How do people usually dispose of a dead dog?
As mentioned by others here, there is cremation, your vet has a contract with, for large animals the fees are more, they also try to get you to get the nice wooden containers that may have an engraved plaque with your pet's name and possibly a paw print in fired clay. For less money you can get a "tin box." For less money, you can get a communal cremation, (one where more than one pet is cremated at the same time) but the cremains are mixed with other animals.Then as also mentioned, private burial on your own property. I had opted for this early on with cats that had been pets. Unfortunately, there's been a ground squirrel infestation, some of the pets bones had been raised with the squirrel holes excess dirt mounds. There is another method that has not been mentioned that is more prevalent with large animals. Animal care and control, usually run by a county or some local government agency, will come and pick up your deceased animal. There they will either cremate or God only knows what else and I don't want to venture to guess what they will do. There are other "services" that pick up horses and other large animals, I know you only asked about dogs. I had a donkey, and had no way of dealing with her body when she passed. I was promised that she would be buried under a tree in the country. I would like to believe that lie.