1 00:00:02,680 --> 00:00:05,880 Speaker 1: Hey, everyone, Welcome to The Houndation's podcast. I'm your host, 2 00:00:05,880 --> 00:00:08,440 Speaker 1: Tony Peterson, and this episode is all about trying to 3 00:00:08,480 --> 00:00:10,920 Speaker 1: do the right thing when we have to make the 4 00:00:10,960 --> 00:00:18,000 Speaker 1: worst decision that dog owners are likely to face. I 5 00:00:18,000 --> 00:00:21,120 Speaker 1: think that one of the greatest injustices of our modern 6 00:00:21,160 --> 00:00:24,240 Speaker 1: life is the reality that even if our dogs end 7 00:00:24,280 --> 00:00:27,520 Speaker 1: up living as long as dogs can, it's never long enough. 8 00:00:28,280 --> 00:00:30,560 Speaker 1: Getting you know, ten or twelve years out of a 9 00:00:30,600 --> 00:00:34,920 Speaker 1: dog is a gift, but also an absolute heartbreaker, and 10 00:00:34,960 --> 00:00:38,440 Speaker 1: the end rarely comes with them slipping away overnight. Instead, 11 00:00:39,080 --> 00:00:42,159 Speaker 1: it'll usually involve some level of breakdown of their minds 12 00:00:42,200 --> 00:00:45,840 Speaker 1: and for sure their bodies. It's is tough to deal with. Obviously, 13 00:00:45,840 --> 00:00:49,240 Speaker 1: we have an obligation to them to recognize when it's time. 14 00:00:49,960 --> 00:00:58,600 Speaker 1: That's what this episode is all about. The average life 15 00:00:58,640 --> 00:01:01,760 Speaker 1: span of a labrador retrieved or depends on coat color. 16 00:01:02,400 --> 00:01:06,280 Speaker 1: Black and yellow labs average eleven to thirteen years. Chocolate's 17 00:01:06,760 --> 00:01:10,280 Speaker 1: a shade under eleven. German short hairs have an average 18 00:01:10,280 --> 00:01:13,040 Speaker 1: life span of twelve to fourteen years. The same goes 19 00:01:13,040 --> 00:01:16,479 Speaker 1: for Britney Spaniels. German wire hairs are right there too, 20 00:01:16,680 --> 00:01:20,240 Speaker 1: at about thirteen years. Golden retrievers make it to the 21 00:01:20,280 --> 00:01:24,240 Speaker 1: ten to twelve year mark usually. Now, a crazy side 22 00:01:24,280 --> 00:01:27,520 Speaker 1: note on that one is that represents a decline from 23 00:01:27,560 --> 00:01:30,240 Speaker 1: a few decades ago, when you could have at least 24 00:01:30,280 --> 00:01:34,080 Speaker 1: had a somewhat reasonable expectation a golden retriever might make 25 00:01:34,120 --> 00:01:37,759 Speaker 1: it to sixteen or even seventeen years old. Think about 26 00:01:37,760 --> 00:01:41,160 Speaker 1: that for a second. No, in fact, think about that 27 00:01:41,400 --> 00:01:44,200 Speaker 1: and the chocolate lab life expectation that I just brought 28 00:01:44,280 --> 00:01:47,760 Speaker 1: up as well. There's a big lesson in there on genetics, 29 00:01:48,120 --> 00:01:51,160 Speaker 1: a lesson in there on how much weight pure bread 30 00:01:51,280 --> 00:01:55,000 Speaker 1: actually carries these days, and probably some stuff I'm missing. 31 00:01:56,000 --> 00:01:58,280 Speaker 1: I'll put a little finer point on this by saying 32 00:01:58,320 --> 00:02:00,600 Speaker 1: that the average life span of a mix next breed 33 00:02:00,640 --> 00:02:05,600 Speaker 1: dog is about fourteen years. Artificial selection with domestic canines 34 00:02:05,640 --> 00:02:07,880 Speaker 1: is the reason we have so many amazing breeds to 35 00:02:07,960 --> 00:02:11,679 Speaker 1: choose from, but also the reason why some of our 36 00:02:11,720 --> 00:02:15,440 Speaker 1: breeds are genetic dumpster fires and others will be in 37 00:02:15,480 --> 00:02:18,720 Speaker 1: a matter of time. I've gotten into that enough, though, 38 00:02:18,880 --> 00:02:21,440 Speaker 1: and that's not what this episode is about. Although you 39 00:02:21,480 --> 00:02:24,120 Speaker 1: can't really talk about end of life care without at 40 00:02:24,200 --> 00:02:27,120 Speaker 1: least