Would you get another dog?

[aly]

I would not be opposed to getting another dog soon after and I would not be opposed to the same breed either. Whether it was one day or one year after the loss of a dog, I'd adopt a new dog when I made the right connection.

I don't think of it as replacing because you can never replace any animal. Your heart is big enough to love your lost one AND make room for the new one

[chocolatepuppy]

Yes I would get another dog and probably within months.It doesn't 'replace' your last dog, to me, it simply means you love dogs! When my big dog Corey died it was about 3 1/2 months before we got Lacey. We couldn't stand not having a dog.

[jenluckenbach]

Do you mind if I (a cat person) answer this???

YES!

Without a doubt. Life is too precious and there are so many pets that don't have a loving home.

For homes that lose their one and only pet, I feel especially sad for when they decide to not get another. Those people miss out on the love, devotion and fun of animal companionship all in the name of grief. They say things like "But it is too hard to lose them. I can't go through it again". Yes, it is hard but wasn't it worth it?

For homes that still have other pets in the home (unless they are overwhelmed by the number......like ME ) I would still recomend opening your home to another. I look at it like this: If a death has opened a spot in my heart and in my home than I would feel a NEED to fill that void.

[GraciesMommy]

When my mercedes passed on last oct 31, I said I would never get another one..but 9 months to the day (just like having a baby) I got Gracie! She will never replace mercedes...she was one of a kind..but Gracie has filled a void. Mercedes took every step I took and I missed feeling that nose on the back of my ankles all the time and now Gracie does the same thing!! Its really weird..I am glad we got her. She is just a baby. I had Mercedes for 16 years. I have photos of her with my kids still hanging up but all her toys, and my collection of schauzer statues have been put away in the heirloom box.

[Pam]

This is interesting because my co-worker and I were just talking about this very subject yesterday. She is 44 years old and got her very first dog 12 years ago, a sheltie named Brandy. She said Brandy was the best thing she ever spent money on for all of the love and companionship over the years and can't believe she waited to own a dog. (She had always been a cat person). Brandy has some minor health problems now but Barb said that when the day comes that Brandy must leave her she will be out very quickly getting another dog. She said the thought of coming home to a house without a dog to welcome her at the door is just devastating.

I have always had a dog in the house, ever since I was an infant. There was only a 3 year time span when I didn't and that was after my Ashley left for the Rainbow Bridge in 1998 and Bella came to live with us in 2001. Hubby was so devastated at the loss of Ashley (and also Whitney who died two years prior to Ashley) that he said he didn't want to ever have to go through the grief again so *no more dogs.* I had my kitties in that three year period to carry me through but I missed so much having a dog as well.

One day I visited a breeder without my hubby knowing it. I called him at work and said I was at that moment holding a standard poodle puppy on my lap and asked if I could bring her home. He said yes. Sometimes one just has to 'take the bull by the horns.' Anna I think if you and Mark are in agreement that now is the time, by all means go ahead. If not, just cuddle sweet Roxey and Huney all the more or sneak off to a breeder or shelter by yourself. (only kidding!)

When I selected Bella I particularly didn't want to get another black standard. My Whitney had been a black standard, and it wasn't so much a feeling that I would be "replacing" Whitney but that I knew I would probably wind up calling my new pup Whitney occasionally just through habit. That is why Bella is white! Sorry to be so wordy!

[pitc9]

My two are so tightly bonded to one another.. that when one goes, the other is going to be 100% lost without them. I have no idea how long .... but I know I would get another dog as soon as possible for the one left with me.

I'll always have & love German Shepherds, but I also want to have a few other breeds. I know I'll always rescue/adopt.

[Samantha Puppy]

I would. Not immediately, but there are always dogs in need of a loving home out there and it'd break my heart not to help one/more of them.

Don't get me wrong, my heart will break when it is Samantha's time. But I couldn't bear the thought of all the other poor pups out there who deserve a good home and are stuck in a shelter, or worse yet, in an abusive situation.

[Logan]

Anna, every person is different. I think I've told you this before, so forgive me for repeating myself. But, I knew my Cocker Spaniel, Kaycee, was very sick with Congestive Heart Failure, and after talking with my vet about how Helen and I would react to her eventual death, I made the decision to get a puppy for Helen for her 8th birthday. That's when Honey joined our family. Kaycee was like a "mom" to her and I think that Honey learned good things from her 3 months with Kaycee. The day that I had to make the decision to send Kaycee to the bridge was the hardest day of my life. Thank goodness that you have your Hunny and Roxie like we had Honey. She was a lifesaver for us. But the very next day after losing Kaycee, my good friend's Golden gave birth to 14 puppies. I made the decision that day (even wrote the check) to get a female puppy from that litter, and seven weeks later, Lilly joined our family. It was a good decision for us. I actually considered getting another Cocker Spaniel, but when that litter came so quickly after Kaycee's death and they were Honey's "half siblings" (same father) and it just seemed like it was meant to be.

You and Mark will know when you're ready. Whether it be an Angus "lookalike" or another dog that just grabs your heart, you'll know.

