dog memorial
dog memorial
What’s an appropriate recognition of bereavment for a friend having to put their beautiful dog down?
Just visited “Oliver” for the last time. He is scheduled to be euthanized tomorrow. He has survived 18 long months of terrible cancerous tumors for a 14 year old retriever. I want to show my sympathy. What do you feel is most appropriate – a card? flowers? a memorial gift? being with the dear owner??? Thank you in advance for your compassion and empathy.
I’ll tell you what my good friend did for me. She actually met me at the vets office and was there with me when we put my dog down. She hugged and petted my dog and cried along with me, let me stay there as long as I needed. She then took me for a cup of coffee, where she let me cry and talk about my girl and then drove me home.
She never once told me to get over or to get another pet.
The other thing that people did was send me cards, which I thought was thoughtful. The other thing I thought was really special, was when my obedience club made a $200 donation to the local shelter in memory of my dog.
Preventing Household Dog Accidents
It can sometimes be quite unavoidable, yet it does happen, however how you handle it is what it all comes down to.
If you have carpets when this happens, the carpet can and will most likely stain. However, some carpet cleaner spray, and some elbow grease and get rid of that stain in a jiffy. Now, if you clean it up, even with the cleaner, the dogs sense of smell may still detect his scent there, and go there again, and again, and again. Now, to make him not go there, its best to spray that area with a vinegar type spray, that will keep him from going in that area. Of course, this is just a temporary solution to a greater problem. You must start potty training your doggie, or re-potty training him if he has had a relapse.
Relapses can happen if and when the dog is left alone for longer than normal times, and it goes past his walk, or pee time. After a certain amount of time, he will just have to go, and go he will. If you are lucky he will just go in one area, but there will be ALOT of urine in that one area, so becareful not to step in it. Or you may be an unlucky one, and the dog wants to go mark territory, so he may squirt all over the house in different spots. It is rare, but it does happen.
If the dog goes in just one area, it will be the area closest to the door he/she usually goes out to go pee. Which can sometimes be the door you come in, so hopefully you step in it with your shoes on, and not your socks, or barefeet (Hope your not wearing sandles either). If you do step it in, do not freak out, or scold the dog in any way. The dogs memory is short for praises and punishments, it only knows the last thing it did before you punished it, or praised it. However, the way this memory works, is that it will usually associate the praise and punishment with whatever it did. This is altogether a different kind of training, which I will not get into right now.
So, please, do not punish your dog, if it did its business inside, and you didnt catch him/her in the act. Just clean it up, and take your dog outside right away. Take him for a nice long walk, or a good long play in the yard, if that is your thing. He will most likely relieve himself again while you walk or play. Because usually the exercise will make him want to.
The best thing you can do is take your dog out for as many walks as possible. If you are leaving him/her alone for the day while you are at work, and can not come back to walk him/her at lunch, then get up a little earlier, and take him/her for a nice long walk before hand, at least 20 mins long, 30 mins is even better. That way they will be drained, and will feel more comfortable through out the day. Plus, they will have used up alot of energy, and will rest most of the day waiting for you, and will stay out of trouble.
Then, the first thing you should do when you get home from being away all day, is take him for a walk right away, another 20 – 30 mins is best, bigger the dog, the longer the walk. Also, remember, the smaller the dog, the more walks you might have to do, because of a smaller bladder of course.
This should prevent any more accidents inside.
About the Author
Jeff L. loves dogs, and wants the world to know how to better care for their best friend. Training is apart of a long and beautiful friendship with your furry friend, find out more on dog training at: www.behaviorofadog.com