Saying goodbye to a friend

Hi guys, my awesome dog "Frank', died suddenly yesterday at 11 years old, we had a great day the day before, going away to see my son, we hadn't seen in a few months, Frank came with us and had a ball, at about 2am the following morning I heard him having a coughing fit, I put him in bed with me and the wife and comforted him to sleep, he was breathing very fast, my wife took him to the vet first thing in the morning, he was very sick. The vet rang me and told me to get over there straight away, I rang my daughter and we met 20 minutes later at the vet, we all went in to see him, gave him a cuddle he was so happy to see us as he hates going to the vet, he looked at me and turned his head away and took his last breath, it was all that quick. his heart had apparently lost the use of a muscle that controls one of the valves, letting fluid fill his lungs.   He was a highly intelligent little dog and probably had a bigger vocabulary than me, he understood everything i said, you had to be careful what you said around him, I miss him dearly... Sorry for the long post, I'm just trying to get over this, its so sad, I'm hurting at the moment, my wife is devastated, he was family....

Very sorry to hear about your loss.  I had to put my dog down in 2011 and it was one of the hardest things I ever had to do.  Sounds like Frank had a full and wonderful life.  RIP Frank

Losing a beloved pet is always terrible. I have lost a couple over the years and it always broke my heart.
Best to you and  the family in your time of grief
Dave

Dogs are family members and it's always hard losing family. At least he didn't suffer and was well loved. You'll always have your memories of him.

You were fortunate to have had such a great companion all those years.  

May he rest in peace. 

I'm so very sorry to learn about Franks' passing and to go so quickly makes it even more painful. I share your loss 750 R1.
I lost my pal, Micah, three years ago although I did have a week from the onset of his illness until I had to send him on his way, I was still slammed by his loss. He was also only ten years old.
Something like six months later I adopted another pal. I named him SamWise. My wife has said that I love SamWise way more than I loved any of my previous dogs and I'm aware that I'm more engaged with him than I had been with Micah, Kamden, Kronus, Summit, and Cerberus, all who came before. But my engagement with SamWise runs much deeper than just he and I. When I connect with SamWise I'm really connecting with all my past pals through him and I'm very aware of that connection. It helps me every day.
As I said I share your loss.
Bill

wrote:

I'm so very sorry to learn about Franks' passing and to go so quickly makes it even more painful. I share your loss 750 R1.
I lost my pal, Micah, three years ago although I did have a week from the onset of his illness until I had to send him on his way, I was still slammed by his loss. He was also only ten years old.
Something like six months later I adopted another pal. I named him SamWise. My wife has said that I love SamWise way more than I loved any of my previous dogs and I'm aware that I'm more engaged with him than I had been with Micah, Kamden, Kronus, Summit, and Cerberus, all who came before. But my engagement with SamWise runs much deeper than just he and I. When I connect with SamWise I'm really connecting with all my past pals through him and I'm very aware of that connection. It helps me every day.
As I said I share your loss.
Bill

Thanks everyone.

Bill, Its quite funny, my wife and I have had 3 dogs over a period of 38 years, all great dogs and well loved.  Frank was my daughters little dog, A  foxy/ Jack Russel cross, He was about 1 years old when we got him, even though we'd baby sat him numerous times. My daughter moved into a unit and couldn't have a pet, she wanted us to have him and I was dead set against it, he was an inside dog, our previous two were a Blue healer Cattle dog and a Pitbull / ridgeback cross , both outside only dogs, and I wasn't an inside dog type at all. The Girls talked me into it and I begrudgingly took him in. I already knew he was very smart,  and I suspect he knew I didn't want him in the house, so he spent his time early on trying to suck up to me, I soon realised just how smart he was  and I started warming to him. He was completely house trained in a matter of days, he just knew to go out side and do his thing, and not all over the yard, but in the compost heap. We would come and sit next to me on his hind legs with his paws out  and I'd ask him what he wanted, he'd turn around and go to the door , he wanted to go out for a pee.  He looked you in the eye and listened intently when you spoke to him,  and you could tell he was working out what you were saying and hanging onto the words that mattered, he understood so many words. He had this washing basket full of toys and knew them all by name, you could tell him to go and get the pig, or the ball, or what ever toy and off he'd go and get it... He had his spot up on the back of the lounge that he'd sit in the day time, and around 9 at night he would just get up and go to his room, my daughters old room, and hop in his bed for the night, even on his last night the routine was the same...  I'm really going to miss the little guy, he was a huge personality, my special little mate....

Sorry to hear your news Mick, only "dog people" can understand the bond we form with them, we lost Max our Weimaraner a few years back. My wife once accused me of showing the dog more affection than I did her to which I responded "that's simple, he doesn't give me shit and he's always happy to see me" and that's the key.

 

I am sorry to hear your bad news.  We have three small rescue dogs, including a Jack.  The Jack is very intelligent as you say, and cocks his head like the RCA dog when he's puzzled.  All are in their teens, so will be leaving us in the near future.  I'm not looking forward to the day when they are gone.  Again...I'm sorry for your loss.

This is slmjim.
I consider it a deal I make with God when I take responsibility for one of God's most precious creations, knowing that I'm very likely to outlive my beloved canine companion.  But, it's a deal I'll make over and over again, because the joys infinitely outweigh the terrible pain I know I'll experience when my canine companion is no longer with me.  I've lost five (soon to be six) dogs to old age, and countless cats.  It never gets easier.

The treasured memories are forever.

"When an animal dies that has been especially close to someone here, that pet goes to Rainbow Bridge."
www.rainbowsbridge.com/poem.htm

Our most heartfelt condolences.
slmjim & Z1BEBE

Thank you all for the words of comfort, It means a lot to us....

Condolences on your loss. Admittedly I have never had an animal that was more than a pet, I have no direct connection to your experience. The heart felt message you posted, though made it very easy to understand your connection and weight of your loss. Grief is a normal process of healing, remember him in his prime and gain comfort in the joy he brought you and your family.