Schmeichel bow wows out of Corrie
Coronation Street’s had its fair share of disasters recently, first we had John Stape making the full transition to serial killer and hiding his victims under the factory floor, then came the tragic tram crash which took the lives of a few of the locals; but little did the Street know that the worst was yet to come.
Monday night’s episodes of the soap saw Chesney make the agonising decision to have his beloved Great Dane put down, something that is sure to hit the spot with the British dog loving public.
Chesney’s tough decision came after realising he didn’t have enough money to pay for Schmeichel’s life-saving operation and the intimidating bailiff after him as well. He put Katy, his pregnant girlfriend, first and opted to put “the greatest Dane ever” down.
After Schmeichel’s emotional exit after seven years as Chesney’s beloved pet on the show, he is sure to follow in the footsteps of other long since departed soap dogs. Emmerdale’s Batley and Eastenders’ Wellard were among the other actors nominated for Best Exit at past British Soap Awards, surely Schmeichel is to follow.
As Coronation Street showed; it can be an extremely difficult decision to make when you need to decide whether or not your dog needs to be put down and there are a lot of factors that need to be considered.
It’s crucial to figure out how your dog is feeling as this is the most important thing, and should be your main concern. If your dog is starting to lose interest in the world around him, is starting to lose his appetite, stops interacting with you or is in pain and it can’t be relieved then it may be time to say good-bye. A happy and active dog may be able to have a bit more of a life, but a sad and miserable dog may not have much life left in him.
It is usually possible to tell in your dog’s behaviour whether or not he’s well enough to go on for a bit longer but, if he starts sleeping as much as possible and losing all his energy, he’s trying to send you a message and it may be the kindest thing and in the best interests of the dog to put him down.
If you’re still unsure as to what’s best for your dog then the wisest thing to do is to speak to your vet and get a qualified opinion.
Like Chesney found last night in Coronation Street, sometimes the toughest decisions of all are the right ones.
I have had the misfortune to have lost a beloved 16 year old border collie earlier this year and more recently my daughter lost here 10 year old cross alsation / rotty which Our collie effectively brought up.
We were devastated and still moutn the passing.
Having said that two things disturb me about the Schmichel affair
Firstly the scenes of him lying down panting worry me as to how this realistic enactment was contrived – intervention ??
Secondly the act of putting to sleep was, I think, a step too far pre-watershed and I was almost reduced to tears having been through this recently.
In closing I believe this transmission was undoubtedly distasteful and will have offended many true dog lovers.