The Day All Dog People Dread

[flugelboneman]

Dear New Friends

Our beloved 12 year old Std has been feeling poorly of late. Yesterday was a bad day for him. By the time we phoned the Vet they had closed for the day. We did our best to make him comfortable, but through the night he was restless. When I awoke this morning, I discovered him dead in his bed. We cannot express our grief this morning,but it is somewhat assuaged by almost 13 years of memories of this wonderful being. They say that is what to remember when one is grieving. This is the second time we have put a Schnauzer to bed, the first after 16 yrs and now this. We fear that even with the immeasurable companionship and wonderful memories, we will not be able to put ourselves through this loss a third time. We loved our boy beyond measure and he is gone.

[zeta1454]

So sorry for your loss. At these times no words can ease the pain you feel as everyone who has loved and lost a dog will know.

Thinking of you and your family

“There is a cycle of love and death that shapes the lives of those who choose to travel in the company of animals. It is a cycle unlike any other. To those who have never lived through its turnings and walked its rocky path, our willingness to give our hearts with full knowledge that they will be broken seems incomprehensible. Only we know how small a price we pay for what we receive; our grief, no matter how powerful it may be, is an insufficient measure of the joy we have been given.”
― Suzanne Clothier

[Champ629]

So sorry you have lost your special boy. He was in his own bed and at home, to me that would be a great comfort. It is so hard and I really do know how painful it is. All you can do is remember the happy times. I still get very emotional talking about our little Schnauzer girl who we lost over three and a half years ago, they take a piece of you with them when they go.

Thinking of you x

[flugelboneman]

THx for the beautiful quote and kind thoughts. As mentioned, this is a day all dog lovers dread and no one can really help you through it. They say time heals and we shall hope. Overwhelming grief comes in waves. They are so much more than dogs

[elizdavies0]

I feel so sad .... you sound heartbroken and we all would feel the same way.
You are right... it is the day that we all dread and it's the price we pay for the love we've received.
Take care ... Bless you.

[redalert]

I am so sorry to hear your very sad new but I to would take comfort that he past away in his own bed in his own home.

[Purple_peach]

So sorry for your loss - sending a big hug

[GaryThomlinson]

Incredibly sorry to hear this. Try to focus on the memories. It might not seem so now but time opens your heart to let in new Schnauzer love.

[flugelboneman]

Thank you all for your kind comments. It was our privilege to have two schnauzers live in our home, Fritz was a mini and lived with us for 16 yrs. And then Kaiser. They added a dimension to our home that has left it desolate in their leaving us. It is a lesson in life and we must remember how they decorated our own lives. The memories certainly help, but the emptiness is glaring. Those of us who have or had Schnauzers must consider them gifts from the Dog Gods, and cherish every moment with them. I would urge you to hug your Schnauzer for us before the day is out.

[Donald]

There is nothing makes it better.

I lost my much-loved Dieta on Monday.

Time will help. But not soon enough. May 8th 2011 I found Fizz dead at the end of my bed. In some ways it was better than November 21st this year and in some ways it wasn't.

I can't even say these words out loud. But they helped me.
There is nothing to compare with the pain of death
You were here, and now you are not.
That’s all.
I search for you in old photographs, letters
things you touched
things that remind me of you,
but they cannot fill the space you occupied.
The space is in me too,
bleeding round the edges where you were torn away.
In the night, strange spaces haunt the space….
regret, fear, fury,
all the things we might have done,
all the unused dreams.
How can I go on with this hole inside me?
A partial person?
God, don’t let me fill the space with the wrong things.
Don’t let me cover it up
to eat me from within.
Give me courage to hold my emptiness,
to hold it gently
till the edges stop bleeding;
(will they? ever?)
till the darkness becomes friendly;
till I see some star at its heart;
till it becomes a fertile space,
growing new life within it.
If we had not loved you, we would not have wept.
This love you have given us;
this love we have carried
this love has carried us.
And I know that though I cannot see you, touch you, the love does not go away.

[Morgana99]

So sorry for your loss and, having been there myself on more than one occasion, I can truly empathise with your sentiments. Not just Schnauzers, but all my dogs have been so dear to me. As all-consuming as the grief on losing them certainly is, for me personally the prospect of not having the gift of this love in my life ensures that I will tread this path time & again. But only you can decide if this is something you can do again or not and I understand why right now the pain of losing your beloved Kaiser (& Fritz before him) makes you feel the pain of loss is too much. They both sound wonderful dogs and you will never forget them

[Grice]

So sorry for your loss

[flugelboneman]

Thank you again all you wonderful people for your kindest of comments. Reading them has really helped us heal. Especially the one where you found your Fizz, dead at the end of your bed. Kaiser had been feeling poorly during the day, and when it was time to take him into the vets it was evening and no one available. I almost was thankful, as if we had taken him in, he would have died in a cold kennel alone. He had been so restless, I set up our portable kennel in our bedroom to contain him. He cried that night, but eventually settled down. He had not just settled down, he had passed probably around 4 AM. When I awoke at 6 AM, he was dead in his bed. But through the night we both were up comforting him and he was with the people he loved. My career had been in law enforcement and i had witnessed many horrific things. I had lost family members. But finding him dead that morning traumatized me more than any experience in my life. Can we replace him? We won't even try. But all SS seem to have that very special human component. So, in spite of vowing never to go through this sorrow again, we are on a waiting list at Steinhaus Kennels.

[flugelboneman]

I apologize for redundancy in my last reply. Some of the facts I mentioned I had already covered in the first one and I did not read that one before posting.

[Morgana99]

Hey, you were speaking from the heart. Glad to hear you are able to see a future with a dog in it. I lost my little Alfie 2 weeks ago and emotions are still very raw, but I still believe the companionship and love of a dog are one of the best things we can experience