How to deal with the loss of my dog.

[Emne]

My dog died today. She was ill and we had to take to the vet so she could be euthanized. How do I best deal with this and move on?

[CuteCornDog]

The dog in my icon has been dead since September 2015.

When I finally move out, he's getting tattooed on me.

I have nothing but good memories of this dog.

I'll never replace him.

Edited May 17, 2018 by CuteCornDog

[Barbarian Number 8]

@Emne  Value the time spent together.

Nobody gets out of life alive. Don´t waste yours.

 

[Solace]

Hug a person close to you and let yourself cry my darling. Every tear is honoring just how much you loved him, just how much you cared. I'll share something special to speak out loud:

Edited May 20, 2018 by Solace

[Toby]

Cannot help in any way but it reminds me of this

 

[Nahm]

@Emne Every song of every bird is your dog saying, be here now, with me. 

[Ryusaki]

I fear this day for my own dog. love him so much. whish I can't get rid of this thought so that I enjoy his life more with him, but ... not possible. this day will come.

Solace got it right.

Just cry... A LOT! ... and give it some time. 

[Blacksheep]

Hi Emne.

I am so very for your loss. I had to let my dog go three months ago and it was the most painful experience of my life. Dogs are incredible beings. They provide us with unconditional love and companionship, and can be great spiritual teachers. 

You must allow yourself to feel every bit of pain and sadness that comes your way. Do not suppress ANYTHING. If you find yourself crying uncontrollably for hours, days, weeks, then let it be so. Grief is the purest form of love you will ever experience. Grief is the reflection of how much love you had/have for your beloved dog. 

I still miss my dog so much. I have dreams about him and I think about him a lot (mind you it has been three months already) but this is all part of the grieving process. It could take years until you fully recover from the pain, but the key is to accept what has happened completely and allow yourself to mourn as much as you can. 

Your mind will play tricks with you during the grieving process. You might find yourself feeling happy one moment, then you will fall back into the sadness. This is normal. Your emotions will most likely be shaky but again, you must allow  it.

Some people replace their dogs quickly. I do not recommend this because this only serves to surpress the sadness deeper into the subconscious and allowing a distraction to serve as a “bandage” over the pain. If you want to find a new companion, I recommend waiting for a couple months at least (or however long it takes you to recover). 

I have not done this yet (I plan to), but I heard that fostering dogs is very helpful in the grieving process because you are honoring your dogs love by helping other dogs get out of the shelters and find new homes. 

You can also write letters to your pup. This helped me a lot with my loss. As a part of allowing yourself to feel the pain, you must find a way to channel the pain outward in a constructive manner. Writing letters is an excellent way of doing this. Write down your favorite memories, all of your regrets, EVERYTHING you feel. 

Your dog loved you very much and I am sure you gave her the best life she could ever ask for. Her love will always be with you. That is the amazing gift that dogs leave us with. Their LOVE! It is the greatest gift one could ever give and receive. Honor their love by being more loving to others! 

Again, I’m really sorry for your loss. I hope you feel better soon! 

Edited May 24, 2018 by Blacksheep

[kiarahunt]

We should remember our dog..We should protect our dog.. We should take care of his health and vaccinated him on time..

[Forestluv]

An old thread. The OP hasn’t visited the forum in over a year.