5 Wonderful Ways to Honor A Dog That Has Passed Away

 The hardest thing about having dog is when they pass away. It's heart breaking to say the very least. At Wonder Dog Gear we hear of someone losing their dog all too often since not only have we worked with a lot of dogs, but through Wonder Dog Fund we help many who are in need of veterinary care, often times senior dogs.

Here are 5 Ways to Honor a Dog That Has Passed Away

Dog Memorial Services

On way to honor or remember your dog, really celebrate your dog's life is by holding a memorial service. This may be as easy as having the family grow a tree in the yard to a full service of inviting family and friends to a park or perhaps garden, your house or a your dog's favorite place. You may also light a candlestick online and also invite friends and family to a candle light in respect of the dog

Create A Past Book for Your Dog

We live in a time of digital photography. Think about how many photos you have of your dog on your phone. When your dog passes away, though it hurts to see those photos, it can also be very healing to go through them and celebrate the great life you gave your dog.

With our dogs being so much part of our family and friends circles, creating a Past Book is a great way to share and celebrate the wonderful life of your dog. 

Food & Water Bowl Planter Dog Memorial

When Rami Abourmahadi's beloved golden retriever Cookie passed away, they planted flowers in her favorite feeder and placed it at the entrance of their house. She explains, " This way this is the first thing we see and visitors get greeted with: Happy, Colorful and Full of Life!"

  Commission a Portrait

You do not need to wait for your dog to die to make this happen, but if in case your dog is already gone, there is absolutely no reason why you cannot preserve his or her memory with a painting. Many artist do commissioned paintings from your favorite photo.

Puppies are not fully developed and should not be run at all unless it is in the form of natural play. You should wait to fully run your dog until the growth plates have closed, usually at 18 months.

As a general rule light activity is recommended to start a 9-12 month old puppy, building towards full activity from 12-18 months. Dog breeds like Labradors, Golden Retrievers, Rotweillers and others that are susceptible to hip dysplasia should be a full 18 months old before full structured runs should take place.

For a list of good running dog breeds check this Runner's World article:  A Breed Apart.

Once your puppy reaches 18 months you should start light activity, do short runs and try to run on softer surfaces such as trails or grassy areas as opposed to pavement.