acknowledging how quickly you're likely to get there when 41 00:02:27,160 --> 00:02:30,640 Speaker 1: you go pick up your next puppy. The thing about us, 42 00:02:30,680 --> 00:02:34,040 Speaker 1: silly humans, is that we can imagine the pain at 43 00:02:34,080 --> 00:02:35,960 Speaker 1: the end of a dog's life when we do go 44 00:02:36,040 --> 00:02:38,880 Speaker 1: get that puppy, even if we've gone through the whole 45 00:02:38,880 --> 00:02:42,240 Speaker 1: thing before a time or two. I think maybe in 46 00:02:42,280 --> 00:02:44,960 Speaker 1: there somewhere is the secret to why we love dogs 47 00:02:44,960 --> 00:02:48,080 Speaker 1: so much. I can wake up in the morning and 48 00:02:48,120 --> 00:02:50,680 Speaker 1: I have two female black labs who will greet me 49 00:02:50,720 --> 00:02:55,040 Speaker 1: with wagging tails and genuine excitement. Sure they recognize that 50 00:02:55,080 --> 00:02:57,440 Speaker 1: their breakfast is about to be served, which is no 51 00:02:57,520 --> 00:03:00,840 Speaker 1: small event for them, considering they are labs. But they're 52 00:03:00,880 --> 00:03:05,160 Speaker 1: just consistent. They're genuinely positive almost all of the time. 53 00:03:06,400 --> 00:03:08,560 Speaker 1: They don't care that the bombs are flying in the 54 00:03:08,560 --> 00:03:11,320 Speaker 1: Middle East again, or that the dollar doesn't buy nearly 55 00:03:11,360 --> 00:03:13,840 Speaker 1: what it did six years ago, or that we have 56 00:03:13,880 --> 00:03:16,840 Speaker 1: all been tricked into addiction on a wide scale through 57 00:03:16,919 --> 00:03:20,760 Speaker 1: crafty programming that works to undermine the reward centers in 58 00:03:20,800 --> 00:03:23,079 Speaker 1: our brain that are meant to ping when we kill 59 00:03:23,120 --> 00:03:25,600 Speaker 1: a rabbit for breakfast, and not when we see some 60 00:03:25,720 --> 00:03:28,800 Speaker 1: curated propaganda about people we are supposed to hate, because 61 00:03:28,840 --> 00:03:31,800 Speaker 1: if we do, we'll stay on certain platforms where we 62 00:03:31,800 --> 00:03:36,760 Speaker 1: can be fed NonStop advertisements. They don't care. Want to 63 00:03:36,800 --> 00:03:39,680 Speaker 1: lay on the floor and scratch their bellies. Hell, yes, 64 00:03:40,200 --> 00:03:43,840 Speaker 1: go for a walk. Yep, Go toss a dummy around 65 00:03:43,840 --> 00:03:46,960 Speaker 1: the park. Uh huh, go chase some roosters around in 66 00:03:47,000 --> 00:03:51,119 Speaker 1: the crp Oh. Hell yes, they don't care. They want 67 00:03:51,120 --> 00:03:53,720 Speaker 1: to hang out and do stuff and they always will 68 00:03:54,520 --> 00:03:59,200 Speaker 1: and that's just not how our human interactions go. Life 69 00:03:59,200 --> 00:04:02,880 Speaker 1: with a dog is the stripped down, raw relationship based 70 00:04:02,920 --> 00:04:07,320 Speaker 1: on just being together and doing whatever. If you're lucky, 71 00:04:07,960 --> 00:04:10,400 Speaker 1: you'll get that with an individual dog for at least 72 00:04:10,440 --> 00:04:14,920 Speaker 1: a decade. Then that best friend, and they are best friends. 73 00:04:14,920 --> 00:04:16,560 Speaker 1: As much as I don't want to be confused with 74 00:04:16,640 --> 00:04:20,760 Speaker 1: the fur baby movement. They'll die and we will think 75 00:04:21,000 --> 00:04:23,280 Speaker 1: all of the things we think when they do leave us. 76 00:04:24,120 --> 00:04:26,400 Speaker 1: We will think, I'm never going to put myself through 77 00:04:26,480 --> 00:04:30,039 Speaker 1: that again, and we mean it in that moment, a 78 00:04:30,120 --> 00:04:33,080 Speaker 1: moment that can last a long time, because grief isn't 79 00:04:33,120 --> 00:04:36,279 Speaker 1: something like hunger, where we can feel it, address it 80 00:04:36,320 --> 00:04:38,320 Speaker 1: in a matter of a few minutes, and then no 81 00:04:38,360 --> 00:04:41,880 