Bit of a sensitive subject....but...

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numptynoelle

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...to anyone who has lost a dog, how long did it take you to get another one? I'm not suggesting anyone has replaced their old one, I'm just interested after today's phonecall...

My ex-OH is getting his new spangle tomorrow, another liver bitch which has got me all wound up. We lost Madam Spangle 6 months ago and I know I'm nowhere near ready for another dog. I miss having something to walk and I coo over puppies (you may have noticed... :o) but the thought of getting another one now just freaks me out a bit.

Everyone is different though so I was just wondering what you guys thought and your experiences? Think I'm just a bit loopy - ex-OH also has a new girlfriend and that hasn't bothered me at all :o
 
Barnes-Wallace went in September, and I had Henry in January the next year. It wasn't about replacing, but I had wanted a dog of my own for so long, and when Barney wasn't there to visit at weekends anymore it kicked me into actually doing something about it.

My mum is only really ready to have another one now though, nearly two years later. Which is why she's on about getting a cat - she misses having a hairy beastie about the place.

Everyone is different, eventually there will come a time when you are ready:)
 
New girlfriend wouldn't bother me but new dog would!;):)

There is not set rule it's just when you are ready.:) when I lost Kira (my first golden co ker spangle girl) I was heartbroken - went to see neighbours spangle puppies as they were trying to cheer me up and ended up choosing the big bean bag that sat himself on my lap - that was St Sweep! It was a whole 3 weeks between losing her and seeing hi
And another couple of weeks until he could come home with me.:)

You will know when the time is right and the right pupster will find you:)
 
I think everyone is different, some people can't bear an empty house and get another as soon as possible, others feel unable to "replace" (wrong word I know) the lost dog for some time.
I have never been without a dog, so have never had the pain of an empty house. When I lost my old bitch Chaka in august 2006 I still had 2 other dogs, but knew I would want another pup at some point. However it was 18 months before I even thought about it, and a further 6 months before Evie came along. Saffie was pts in September, and no way am I thinking about getting another yet, the plan is to maybe have a litter from Evie in February 2012 and keep one of those.
 
We only waited a week! We weren't looking, but when we saw an advert for a Westie puppy in the local paper, we thought it was fate so we picked little Pippa up. (I still don't think she's a real Westie :rollseyes: ) It was definitely the right choice because it helped our other dog with the grieving process and helped her to be less depressed.

I know it sounds like we just randomly got another dog on a whim, which is true, but that doesn't mean we grieved Polly any less, we just knew this was the right thing.
 
When we lost Sophie in June 2006 we still had Amber (her daughter) who flourished and really came into her own. We never considered getting another. We lost Amber on Boxing Day last year and the house has been empty and just not the same without her. Hubby has wanted to get another dog for some time, since about May time but I wasn't ready. Now I am :D

We are getting another Spangle but Pickle is a totally different colour, blue roan. Sophie was a black and tan and Amber was golden with a little white bib. Hubby wanted another cocker but I wanted her to be different, her own person and not be compared with markings etc.

I don't think there is a right time, its a totally individual thing and down to each person xxxx
 
Thanks guys for your input, in a bizarre way I do find it interesting, it's just what works and is "right" for you isn't it?

Off topic, but ex-OH also let slip he was offered Spike back (a cracking wee border terrorist we looked after in Feb/March) - turns out he DOES need a good hoon everyday :rolleyes: but that's definitely not the right move! Owners are investing in a decent dog-walker now, I'm staying well out of it! :eek:
 
I never have waited too long cos I work and wont leave one dog on his/her own? I lost Jura in April and got Islay in May, I lost Talisker in December and got Flick just before Christmas :eek:

Mind you now I have three, I am not sure how long I would wait.... Islay is 7 1/2 and Flick and Amy are roughly the same age (around 3)..... time will tell eventually :(
 
Interesting topic. I never understood those who felt they would be replacing a dog, but at the same time I was pretty adamant I wasn't going to have a black lab, as I would compare it constantly to our Angus. So maybe I do understand but don't want to admit to myself that deep down I feel a little guilty? Complicated stuff :)

I do agree however that it's different for everybody. And circumstances can be just as much a factor as emotions.

Angus was the last of the family dogs to go, and by that point he was the only one we had as well. Myself and my da missed the walks and having a dog in the house (though he wouldn't admit it, Angus was HIS dog and he didn't want another any time soon), and would probably have taken a new dog on fairly quickly. However, I was at college, and had just sold my horse as I was going to uni (first time round:rolleyes:) and wouldn't have the time. So I wouldn't be there for the daily walks for a dog either. The parents wanted a breather from dog ownership as they approached their 50's, which is understandable. It's a little hedonistic being able to book a holiday without arranging it so that a family member is available to stay at home with the nervous rescue lab, particularly in a small family :p

So for me the answer is... would have done it sooner, but ended up waiting a few years. I didn't want the responsibility of a dog/puppy until I had the money and the free time to devote to raising it.

To be honest I feel a little sorry for my dad though. He spent years missing having a dog, and talking about how he was looking forward to another one (always maybe in a year or so), and how he enjoyed having a dog to walk. I bought Loki after I moved back home and he was so enthusiastic about the chance to walk and help out with his daughter's new dog. But in the last couple of years he's been diagnosed with arthritis in his spine, and he just can't physically cope with what he wants to do. It breaks my heart to go out on a romp with Loki and he's unable to take up our offer of company because he's in pain, no matter how much he wants to be out there as well.

Also he can whistle and I can't. Whistling is useful with dogs. :p But I suppose what I'm trying to say in my usual long-winded way is, sometimes you can leave it too long. I wouldn't want the last dog I had to be my last dog ever.
 
