...we did lose our 16-year-old dog about two years ago when our daughter was 7. Obviously at 16, it was no surprise when our dog passed away, and she had been declining for a while. I feared we would be forced to make the decision for her, but our vet assured us that she didn't seem to be in great pain, so we just tried to enjoy every moment with her that we could.

When she finally passed away, I was so concerned that my daughter would be devastated. She had never known life without the dog, and I was certain that my daughter was really going to struggle with her loss. In reality, my daughter ended up being the strongest out of all of us. She was sad, but she never shed a tear and was so sweet to encourage me when she could tell that I was having a hard time. She would always have a cheerful comment for me, like "at least we'll always have our memories with Pippin, daddy!"

So, long story short, I think you'll be amazed about how resiliently your kids will react. I think honesty is probably the best way to approach this, and give the kids some time and space to process it in their own way. They'll probably have some questions, and will feel sad for a bit, and then they'll likely bounce back quickly and will move on.

Regardless, I'm really sorry that you're faced with this decision, and you'll be in my prayers.