Speaker 1: longer have to feel it. It's chronic, or at least 82 00:04:42,000 --> 00:04:46,000 Speaker 1: kind of chronic. Adjacent and boy does it suck. My 83 00:04:46,160 --> 00:04:49,279 Speaker 1: last dog, a Golden Retriever. She made it to just 84 00:04:49,360 --> 00:04:52,560 Speaker 1: six years old, and I thought that nothing I do 85 00:04:52,600 --> 00:04:54,719 Speaker 1: with dogs will ever be as painful as having to 86 00:04:54,760 --> 00:04:57,840 Speaker 1: put down a prime age dog. While I'm on that 87 00:04:57,920 --> 00:05:00,920 Speaker 1: doorstep with Luna, my older lab who past prime age 88 00:05:00,960 --> 00:05:03,560 Speaker 1: a while ago, and who in April will be thirteen. 89 00:05:04,360 --> 00:05:06,440 Speaker 1: It's to the point where I don't count on an 90 00:05:06,440 --> 00:05:08,840 Speaker 1: extra month with her as a certainty, but I look 91 00:05:08,880 --> 00:05:11,320 Speaker 1: at it with crossed fingers and toes as a little 92 00:05:11,320 --> 00:05:14,320 Speaker 1: gift I might get if I get real lucky. Now, 93 00:05:14,400 --> 00:05:17,440 Speaker 1: luck's the golden You know. She had that typical golden 94 00:05:17,440 --> 00:05:19,560 Speaker 1: attitude that she was as human as you or I, 95 00:05:20,200 --> 00:05:22,280 Speaker 1: and that she should be treated in such a way. 96 00:05:23,080 --> 00:05:25,600 Speaker 1: She'd hold a grudge, you know, if you left her 97 00:05:25,640 --> 00:05:27,800 Speaker 1: home when she felt like you shouldn't have, which was 98 00:05:27,839 --> 00:05:31,040 Speaker 1: about every time you left. She'd show her displeasure by 99 00:05:31,040 --> 00:05:33,159 Speaker 1: finding a tissue or something in the garbage or on 100 00:05:33,200 --> 00:05:35,279 Speaker 1: the counter, and she'd chew it up and leave it 101 00:05:35,279 --> 00:05:38,000 Speaker 1: for you at the top of the stairs. You always 102 00:05:38,080 --> 00:05:40,240 Speaker 1: knew she had done that when you walked into the 103 00:05:40,400 --> 00:05:43,400 Speaker 1: entryway and there wasn't a Golden Retriever bouncing around, super 104 00:05:43,440 --> 00:05:47,000 Speaker 1: excited to see you. She ate crayons, cash, money, you 105 00:05:47,120 --> 00:05:50,400 Speaker 1: name it. She was quirky as they all are, and 106 00:05:50,400 --> 00:05:54,520 Speaker 1: that made her absolutely endearing to us. She retrieved pheasants 107 00:05:54,720 --> 00:05:59,080 Speaker 1: and grouse and woodcock and ducks and squirrels and rabbits 108 00:05:59,120 --> 00:06:02,320 Speaker 1: and shed antler's for me. In some ways, that dog 109 00:06:02,400 --> 00:06:04,440 Speaker 1: saved my marriage, and in some ways I think she 110 00:06:04,560 --> 00:06:07,600 Speaker 1: saved my life. When she started to not eat her 111 00:06:07,640 --> 00:06:11,040 Speaker 1: dinner and occasionally I'd watch her with that thousand yard stare, 112 00:06:11,520 --> 00:06:14,600 Speaker 1: she showed me that something was wrong. Now. The first 113 00:06:14,680 --> 00:06:18,719 Speaker 1: veterinarian who saw her, smelled her breath, announced matter of 114 00:06:18,720 --> 00:06:21,200 Speaker 1: factly that she was going through kidney failure and that 115 00:06:21,279 --> 00:06:24,560 Speaker 1: our timeline was short. Now. That was the same veterinarian 116 00:06:24,600 --> 00:06:27,760 Speaker 1: who chastised me for only getting one dog to replace 117 00:06:27,839 --> 00:06:32,080 Speaker 1: Lux after she passed away, because, in her words, dogs 118 00:06:32,160 --> 00:06:35,719 Speaker 1: need dogs to play with and entertain each other. And 119 00:06:35,800 --> 00:06:38,280 Speaker 1: even when I told her I had twin babies at 120 00:06:38,279 --> 00:06:40,960 Speaker 1: home and didn't really need twin puppies, she acted like 121 00:06:41,000 --> 00:06:44,159 Speaker 1: I was a bad dogler. I honestly think she was 122 00:06:44,160 --> 00:06:47,400 Speaker 1: an anti hunter, And I'll admit I saw her randomly 123 00:06:47,440 --> 00:06:49,159 Speaker 1: a few months ago at the gym, and while I 124 00:06:49,160 --> 00:06:53,040 Speaker 1: didn't wish catastrophic injury on her, I thought I wouldn't 125 00:06:53,080 --> 00:06:55,440 Speaker 1: mind a little bit if she had just a slight 126 00:06:55,560 --> 00:06:58,520 Speaker 1: muscle pull, or maybe she swallowed some water wrong and 127 00:06:58,520 --> 00:07:00,640 Speaker 1: got a little in her lungs in that saying way 128 00:07:00,640 --> 00:07:02,599 Speaker 1: where you really need to cough it all up, but 129 00:07:02,600 --> 00:07:04,640 Speaker 1: you're in public, so you try to sort of soft 130 00:07:04,680 --> 00:07:07,279 Speaker 1: cough and it goes nowhere, and then suddenly you have 131 00:07:07,320 --> 00:07:11,480 Speaker 1: a full coughing fit in people's stare. I know that's petty, 132 00:07:12,120 --> 00:07:15,560 Speaker 1: but I don't care. At the time of Lux's diagnosis, 133 00:07:16,000 --> 00:07:18,200 Speaker 1: we had to cook up some chicken and rice because 134 00:07:18,240 --> 00:07:21,040 Speaker 1: she was just not eating kibble anymore. I was a 135 00:07:21,080 --> 00:07:23,840 Speaker 1: full time writer then, with a couple of ghostwriting gigs 136 00:07:23,880 --> 00:07:26,240 Speaker 1: as well as my own stuff, and one of the 137 00:07:26,240 --> 00:07:28,160 Speaker 1: fellows who I wrote for told me to take Lucks 138 00:07:28,200 --> 00:07:31,680 Speaker 1: to the University of Minnesota and their veterinarian department to 139 00:07:31,720 --> 00:07:35,320 Speaker 1: get a second opinion. I did, and while they did 140 00:07:35,360 --> 00:07:39,080 Speaker 1: a full expensive work up and it wasn't kidney failure 141 00:07:39,120 --> 00:07:41,880 Speaker 1: but that she was dying anyway, I took her home 142 00:07:41,920 --> 00:07:45,239 Speaker 1: and realized for sure that the timeline we were supposed 143 00:07:45,240 --> 00:07:48,720 Speaker 1: to get had been cut in half. They gave her 144 00:07:48,760 --> 00:07:51,400 Speaker 1: a ten percent chance of making it a year. I 145 00:07:51,440 --> 00:07:53,880 Speaker 1: was supposed to leave for Nebraska to bowhunt turkeys the 146 00:07:54,000 --> 00:07:56,640 Speaker 1: day after that veterinarian trip, and I just knew it 147 00:07:56,680 --> 00:08:00,080 Speaker 1: wasn't going to happen. Three days later, Lux and I 148 00:08:00,160 --> 00:08:03,000 Speaker 1: walk some ground that we had shed hunted and woodcock 149 00:08:03,080 --> 00:08:06,000 Speaker 1: hunted and duck hunted a whole bunch while an early 150 00:08:06,080 --> 00:08:09,480 Speaker 1: April blizzard came in sideways. And then I took her 151 00:08:09,480 --> 00:08:11,640 Speaker 1: in and she hid under my legs at the vet clinic. 152 00:08:12,400 --> 00:08:15,000 Speaker 1: I don't think she knew what was happening, but I 153 00:08:15,000 --> 00:08:17,040 Speaker 1: think she knew damn well that I knew something bad 154 00:08:17,160 --> 00:08:20,240 Speaker 1: was happening and was hanging on by a thread. And 155 00:08:20,280 --> 00:08:23,680 Speaker 1: then suddenly I didn't have a dog. I went home 156 00:08:23,720 --> 00:08:25,760 Speaker 1: and sat in my office chair, and my wife silently 157 00:08:25,800 --> 00:08:28,480 Speaker 1: delivered a glass of whiskey to me, which she never did, 158 00:08:28,520 --> 00:08:30,800 Speaker 1: because I delivered more than my fair share of whiskey 159 00:08:30,800 --> 00:08:33,440 Speaker 1: to myself at that time of my life, and I 160 00:08:33,520 --> 00:08:36,760 Speaker 1: quietly raged at the injustice of it all. I drank 161 00:08:36,840 --> 00:08:38,760 Speaker 1: so much in that grieving period that it made me 162 00:08:38,800 --> 00:08:40,960 Speaker 1: realize that I needed to stop. And at the end 163 00:08:41,000 --> 00:08:43,640 Speaker 