We are going to put our family dog of 16 years to sleep tomorrow......

[Matrosov]

43. One of my dogs passed this weekend

She was also the second to pass away in just over a year. Both were rescued from puppy mills and had health issues all their lives, but at least were very happy dogs and were +10 years old when they passed.

As someone who has always had a dog and usually more than one, I have also had to deal with many dogs passing.

All I can say is that the initial pain is never easy. It always feels like a close friend or member of the family passed away.

One thing I try to remember is that my sadness is not for them but for me. The dogs are not suffering in any way, physically or emotionally. I have no reason to be sad for them therefore, and I'm sad because I miss them and their personality.

I also try to adhere to my daily routine as much as possible. It's easy to want to sit around and not do anything, yet that often only fuels the sadness. Normalcy and routine are important then. If you have other dogs, feed them, walk them, and play with them, like you usually would.

Eventually there does come a point when you can look back at all the happy times you've had with your dog, and instead of becoming sad again, you'll smile and be thankful for those good times.