When Were You Ready To Get The Next Dog...?

Just a general question.

I have had dogs all my life and only once gone for a longish period without one. Sometimes two dogs have overlapped, so have rarely been dogless in 50 years.

Our 14 year old dog was PTS on Monday. My kids were so distraught and one of them asked on Tuesday to look at a rehoming centre's website. He had our beautiful dog all his life, and like me, seems to be struggling to be without a dog.
He is quite a mature kid, and explained he will never replace her, but having a new dog will give him something else to think about, beyond his grief. I get that.

As we looked at the dogs featured on the site, I was heartened to see so many lovely looking dogs, some of which would fit our criteria. And I know home checks etc take a while to complete.

I had a friend with an elderly dog who decided to go to a rehoming centre 'just to have a look', put her name down, and pass a home check so she could get a dog sooner when her old lady died. Predictably, she had the home check and came home with her second dog and her oldie lived another couple of years.

Once I had a staffie who died aged only six - she had been our whole life for that time, and after she died, we couldn't even face getting another dog for a year or two. In that year or two we felt like our lives fell apart. We only ever felt back to normal when we got another dog.

So - when were you ready to get a dog after your dog died?

We got our miniature Schnauzer straight after our Cairn died as my mum couldn't bear our sad faces ! I was about 13 so can relate to your son, it did exactly what he said and gave us a focus.
I'm older now and have my own mini schnauzer boy and would be lost without my buddy as it's just us in my house and would seem very quiet. So i think I would get another fairly soon.

When my 5 year old Tibetan Spaniel died suddenly at the end of March this year I said I wouldn't have another dog, but my 8 month old Shar-Pei girl was so lonely that I changed my mind and at the beginning of August brought home a 9 month old Miniature Schnauzer boy.

I'm pleased I changed my mind because my Pei girl is so happy now and far less trouble than when she was on her own and she adores her little brother. It's a match made in heaven!

Somehow we seem to end up with three at a time, one old, one middle and one baby that way it's never an issue and they all help each other out

I haven't been without a dog since 1958. I've always had more than one dog, except when I lost 3 dogs within a year & I was left with only one. Since then I have always had at least 2 dogs & now have 7(+ one guest for 3/4 nights a week)

It did take me several months when I had just the one dog to make up my mind to have another & I have never regretted it. I always think that dogs enter our lives when appropriate & maybe your next dog is waiting for you out there.

Good luck & I do hope you decide to bring a new companion into your home sooner rather than later

I'm like Imana, have several usually, all at different stages, although my 2 oldies are litter sisters, but you never know whats going to happen and whats round the corner, I have their daughters (one from each) as well, there is just under a year between them
When I lost my old Tawney, nearly 9 years ago, she was the only dog, her companion ( retired racing grehyhound) had died very young aged only 5 of a heart attack, and I was looking for another Utonagan, and just couldn't find one, I found a litter just before Tawney passed away, sadly she never met them, they came home the Saturday after she passed away on the Monday.
The house was awful without a dog, was relieved when Saturday came and I could go and get my 2 baby Utes.

Um, if you maybe need the reassurance that it's not disrespectful to get another dog so soon I'll give it to you. Think of it as honoring your other dog's memory in giving another dog a forever home.

We had that happen with our cat Kashi. He was a ginger tabbie and loved by the dogs, the cats and all the humans of the house. He was far more than the average cat and when he was killed by a car even my hubby, not given to emotion was totally crushed.

After a few months of tearing up over every orange cat image, even seeing the name in the cereal aisle at the store, we went to just "look" at the local shelter. Levon the ginger was waiting for us. He's not Kashi but you know he took over the spirit.

I would say yes...just take a look on PetFinder or another website today, just to look of course.

One of my favourites

Absolutely beautiful, not being able to 'be' without a dog after they have passed is surely the greatest tribute to them and what they meant to you

Lost my last beautiful girl on the Monday, fetched this little darling home on the Thursday.