1: of the year, I did for good, and it's been 164 00:08:43,679 --> 00:08:47,000 Speaker 1: that way for the full lifetime of another dog. I 165 00:08:47,040 --> 00:08:49,480 Speaker 1: always say that I quit for my daughters because I did, 166 00:08:50,000 --> 00:08:51,600 Speaker 1: but I don't know if I would have known I 167 00:08:51,760 --> 00:08:54,160 Speaker 1: needed to if I hadn't had to put that dog 168 00:08:54,240 --> 00:09:05,439 Speaker 1: down when I did. A lot of people will tell 169 00:09:05,480 --> 00:09:07,679 Speaker 1: you that your dog will just let you know when 170 00:09:07,679 --> 00:09:10,720 Speaker 1: it's time, and I kind of believe that, But I 171 00:09:10,760 --> 00:09:13,200 Speaker 1: also believe a lot of times that happens not because 172 00:09:13,240 --> 00:09:15,960 Speaker 1: the dog says they are ready, but because something in 173 00:09:16,040 --> 00:09:19,480 Speaker 1: us recognizes that we are no longer capable of putting 174 00:09:19,480 --> 00:09:22,840 Speaker 1: off the inevitable, that we can no longer ignore the 175 00:09:22,840 --> 00:09:25,000 Speaker 1: back legs giving out, or the lumps that show up 176 00:09:25,000 --> 00:09:27,240 Speaker 1: all over their bodies, or the whining when they can't 177 00:09:27,320 --> 00:09:28,920 Speaker 1: stand up and get out of their dog bet on 178 00:09:28,960 --> 00:09:31,920 Speaker 1: their own. There is a certain kind of guilt that 179 00:09:32,040 --> 00:09:34,559 Speaker 1: walks in lockstep with the breakdown of their bodies and 180 00:09:34,640 --> 00:09:37,760 Speaker 1: their minds. The question of whether we are keeping them 181 00:09:37,800 --> 00:09:41,440 Speaker 1: going for us, or because they can still be kept going. 182 00:09:42,440 --> 00:09:44,600 Speaker 1: I can't prove this because it's not something that could 183 00:09:44,640 --> 00:09:47,920 Speaker 1: be proven, but I bet almost every modern dog that's 184 00:09:47,920 --> 00:09:51,000 Speaker 1: ever been loved and hasn't died quickly in some way 185 00:09:51,360 --> 00:09:54,360 Speaker 1: has probably been kept around a little bit too long 186 00:09:55,400 --> 00:09:58,000 Speaker 1: because the decision to put them down is that hard 187 00:09:58,040 --> 00:09:59,920 Speaker 1: on us, and what if we do it too or 188 00:10:01,000 --> 00:10:03,840 Speaker 1: I'm facing that with my lab Luna, and it sucks 189 00:10:04,240 --> 00:10:07,840 Speaker 1: a lot. Part of it is selfish. Of course, When 190 00:10:07,880 --> 00:10:10,040 Speaker 1: Tom Doc had called me up thirteen years ago and 191 00:10:10,080 --> 00:10:12,520 Speaker 1: said that he had found my next dog, the arc 192 00:10:12,600 --> 00:10:16,040 Speaker 1: of my entire life changed for the better. Now that 193 00:10:16,080 --> 00:10:18,440 Speaker 1: dog is on death's doorstep, and not only will it 194 00:10:18,480 --> 00:10:21,840 Speaker 1: destroy me, it's going to absolutely shatter my daughters, who 195 00:10:21,840 --> 00:10:25,160 Speaker 1: have only known a life with her. I'd like to 196 00:10:25,200 --> 00:10:28,000 Speaker 1: think having Sadie, our younger lab, will help, but I 197 00:10:28,040 --> 00:10:31,680 Speaker 1: also feel that's wishful thinking. Maybe it'll take the edge 198 00:10:31,720 --> 00:10:34,200 Speaker 1: off a little, But what's the difference between a couple 199 00:10:34,320 --> 00:10:36,840 Speaker 1: percentage points on the worst grief of their young lives. 200 00:10:37,440 --> 00:10:41,240 Speaker 1: I'm banking on it being indistinguishable. I know I'm going 201 00:10:41,280 --> 00:10:43,840 Speaker 1: to have to take lunan soon, and I wrestle with 202 00:10:44,000 --> 00:10:47,559 Speaker 1: the big when she will still do a couple of retrieves. 