Man you have my sympathy and condolences.

I had to put my wirehair down Dec. 7th. He was almost 14. He was such a good companion and gave me everything he had. Sounds corny but I was the center of his universe, he was more human than dog .

He too, was multi-talented and very athletic. He also found wounded deer for me and his multi tasking abilities would put most humans to shame. He used to run to the far end of the pasture and bring up the horses when I wanted them, he could jump in the air and catch a frisbie, loved the water, understood a vast number of vocabulary words, loved to play games, and of course he was a fearless protector as well as a champion hunter and retriever.

He was in great shape for his age right up to the last day. Being that he was so old I had tried to condition myself for his passing. About a year ealier we had to put down our 14 year old setter. I was not as attached to him, but even then it was difficult to watch as the injection from the vet sent him into the "big sleep" but I knew it was the right thing to do. In my head I had it all worked out how I would take Jake (the wirehair) in and peacefully put him down like the setter.

Unfortunately things don't always go as planned. About 10 PM on a Monday I noticed he was pacing and acting a little strange. As the night progressed it was clear he was uncomfortable and laboring. He was having congestive heart failure and some of his other organs were shutting down as a result. By 3:00 AM he was swelling up severly and was having difficulty breathing. It was obvious what needed to be done.

Because of the time and the fact that we live out in the sticks there was no way to get to a vet. I couldn't let my faithful friend suffer, that part I knew. Making the decision to end his pain was the easy part, executing that decision was one of the most difficult things I have ever had to do. He was "family" to me, and to carry that one step further, he was one of my best friends. As I took the clip out of the pistol, the weight of the enormity of what I was about to do fell down on my shoulders. Tears made it hard to see as I fumbled to put bullets in the clip. By the time I took him outside to carry out my mission of mercy, I was sobbing so I was afraid my shot would not be true and cause him further suffering.

Here is the kicker. If he tried to rest and lay down it was only for a brief moment because he couldn't catch his breath. In his pain, he couldn't get comfortable. He moved almost nonstop. Another concern I had was that I wasn't sure he could stand still long enough for me to get a clean shot. I whoaed him up. He of course saw the gun and stood still like a brave soldier. To the end, while under such extreme physical duress, laboring for every ounce of air he received, he was still trying to please me. Even now I weep as I think of that night and his incredible loyalty. When I finally got a hold of my emotions to the point where I was somewhat in control of myself, I stepped forward, put the gun to his head, and ended his pain and his life.

As he crumpled silently to the ground, I turned away and wept bitterly. When I took my face out of my hands and looked at the body of my fallen friend, I noticed that his tail was wagging! It was one of those"Hollywood moments". It was as if he was sending me a signal that everything was alright and he was thanking me for ending his pain. (Of course I am aware of electric pulses and the nervous reactions that take place in death, so I know how some would explain a wagging tail on a dying animal. Nevertheless for an idiot like myself, and in the madness of that night, I like the communication intrepretation best).

He was by far the best trained dog I have ever had. Though I did all of the training myself I must say that I learned more from that dog than he ever did from me. While he may have learned things like sit, stay, come, from me, I learned many life lessons from him.

Tree climber, let me say again, I feel your pain... a dog like yours doesn't come along everyday. I am sorry for your loss, consol yourself with those "magic moments" the two of you shared. He obviously had a good run.

...And thanks for allowing me my own cathartic moment. [&o]