# Why must big dogs die so early **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [January 9, 2009, 12:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-must-big-dogs-die-so-early/480449 "2009-01-09T00:20:24Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![BluePitbull](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/e9bcb4/32.png) [@BluePitbull](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BluePitbull)\ **Post date:** [January 9, 2009, 12:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-must-big-dogs-die-so-early/480449/1 "2009-01-09T00:20:24Z")
Lost my Great Dane/Rottweiller mix, whose name is Trigger, today to Heart Failure at age 11 years. 11 years is too short for a great dog like him ☹ ---
**Author:** ![Soul\_Brother\_Number\_Two](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/soul_brother_number_two/32/3515_2.png) [@Soul\_Brother\_Number\_Two](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Soul_Brother_Number_Two)\ **Post date:** [January 9, 2009, 12:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-must-big-dogs-die-so-early/480449/2 "2009-01-09T00:25:48Z")
My condolences. ---
**Author:** ![longPath](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/bb73d2/32.png) [@longPath](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/longPath)\ **Post date:** [January 9, 2009, 12:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-must-big-dogs-die-so-early/480449/3 "2009-01-09T00:30:10Z")
Sorry to hear… We have Standard Poodles and know all too well what you mean. best wishes… ---
**Author:** ![nonacetone](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/nonacetone/32/2819_2.png) [@nonacetone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/nonacetone)\ **Post date:** [January 9, 2009, 12:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-must-big-dogs-die-so-early/480449/4 "2009-01-09T00:30:17Z")
I’m so sorry for your loss. You have my sincerest condolences, **BluePitbull**. ---
**Author:** ![GaryM](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/garym/32/241_2.png) [@GaryM](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GaryM)\ **Post date:** [January 9, 2009, 12:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-must-big-dogs-die-so-early/480449/5 "2009-01-09T00:35:02Z")
Sorry for your loss, but generally speaking, a dogs longevity seems to be inversely proportional to size. ---
**Author:** ![Baker](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/bb73d2/32.png) [@Baker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Baker)\ **Post date:** [January 9, 2009, 12:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-must-big-dogs-die-so-early/480449/6 "2009-01-09T00:54:44Z")
**BluePitBull** , I’m sorry to hear about your dog. At least he had an obviously loving owner for those eleven years. I don’t know how Trigger got on with cats, but maybe my Baby and my Road Warrior could let him chase them a little. Actually, Baby might put claw marks in his nose though! ---
**Author:** ![Moirai](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/96bed5/32.png) [@Moirai](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Moirai)\ **Post date:** [January 9, 2009, 1:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-must-big-dogs-die-so-early/480449/7 "2009-01-09T01:01:09Z")
We lost both of our Newfoundlands within a week of each other last fall- Angus was 11 but Holly was only about 6… Yes, it’s awful. My condolences. ---
**Author:** ![ASAKMOTSD](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/919ad9/32.png) [@ASAKMOTSD](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ASAKMOTSD)\ **Post date:** [January 9, 2009, 2:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-must-big-dogs-die-so-early/480449/8 "2009-01-09T02:15:21Z")
I am not convinced there is a correlation having lost a Golden Retriever and a Beagle each 10 years old from different causes within a month of each other. My condolences. ---
**Author:** ![MoodIndigo1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/e8c25b/32.png) [@MoodIndigo1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MoodIndigo1)\ **Post date:** [January 9, 2009, 2:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-must-big-dogs-die-so-early/480449/9 "2009-01-09T02:25:24Z")
My condolences, it’s so very sad and true. Our St-Bernard, Sarah Bernhard, died suddenly at age 5. It’s incredibly painful, I feel for you, Pitbull. ---
**Author:** ![Sleeps\_With\_Butterflies](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/bb73d2/32.png) [@Sleeps\_With\_Butterflies](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sleeps_With_Butterflies)\ **Post date:** [January 9, 2009, 2:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-must-big-dogs-die-so-early/480449/10 "2009-01-09T02:37:25Z")
I am so sorry for your loss. I really feel for you, I’ve been there. ---
