I will always have a dog. When one of my dogs pass I get a new puppy with in a week or so. Chasing a new puppy through the house is cuteness therapy. Getting a new pet isn't about replacing the last one. It's about opening your heart to new possibilities.

Lost my GSD to Leukemia. She was only 7. One week later I rescued a Mal from a K9 officer who was temporarily boarding her. You have to move on. I could have moped around for weeks, months, or a year. I decided to turn the unfortunate circumstances for one k9 into positivity for another. Last week I kenneled her for the first time in 2 years. In those 2 years I’ve trained her extensively to the point where the vet doesn’t recognize her. My GSD’s remains sit in a small box on my mantle. She will never be forgotten and will be my pack leader when I cross the bridge myself.

I think when I last lost a dog about 2 years ago is when I realized that my having two dogs was, in part, to keep from having to wake up one day without one. I truly feel that dogs are always happier when there is more than one in the home. But after losing one it takes months before I am ready to bring another in. I need time and so does the surviving dog. And the cycle begins again.

This has helped me more than I can express so I share it with you guys.

The Oatmeal: My dog the paradox

We typically get into a 2 or 3 dog rotation - staggered by 2-3 years each dog.

The old man of the house gets the couch and quiet.

The middle age dog contends with the young pup.

So there is morning but with 2 other dogs around, you can't sulk around for too long - they want walks, runs, treats, and food.

This is a timely post for me, having lost one of my dogs, the one, in November. Great words here. I won't be the same. I've been surprised to learn how many people are grieving.

Other than our family dogs, I lost my 1st official dog about 7 years ago & I do still grieve. I got her when she was 8 weeks old & she lived to be 16 yrs. She died literally 1 week after we moved in with my now husband, on her birthday, which also happened to be the same as my now husband's birthday. The relationship I was in before was abusive & I still believe that she just wanted to make sure I ended up somewhere safe before she passed.

About a month ago, my horse died. I raised her as well & she was 30 yrs. old. I don't feel as if that one has really sunk in yet.

The dog I have now, honestly, I have the strongest bond with. He is a rescue that was neglected & abused. He was in really bad shape. He's 7 now & I've had him for 6 years. I get sad & start crying sometimes just thinking of how "lost" I will be if/when he passes away. & he is a happy, healthy, vibrant dog.

I use to be obsessed with not having pet hair on me. Then I went a year without my white dog. Then I got another dog & now when I find a random dog hair stuck on me, I smile & say it's my dog's way of letting me know he loves me & I am honored to have the hair to remind me that I am fortunate enough that he's still with me.

You don't, you just welcome the day when they meet you in the halls of Valhalla!

I’m not one that thinks a lot of animals or pets, I’m not knocking any animal/pet lovers but I’m just not that way. When I had to put my daughters dog to sleep (she grew up with this dog) it was difficult. I don’t want another pet since I don’t want to have to do that again so I can understand how you feel.

What I have learned since starting this thread, from most of the postings is people who have lost a pet do want another pet.

Which is so good and right for both the person/family and the animal. People realize the power of a good dog, cat, horse, bird to help their spirit and develop a friendship like no other. Even though, they know, they will grieve again.

This week, we lost a sweet Boston Terrier, our last Boston, and the little dog was as devoted to me as I was to her. Sadness envelopes me.

But, in the near future, we may adopt perhaps two new Bostons. It is much responsibility, in terms of always having to let them in and out, feeding, and not going places unless boarding them.

But we are drawn to our pets, perhaps that bond has been ingrained in our genes over the centuries, from caveman to baby boomers.

I for one am glad for that. Thanks all for your inputs on how you deal with losing a pet.

Like I stated originally, I grieve a lot over my pete, and there have been many.

We have had a lot of family member pets over the years and have some right now. It is never easy losing one but we know that up front. Most of ours have been rescues and it is very fulfilling to share their lives with us in a loving home.

Our beloved Wilson passed over the Rainbow Bridge a few years ago and I think of him often but my life is much fuller having shared it with him and the fond of memories of our precious time together far outweigh the pain of loss.

