How soon did you get a dog after losing one?

Sorry about the somewhat sad topic, but I hadn't really thought about this until recent events.

I have absolutely no idea how I am going to feel when the dreaded day comes, but have noticed some people just have to get another dog asap as they can't bear the void, and others, hang on a bit.

I don't think there is a 'right' or 'wrong' way - but just interested in what you did if you've been through it, or what you might do if/when you go through it.

I waited a month or so after losing yoda. I needed time to come to terms with it, and ideally i would have waited longer but sadie (being oon her own when yoda went) stopped eating, started developing SA and was generally unhappy.
When i got the next dog sadie recovered almost overnight and was happy again, and i realised how empty the house had been without yoda.

I think its a very personal decision, i also dont think you will know truly how you will feel until the day comes.

You may see my thread about having a hard day underneath. It is coming up to 6 months for me losing my Rotti and I am an emotional wreck today :0(
I have thought about getting a new dog but cannot bring myself to get one as I am still in the stage of feeling like I will be replacing her and that is 6 months on, I do feel however, that one day I may get another one just not any time soon.

Some people feel that by getting another it helps with the pain.

Sarah

its a very personal thing,some enjoy being 'dog free' for bit whilst others need to fill the void.

all i know,is when my best pal died i already had other dogs....but i needed to grieve for my boy alone...sadly for a couple of days they didnt picture much...but after that they certainly helped to mend my heart.....so im guessing if i didnt have them..i prob would of looked fairly soon for a new friend...mind u my dogs are my life,and my hobbies/friends/work etc evolve around them.

some people dont want the hurt you go through ever again..i think the pain is worth every single precious moment.

If theres no dog in the house usually within a month or so. A house thats had a dog in it is very empty without one. We lost Rosie in June & I still couldnt think of getting another but then again we have two other dogs

I already had 2 other dogs when my boy passed over, one was a pup and the other was 14.
My pup was miserable and my older dog was trying to hard to keep up with him, so we made the decision to get another.
It was about 3 weeks later we bought Harry home. I wasn't personally ready for another dog, he's my mums dog.

It depends.

If I was to lose any of mine - I would grieve but I also think it's important for the other dog - if there is more than one - to grieve too. If you get another dog too quick - your existing dog can react badly, but there are exceptions as with all things in life.

I'd rescue after mine have passed - you can't ever replace them or their memories but you can create new ones and open your heart to another dog without having to feel bad about it, you never really stop grieving, you just get fed up of it and move on to other things. I mean they're still there - memories, spirit, in your heart. The way I see it is, you have to keep busy - when my Granddad died, I could've opened a cake shop with the amounts of cakes I baked.. so a rescue dog for me after any of mine pass - would be a project to start off with. To keep me busy and keep my mind from entering a state of uselessness and horrible feelings.

Does that make sense?

It was 2 years between loosing my first dog and getting Siren - but I did have 4 others!

There was 10 days between loosing Jasper and getting Zeff - but that was not really intentional.

To each person it is very individual. Sometimes people need a long time to grieve - other times (and more often I have found) - the right dog just seems to turn up.

It has varied with me from months to days, but I have only ever been without a dog in the house for about 5 days and I couldn't stand the silence. When I have lost one I have apart from that one time always had another dog here already.
I have never ever gone out to replace a dog I've lost as that is just not possible and even if I have got another very quickly, I have still grieved the lost one the same, but found the new one has helped fill some of that time and helped me through it.
I lost Shady 2.5 months ago and have been grieving her terribly. I do have another dog coming from the rescue this weekend, but she is the oppisite to my lovely explosive Shady so cannot take away any of the happy memories I have and will not stop me missing my hyper bag of trouble at all..

It took me 31/2 years when I lost Max to bring another dog in we have ever only had one dog at a time so the house is extremely empty when they go.

It is only two weeks since losing Ollie and I am already thinking of another dog I will not leave it so long this time.

We both need a bit of time to grieve and are going to do some things we have wanted to do for a while while we have no dog then we will be seriously thinking of another dog possibly by the end of the summer.

I did see a lovely rescue the other day and Gorden was all set to take me to Wales to take a look and view to adopt but when it came down to it I knew it was too early at the moment for me personally.