re: One of the tougher things to do in life

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I'm not killing any pet of mine by hand or bullet. I'm not trash

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you sound like a pussy

Sorry to hear that. Mine is 10 and hate to think about that. I'd imagine I'll drink heavily for a day or two afterwards.

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But there's no shame or guilt in doing it by your own hand.

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Even more so than that, I felt obligated to put our chocolate lab down myself. Zeke HATED the vet. He start going nuts every time we turned down the road the vet was on.

I just couldn't bear the thought of his last moments full of fear and agony.

Heads up, next time call the vet and ask for some ace. It's a pain shot used for horses. They'll just go to sleep on their own and not wake up, and you won't have to deal with the memory of a bullet hole in your animal.

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Damn, how did you put her down?

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Put down my 15 year-old beagle about a year ago. I told the vet, a good baw with an LSU degree, that he would have to come to the house to put her down. Told him there was no way I could drive home if he did it at his office. He said he understood and kept to his word.

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I've done it before. It sucks but why not end it immediately and bury them yourself? In my case the vet told me that she had a few weeks due to cancer and I couldn't stand watching her suffer anymore

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Where is the aim? Back of the head? That's tough man and I don't think I could do it but def don't judge people that can. I would be scared shitless I would miss the spot and have to shoot again

A bullet is quick and painless if you know how to do it.

Look, I know it isn't for everyone but I'll be damned if I'll tell a man that the doing it by his own hand, the way it's been for eons, isn't honorable.

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in good health internal wise, just got a good clean bill of health at the vet, but he has arthritis and its hard for him to stand up . He can walk OK-ish once up

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Sounds like my American bulldog mix. He turned 15 this year and is going through a combination of arthritis and neurological issues that affect his back legs and coordination. He has some difficulty getting up, but gets around well once he does. He's generally an outdoor dog and can't get up the steps to the back deck consistently. On good days, we'll find him there in the morning. There's been a couple of times I have taken him to the vet thinking he had a stroke, but turned out to be related to the neuro stuff. Not long ago, I got home and found that his left eye was "lazy" and the pupil was staying dilated. Called the vet and they just said if he's in pain, bring him in; thankfully, that never seemed to become an issue as he eats and drinks just fine and occasionally still gets a little puppy energy going, wanting to play. He's blind in that eye, but otherwise still going strong. I know the day is coming, though. Either the legs will give out or the good eye. Or he'll quit eating. It's gonna be tough. My wife and I got him right after we got married and he's been through so much with us along the way. It'll be different without him around.

That said, I'm sorry for your loss, OP. I'm sure Avery loved you more than you'll ever know and hopefully, you'll see her again one day. You did the only thing you could and there's no shame in that.

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Did you shoot it? How the hell are y'all putting your own dogs down?

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I used the fastest method which caused the least amount of pain.

I covered him with a blanket. Pet him and told him I loved him. And I put a bullet in him.

He died outside, lying in the yard of his home, not on a stainless table.

It isn't easy. It beats me up for a few days when it happens. But I've always felt I owed it to the animal to take care of it myself.

I wouldn't want to die in a doctor's office lying on a table while those around me cried and I was scared. I won't do it to an animal.

It's hard to explain, but dogs know. My buddy couldn't stand. He couldn't breathe. His kidneys were failing. He couldn't move. I waited two days too long because I couldn't let him go.

I dug the hole in front of the house to the side, laid a blanket beside it. Walked through the house to where he was laying, asked him if he was ready, and he groaned a response. I helped him to his feet and he walked to the exact spot without guidance or prompting and laid/fell.

They know.