We lost our 12 year old yellow lab Lily last February. I loved her dearly and am still hurting (not as much as time goes by, but the sadness is still there).

My wife and (grown) kids have been talking about getting a new dog and I find I cannot get excited about it. My lack of enthusiasm has been interpreted as my being against it.

For those that have been through something similiar with losing a pet and getting a new one, I'd like to know your thoughts and experiences.....

It took me two years before I could get another one.

It took us a couple of years to get a new dog after Ness was put down.

It was worth the wait. You have time to get past it all and let the new dog be himself.

It’s hard but once you meet some new puppies in need of a home, the fire will reignite.

Yup - Hang out with a litter of 6-week old puppies, you'll heal up real quick.

Also, an older gent whom I hunt with gave me some good knowledge, "unless you're ready to stop having a dog in your pack, always get a puppy a few years before the oldest ages out. This way the puppy has someone to learn from and play with and; the older one gets like to act like a puppy again."

Just food for thought.

Its ok to mourn the loss of your four-legged buddy, they're unfailingly loyal and their unique personalities endear themselves to us. At some point, life has to go on, bringing on a new pup will allow you to reset your emotions and re-start the enthusiasm you once had with your prior pet.

quote:

Originally posted by LS1 GTO:
Also, an older gent whom I hunt with gave me some good knowledge, "unless you're ready to stop having a dog in your pack, always get a puppy a few years before the oldest ages out. This way the puppy has someone to learn from and play with and; the older one gets like to act like a puppy again."

Just food for thought.

Wish I had such advice years ago

When we had to put down our dog five years ago it hurt so much I said I would not get another dog. After about a month I couldn't stand the empty house and we adopted a rescue.

One of the best decisions I've ever made. She is a sweetheart and she filled the hole in our lives.

It will kill me to lose her when that time comes again, but I will definitely get another dog shortly after.

We have always had at least one Lab since we got married 29 years ago, often two at a time.

They bring us joy, but they also come with the responsibility of knowing when it is time to say goodbye.

Our Claire is 13 and I know our time is limited. I do tear up when I think about the day that is coming.


After Claire leaves us, I am certain we will have another Dog(s).

I am convinced our Dogs have made me a better person.

Only you can determine what is best for you.

I lost my Pug dog last October.

We got a new Pug puppy in November.

It does not end the pain of your loss but it sure does ease it tremendously.

Hunter is now 9 months old and we couldn't be happier...

We are dog people and the house felt empty without a dog.

My opinion is...get a new puppy

I get a new dog with in a week or two of losing the last. Its good for me. Its good for the new dog to get a new home. I takes nothing away from from last best friend. All dogs are different and I look forward to discovering the many levels of friendship a dog can provide.

Our Luke was 9 when he crossed the rainbow bridge.

I wasn't excited to get another dog, but about 9 months later, my wife found Ruby at the local shelter.
Once she was home with us, she's so much like Luke in her mannerisms, that it's almost like he never left.

We have generally had 2 dogs staggered in age. Last year we lost our Bearded Collie at 13 and now only have our 10 year old Goldendoodle. We have had about 10 dogs in our near 50 years of married life and have loved each for their unique personalities. While we have grieved the loss of them all, the joy of a new puppy has always helped in the recovery.

Our worst experience was right after we were married. We had a little mutt who got herself in trouble. She died during the night after the vet removed the puppies (all dead). We were devastated- especially my wife. In the newspaper that morning was an ad for Old English Sheepdog puppies for $50. I brought Barney home that morning. He became Michievious Smokey Bernard, CD after qualifying for that title with the AKC and I ended up opening a dog obedience school with him as my ‘show dog’. He was a tremendous dog.

Don’t wait too long. Time is always short.
Mike

Don’t look at it as “replacing” the previous pet. None will ever be able to do so

With an open mind consider it as bringing in another pet addition to the family

It’ll find you, and the new one will aid in healing your heart. I’m sure that’s what the previous would have wanted

quote:

Originally posted by snwghst:
Don’t look at it as “replacing” the previous pet. None will ever be able to do so

With an open mind consider it as bringing in another pet addition to the family

It’ll find you, and the new one will aid in healing your heart. I’m sure that’s what the previous would have wanted

True. Never strive to replace. Allow the new dog to find its own place in your life & heart.

Married 31 years, no children. Our first dog died at 15 in the month of August. We planned to wait awhile but actually adopted a new dog by that November. The prior dog was a registered 20lb West Highland Terrier. The replacement is a true stray; a 50lb hound mix. That difference helped avoid useless comparisons.

Now the hound mix is 13 and we just learned of her cancer diagnosis. We are in a palliative care phase and it appears to be moving fast.

With my wife’s health issues, I personally don’t look forward to the effort / transition of a new dog. I have enough to do in caring for my wife, home & work. Yet, I can’t imagine our lives without a dog.

quote:

Originally posted by RHINOWSO:
It’s hard but once you meet some new puppies in need of a home, the fire will reignite.

This. Find a local shelter that will accept help and offer to walk the dogs if they will let you. Be prepared though if you're a dog person shelters can be overwhelming.

My kids were really young, in fact we only had two and my wife was pregnant with our third, when I had Boris put down. For years my wife and kids pestered me about getting a dog, but I said no. Just before spring break last year, we went to the animal shelter to "look". Well, we missed our spring break camping trip because our new 8 month old dog, Maggie, had kennel cough.

She's a fantastic dog. The kids love her. The wife, who swears she is not a dog person, loves her. I found a little room in my heart for her as well.

I don't have an answer as to how long to wait, but 8 years worked out well for me.

We had a Newfoundland retriever. When he died, it took 5 years before we were able to get another dog.

We had that dog, a flat coated retriever, more than 10 years. We lost her last Fall. The Mrs and I are empty nesters and that dog was our baby. It took us months to get over the loss. I don’t think we’ll be getting another dog.

Been there many times unfortunately. We usually got another dog within a few months, it felt right. We found one the previous times, that just spoke to us, we go to shelters, or rescue organizations. Feeling the way you are now, though. We lost our dog last October, and it just hasn’t felt right yet. We miss him terribly still. Just now starting to think about adopting another one, but it still doesn’t feel like it’s time. He left a huge hole in our hearts, and it does still hurt. I just keep thinking when the time is right, that feeling will come back, and we will know. Good luck.

As some have stated, if you avoid the thinking that a different dog will replace the one you lost, it can drastically change your mindset.

We work with a rescue organization, and I can attest that one of the best feelings in the world is to rescue a dog from a shelter. That satisfaction of saving a life makes it easier to avoid the idea of replacement.

quote:

Originally posted by Maestro:
As some have stated, if you avoid the thinking that a different dog will replace the one you lost, it can drastically change your mindset.

We work with a rescue organization, and I can attest that one of the best feelings in the world is to rescue a dog from a shelter. That satisfaction of saving a life makes it easier to avoid the idea of replacement.

Well said.