Should I have my dog put to sleep? Old, pees on carpet, barks when front door opens, hides under bed all day.

Question

My pomeranian has become a thorn in my side. She is loosing weight, going deaf, stinks no matter how often I bathe her, avoids family contact, and pees on my carpet every night. I really can't stand the sight of her anymore. If she at least wanted to have something to do with us I wouldn't even have this question. With 2 small children I can't stand the thought of them on the carpet were the dog peed even after I cleaned it and my house is beginning to smell of dog pee. We just put down brand new carpet when we bought this house a year a go and now its nasty. I shampoo the carpet everytime I find a spot but that's not enough. Should I feel guilty for not wanting to keep my dog even though she is getting old and becoming infirm?

Answer 1

Do you really want me to answer this?
Your pom deserves someone to love her. If you can't find someone to take her then have her euthanized. It is kinder than letting her live in a home with no love. I don't think you should get another pet.

Answer 2

You sound like a very cruel, uncaring owner, and yes you should feel guilty! Have you ever stopped to think, that because she's got all these problems, and she's acting this way, that she's ill, and can't help peeing on the carpet, because of a Urinary Tract Infection and needs to be seen by a vet? When was the last time you did take her to the vet? Why is she losing weight? Maybe she's hiding under the bed, because she's afraid of you! Dog's can sense, your anger toward them. As far as barking when the door opens or someone rings the doorbell or knocks, that's normal. Most dogs do that! Those are not the right reasons to put a dog to sleep! Be responsible, and either take her to a vet to have her checked and treated, or give her to a Pomeranian Rescue Organization, that will take her to a vet, and take proper care of her, and possibly adopt her out to a loving family, that will take care of her and love her, the way she should be taken care of and loved. Since she's a thorn at your side and you can't stand the site of her anymore,{what a cruel statement}, after all the love and loyalty she's given you through the years, you would feel the same about any other animal. Please don't own anymore animals, if they are that much of a pain to you! You don't deserve them! I feel so, so sorry for her!

Answer 3

Your question is should you feel guilty for not wanting to keep your dog even though she is getting old and becoming infirm? I nor anyone else can answer that. I'm sure you feel guilty or not, already, so I don't think you need validation. Should you euthanize a dog because she's not behaving as she used to when she was a pup? Not in my opinion and that's what you asked for really, everyone else's opinion on what you should do. I'm not going to be the one to tell you to take the easy way out. When you got your dog you made the decision for better or worse to take of her for the rest of her life.
I think the best advice I can give you is take her to a vet. Find out what's going on with her, why is she losing weight and urinating more? Why doesn't she want to socialize with the family anymore? If she is being yelled at all the time for urinating on the carpet then I can only imagine she is a very unhappy dog...would you want to be around someone who is always angry and mean or indifferent to you?
If it's a UTI causing it then it can be easily fixed with medication. If it's due to age they make diapers for dogs just like they do Depends for the elderly. She can't help it if she's going deaf and honestly this shouldn't even be a big deal for you. Her smelling bad could be from age, but it could also be from an illness too....yet again take her to the vet. Also, realize, just like the elderly nothing works quite as well as it use to and maybe she needs to be taken outside more often.
You don't mention her age in the original post but with her being a small dog she can live to be quite old happily. Maybe she is truly sick and it would be better for the DOG to be euthanized. You won't know until you take her to the Vet.
My Mom became this way towards her Cocker Spaniel as she became old and just wanted to put her down because she had started urinating all over the house. Granted, she was originally my sister's dog, but still, I took her in and she lived happily with my family for another 5 years with some modifications. My Mom has never, nor do I think she will ever, buy another animal.
Buying a pet is a lifetime commitment that not everyone can or will do...next time save the heartache for yourself and more importantly the animal and don't.
On a sidenote, I personally have never understood the concept of having carpet when you own pets and/or have children. Trust me when I say a child will damage carpet faster than most pets. The stuff is disgusting even if an animal isn't urinating on it and starting the cleaning cycle makes it worse as it will attract more dirt. No vacuum on earth even the Dyson will get everything living down in your carpet. Save yourself the pain and buy tile or laminate/wood floors.

