A vet gave me the best advice on this subject I ever heard.

The question to ask is simply, "Are they having fun being a dog?"

My parents lab lasted until 17 using glucosomine and losing weight.
He hurt his hip at the end and was ready.
Watched him go under. The vet commented many fight it, but he went out like a light switch.

I don't like beggar dogs, but when they make it to that age, they get the good scraps in small portions.

she has lost weight mainly do to the fact that I am feeding her now and goinf back to the portions she should get but she is also having to compete with two other dogs.

She does smell like an old person. They have that smell about them. My Dad called it the smell of pending death. Now that he is 90 he is committed not to smell like that so he takes two showers a day! Of course his visting nurses shower him. I don't think it has to do with wanting to smell good but rather enjoying a suddsy with a cute nurse!

Apples and trees, apples and trees...

You know in your heart when it is time.

The defining moment came when our arthritic old dog limped through the house dropping logs as she hobbled along. She stopped and gave us an embarrassed looked as if to say

..... enough man, do what you gotta do.

I cried like a little English schoolgirl.

"enough man, do what you gotta do."
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Perfect...
but Geezus...hard to read these stories...stimulates old history.

I have had to put down my share of dogs over the years and it is never easy and it's not easy to make that decision. My rule is pretty simple, if they are suffering with minimal quality of life it's probably time. Each one I've held in my arms and each time I've cried like a baby and I'm not ashamed to admit it. It's never easy to say good bye to a loyal friend. Good luck with your decision, and getting advice from your vet is probably a good idea.

I'm not dead, I'm not dead, I'm getting better, I don't want to go on the cart, I feel fine I think I'll go for a walk, I feel happy, I feel happy!!

My in laws had 2 shelties. Rockie and Peaches.

Both were kinda long in the tooth.

Peaches was my FIL's cause Rockie did not like men.

Peach had been going down hill for some time with congestive heart and respiratory issues.

Passover dinner, the whole family is there, cousins, uncles, aunts, grandma's.

Peaches is under FIL's chair wheezing away.

Middle of dinner my FIL pushes the chair back, gets up, says to his wife, "that's it, it's time. let's go"

They grab the dog and leave.

It got real quiet for the rest of the night.

When it's time, it's time.

You'll know.

"It got real quiet for the rest of the night.
When it's time, it's time."
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Nature cares for the living about as much as a guillotine does.
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:(

Yes....it's time to put the wife down......and you can quote me. :)

^^
This. The dog will let you know. I've been there more than once, and when it's time it's pretty obvious.