sad weekend

[Miller]

Saturday I had to put my dog to sleep. It was one of the hardest things I ever had to do. He had a heart condtion, and was having a hard time standing or catching his breath. It has been a sad weekend, but I hope that he is pointing a huge covey in heaven. RIP Gunner

[Ken Kinser]

Sorry for your lose

[abarkley]

sorry to hear about that. there's nothing worse than putting a dog down especially one you've hunted over.

[SlabStalker95]

sorry to hear about that

[crappiequeennc]

Sorry to hear about your dog...It's a very sad thing to have to do...My prayers are with you...

[Fishaholic too]

So sorry for your loss. I know how tough it is. Anyone who's ever said "it's just an old dog" just doesn't get how strong the bond can be. Hang in there.

[Stinkfinger]

You know, seven years ago I would have snickered at the idea of a grown man feeling so much sadness for his dog. But that changed one day when I found a mut dog in a heap along side the road. Someone had left him there after he had been ran over by a car and it appeared he had a broken back. I gathered him up out of pity, took him to a local vet and left him. I called the next day and the vet said he had indeed been ran over and suffered a broken leg. When asked how much it would cost to set the leg, the vet said "$350" and then I asked how much to put him to sleep; "$75" was his reply. I told the doctor I really didn't want to spend money on this dog I found on the side of the road.

Then I asked, "what would happen if I just came got him, what are his chances if we do nothing" Ol vet said he might pull out on his own, but no way to be sure.

I went and loaded his ass up, took him home, and within a week, he barely had a limp. Three weeks after I had him he was doing much better, but I had never heard him bark. Wondered if he was able to bark.

I'm up under the end of my cabin deep in the woods trying to do some plumbing and all of a sudden this little dog began to bark and ran up under the cabin and got in between myself and the largest copperhead snake I had ever seen. If the dog hadn't intervened, the snake could have very well struck me somewhere above my chest due to the position I was laying.

My best friend told me "well, he was just paying you back, you saved his life, and he saved yours." I had named him "Buddy" and that was exactly what he became. Never was sure of his breeding, but his mouth looked like a chow, but his body looked more like a shaggy corgi pembrooke. He had little short legs........ no longer than 8 inches, but he weighed around 45-50 lbs. And he was a mean little rascal, he wasn't afraid of any critter and way back in the woods where my cabin was located, there were no lack of critters for him to fight.

I watched him kill two grown coyotes on two different occasions. He could spin on a dime and before the coyote knew what had hit him, Buddy had it by the throat and he killed them shortly after. It was actually gruesome to watch him destroy a coyote. For some reason, he absolutely hated them.

Buddy was with me all the time for several years after that. He loved to hunt, would spring out the window of my truck when we saw a rabbit or a possum running along the road. I spotlighted for critters sometimes all night and Buddy watched for the eyes of something to reflect the light. As soon as a eye reflected, he was out the window, rolling several times before he got back on his feet and away he went. He never outran a rabbit and caught one, but it was a blast watching him chase them. And if one ran into a brush pile, Buddy never slowed down, right into the brush he would run and he'd wiggle and scoot through the thick brush, never discouraged that he would get his prey.

Ol Buddy was shot a couple of years ago. I suspect some azzhole of neighbors caught me gone one day and shot him while he was on their property. I looked for him a few days before finding him in some high grass. Buried him, shed a tear and said goodbye to my little Buddy. I will miss that little fart til the day I die.

So, from my heart I say to you, I'm sorry you had to put your friend down, if he meant as much to you as Buddy did to me, you're having a tough time my friend.

[Roberta]

I feel for you. We've had to put a lot of dogs down over the years and some are harder than others. You don't forget any of them. - Roberta

[fiddlefarter]

I know how people get attached to their hunting dogs. Hate to hear about yours.
FF

[wrwest]

Sorry for your loss. Had to do the same thing a few years ago. it seems that our pets become part of the family. hang in there...