Answer 4

Dobey told you already what your message says, and it is not saying anything good about you and your lack of love and empathy towards your dog.
Old, infirm, hate it, get rid of it - let's hope your kids are kinder than you are and don't feel that way about you when you get old, weak, and sick and aren't cute or fun anymore.

Yes, you should feel guilty - and ashamed.
At a time your poor dog needs extra care and attention, you decide she's a "thorn in your side"
and worry about your carpet.
You could manage this situation a lot better, get her to the vet, get pain pills for her (Rymadil or something of that sort), keep her in a room without carpets, but make sure she has bedding, chewies, etc. In short, show some human kindness towards an animal that has been loyal to you for many years.

Answer 5

First of all, let me say that your feelings are NORMAL! It's very difficult to take care of anything that is sick over a long period of time. If your dog is old, it would be cruel to give her away, especially to a shelter! She would be terrified and never understand what happened. Honestly, if you are feeling this way, perhaps you are reading signals from her that SHE is ready to go. Euthanasia is a gift that we can give to our pets. It is a way of honoring their lives, by giving them a painless, gentle death. If you decide to do it, make peace with yourself and your dog first. Decide what HER quality of life is today & what you feel it will be & then make your decision. She can feel your emotions and although she doesn't understand why you can't stand to look at her, she knows it. I would give her one last bath so you can hold her without the stinkies, a yummy last meal, a nice walk where she likes to go and then have her humanely euthanized. I know many people will hate this answer, but I personally think you should put her QUALITY of life before her QUANTITY of life. Life for life's sake is not good enough. We have the responsibility to do what is right for them & perhaps euthanasia is the right thing.
I would also recomend that you don't get another dog right away. Give yourself some time to adjust, relax and ponder whether you really want another dog. Give yourself some time to put your house back in order too, so if you get another dog, they won't smell the pee of the first one and start that bad habit all over again. Also try finding something like "Nature's Miracle" to put on your carpet to break down the urine inside the rugs.
Well, good luck. This is a difficult decision & I don't envy you, but you'll do alright.

Answer 6

yes please put your poor dog to sleep - she does not deserve the nasty way you are talking about her after all the years of love and devotion she has given you. she would be better off going peacefully into God's arms than living another minute with someone who now considers her a "thorn in my side" because she is getting old and infirm. God help you if they ever pass a law where you can euthanize people for "getting old and becoming infirm"

forgive her little doggy for she knows not what she has done

Answer 7

Please stop worrying about the carpet, you will have to get a new one after all that, but none of this is your fault. She is an old dog and inevitably she will die. I had this with my dog a couple of months ago, he was peeing and pooing on the carpet, crying, could barely stand up and he was a black lab, so much bigger than your little pom =). Eventually he died on christmas day, but what I did was make him as comfortable as possible. If your dog is not in obvious pain then there is no real need to have her euthanised. Please please don't get her euthanised as it is the lazy way of getting rid of a problem or unwanted dog. If you are able to, look after her until the day she dies and take as good care of her as you can, and if you feel you cannot look after her, perhaps take her to a shelter but there is always the possibility of them simply putting her to sleep anyway. Don't feel guilty about not wanting to keep her, of course it will cross your mind! It is always difficult having an old dog, but remember when you got her, you promised you would always look after her. Please do what you think is best for the dog, not just for your lifestyle.

Answer 8

If she is sick, she doesn't feel like socializing and probably cant help urinating on the carpet. Wonder what you would do if one of your children were sick and had accidents on the carpet and too sick to play???
You don't deserve an animal!!! Get a vet check and see if it is something simple to cure. If so, treat her then call rescue. Relationships, even with animals shouldn't be thrown away just because they aren't easy anymore.

Answer 9

Let me ask you this? And I mean no disrepect. Would you put your children down if they made a mess on the carpet all the time? If the roles were reveresed with the kids and your dog. what would you do? Yes he or she may be old and have incapabilities but they still can give you unconditional love and attention. They are just like people.They fight, play argue, hungry, sleepy, need to trained sometimes,etc and any other things I haven't mention here. But Uhm please take that into consideration. Or maybe give him or her to someone who will take him as they are.

Answer 10

just remember you set the example for your kids. what will they do with you when you get old and infirm? call pom rescue like someone else said. even at the age she is, they will make her last days wonderful. with 2 small children, im sure the dog isnt the only one ruining your carpet.