**Author:** ![Captain\_Carrot](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/f0a364/32.png) [@Captain\_Carrot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Captain_Carrot)\ **Post date:** [January 9, 2009, 2:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-must-big-dogs-die-so-early/480449/11 "2009-01-09T02:54:17Z")
Having lived with large dogs all my life, I feel for you. Rocky, whom we’ve had since I was ten, has peed inappropriately twice since I came home for break, and we’re thinking that might be a sign of something serious. ---
**Author:** ![Scarlett67](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/scarlett67/32/7387_2.png) [@Scarlett67](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Scarlett67)\ **Post date:** [January 9, 2009, 2:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-must-big-dogs-die-so-early/480449/12 "2009-01-09T02:59:09Z")
I’m very sorry, and I know the feeling. The late great springer spaniel Miss Emily Kimberly died suddenly at age 11-1/2, and though springers are not big dogs, we’d hoped to have her till at least 14. Now her successors are almost 7 and 9, and my only comfort is that they are in much better health than she was at that age. **The misery of keeping a dog is his dying so soon. But, to be sure, if he lived for fifty years and then died, what would become of me?** —Sir Walter Scott ---
**Author:** ![hellpaso](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/ecae2f/32.png) [@hellpaso](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/hellpaso)\ **Post date:** [January 9, 2009, 4:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-must-big-dogs-die-so-early/480449/13 "2009-01-09T04:36:56Z")
i’m so sorry–our sweet sow (rottie), died at thirteen, in her sleep. we should all be so fortunate. ---
**Author:** ![conurepete](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/a88e57/32.png) [@conurepete](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/conurepete)\ **Post date:** [January 9, 2009, 8:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-must-big-dogs-die-so-early/480449/14 "2009-01-09T08:11:16Z")
It is always too early. (My parrot just died, the pain is parallel) Remember, even though he died, he never stopped loving you. ---
**Author:** ![Leiko](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/c5a1d2/32.png) [@Leiko](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Leiko)\ **Post date:** [January 9, 2009, 8:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-must-big-dogs-die-so-early/480449/15 "2009-01-09T08:18:45Z")
There’s a science-y answer to your subject-line question, available on the great interwebs, but the more human answer is that a pet’s death will always feel too soon, even if they live longer than expected. My condolences on your loss. I hope Trigger is getting to slobber all over everything in Doggy Heaven, if you believe in such a thing and he was, as I suspected from his ancestry, a slobbery pup. ---
**Author:** ![Khadaji](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/9e8a1a/32.png) [@Khadaji](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Khadaji)\ **Post date:** [January 9, 2009, 12:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-must-big-dogs-die-so-early/480449/16 "2009-01-09T12:34:18Z")
I am sorry to hear your news. Sending supporting thoughts your way. ---
**Author:** ![Lust4Life](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/ecc23a/32.png) [@Lust4Life](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lust4Life)\ **Post date:** [January 9, 2009, 12:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-must-big-dogs-die-so-early/480449/17 "2009-01-09T12:55:38Z")
I know where you’re coming from, its a heart breaking experience. We’re all with you in spirit. ---
**Author:** ![Rebo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rebo/32/13005_2.png) [@Rebo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rebo)\ **Post date:** [January 9, 2009, 1:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-must-big-dogs-die-so-early/480449/18 "2009-01-09T13:08:19Z")
I’m so sorry. ---
**Author:** ![singular1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ba9def/32.png) [@singular1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/singular1)\ **Post date:** [January 9, 2009, 2:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-must-big-dogs-die-so-early/480449/19 "2009-01-09T14:23:58Z")
My heart goes out to you. I’ll go home and hug my big dumb lab and think of your sweet Trigger. ---
**Author:** ![Tupug\_Anachi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/7993a0/32.png) [@Tupug\_Anachi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tupug_Anachi)\ **Post date:** [January 9, 2009, 3:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-must-big-dogs-die-so-early/480449/20 "2009-01-09T15:32:31Z")
As the little boy in the dog’s purpose story said, “he already knew how to be good.” ☹ [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-must-big-dogs-die-so-early/480449.md?page=2)