203 00:10:48,080 --> 00:10:50,280 Speaker 1: Absolutely love it if we run a hunt dead drill 204 00:10:50,320 --> 00:10:52,680 Speaker 1: with the tail feathers off of a rooster from last season, 205 00:10:53,440 --> 00:10:55,880 Speaker 1: and also just loves laying in the yard and sleeping 206 00:10:55,920 --> 00:10:59,720 Speaker 1: in the sun. There's joy still there, but to see it, 207 00:10:59,720 --> 00:11:02,280 Speaker 1: I have to look past her limping and her whining 208 00:11:02,559 --> 00:11:05,240 Speaker 1: and the occasional heavy panting that comes out of nowhere, 209 00:11:05,480 --> 00:11:08,600 Speaker 1: And I know signals something I don't want to acknowledge. 210 00:11:08,679 --> 00:11:10,800 Speaker 1: She can still go up and down the stairs, will 211 00:11:10,960 --> 00:11:14,400 Speaker 1: still kind of run in the right situation, and doesn't 212 00:11:14,400 --> 00:11:17,800 Speaker 1: seem to be in constant pain. But I'm also looking 213 00:11:17,840 --> 00:11:21,280 Speaker 1: through heavily biased eyes, and I don't trust myself. I 214 00:11:21,280 --> 00:11:23,760 Speaker 1: would guess that just about anyone listening to this who 215 00:11:23,840 --> 00:11:27,079 Speaker 1: has made the hard choice can relate. Now. While it's 216 00:11:27,160 --> 00:11:29,440 Speaker 1: up to us to do the right thing, there is 217 00:11:29,480 --> 00:11:31,800 Speaker 1: also some rules that can just kind of help us 218 00:11:31,840 --> 00:11:35,439 Speaker 1: along the way. With lucks, her refusal to eat almost 219 00:11:35,480 --> 00:11:39,000 Speaker 1: anything after a while just a dead giveaway. That's a 220 00:11:39,000 --> 00:11:41,000 Speaker 1: good sign, or at least as good of a sign 221 00:11:41,040 --> 00:11:44,840 Speaker 1: as you'll get with most dogs. Terminal illness is another one, 222 00:11:44,920 --> 00:11:47,680 Speaker 1: because you can track its progress and know that the 223 00:11:47,720 --> 00:11:50,400 Speaker 1: direction it's going is only going to go one way. 224 00:11:51,920 --> 00:11:54,640 Speaker 1: When they lose their ability to walk, that's another one 225 00:11:55,160 --> 00:11:57,679 Speaker 1: that's a hard one to witness, but when you see it, 226 00:11:57,720 --> 00:12:03,199 Speaker 1: you know what it means. Pain real, uncontrollable pain, it's 227 00:12:03,240 --> 00:12:07,880 Speaker 1: another one. While dogs are masters at masking pain, partially 228 00:12:07,920 --> 00:12:10,040 Speaker 1: because they just don't feel sorry for themselves and they 229 00:12:10,040 --> 00:12:12,880 Speaker 1: don't have pity parties, but also because not that long 230 00:12:12,920 --> 00:12:17,120 Speaker 1: ago in their history, if they risked showing weakness, they 231 00:12:17,200 --> 00:12:19,920 Speaker 1: might find themselves losing their spot in the hierarchy of 232 00:12:19,960 --> 00:12:24,920 Speaker 1: the pack, or worse, find themselves without a pack. Pain 233 00:12:25,000 --> 00:12:27,679 Speaker 1: can be managed to a certain point through VET recommended 234 00:12:27,720 --> 00:12:31,000 Speaker 1: medications and some over the counter options, but there's only 235 00:12:31,000 --> 00:12:33,760 Speaker 1: so much you can do, and if there is something 236 00:12:33,880 --> 00:12:36,920 Speaker 1: unfair to a dog, it's keeping them alive for our 237 00:12:37,000 --> 00:12:41,079 Speaker 1: benefit while they are truly suffering. I say that knowing 238 00:12:41,160 --> 00:12:44,160 Speaker 1: full well that doesn't make things any easier. Trust me. 239 00:12:45,080 --> 00:12:47,479 Speaker 1: Some dogs will let you know it's time through aggression, 240 00:12:47,960 --> 00:12:51,000 Speaker 1: which can come from cognitive decline or just a reaction 241 00:12:51,160 --> 00:12:54,560 Speaker 1: to pain. This isn't super common, and while on the 242 00:12:54,600 --> 00:12:57,000 Speaker 1: surface it might sound like the likeliest condition to make 243 00:12:57,040 --> 00:12:59,720 Speaker 1: it a little easier to put them down, it rarely 244 00:12:59,760 --> 00:13:02,160 Speaker 1: work out that way, because not only do you have 245 00:13:02,240 --> 00:13:05,120 Speaker 1: the tough decision, you have a dog you love very 246 00:13:05,240 --> 00:13:08,679 Speaker 1: much suddenly turning on you and others, so there are 247 00:13:08,760 --> 00:13:12,640 Speaker 1: more emotions rolled up into an already emotionally charge reality. 