When do you know when to put a dog to sleep? Our older dog is about 14 y/o and have arthritis pretty bad in his back hips. He has a hard time getting up the stairs and limps most of the time. He just sleeps most of the day unless he is moving to get away from the kids or our you get dog. He skips meals occasionally but still eats most of the time. Obviously nature will play it’s course eventually but it’s really hard watching him suffer until then.