Welcome to YT. Your yorkies are adorable. That picture of Buddy is so precious. He looks like a sweetheart.

Personally I haven't had a senior pet yet so have not had to make that decision myself. My yorkie is 5 and she is my first dog and my love. However, I worked as a vet tech for many years and have talked with many owners going through this sad time with their senior pets. Everyone asks "how do you know its time?" and honestly there is no one right answer. A lot of the time the dog will let you know but sometimes they try to hang on despite their pain or discomfort. I sometimes wondered if they did this because they knew how upset their owners were. When I talked to the owners I would tell them to pick 3 things that their dog absolutely LOVED to do on a regular basis (i.e.: eating, playing with a particular toy, going for walks, going for car rides, laying in a particular spot thats not on the floor like a chair, couch, bed). When they can no longer do those 3 things they enjoy the most in life then its time to say your final goodbye.

He doesn't appear to be in any pain at all. He knows my wife lays the coach and he walks up to it and barks because he can no longer jump up there. Walks ok, for the most part, eats,drink and potty well.

If he stop eating and appears to be in pain then I will say good bye to him. This is something I will have to do because it would just be too hard on my wife.

Hope this don't sound wrong but if that times comes and we decide to have him put to sleep, wonder if the Vet will let me hold him while they do it. I really do not want him to be alone with just a stranger and I will have a HARD time with that but would want to be there for him as he has always been there for us.

Oh, they absolutely will allow you to hold him. That is the only way I would do it as well. It is so hard, but the most loving thing you can do when that time comes.

On the day of my wedding shower, I had to go put my husband's family dog to sleep. And I held her, rocked her actually in this really beautiful little room. You're their comfort and protection until the end.

My Kady lived to be 16 1/2 yrs. She had to have an eye removed at 10 yrs old due to retinal cancer and the other removed 2 yrs later due to severe glucoma. She very quickly learned to navigate the house remarkable well. We put steps next to the couch and she could get up and down them without falling. We put a baby gate up to keep her from getting up the steps. At 15 1/2 yrs old she started turning around and around in circles alot and acted confused. My vet said she had canine dementia and put her on Anipryl which helped some. She didn't act like she was in any pain so we just watched her closely. The day she left us I had taken her to the vet because the circling had gotten worse and she was pressing her head in the walls alot. I didn't know how I'd know when her time had come but when she started seizing that night I knew the time had come. We took her to the emergency vet where we decided to end her sweet little life. My vet thinks she had a brain tumor. I'm praying for you and your little baby and I hope if the vet puts him on medication that it will improve his confusion. I've lost 3 senior girls and they do let you know when they've had enough.

I hope that time is still way down the road.

Your little ones are gorgeous!

This is what my Vet told me as well - when I was facing this decision with my aging Maltese, Casper. He was only 13 - but his quality of life was so bad. He was deaf, blind, senile, and incontinent. I really don't think he knew if we were home unless we touched him. So sad.

He no longer loved to be outdoors - because he would get lost - even in our fenced yard.

He ended up pooping in the house all the time - then just pace in circles in it.

It took me a year to get the courage - despite all my friends and family telling me that it was 'time'. I finally knew it was 'time' when I boarded him at our trusted Vet's boarding facility while we went on a family vacation. I guess he messed his kennel and paced in it to the point where they had to treat his raw feet. I was kindly asked to not bring him there again. This was my VET and they had cared for him all his life. I could see it in their face - everyone knew but me.

It was hard - I'm not going to lie - it was so hard but I knew that my Casper was gone forever and this little, lifeless shell, pacing andpacing and never able to rest or respond - was NOT having a good life.

The Vet did let me hold him - it happens very quickly - and again, one of the hardest things I have ever done. I felt guilt for years afterward, I will tell you. Wondering if I did the right thing.

So give it some thought - talk to your vet - and ask yourself about the 3 favorite things.

We were talking to some people this week-end and this lady was telling my wife that they had a dog that was 16 and was pooping in the house and she was getting tired of cleaning it up so she was thinking about putting him down.

Needless to say that made my wife very upset! NO MUCH TROUBLE!! I guess that is why some people put their parents in a nursing home, too much trouble. We are not that kind of people. As long as we knew or think he is not in pain, we will clean up after him and carry him around because we both know that he likes laying by us. Love to sit outside and have the sun and wind in his face. Eat well and drinks well.

Just my 2 cents.

I appreciate your two cents. Please don't think that is the only reason I put my Casper down. I assure you I loved him no less.

Best of luck with your decision; it is one that we all face as dog owners.

There are some vets who will also come to your home or to a park for the final goodbye. We took my friends doxie to his favorite park and for the kitties they came to the house. Like you we just did not want there to be any more stress than necessary but hopefully you will not need to make that decision for a long time.

Was referring to what the person was telling my wife. I didn't take it that way from you at all.

I know what you are going through. One year ago I had to have my black lab, also named Buddy. put to sleep. He had cancer and arthritis so bad that when he went outside, he rolled over in the grass like he always did and broke his hip. We rushed him to the vet and the vet concluded that the best thing would be to have him pts. He was 13 years old. It is hard when our little fur kids get up their in age. I am praying for you and yours and I just wanted to let you know that Buddy and Holly are both very beautiful.

so sad to read all this but also in a way very encouraging to hear that so many of you have had dogs live so long. The longest I ever had was about 11 years:( very good advice from the vet tech I will keep that in mind.

I have always felt that the single kindest most unselfish act we can do for our pet is to let them go when it seems to be their time. It is also the hardest, but not on them, on us. To the OP and to anyone else that has not been with with a pet when they were put down, I strongly urge you to be there. Having been though this three times I was extremely surprised but greatly comforted because it did happen so quickly and at least in my case so peacefully, for me it really was like my little guys just feel asleep in my arms, and knowing that this safe place was where they took their final breath made a difference. There are vets that will come to the house to do this, so it might be something worth checking into. Back on topic though it sounds like you still have time left with your little guy, so just continue the pampering.

Sorry I have not posted in awhile but with everyday life, sometime it get's in the way.

Update on our little boy Buddy. He is about the same other than we have to take him to his water and food dish because he cannot find it sometimes.:sad: He walks around but walks into the walls. He is going in the floor more often but we clean it up because he cannot find the door. Not much of a spot since he is only 2 1/2 lbs. :) That's all right, we can clean the carpets often and most of the time, he goes on the title.

He has given up unconditional love for over 14 years so we can take care of him as long as he is not in pain. He eat well but spends most of his time in bed but likes to lay next to my wife on the couch when she comes home from work.

Holly, is still Holly. :animal37