for telling folks about him. Thanks for "listening".

Enjoy your break in France Novo, and thanks for putting this thread up!

Sorry to hear about these sad losses.
Like many on here I know how it feels.
I've almost lost count of the number of collies I've had, and lost, and I usually lose a dog every other year......I would have thought it would get easier but of course it never does.

I am of course biased towards collies, after all I couldn't make a living if it were not for them......IMO the most intelligent dogs I have worked with and I count them among my greatest friends.

Hope you don't mind if I quote Walt Whitman..

I think I could turn and live with the animals, they are so placid and self contained;
I stand and look at them long and long.
They do not sweat and whine about their condition;
They do not lie awake in the dark and weep for their sins;
They do not make me sick discussing their duty to God;
Not one is dissatisfied-not one is demented with the mania of owning things;
Not one kneels to another, nor his kind that lived thousands of years ago;
Not one is responsible or industrious over the whole earth

All the best

Reading this thread has bought back a lot of memories for me. I had to make that decision for my 13 year old Lab that pet owners dread having to make in August 2011. It was absoloutly gutting for me as she'd pretty much been my best friend and I'd grown up with her. To tell the truth, I still think about her loads, but I think having her daughter (who turned 13 in April this year, but still acts like a 13 week old pup) helps. Not sure if I could ever have another dog however, knowing that I'd likely have to make 'that' decision again at some point in the future, but who knows?

Much respect to (ex-) Border Collie owners btw, not sure if I could ever have a dog with more between its ears than myself.

Commiserations. Thank you too for posting.

I think knowing the date well in advance must be even worse. We signed the papers on the Monday morning meaning to set a date for the Wednesday or Thursday, but it had to be after work so the live-at-home son could be there. The only opportunity was the same day which meant we had little time for anticipation.

So sorry - my thoughts are with you.

Oopsbuddy, i am so sorry for your loss too