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Today was a tough day.
We had to put our 16-year-old Cocker Spaniel to sleep today. It was an agonizing decision but as our dear old Rocky’s health and quality of life declined to the point where he was unable to even stand on his own, we knew we had to make this choice.
If I may, I’d like to tell you the story of the journey with this special dog.
By nature, I am not a huge animal lover. But my husband really wanted to get a dog, a Cocker, because they are so cute. I looked at it as one more person/thing to take care of. As a busy working mom, I didn’t really want to add anything else to my plate.
But…after much back and forth, we decided to get Rocky as a pup. My youngest child was just 3 at the time. He was thrilled that we had gotten a puppy, though he was a little scared of him.
The Puppy Years
We experienced the usual puppy stuff, potty training, chewing on everything and getting into trash cans, etc. As he got a bit older, we started having issues with him. He was very food and territory-protective. So much so that you couldn’t even walk near him when he was eating or he would turn and snap/bite at whoever was there.
At some point, he decided he no longer liked kids, mine, or any others that came to the house (we have lots of nieces and nephews that would visit). We later learned that Cockers in general are not big fans of kids. He also bit me, my son & my mom-in-law because of territorial or food issues.
We didn’t know what to do! We called a few dog training places and tried one. It did help some, but not enough. We were encouraged to get him neutered to reduce his aggression. We did that. Again, that helped some.
We tried other at-home training methods for a few years. He improved some…but he was never the type of dog that you could let run free in the house or be around others that weren’t family and not children. It was tough.
And he was a barker. He barked all the time.
We had been advised to euthanize him after he escaped from our backyard and bit a dog that was walking down the street with his owner. The owner was very kind and didn’t pursue anything (thank goodness)!
We didn’t want to give him away or anything else, so we did our best and kept kids and strangers away from him and as the years went by, he mellowed out some. My kids got older and Rocky and my son eventually became best buds.
He had free range of our big backyard and a bedroom to himself inside. He used to LOVE chasing after a ball. He would do it over and over again! He was a lovable, playful dog, when he wanted to be.
The Funny Things
Rocky was known for getting into things. The trash, any food you left on a table, (he was always food motivated!) socks, you name it.
One day, when he was still a young pup, we had been out of the house for a few hours and we had him gated in our kitchen. When we arrived back home, we found Rocky roaming the house with lollipop sticks stuck to his face!
He had JUMPED over the gate and got into a small trash can that the kids had used to discard their lollipop sticks. Well, Rocky got into it. It sure was a sticky mess, but funny!
Another day, as my Mom-in-Law was in the kitchen fixing a sandwich, she turned around to get a drink and when she turned back to the counter her sandwich was gone. She thought for a minute she was losing her mind!
The always hungry Rocky, reached up to the counter and snatched it down, and was scarfing it up!
Aging
Rocky had been declining over the past couple of years and a few months ago, he had what appeared to be a stroke. He was falling over, walking sideways and had no balance, and was panting heavily. After a few hours, he was much improved and within a couple of days, he seemed okay.
But as the months went on, he was having more and more accidents in the house, he was having trouble navigating the stairs and most recently a lot of difficulties getting himself up from a laying down position.
We tried various meds, contraptions, and whatever we could to help him have a decent quality of life.
But ultimately with his age, his kidney issues, mobility issues, and apparent neurological issues, the time had come.
What He Meant To Us
Rocky wasn’t the pet you could snuggle up with in your bed or chill and watch TV with you, but he was the kind of dog that loved to run and play outside, he loved to be pet, and he loved to listen to one of the kids read him books.
He was the therapist for any of us who needed to work through something. He was a loyal friend who would always be there. He may not have been the perfect dog, and we may not have been the perfect owners.
But the love was there and when he was ever hurt or in pain, he knew he could count on us to take care of him. And as a final act of love and care, we said goodbye before his suffering became worse.
Grieving a Pet
I knew several people who had lost their pets over the years and I always extended my sympathies to them. But in the back of my mind, though, oh, it’s just a pet. Not a person. (As I mentioned earlier, I didn’t really consider myself an animal person.)
But when it became apparent that Rocky’s time on this earth was near the end, it was hard to come to terms with. I was incredibly sad. Sad for myself and for our family. Rocky had been a part of this family for 16 years!
Ironically, Rocky departed this earth on his birthday. Exactly 16 years. I like to think of it as a poetic ending.
My son and I were with him when he passed and I was surprised by the grief, the tears, and the deep sadness, I felt and continue to feel. I really didn’t know how much it would hurt.
I know it was for the best, but man, it sure is gut-wrenching.
Grieving a pet is more intense than I imagined. But I am grateful for the life Rocky and Our Family had together.
