Putting your dog down.....

[k0ua]

If you decide to do it yourself - use slugs in the shotgun. I know this sounds like a no brainer but a man I know had to kill his akita and he used bird shot and well, it didnt go good at all. Ive done it a few times and always used a slug. One time was enough.

Yet we have many people claim that small birdshot is effective for self defense against humans. I don't believe it always is. Now in fairness, your reference example the dog was probably shot with some distance from the muzzle. If you are going to use birdshot to kill a large animal, you better get up close. I believe birdshot is effective on birds. The larger the animal, the larger the shot needed to be effective. My personal experience is that buckshot and slugs are quite effective on large animals.

 

[MH8675309]

Dogs got pretty hard heads - bird shot might work OK and no doubt is good for self defense. A slug though would do it first time and avoid chasing a badly wounded dog to finish it off. That would make a hard job harder yet.

 

[3pedal]

I'm luck, and have a good friend that is a vet. When it was time a couple months ago for my dog, she and a friend came up and did it at the house. I thought it was the right place to do it. In an accident, yes, I would do it, do doubt. But in the natural course of life, I preferred to have someone else do it. That way I could hold her as she went to sleep.

 

[QRTRHRS]

Re: Getting another dog after losing one. I have mentioned this before but will once again mention it. Regardless of waiting or getting another dog right away, the new member of the family will be different. Accept both the good and bad quirks and move on. Some dogs will never be replicated, some will be just "so so". All need love. As time goes on, recalling thoughts about the ones past may just bring a tear to your eye. Relax, you are human.

 

[Qapla]

If you decide to do it yourself - use slugs in the shotgun. I know this sounds like a no brainer but a man I know had to kill his akita and he used bird shot and well, it didnt go good at all. Ive done it a few times and always used a slug. One time was enough.

This depends on the animal. I have never used bird shot.

When dealing with small animals like a cat or small dog, I have used a .22 at point-blank range. We recently had to deal with a Great Dane - we used the 30-30. We have also used the 30-30, .38 or a .45 when it came to horses, again, at point-blank range.

For the pigs, he have found that the shot gun with a slug is the best method.

My daughters have been able to help with the burial but my wife will go somewhere else until it is "safe" to come back home.

Fortunately for us, we have a backhoe for when we had to deal with a horse or other large animal.

Though it is a task you do not look forward to, it is much better than watching them suffer.

 

[swamy1969]

Yep I have done it, hope I never ever do it again. Long story short I was tasked to put down my dog when I was 12, she had been with me since I was born. Was traumatic for me, quick for her, couldn't possibly recommend that to anyone else unless it was the most humane, pain ending event that needed to happen "right now". As I write this my 12 year old blue heeler is sleeping by my desk, am hoping for a few more years with him. Yeah I want to be there when he passes, and I will do the right thing when its right to do so, but I will find a vet or a friend to administer whatever needs to be done. It a very personal decision, its good your thinking about it now......... good luck to you.

 

[Lurch]

Put down my best friend of 15 yrs last april. For me it was the decision that wrecked me. Once I made up my mind there really was no choice it was just another animal to put down. Farm life teaches some hard lessons.

 

[MF283]

Farm life teaches some hard lessons.

I think of them as LIFE lessons & a lot of folks have no reality on life. It's not a "want to" it's a "have to"

Ronnie

 

[k0ua]

One Caveat. Dig the hole first. It is much easier to see how to dig, and operate the machine when your eyes are not full of tears and you are upset.

 

[KYErik]

I never had to do it on my own dog, but the neighbor had me to do it for her 14+ year old australian shepard and I've had to do it for a cow and a few barn cats (one had been stepped on by a cow). I considered doing it for a calf last year that had been stepped on (bone was sticking out through the skin and covered with manure) but took it to the vet instead and it ended up suffering with a cast on for 4+ weeks (vet finally put it down because of infection). I wish I would have put her down when I first saw the open fracture. I have had good luck with splinting a closed fracture, but I don't believe I will try to have an open fracture treated again.

If there was any type of severe trauma or severe illness/incapacitation/suffering, I think I could do it for my own dog- I wouldn't want his last 30 min spent riding in a vehicle and then getting forced into a strange place and having a needle stuck in him. I would want to say a few last kind words to him and then for it to be instantaneous.