Huge hugs xxxxxxxx

Sorry to say Pidge that, for me at least, it doesn't matter how many dogs you already have - when you lose one, it doesn't make the pain any easier just because you have others

However, what does happen is that you still have to get up, walk the other dog(s) and look after them - which I have found to be a tonic and helps you just get on with things.

Shamefully, I have to admit the same, although we still have Millie, the grieving for Bandit has rather put her on the back burner for a bit, she still gets her cuddles and love and walks and so on, but at the moment, the more attention I give her, the more I grieve for him, i have bought her lots of bones and toys to help her through , as I know she is missing him too.

When to get a new dog , its all an individual choice, sometimes I think, one pops up to help you through, sometimes you need to wait,

Personally Azz, and its only my opinion,I would not bring a new dog into Rocky's life at this time, with his illness , I would allow him peace and rest for the time he has left.

I can't remember the exact timescale between Ozzy and Marius but it was fairly soon after. As most of you know, I didn't want another dog, but Sid did. In the end he talked me round to the idea.

He knew me better than I knew myself - I am so thrilled we did get Marius when we did. He helped us through the blackest of times and restored our faith in Rotts.

It is such an individual thing, who can say when it is 'right'? I suppose you just know, it is an instinctual feeling. Perhaps the time is right when the void in the house is greater than the pain of the memories of your lost one?

I will say when I read that people say they will never get another dog because the pain is too much, I find that very sad. To deny yourself the joy of having another dog in your life with all the love and companionship you can share together, to me would only be a life half-lived.

Yes, there is no right or wrong way, when we lost our dear Labrador it just so happened that a house move (job related) came up soon after, and then both our jobs prevented us from getting another dog for a long time (years in fact) after that, so it was wonderful when our situation changed yet again and we could get the two monsters we have now.

Losing a dog is so hard but being without a dog is even worse IMO

Having always been a 2 dog family I already knew when Morse went that we would get another dog. The only thing I could bear would have been to have another big dog as I felt I would be consantly comparing him to Morse.

It has been 6 months since we lost him and we now have little Ludi.

In the past we have prepared for losing an elderly dog by getting a new one before the old one passed, that way it helps with the grieving and we haven't felt like we were replacing the old dog. I can see how things would be different in single dog households but this way works for us.

If I may add a little more to my previous post.. Azz I am sorry to say you are going feel wretched (hugs), you are not losing ‘just a dog’ but part of your family and i’m afraid some none dog owners don’t appreciate this or make allowances for your feelings. For me the worst part of losing a dog is the emptiness , absentmindedly calling a name with no response , looking at the clock at meal and walk times...

Speaking of a relatively recent loss that of Amy aged 16, I was aware her organs were starting to 'shut down' and that our time together would be short . I dreaded the prospect of being without a dog and even considered getting a puppy but decided it would not be fair to divide my time between a puppy and Amy who at that time needed a lot of attention including during the night. I think a puppy would have been too much for Amy to cope with and I felt I owed it to her to make her life as easy as possible.

I did however start drawing up a list of good breeders and made a few enquiries about litters due. In a way this felt a bit heartless like betraying an old friend . As I am no longer young and all to aware of time passing a pragmatic view prevailed and I thought why be alone and miserable when you don’t have to be. So the decision was taken to get a new puppy as soon as I lost Amy.

There is a temptation to think any new dog will be similar to the one you have lost but this is rarely the case and finding you have a dog with a totally different character from your previous one can come as a bit of a shock .

Eventually things settle down and your new addition helps to occupy your mind and time. Nothing can take away the sadness of your loss, that will be something you will always carry with you, it is the price you pay for having loved and shared your life with a dog.

I can't remember who said it, but regarding existing dogs when another dies....
"The others try to comfort me, but they are they and you were you..."

In other words, you still grieve the one you lose, we had 3 others including puppy Code, when Remy died, but the grief was still raw and painful and I still miss her now, even though we have Honey....

I got Flint about a month after loosing Sophie. I dont think I would of got him as soon but he was there and needed a home so I couldnt say no.

We got Simba on a friday after loosing Bess on the Monday...sounds really horrible but we werent trying to replace her, we had arranged to get a puppy anyway and we had planned to go on that friday to see them, just so happens that poor little Bessie passed away on the monday

I think personally a month or 2 is a good time for me, but hopfully I wont have to think about it for years as our dogs are only young [2yrs, 1 yr and 18 weeks]

I don't think anyone can tell how they will feel until it happens to them. When I had darling Moon pts it was an unexpected illness and came as a total shock to loose him so fast. At the time I thought I'd wait ages before getting another dog. However within just a few weeks I felt a huge void and horrible sinking feeling when coming home to an empty hallway with no waggy tail behind the door

I started looking for another dog within a month and got Cain approx two months after losing Moon. Funnily enough it didn't feel like I was "replacing" Moon by getting Cain so soon. I thought I'd feel guilty but I didn't, I knew Moon would want me to help another dog in need. I just had a huge doggy void that needed filling.

Btw I don't think getting Cain helped me get "over" losing Moon at all, it still hurt like hell. it still took me a year before I could bear to even look at a photo of Moon. However Cain was such a handful that I had to focus on him a lot and that did help as I didn't have too much time to dwell on my lose.

As said, it's a very personal thing. It may also depend on which dog you lose, I may feel very differently about this topic when I lose Cain, I don't know and won't know until it happens.