Things to do before putting your dog down
There's a date on the calendar now, and the days before it feel too short and too long at once. Here's what owners say afterwards they were glad they did.
Let most of it be ordinary
Dogs don't know the date. What they know is you, the couch, the same walk, the sound of their bowl. Plan one or two things and let the rest be normal; the ordinary hours are what people remember most clearly later.
What owners were glad they did
Pick one or two. None of it has to be big.
Take far more photos than feels natural
The one thing almost everyone wishes they'd done more of. Take the close ones: the paws, the grey muzzle, the way they lie with one leg out. And take video with the sound on: the sigh, the tags, their head coming up at their name. You don't have to look at any of it yet.
If the guilt has already started
That's what vets say, and wondering whether it's too soon is close to universal. The question itself shows how carefully you're deciding. If it helps, write down what the last few weeks have actually looked like, not just the last day. People reach for that list often afterwards.
Write a few things down
The small specifics go first: the noise they made getting up, what they did every time you picked up your keys, the nickname that stuck for eleven years. A few sentences in your phone is enough, and it's the hardest thing to rebuild later. Those lines and the photos are all a tribute needs, when you're ready, which might be weeks from now. There's no schedule.
Common questions
Can I put this together before, or is that morbid?
Plenty of people do it in the waiting week, and they say it helped to have something to do with their hands. Others can't face it for months. Both are completely normal - there's no right time and nothing expires.