248 00:13:13,760 --> 00:13:16,520 Speaker 1: For a lot of us sporting dog owners, the time 249 00:13:16,600 --> 00:13:18,840 Speaker 1: to put them down might just be when we realized 250 00:13:18,880 --> 00:13:21,600 Speaker 1: they no longer seem interested in the things they once were, 251 00:13:22,559 --> 00:13:26,160 Speaker 1: you know, beyond food. Of course, this might mean retrieves, 252 00:13:26,559 --> 00:13:29,440 Speaker 1: or just their favorite toys, or even cuddling with you 253 00:13:29,520 --> 00:13:32,480 Speaker 1: on the floor when they can't summon the energy to 254 00:13:32,520 --> 00:13:34,880 Speaker 1: do the things they lived for not that long ago. 255 00:13:35,520 --> 00:13:37,960 Speaker 1: They are probably telling you all you need to know, 256 00:13:39,240 --> 00:13:41,320 Speaker 1: this is the tax we pay for having them in 257 00:13:41,360 --> 00:13:44,560 Speaker 1: our lives. And while it doesn't get easier, going through 258 00:13:44,600 --> 00:13:49,320 Speaker 1: it once teaches you something, going through it twice changes 259 00:13:49,360 --> 00:13:51,480 Speaker 1: you because you know that the thoughts you had after 260 00:13:51,520 --> 00:13:54,240 Speaker 1: the first one where you were just not going to 261 00:13:54,280 --> 00:13:56,680 Speaker 1: deal with that level of pain again, yet you do 262 00:13:57,480 --> 00:14:01,800 Speaker 1: sort of reframes the grief. No one wants to do 263 00:14:01,880 --> 00:14:05,760 Speaker 1: that to themselves because you're truly losing a loved one. 264 00:14:05,920 --> 00:14:09,480 Speaker 1: You know it going in, but you can't really imagine it. 265 00:14:09,480 --> 00:14:11,559 Speaker 1: It's kind of like how you can't understand how much 266 00:14:11,600 --> 00:14:15,360 Speaker 1: you'll love your children until you have them, and then 267 00:14:15,400 --> 00:14:20,040 Speaker 1: you just understand something that was unreachable before with that 268 00:14:20,120 --> 00:14:23,680 Speaker 1: first dog. It's like the universe is showing you that 269 00:14:23,720 --> 00:14:27,640 Speaker 1: you can only barely handle so much and it's just 270 00:14:27,800 --> 00:14:31,320 Speaker 1: not worth going through again. But if you do, and 271 00:14:31,440 --> 00:14:34,720 Speaker 1: almost all of us do, you realize that it'll always 272 00:14:34,800 --> 00:14:37,520 Speaker 1: hurt that much, but that the ten or twelve years 273 00:14:37,520 --> 00:14:40,880 Speaker 1: before that were worth it and they always will be. 274 00:14:40,880 --> 00:14:43,240 Speaker 1: Because if you do right by a dog, which is 275 00:14:43,280 --> 00:14:45,720 Speaker 1: so damn easy if you think about it, they'll do 276 00:14:45,840 --> 00:14:48,280 Speaker 1: right by you in a way that's orders of magnitude 277 00:14:48,320 --> 00:14:53,480 Speaker 1: more than we probably deserve. Because of that, we deserve 278 00:14:53,520 --> 00:14:56,280 Speaker 1: to treat them right when they have aged into the 279 00:14:56,360 --> 00:14:58,880 Speaker 1: last phase of their lives and they need a little 280 00:14:58,920 --> 00:15:01,520 Speaker 1: extra grace and the hell of a lot of extra 281 00:15:01,560 --> 00:15:04,520 Speaker 1: love and care. I know there are other factors in 282 00:15:04,560 --> 00:15:08,600 Speaker 1: this reality, like veterinarian costs which are no joke, and 283 00:15:08,640 --> 00:15:10,840 Speaker 1: the ability to just provide the care of your dog 284 00:15:10,960 --> 00:15:13,160 Speaker 1: needs given that you still have to make a living 285 00:15:13,800 --> 00:15:15,240 Speaker 1: and you have to do the things you need to 286 00:15:15,240 --> 00:15:17,360 Speaker 1: do in order to take care of yourself and your family. 