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Posted By: davidcycleback

Dogs live in the present and have no concept of their death or lifespan or decades.
They weren't designed to live 80 years, there's nothing an owner
can do about that. But, especially considering that dogs live in the present
and not the future, the best thing an owner can do is to give them a full
and happy life. It's far better for the dog to life 3 happy years than 80 unhappy ones.

I held a 16 year old family dog when the vet put her to sleep. The sedative
before the final injection put her literally to sleep, so it was identical to
taking a nap for her.