Logan

[K9soul]

Like others have said, I think everyone is different and you will know when it is right. I actually got Tasha the day after I lost Cody, though it was not planned. Cody was gone, Willie was 11 years old and was having some health problems, and I was horribly depressed. I thought it would be healing to just visit the humane society and look at the dogs. I didn't see Tasha till I was about to leave, and when I did, I felt this flood of emotion incredibly strong and I knew she was meant to come home with me.

That is not to say I did not continue to grieve, but when Cody went, he was severely disabled, could not stand without help, could not control when his bowels moved, could not get up and down stairs, was deaf, and had a bit of dementia. When he had his stroke, and the vet offered to try to bring him back from it but said he would function at even more reduced capacity, I knew it was time to let him go. I mostly grieved for his younger days, and the loss of his reassuring presence, but I knew he was better off.

In some ways, Tasha's rambunctious puppy stage made me miss his quiet serene presence even more, but she also kept me very busy with training, socializing, taking her to obedience classes, and so on.

I'd say if you just felt like looking around, there is certainly no harm in it. I think you will feel in your heart if you find a dog that seems meant to be, and if you don't, well you know then that you just need more time or that you just haven't found the right one. If it hurts to even look, just follow your heart. There is certainly no right and wrong in this. {{hugs}}

[PJ's Mom]

I would get another dog. As far as getting the same breed, take a look around. Go to breeders, and go to shelters. If it's right, you'll know.

[Tonya]

When Rosco was put to sleep, I was so heartbroken. Dusty was also devastated. He went from being a hyper yappy dog to just lying around sad. Everytime I looked at Dusty, my heart hurt.

I started looking for another dog within days of Rosco passing. The task helped my heart and took my mind off of things. I wasn't quite sure if I was actually going to get one.

About a week later, I found Roxy and I really liked her. I brought Dusty to meet her, and his old yappy self came back. I brought her home and Dusty was so happy again. Everytime my heart started to hurt over Rosco, I looked at Roxy and thought about how another animal was saved. It really helped the pain to not see Dusty grieve as much too.

So, I personally, wouldn't hesitate to get another dog if I lose one.

[KYS]

Anna, I can only answer for what I would do.

In the past when my dogs have past away,
I usually start looking to add a new dog as soon
as possible.
I never forget the last dog, but having a new
dog helps take part of the pain away.

You need to do what feels right in your heart.

[senorita02]

If Face were to pass away i would definitly get another puppy, and i love Rottweilers so much i would get another one, not to replace him , but because he was so special & is such a wonderful boy. I would feel i had to even if i wasnt ready, for Ritas sake i think it would help her heal and give her somehting to be excited about otherwise she would be alone without another dog and even though she would have me and her dad i think bonding with another dog would be important.
If Rita were to pass i would also get another dog too for Face, he would need a companion, too, although he is more a loner than she is .

[dogs_4_me]

I dont really want to think about it, but, I would rescue a dog froma shelter, I wouldnt get one right away, I would wait untill I saw the perfect one.

[ParNone]

In a way, I actually get the next dog, before something happens. I'd been thinking about getting a Collie, but didn't seriously start looking, until I found out Maddie had cancer. I didn't want Murph to be alone, for however long it might take me to be ready for another dog, so that was the catalyst for that decision. She died about a year and half, after I got Oz.

Then after she died, with Murph being 13, I started thinking about Oz being alone. I started looking on petfinder about 2 months after she died. I even inquired on a couple I fell in love with from their pictures. They were puppies so they were snatched up very fast, before I could make them mine. I always feel like everything happens for a reason though and then shortily there after, Murph hurt his knee. Probably lucky none of those puppies worked out. I put off any thoughts of a puppy while he was healing.

A few more months passed and I finally felt Murph was ready to deal with a puppy. I continued looking on petfinder, but also breeder sites for Border Terriers, Australian Cattle Dogs and Collies. Couldn't bring myself to consider another Cairn. Maddie's too much to live upto I think. I kept coming back to Collies, because they feel "right" to me. So approx 6 mos passed from the time of Maddie's death to getting Gully.

The first week I had Gully was not good. I cried everyday about Maddie. His sparkling lil' personality though, lil' by lil', wheedled his way into my heart. Such a lil' character, he had me laughing with all his antics and exhuberance. I then realized I had room in my heart for him too and that he had in no way replaced Maddie. She was still with me. In fact, my memory of her is incredibly vivid, even 10 months later. It's like she's not really gone. Her presence walks among us everyday.

I had always said I'd never get another Cairn, because Maddie's impossible to live upto and on the flip side, because Murph was an extremely hard puppy to raise. My mind's bending a lil' on that though. I find myself looking at Murph and just can't imagine not having a lil' ray of sunshine that burns so brightly in a Cairn in my life. Sometimes I think Border Terrier, but more and more I think maybe another lil' Cairny. Hopefully it'll be a ways down the road, before I have to make that kind of decision.

Anyways, I think everybody needs to do what feels "right" for them. It's different for everybody and there's no one "right" way.

Par...