OK, How do we break the news about our Rottweiler to our kids?

Last night I posted a question about our Rottweiler. Now we know he is for sure going to pass. He is having strokes and other issues.. Now, how and when do we break the news to our kids? We have never had to do this before and we would love any advice from people who have been in our shoes! Our girls mainly. They are 4 and 8. Our boy%26#039;s are too young to understand at 18 months and 11 weeks... Thanks!

OK, How do we break the news about our Rottweiler to our kids?
It%26#039;s very important how you handle it, because this is one way for your children to learn how to deal with grief in a healthy way. Tell them the truth, and then ask them how they feel about it. Tell them how you%26#039;re dealing with it, how you feel about it, in great detail. Remind them to celebrate all the great times you%26#039;ve had with your pet, and all the wonderful memories you%26#039;ll have forever. Everyone has to learn how to deal with losing loved ones. If you do it in a loving way, you%26#039;ll help to prepare them for dealing with more devastating losses, such as the death of a friend, a family member... and eventually their mom and dad. Death is a natural and inescapable part of life.
Reply:tell them that its all their fault. theyll understand Report It

Reply:Boy Shawn.. what a jerk. Report It

Reply:Tell them before your dog passes. And just let them know that the dog is too sick and soon it%26#039;ll be going to doggie heaven. Yeah, might sound corny, but I%26#039;m sure kids would like that better than saying it%26#039;s going in the ground.


And tell them not everything lives forever. Then maybe you can bring up the idea of another dog? That might help, it might not. Good luck.
Reply:just be like....girls (dogs name) is really sick and we need to put him to sleep. when we put him to sleep (or hes about to die) he%26#039;ll see god and all the other dogs that are in heaven. He%26#039;ll be in a better place where he%26#039;ll never be sick. but he%26#039;ll be watching you from heaven and still protecting us so dont worry
Reply:This is what you do(my mom did this to me)%26quot;Ask them why things go to heaven and how special it is!Tell them that when someone dyes they go off to a nice better place and they realy dont have to worry!Then you say and when something goes its best for them to move on god will take good care of them!Then give them a big hug and say this%26quot;%26quot;(rotrilers name) we think hes going to go to that special place.And dont be sad because god will take care of him just like he took care of the animals on nowas ark.%26#039;%26#039;Sat that in a nice calm way to your kids and if they get upset it is ok.its normal for them to go!And i%26#039;m sorry you have to go throught his i cryed so hard when Sooner our border collie dyed!So good luck and good luck to your rotwriler!!!!Hope I helped!(MY E-MAil is pomeranianplaza@yahoo.com so can you please e-mail me and tell me if i helped!please!!?? My name is Katelyn)
Reply:tell them he is sick and he has to go to heaven, and also tell them to pray real hard every night to try to bring him back.





my dog that i loved a lot had to be put to sleep and i went to see her one last time,it was hard but was better to say goodbye one last time.
Reply:I have been through this many times. Start preparing them now. Tell them your dog is sick and may not be with us much longer. If at all possible do not let them see the expired dog. I am A Christain and I always tell the truth. I tell my children our pet has gone to Heaven and will be waiting for us because this is what I truly believe. I know this is a sad time you all of you and I wish you much luck.
Reply:This is a hard thing to have to do. You should tell them beforehand so they have a chance to say goodbye. Explain to them that the dog is very, very sick and that he is going to die. Tell them that right now he is in pain and he is frightened, but that the pain will go away soon and he will die, and his spirit will be waiting at the Rainbow Bridge (if you believe in the soul and Heaven).





Here is a link to a poem that was written some time ago about the Rainbow Bridge, where our pets wait for us near Heaven and rejoin us when we get there:





http://www.petloss.com/poems/maingrp/rai...





Good luck. And I am sorry for your loss.
Reply:I remember when I was in second grade, my cat was dying, my mom told me to go in and say good bye. I cried and she consoled. She never sugar coated. Just told the truth, that he was going to die and he loved me. I am 28 and still remember kissing him good bye. It%26#039;ll hurt them, but be honest. Don%26#039;t exagerate, only answer the questions you are asked. But dont%26#039; lie to them either. you won%26#039;t get away w/o them being very upset. But let them say good bye. I%26#039;m glad my mom let me.
Reply:maybe you could get a puppy rottweiler to take his place. get it before the old one dies so it%26#039;s not so tramatic when he does die.


