My son is 8 and wants to go see our very old and very sick dog put down at the vet tonight. This dog has been with our family since before my son was born.
Farm kids live with this kind of stuff so I figured maybe my son can handle it too. We are city people though. However, he has seen on Little House on the Prairie that when the horse got injured Pa had to shoot it. He has also seen chickens get their head cut off and cooked (on Kid Nation TV show). He saw the Little House where Pa was going to shoot the Racoon and their dog, Jack because he may have had rabies.
He has seen our Aunt get really sick and detoriate and die from ALS. He saw her up until the very end of her life and he has been to several wakes.
He really wants to go and I don't want to hold him back. My husbands mom held him back from his grandmas wake and funeral when he was a young boy and he was begging to go. To this day, he is kind of mad about it. I don't want my son to be mad at me for not letting him go
2007-11-20 10:30:26 · 17 answers · asked by Anonymous in Pets ➔ Dogs
APBT4Goo - my husbands mom would not let MY HUSBAND (HER SON) go to his grandma's (her mom's) wake when my husband was a child. - No way I'd let my mil tell me what to do with MY son!
2007-11-20 11:58:31 · update #1
As hard as it may be, he may benefit from it. It will help him mature and come to terms with death as part of life. If he really wants to, he may end up resenting being denied the opportunity, later in life. I'm sorry that you'll have to say goodbye to your dog. Your family will be in my prayers.
2007-11-20 10:35:39 · answer #1 · answered by Boss 6 · 3⤊ 0⤋
it will be extremely sad. very upsetting for your son. Really, the only thing that watching them put the dog down will do for your son is give him closure. If he was close to the dog, it will give him closure. That way, he won't just think that the dog ran away and that way, he won't be expecting the dog to walk through the door. Euthanizing a pet is extremely hard for anyone, but sometimes, being there to say goodbye is the best way. Now, letting your son experience something like that is really up to you- you know your son best. So, therefore, you know how close he is to the dog, whether he'll be able to handle watching it, or whether you should just tell him a white lie to spare his feelings. This choice is up to you. But- i'm not sure if your vet has told you- once they put the needle in the pet and inject him, the animal is gone immediately. There is no time after the injection to hug him while he's alive to say goodbye as he slowly dies. The movies portray it as a slow process. But, in reality, as soon as that liquid hits the veins, the dog will die quickly and may have a bad reaction- it may bark, it may try to bite, in severe cases it may run around the room- this is all a reaction to the euthanasia formula and the animal is merely acting accordingly. Please ask your vet more details about the euthanasia- such as what i have outlined here- i'm no vet, but i have been going to school to be a vet's assistant. When you are better informed about the procedure, you will be better equipped to decide whether or not you want your son to see it. I'm very sorry about your dog. It is SO hard to lose a pet.
2016-05-24 09:08:30 · answer #2 · answered by audrey 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
I say let him. I was introduced to death very young. Had my pet stomped to death in front of me when I was 3. Also watched every dog Ive ever owned be put down, in the woods not at the vet. Death is a part of life and he is old enough to know it. Your mother-in-law is terrible for holding him back from the funeral. I personally would never let anyone tell me how to raise my kid. At 8 years old he is old enough to know what he wants and if he wants to see his dog die let him.
2007-11-20 10:40:12 · answer #3 · answered by APBT4Good 3 · 2⤊ 0⤋
If he seems ok with the idea of death, and he wants to go, I think you should let him. Just let him know what he is going to see first. That the vet is going to give the dog some medicine in a needle, and its going to make him sleepy like he is going to bed....you know.... I wanted to see our dog get put to sleep a few years ago. I was 24 at the time and my parents wouldn't let me. To this day I could cry about it. Its important that if he wants to feel like he should be there to say goodbye and comfort the dog, that he has the opportunity to do it. Just make sure he is prepared...and that he can change his mind at any time. Hope this helps...and my prayers are with you, I know those little guys are like babies to the family...its always hard to let them go.
2007-11-20 10:38:32 · answer #4 · answered by Mandy25 2 · 3⤊ 0⤋
I had many deaths close to me when I was young.
It sounds like your son has a handle on it (as much as anyone can) I also have seen my dog put down, it is very peaceful & calm - It could be the easiest for way for your son to say goodbye to his pal. You could explain what's going to happen say everyones Love&Kisses & hug the dog til he goes into forever sleep. Sorry for your family's soon to be loss.
2007-11-20 10:43:46 · answer #5 · answered by sue B 3 · 1⤊ 0⤋
I'm a country girl and married to a city boy. From my point of view, you should let your son be there for your dog. It seems to be important for him to be supportive of your canine family. Considering your sons previous exposure to death, it won't be a shock to him and will actually help him to have closure.
My sister's in law, city girls, were never exposed to the inevitability of a pet's death and are petrified to even get a dog for fear that they will have to deal with death.
You son seeing his dog put down will be sad but not graphic. The dog will just go to sleep. I have a seven year old daughter and if this seemed important to her, I would let her be there. Good luck and my condolences.
2007-11-20 10:40:25 · answer #6 · answered by wendysinger 2 · 3⤊ 0⤋
A family pet is a very precious thing for a child, and so seeing it die may be too much for him. As for the fact that he may be mad at you, that's just... disturbing, in a sense. It's not good to want to see things/people die, so whether he's mad at you or not, you shouldn't let him go.
2007-11-20 10:39:31 · answer #7 · answered by crumplebottom_1 2 · 0⤊ 1⤋
I think he's too young. We just put our 15yr old golden retriever down yesterday, my wife and I bawled like babies. My 12yr old granddaughter wanted to go with us but we didn't think it was a good idea. Somehow dogs are different because they give you unconditional love. This would be a very traumatic thing for him.
2007-11-20 10:51:23 · answer #8 · answered by Dirty Dave 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Is your child obsessed with seeing dead people? Now he wants to see them die?
Or he will be mad if he doesn`t see it.
Does he have any feelings of saddness or
is he emotionless for those he saw at the wake? Is he just curious or really like death?
These are questions I would definately ask
myself before I would let my 8 year old
watch my dog be put down.
2007-11-20 10:40:17 · answer #9 · answered by Blessed 7 · 0⤊ 2⤋
My suggestion, and just a suggestion. This may be a little young to see this, i mean he really hasn't been introduced to death too much and letting him see this may not be the wisest choice, if he was a little older still maybe, but my opinion-no
your son has to learn that there are times in life where you get certain privileges, and complaining about it will not do anythiing
2007-11-20 10:36:31 · answer #10 · answered by Joe S 2 · 0⤊ 2⤋