All my condolences, think of all the happy times and be glad you gave him a good life and a good death. 
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Saddened to read of your loss, so many of us have been through this and can empathise.
We have a magnolia in the garden with a plaque commemorating our previous pooch, we call it âIssaâs bushâ and have many fond memories that have remained after the profound sadness of her demise.
And after a respectful mourning period, we got Gigi, whoâs a constant source of pleasure.
But Issaâs certainly not forgotten. The Theosophists believed that no-one fully dies until they are forgotten, and itâs reasonable to assume the same applies to dogs - be sad - but enjoy your memories too, theyâll last longer.
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Sad. You will have many days of heartache ahead, so all my sympathy.
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@SuePJ oh Sue we share your sadness. Our dear Alfie has had problems with his mouth for the last 7 of his 15 years 8 months. His teeth have been descaled many times and some removed as the build up of plaque has caused continual problems but despite all that he has been tge happiest of dogs and our best faithful friend.
2 weeks ago his mouth was bleeding badly and we took him straight to the vet. A biopsy was taken and we got the results today. For the last 2 weeks he has been on steroids to give him an appetite to overcome the discomfort of eating.
The biopsy result cofirmed he had 2 cancers in his mouth which our vet confirmed was inoperable due to its location.
We took Alfie a walk around his beloved garden after receiving the news that we were half expecting and he enjoyed the spring air.
We made our decision which was so so hard and now as I type this I keep telling myself we were wrong.
We rang the vet and arrived there at 17.45. Our vet asked why we didnât want a few more weeks with Alfie but we knew the decision we had faced would only be postponed for our sake whike Alfieâs condition deteriorated. His various medications required regular blood tests to check it was not damaging his organs.
6 weeks ago Alfie travelled to England with is for our sons wedding, Alfie loved travelling.
3 weeks ago we travelled to Spain in our camping-car and Alfie came with us, Alfie loved travelling.
While in Spain Alfie went off his food and was not well.
We took him to a vet there and was told that because he wasnât eating the effect of his medication had upset his digestive system. They changed his medication and Alfie improved until the episode of 2 weeks ago.
I am sorry to prolong the story but it is comforting my grief.
We have had 8 dogs during our 49 years of marriage and all have been special but Alfie was that and so much more. Our vet was so dignified and patient while we said our goodbyes through our flod of tears.
Alfie went peacefully into sleep as we cuddled and caressed him. He lay warm and still and breathing steadily and I am sure that as he slept he knew we were with him.
We removed his collar and crept away so that the vet could administer the last injection to take him to dog heaven.
Of Alfie, I am crying for you again but you have always trusted us to look after and care for you, we could have not ended your life today and keot you for a few more weeks but that would have been us being selfish and not putting your health first.
Please forgive us little man, you are at rest now and your pain is no more. Our pain remains but will subside into happy memories of the many years you gave given us so much joy.
Thanks for reading and Sue I know how you must feel tonight xxx
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So sorry to hear that.
So sorry to hear about your loss @JohnBoy , itâs an incredibly hard decision
but the right one (we doubted ourselves too) He will be with you in spirit forever.
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Iâm sorry for your sadness. I trust that somewhere in sunny uplands his spirit is gambolling and his pain gone.
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Anyone who has had the privilege of sharing their lives with these magnificent beings can relate to the obvious pain youâre going through, after your brave decision. It is very poignant to read yours and @SuePJ posts.Total sympathy for you both.
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Thank you for sharing that, @JohnBoy . Iâm glad you have many happy memories to comfort you.
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Oh John, Iâm so sorry - these are the toughest of times. I too know the feeling of âtoo soon?â but Iâm also firmly convinced they go when they are ready. And for us, one of the key signs is when they stop enjoying their food (Bertie would not eat yesterday morning).
They leave a huge hole in our lives. My heart goes out to you. These coming days are going to be hard.
And my thanks to everyone for your kind words.
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You had the courage and respect for your friend to do the right thng.
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So sorry @SuePJ I have been there many times but it never gets any better. A big hug from us three too. 
And to you @JohnBoy too, I replied to Sue on the instant not realising that there were many more posts.
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Got to give you a huggle too @JohnBoy .
love from Rachel xx
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@SuePJ @JohnBoy So sad for you both, it is such a hard day to endure. All our dogs are loved, but some touch the soul more than others and leave a bigger hole.
I didnât notice this thread had new posts, so this was now days ago and you are probably really feeling the empty spaces in your houses. So many good years to remember thoâ.
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When you have complete trust in your dogs:
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For @DrMarkH
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A month ago we said goodbye to our beloved mutt Bertie and decided that we were too old for another dog.
Then OH got 'flu, badly and looked dreadful as he lay in bed. And I spent my evenings on my own, watching late night TV, thinking this will be how I end my days.
If we were to get another dog, OH had said it had to be an Airedale (his first love) and I said that was crazy. But then I just wanted him better and having lived with them for nearly 30 years, said, ok. The look of joy on his face meant I knew Iâd said the right thing.
Over the last 3 days we have driven 600km there and back to bring our 9 month old adolescent Airedale home yesterday and she is adorable. Having lived outside on a terrace and a patch of lawn with a kennel for all her young life, the big wide world is very scary. We got her into the cage in the car when we left, but she wasnât at all sure she wanted to come out on our various âpit stopsâ on the journey home.
She has, however, quickly learnt that exciting things happen in the kitchen.
Her registered name is Viliane, which seems a bit cumbersome so I have tried condensing it to Viane for her pet name. Unfortunately it starts too much like Vita, our last terrier, and OH has started calling her Vita. So we need something different.
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We have had 4 Airedaleâs, Rose, Daisy, Liz and Meg.
They are real characters. Our new boy Barney is a cocker and every minute is a joy.
Like you we considered our age and for all the dogs we have had in 49 years of marriage, 8 in total, Barney will probably be our last. For us life has to be shared with a 4 legged friend.
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Congratulations!
Try maybe calling her Winnie? Sounds similar enough to the French name pronunciation for her and not so confusingly similar for your husband.