explain to them that the old one has been a companion and a good friend, but now it%26#039;s his turn to die. explain that it%26#039;s his time and that it would be selfish to want to keep him forever. prepare them very early for it and make it so it%26#039;s not tragic, kids can%26#039;t really handle tragedy. you could make it sad, peaceful, and well understood. if it%26#039;s understood he%26#039;s leaving soon it won%26#039;t be shocking when he does.
Reply:I would wait until the dog passes. Kids very often don%26#039;t tell us what they think and it may bother them if they think the dog is going to die. We lost our dog from kidney disease when my son was young and he thought it was his fault as it was %26quot;kid%26quot;ney disease. Seriously. He never told me until about 5 years ago and he%26#039;s an adult now. I%26#039;d tell them that he%26#039;s sick and may not get any better. This may sound cruel but getting a new dog shortly after yours passes will help to ease the pain. It doesn%26#039;t mean you loved your pet any less and it%26#039;s a difficult thing to do but it will help. Good Luck
Reply:tell them that god has a special spot for him in heaven and that the dog has done his job by giving them good memories and fun times, but that god needed the prtection of an angel from earth and their dog was the perfect choice. if they don%26#039;t fuss about it tell them god promised that they would get a new dog soon that would comfort their lose.
Reply:Tell them as soon as you can that he is sick. Do they understand what it means when something %26quot;passes.. or dies%26quot;? Tell them that they will always have the memory of him, but that all living things will die. (go to sleep and not wake up, to be gentle). It%26#039;ll be hard... and, they will be upset. But if you wait until after he dies it will be a lot harder to cushion it for them. No preparation or time to say good-bye to him will be hard for them. At least give them that chance to say good-bye if they want to. I%26#039;m sorry about your doggy. :(
Reply:Tell them before so they can spend as much time as possible with him
Reply:Tell them that everyone they love is dying and that there%26#039;s no hope.
Reply:not sure how you would break the news to your daughters, never had to do that personally. But I have 3 dogs and would be totally distraught if i ever lost them. I also have 4 children, although mine are all teens now.





I posted a poem that I find inspirational. and I tear up every time I read it. maybe it will help ease your childrens pain.....





Just this side of heaven is a place called Rainbow Bridge.





When an animal dies that has been especially close to someone here, that pet goes to Rainbow Bridge.


There are meadows and hills for all of our special friends so they can run and play together.


There is plenty of food, water and sunshine, and our friends are warm and comfortable.





All the animals who had been ill and old are restored to health and vigor; those who were hurt or maimed are made whole and strong again, just as we remember them in our dreams of days and times gone by.


The animals are happy and content, except for one small thing; they each miss someone very special to them, who had to be left behind.





They all run and play together, but the day comes when one suddenly stops and looks into the distance. His bright eyes are intent; His eager body quivers. Suddenly he begins to run from the group, flying over the green grass, his legs carrying him faster and faster.





You have been spotted, and when you and your special friend finally meet, you cling together in joyous reunion, never to be parted again. The happy kisses rain upon your face; your hands again caress the beloved head, and you look once more into the trusting eyes of your pet, so long gone from your life but never absent from your heart.





Then you cross Rainbow Bridge together....





Author unknown...
Reply:When I was little, my parents told me our dog had run away. Years later I found out he was hit by a car. I wish my parents would have told me. I think the girls would understand. You should have a family talk BEFORE the animal passes. Explain the life cycle and how everything is connected. Make them feel free to express themselves and share their feelings. There are also some really good books at Amazon.com for kids about death. I got my nephews one when their cousin passed away, basically the same thing, especially for kids.
Reply:You mean he%26#039;s going to die. Tell your kids that he is really, really sick, and has to go to heaven. All kids know that that%26#039;s a good place.
Reply:when our cocker was hit by a car my daughter was three.


the way i handled it was by telling her that God decided that our little Muffin was needed in heaven. And when God tells you it is time to go to heaven then you have to go.


i also told her that didnt mean god or muffin didnt love her, because both love her very much. it just ment muffin had helped us as much as she could and she needed to help god now.








please! DONT TELL THEM THE DOG IS GOING TO GO TO SLEEP AND NEVER WAKE UP%26gt; YOUR KIDS WILL NEVER SLEEP AGAIN!!!!!!!!
Reply:well, I remember when my dad told me my cat that I loved sooooo much was going to have to be put to sleep, and I remeber it like it was yesterday. He sat me down and told me her condition, then told me shes going to have to be put down. I started balling my eyes out, then he just hugged me and didnt let go until I wanted to, basicly just give them lots of love and talk to them, let them see her too, if I didnt get to see her one last time, it would be 10 times as worse





good luck
Reply:TELL THEM THAT HIS HEART IS OLD AND ITS NOTHING THEY DID AND TELL THEM BEFORE HE PASSES IF NOT THE WILL RESENT U FOR THE REST OF UR LIFE I DID WITH MY PARENTS WHEN MY BEST FRIEND MY DOG DIED WHEN I WAS YOUNGER
Reply:Please do not use the words %26quot;put to sleep%26quot; with your children. You wake up from sleep but not death. You will confuse them and scare them.
Reply:If i were in your kids%26#039; shoes i would want someone to tell me that my dog was sick before it passes away. talk to them like they are really litlle like say %26quot;Kids, our doggy is sick.%26quot; And maybe explain the proses of things dieing to them so you don%26#039;t need to explain stuff to them when your cat or other pet dies. Soooooooooooo Sorry for you. good luck telling the kids.
Reply:Since you have no idea how long he will live, tell them now. Give them a chance to love on him and treat him extra special before he goes. Help them to understand what is wrong with him and why he has to die.





Kids need to understand and hiding things from them often makes them feel betrayed later. Give them a chance to deal with it now, and it will be easier when he goes.
Reply:Tell them before the dog dies - if it isn%26#039;t too distressing for the girls i.e. the dog is sedated at the vet, allow them an opportunity to say goodbye. And then once the dog passes away, mark the occasion - although it will be sad, you can also celebrate the dog%26#039;s life and the good times you%26#039;ve all had with him.
Reply:I too have had Rottweilers. I think they are great pets. I think your 8 year old is old enough for you to explain it to before it happens. But I think you should wait to tell the 4 year old.



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