# Question... about a dying dog.



## AlmondJoy (Nov 5, 2008)

My dog died a few days ago, and i was talking to a friend about it. and he said something that i just had to ask other ppl about. He said Dogs when they know they are about to die they do not want to be around any one, or there owners like it was a natural instinct. this question stuck in my head, so i just thought i would ask this forum about it.


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## Dakota Spirit (Jul 31, 2007)

In the wild, most animals that are about to die do go off on their own, yes. 

However, if you are worried that you did something wrong with your own dog by being with him, try to ignore this doubt. Often our pets become stressed and disoriented when they are sick or dying. I personally have seen many an animal visibly comforted by interaction at these times, and I have been with all of my pets when they passed on.

I'm sorry for your recent lose


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## RonE (Feb 3, 2007)

The last week my my beloved lab's life, he couldn't eat, could barely drink and couldn't walk. But every time a family member came near him, his tail would thump and his eyes would light up a little. 

I think the kindest thing you can do for a dog during his last days is just be with him.

If a dog goes off to die alone, I believe it's because they feel vulnerable. A dog who knows he's safe and loved will want the company.


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## K Dog (Oct 15, 2008)

I am so sorry for your loss. I have been there and I know how painful it is.

My dog died in February. She waited for me to get there (she was at the vet's), wagged her tail and perked up momentarily, spent a few minutes with me, then quietly died, laying next to me. The vet said that it is not uncommon for a dog to wait for its person- that they know that they will be comforted and relieved by your presence. As difficult as it was for me (and still is- I am nearly crying now)- I am glad that I could be there for her.

I hope you find comfort in your memories of your loved one.


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## Username (Oct 24, 2008)

I've heard that some animals like to go away to die aswell. But like Dakota said, just ignore the doubt and think of the good times. Some dogs may want to go away to die, others might want company, either one of those would be fine with me. I had to hold my last dog down while the vet was giving her the needle to put her to sleep.. she fought and fought, and yes we even gave her a sedative before that, and gave her about 20 minutes to half an hour to get sleepy which she did.. but she fought to not have that last needle, and i held her down  hard to think about. I would have prefered alot of other ways.

Sorry for your loss, im sure your dog enjoyed your company.


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## chul3l3ies1126 (Aug 13, 2007)

I've heard this so many times... but I would only want to be with them in their last moments.

A very sad thing happened to James (my boyfriend) when he was a kid... his beloved dog T-bo got very sick one day just out of the blue (now he thinks it was heartworms, back then he was of course a child and his parents did not believe in taking an animal to the veterinarian) and it was so hard for James. Well he stayed with T-bo all day and all night just sitting with him and feeding him and seeing if he would drink water. That night his mother kept on telling him he needed to take a bath... but James felt that if he left T-bo, it would make him sad... but finally his mother won and he took his bath and 15 minutes later he came outside and T-bo had passed away.

That would lead me to believe that yes... dogs like to be alone when they pass... but then again I'm just not sure... all I know is that James really thinks that T-bo waited for him to leave him so he could let go.

I'm sorry for your loss.
Nessa


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## spotted nikes (Feb 7, 2008)

In the wild dogs, and many animals go off alone to die. With dogs that have a "family", I think that many are comforted by having a loved one near.

But having said that, I used to volunteer for Hospice, and one of the things they taught us, was that quite often, people who are dying will wait until their loved one leaves before they die. It's almost as if they need to detach to let themselves go, if that makes any sense. That's why the Hospice people tell family members that are with dying loved ones, that you need to tell them it's OK to go.


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## melgrj7 (Sep 21, 2007)

Lucky crawled into my lap to die (we had her pts at 18 years old).


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## Luvawolf (Nov 12, 2008)

Wiley always liked to sleep in the livingroom on the sofa, unlike the rest of the pack who are not happy unless they are in the bedroom with us at night. That was fine by me, because there's not enough room for all three, and I always like at least one of the dogs to be on guard in the rest of the house. However, when he became ill he began sleeping in the bedroom with us, right beside the bed. Now I can't get in or out of bed without jumping over him! I wake up several times a night to reach down and touch him for some reason. I told my husband that I think Wiley sleeps near us now because he doesn't want to die alone. 

But I think someone hit it on the head when they said it's a trust issue but sometimes it might just be easier to leave us. I thought Wiley was actually dying on me one night. He jumped up like he was startled, and then fell over on his side and did not move. I got out of bed to sit on the floor with him, talking to him and stroking him, expecting any minute to be his last breath. I've kind of been expecting it, you see so did not get hysterical but I finally did begin to cry. As soon as I started crying, he struggled back on his feet. He has always been extremely sensitive to my tears. When he was a young, he always got terribly anxious. He would whine and paw me, and try to crawl under my skin. Used to make me mad because sometimes a gal just needs a good cry, you know. I'd end up locking him out of the bedroom, and he would stand on the other side scratching, whinining and barking. 

I felt kind of bad once he got up on his feet that night. I thought maybe he was ready to die, and because he loves me and didn't want me to cry, he decided to endure awhile longer.


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