What signs should I look for that it is time to put my dog to sleep?

My dog is 12 yrs old now. She has slowed down quite a bit and she is urinating and doing her bowel movements on the cement instead of the grass now. Sometimes, she gets a little grouchy and snaps at us if we try to help her. She still has a good appetite. Your help is greatly appreciated.

Talk to your vet. They will know when it's time. Also, the breed matters to. Some dogs will live as many as 16 years old or so, while some are "Getting Old" by 10 or 11 years old. (Mainly larger breeds have the shorter life spans).

Is she still able to play and do things she enjoys like going for walks and all that? You know it's time to let your dog go when the quality of life isn't there anymore. When the bad days outweigh the good. When she can't do the things she used to love.

Try reinforcing the dogs training and talk to the dog when approaching it. That helps with older dogs.

My vet says there are five signs, she said if you can tick 3 or more boxes for the dogs sake, putting her to sleep is the kindest things you can do.[ ] alteration in bladder and bowel movements[ ] exessive sleeping eg. 11+ hours a day.[ ] snappy or moodiness that is out of character,[ ] loss of appetite.[ ] weakness or pain in joints particularly, back legs and back.Your doggie sounds like she ticks 2 of the boxes, I'm not going to lie I think she's on her way out but for now I think she'll be fine, but when she ticks another box I thing the litter box in the sky may be something you want to consider. You know your dog better than me, it's your choice what do you thinks best, I don't want to be responsible for your desision, look her in the eyes and you'll know what she wants. Good luck to you and your doggie