Karen, we just went through this in November, but for us it came out of the blue. Our boy Koa would have turned 12 in February, and he declined rapidly over a weekend. After 36 hours at the vet, $4K worth of tests and treatments, with no known reason and nothing working, Koa looked in my eyes and told me it was time. It was, without a doubt, the hardest decision I ever made in my life, but I also know, without a doubt, that it was the right and best decision for Koa. We brought him home, and we had a vet come to the house to help him transition peacefully. I cried pretty much non-stop for a week. We'd had him for 8.5 years. He slept in our bedroom - either on our bed with us or on his bed at the foot of our bed. He snuggled with us and loved on us like nobody's business. The house was so, so, so empty without him. We had Koa cremated, and we have his urn along with his collar, his pawprint, and his photo.
Now, nearly two months later, I'm more at peace, so much so that we're adopting another grey this weekend. I can't even believe it... Before he passed, I said it would be years, if ever, before we got another dog. Then when he passed, I swore I could never do it again. Then a week later, I realized our home is meant to have a dog and it would probably be a matter of months. And now she'll be home on Saturday. I firmly believe that he sent her to us and us to her - too many coincidences and chance happenings for it to be anything else.
If you are asking the question, you know it's time. It's so hard, I know, but it's the right, merciful, and loving thing to do.
BTW - talk about signs. My husband is from Oregon, and his name is Gabriel.