It's been a bad year so far, in 2018 I've lost my brother, brother-in-law, my best friend of 41 years and my dog. Pets are tough loses. I lost my big guy in mid-January, (6 year old Borzoi) unexpectedly. I get upset most about the dog, I think because he was part of every aspect of my life every day, there is nothing I can do that doesn't remind me of him. Tearing up now.

You had a Siberian who lived to 20 years old?!?

There's not too many days that go by where I don't think about the husky that my ex- and I raised. He was her dog but, he was my road buddy. Every time I hit the road, he would come along, hanging out in the back of my truck, staring at the other cars or, leaning his head in the view of my side-mirror to catch the breeze. Once he hit 12, he started having seizures and was starting to loose bladder control. The seizures were becoming more frequent and as we went to the vet, they let us know his heart would take the brunt of it. We eventually decided to put him to sleep. I cried my eyes-out. Would go through a moments of depression and sorrow. If I saw another husky, I'd introduce myself to the owner and chat for a bit. I was that guy.

It's been over five years now, I've gotten past the melancholy state. If work and time allows, I'll probably get another husky, I like having them around and I'm pretty good with their personalities.

I can't talk about either of my cats, Ashton or Monterrey, because of the very real chance I will burst out in tears.

I used to feel like I could tell a story and laugh about it, but I don't even try now.

I lost my Silky Terrier December 14th 2016. She was almost 15 years old and died in my arms. I adopted her when she was a couple months old.

I was a wreck for a few months and still grieve to this day. Time is a healer, but life is different now. There is still that void of her not greeting me everyday.

We currently have four small breed terriers, one is 14 and another is 12 years old. I dread the day any of them cross the rainbow bridge.

We lost our Brittany Spaniel Annie 20 years ago, then Maggie 7 years later and then Heid a GSP 3 years later. Tben dogless till this past summer.

At 70 I got a Brittany Spaniel 10 week old puppy, Katie, who now is almost a year old. I still miss the others but this one has taken over my heart. I have a LOT of health issues and she helps me forget those. I don't know that I want to outlive her. I don't know how I could handle losing her.

THat is her pic under my screen name the day we got her.

quote:

Originally posted by corsair:
You had a Siberian who lived to 20 years old?!?

There's not too many days that go by where I don't think about the husky that my ex- and I raised. He was her dog but, he was my road buddy. Every time I hit the road, he would come along, hanging out in the back of my truck, staring at the other cars or, leaning his head in the view of my side-mirror to catch the breeze. Once he hit 12, he started having seizures and was starting to loose bladder control. The seizures were becoming more frequent and as we went to the vet, they let us know his heart would take the brunt of it. We eventually decided to put him to sleep. I cried my eyes-out. Would go through a moments of depression and sorrow. If I saw another husky, I'd introduce myself to the owner and chat for a bit. I was that guy.

It's been over five years now, I've gotten past the melancholy state. If work and time allows, I'll probably get another husky, I like having them around and I'm pretty good with their personalities.

Yea, my Siberian , Alaska was 20 when he died last August. And I had him for 19 of those years. So you can see why I would grieve over him, he was such a part of my life for so long. And he was a sweet Husky boy.

I can tell by your posting and see why Huskies would like you. You have the attitide and compassion that attracts Siberians.

But they still are the ones who chose their buddies ! am I right? LOL

I am also that guy that always talks to folks with Siberians!

quote:

How do you cope with the grief of losing a pet?

Memeories. Lots and lots of memories. Being blessed with understanding this little being intimately and knowing they understood me. No one else on the planet had that except me. I’m am grateful for that.

I have had many pets in my life. The ones that I spent most of my time with were my dogs. Bird dogs, coon hounds, squirrel dogs, rabbit dogs, duck dogs, and cattle dogs. They were the most gifted animals that a man could have. They would work their hearts out for me in field trial competitions and in the hunting field. I was proud of those dogs and their abilities.
Whenever they died I did not grieve for them. They were happy every day of their life and they lived it to the fullest. And they enriched my life. I had no reason to grieve.
What does sadden me is the loss of a young animal who did not have the opportunity to enjoy his brief life on earth.