I have to agree with Topgun 30-06 as I do alot.  Hauts thanks for the post i dont want to sound like a pussy but it almost brought a teer to my eye.   Yes I did try to give him the best life i could for the most part.   I have a 1 acre back yard that is fenced in and he has total rome of it.  He has a heated dog house that he can come and go out side as he pleases.  When I was single he lived in the house with me and even sleped in bed with me most of the time. Untill he was about 3 then I got a house with my wife and unfortunatly she is alergic to dogs.  So he has to stay out side most of the time.  When it is extremly hot or cold we bring him in and let him stay in a kenal but other than that he is out side all 24/7.   It is kinda nice not having to deel with all the hair and dirt but I do miss not having a dog in the house.   But atleast he is always in the back yard (for now) and that is comforting because he will bark if anyone comes near the house.
I hunt there for I am "Metallica" Theres a gun in my truck "Brad Paisly" My neck has always been Red "Lynyrd Skynyrd" And if that ant country ill kiss your ass "David allan Coe"

Well its been a little while not as long as I had hoped it would be. Buddy had to be put down today. 05-09-01 to 06-18-10 He will be greatly missed. The tummor on his lower jaw was getting out of controle. I hate to think of the discomfort he has been in the last mounth or so. I hope he is in a happyer place now and i hope to see him again some day. Rest in peace Buddy I love you.

Sorry to hear that. But you did the right thing. I know it hurts to lose a good friend human or canine but you never really lose them you still have the memories. I know that there will be times when you go afield something will stir those memories and you'll shed a tear, smile, or just bust out laughing.

Since reading the problem that happened to your Buddy, I now go over my DD head to toe at least once a week to include the entire jaw and head area to catch something like that ASAP. I know that may not help much with your loss, but sharing it with us is a plus for us. Please let us know how the pup progresses!!!

Wow!! I just read this entire thread and can relate to your feelings Orion. I too always wanted a dog when I was growing up and never got one til I bought my own house. Like you, my dog was one of my first purchases after closing on the house. In fact I even told my wife when we were looking for the house that the first thing we were getting was a dog so we had to make sure the house would accomodate. It has been 5 years now and Sara, 85 lb Golden/Irish Setter mix, is absolutely the best "first dog" anyone could've hoped for. I fear that I may have been spoiled and will not find another companion as awesome as she is. Sara is getting older now, about 8 or 9. We don't know for sure as we adopted her from the pound and they weren't real sure of her age. Anyway, my condolences go out to you and your family for your loss as I sit here and dread the day I have to do the same. Sorry for the long post, just was relating to the similarities in our "first dog" stories.

Hello everyone!

Sorry to hear about you having to put down your dog! That brought a tear to my eyes. Because I remembered when I had to do that to my dog. And yes I cried like a baby when we had to do it. I stayed with him until he passed.   I still miss him! He was a mix between a Black Lab and a Doberman Pincher.  He was a great dog, we got him at the SPCA when he was 9 months old and he live to be 18 1/2 years old!   I miss him coming up on my bed and laying his head on my pillow next to mine when I  was sleeping, he would also lay across my legs as I was sleeping. Sometimes he would even curl up next to me and sleep under the covers at night!  

I remember the one time, my dad and the nextdoor neighbor went groundhog hunting. THey had just come back and were walking up the backyard dad had past my dad and our neighbor was wearing full camo and had camo face paint on. Well, our dog was barking at the neighbor and backing up and barking abd backing up! Suddenly, he stops, and takes a crap, and then continues to bark at the neighbor!     We all started laughing uncontrollably!! We told the neighbor: "Hey Joe, You scared the **** out of the dog!"    

Things like that remind me of the good times we had with our dog!  So, yes, while this is a sad time that your dog died, remember those good times and those little quirks he had that always made you laugh!  And in time you will eventually  get another dog, not to take his place, but to become another pet and  hunting buddy and will hopefully give you plenty of years of joy and laughter!

Sorry for the recent loss of your dog. I am a DVM (not sure if I'm the same one Gutpile was referring to earlier in this thread..) and just came upon this post. In general, hard or firm and attached lumps are more worrisome than soft, mobile ones. Not that soft ones should be ignored, but for anyone who currently owns a dog and notes a firm lump, early intervention is always recommended. Unfortunately in this case, early detection of this tumor would still have necessitated aggressive surgery with a guarded prognosis. Palliative treatment and a little TLC just as you provided for your dog is sometimes the best thing you can do in such a situation.