287 00:15:17,880 --> 00:15:20,600 Speaker 1: There's probably a million variables in there that I'm missing. 288 00:15:22,040 --> 00:15:24,280 Speaker 1: But when we pick up that pup and we are 289 00:15:24,320 --> 00:15:26,400 Speaker 1: thinking about what it's going to do for us, and 290 00:15:26,440 --> 00:15:29,320 Speaker 1: how many grouse or quail will shoot, and how nice 291 00:15:29,320 --> 00:15:31,280 Speaker 1: it'll be to have them to cheer us up and 292 00:15:31,360 --> 00:15:34,480 Speaker 1: be there for us. We are also making a promise 293 00:15:34,520 --> 00:15:36,960 Speaker 1: to them, not only that we will take care of 294 00:15:37,000 --> 00:15:40,280 Speaker 1: them throughout their life, we will ease them into death, 295 00:15:40,400 --> 00:15:42,400 Speaker 1: and if we really care about them, we will try 296 00:15:42,440 --> 00:15:45,000 Speaker 1: to make that call for them when it's the right time, 297 00:15:45,760 --> 00:15:48,440 Speaker 1: and we will be there for them for that whole 298 00:15:48,520 --> 00:15:51,480 Speaker 1: thing too, Because as painful as that is for us 299 00:15:51,480 --> 00:15:53,680 Speaker 1: to have to do, I believe that we owe it 300 00:15:53,720 --> 00:15:56,520 Speaker 1: to them to not only make the tough decision, but 301 00:15:56,720 --> 00:15:59,640 Speaker 1: be there when they need us more than they ever have, 302 00:16:00,120 --> 00:16:02,400 Speaker 1: no matter how much it threatens to break us, and 303 00:16:02,440 --> 00:16:06,240 Speaker 1: it will for a long long time. It's the deal 304 00:16:06,320 --> 00:16:08,360 Speaker 1: we make, and I can tell you as I faced 305 00:16:08,400 --> 00:16:12,080 Speaker 1: this in my very near future. It's heavy, but also 306 00:16:12,200 --> 00:16:15,720 Speaker 1: just a component of being a dog owner. I hope 307 00:16:15,760 --> 00:16:18,280 Speaker 1: you have many years left with your four legged buddies, 308 00:16:18,560 --> 00:16:21,360 Speaker 1: and when the time comes, you make the best decision 309 00:16:21,440 --> 00:16:24,400 Speaker 1: you can for them. And if you question your timing 310 00:16:24,520 --> 00:16:26,360 Speaker 1: or you feel guilty that you might be holding out 311 00:16:26,440 --> 00:16:30,400 Speaker 1: to protect yourself, believe me that no one who loves 312 00:16:30,440 --> 00:16:33,560 Speaker 1: dogs is judging you too harshly. We have all been 313 00:16:33,600 --> 00:16:38,880 Speaker 1: there and if not, we will be That's it for 314 00:16:38,920 --> 00:16:40,840 Speaker 1: this week. I'm Tony Peterson and this has been the 315 00:16:40,840 --> 00:16:43,600 Speaker 1: Houndation's podcast. As I always, thank you so much for all 316 00:16:43,640 --> 00:16:45,640 Speaker 1: of your support, all of us here at me. You 317 00:16:45,920 --> 00:16:49,480 Speaker 1: truly appreciate it. We cannot thank you enough. If you 318 00:16:49,600 --> 00:16:52,640 Speaker 1: need some more dog content, maybe you're planning a trip 319 00:16:52,680 --> 00:16:55,000 Speaker 1: out west to hunt Elk this year, Maybe just need 320 00:16:55,040 --> 00:16:58,280 Speaker 1: some entertainment. You're looking for a little education or recipe, 321 00:16:58,600 --> 00:17:02,360 Speaker 1: some turkey hunting advice. Whatever, the mediat dot com has 322 00:17:02,360 --> 00:17:10,880 Speaker 1: you covered. We publish new content every single day. Podcasts, films, articles, recipes, 323 00:17:11,400 --> 00:17:13,320 Speaker 1: you name it, it's all there. Go check it out 324 00:17:13,320 --> 00:17:15,720 Speaker 1: at the mediat dot com and thank you once again 325 00:17:15,760 --> 00:17:16,440 Speaker 1: for your support.