I lost my hadley (maltese) on my birthday july this year and I was devastated, I had another dog (lhasa apso) but I missed him terribly and it just wasnt the same, we went to a dog show to meet his breeder a few weeks later and she mentioned she had some puppies who were related to my hadley, went and saw them and ended up getting henry a 4month old puppy and Justin a 2yr old. that was 3 months after losing him and I did worry that people (especially family) would think I was rushing into getting another dog but It was what I wanted and although I still miss hadley very much and I did feel abit guilty about 'replacing him' so quickly, but everytime I get sad Iv'e got two little fluffs only too happy to make me smile again
 
We lost Holly (the most amazing rotty ever) om Thurs 20th July and picked Sage up on Sat 22nd. Holly is totally irreplaceable and always will be my first dog and therefore very special. However, Sage is just a total loon we couldn't help but smile and she helped us, and Matty, get over her untimely and very suddern death.
Sage was never planned, is certainly not a replacement and just happened to need a new home at a time we were in a position to offer one.
 
I've never had to deal with losing one of my own dogs (but i have staggered their ages in some kind of advance planning) but when my parents last dog died just after Christmas a couple of years ago I left it until easter then dragged them off to the local rescue centre's open day where they found a lovely little terriorist who has cheered them up no end. I think they still felt guilty and needed a push but wouldn't be without Cassie now
 
We lost Kizzy this summer and my dad came home with an identical puppy about a month later :o

My mum and brother are still finding it hard to come to terms with Ks death, whilst they love the puppy she is a little too similar to the dog they had just lost. My dad doeasnt have emotions!
 
We've always had more than 4 so it sort of just cycles through how they're spaced. we've lost one the same time we've had a litter on the ground and were keeping one any way. You can't replace them imo as they're all different characters/personalities. I think it depends on you as an individual
 
My darling boy passed away on the 29th of October :( I adored him, he really was my doggy soul mate.
I have 2 other dogs, one I have had for 13 years but I just don't feel about them the same way I did about my boy. I am looking around for a new friend for my pup as he misses playing with his big brother, my boy will never be replaced, he was too special (although I don't want a dog that looks like him).
 
Lost my golden retriever may last year and still havent got over it.Mum and Dad has just rescued a sprocker but its not the same, depth of feeling just isnt there. We have said maybe after we have moved but house hasnt sold and I dont want a dog in this house as Chester was one of a kind.I would also feel very guilty leaving a puppy when I go to yard.:(
 
I lost my greyhound Abbey nearly 3 years ago to Cushings. Was at the vets a few weeks later to collect her ashes when the vet told me about a puppy that had been brought in to be pts as the owners were going on holiday and didnt want her. I refused to have her as I was in bits about my old girl and had my collie McCoy to keep me busy id also recently moved back to my parents house as my partner and i had just split up.
I went to the pound a week later through my work for an animal charity and low and behold the little pupy was there! the vet hadnt pts and she was even at the pound longer than she should have been and so taking it as fate I took her home! :DTeagan is a lurcher with thug tendancies but is funny and always makes me smile and could no way be likened to the previous dog!
when I moved to ireland i was asked to take a bitch in with 8 puppies for fostering. the puppies were all rehomed and no one wanted the bitch, so "poppy" became one of the pack.:)
then last year we found a box of puppies at the roadside,the collie types were all rehomed and i was left with Teddy the terrorist who is sweet natured little thing and she is the cats bodyguard!
Then a few weeks ago a red and white collie was tied to the gate at the end of my drive so Riley also joined the pack!
I didnt go looking for my dogs-i feel they came into my life and they all bring something different to the pack and i wouldnt be without any of them! :)
 
We waited about 3 months after we lost our red setter. i don't think I was really ready looking back and it took me about a year before i fully accepted him. I think that it may have been because he had some behavourial issues as he was a rescue who had been badly treated. Love him to pieces now and he's at the grand old age of 16!! Think everyone is different.
 
We got chatting exactly a week after Jake was PTS, looked on the internet, found the 'right' litter, spoke to the breeder the next morning, went to see them and got two. We deliberately got black and white because Jake was b/w.

There is no right time, but I wish I'd waited. It took me weeks to get over the resentment that they weren't Jake. I'm still of the opinion that I'd rather have Jake back, obviously. They're very different temperaments to the original two.

Trouble was, Brig was appalling on his own and was suffering. I had to take into account his quality of life, too. He's a happy bunny now as long as they don't bother him too much, but they are more interested in each other than him, mostly.

There is no 'right' time: It just happened. I'd secretly looked at the litter then the OH mentioned it. It's written, IMO.
 
I have never since being born lived without a dog, I know full well I couldnt be in a house without one.

After losing out Boxer at a young age we didnt get another one for 5years but in the meantime we had our Clumbers.

We had our new Boxer and 2 Clumbers mother and daughter. Daughter died at 6years old from cancer and mum was 16 at the time and knew she wasn't going to be around much longer. We had talked about getting another to keep our Boxer company once Molly had died. But 3weeks after losing her a friend wanted help picking breed and litter so I helped out and found one for her. As they said they only had 1dog and 3bitches left we knew our friend ony wanted a dog and so did we so we knew we wouldnt have one, mum decided to go and look at the litter. When mum got there the lady had another dog which was blind in one eye and didnt mention she had it was knew no-one would want it. Well mum just fell in love with him. We werent looking for a puppy at the time but he found us.His sight has never been a problem and he has perfect vision in his one eye. Molly died 2months after we got Digger.
 
I lost my Jake on the thursday had another one friday evening. Couldn't be in the house without a dog. I was still heartbroken and It didn't make it any easier. Jake was my best friend and I will miss him forever.
 
Whoops, meant to reply to this thread earlier! :o

Thank you all for your experiences - I've gone all sniffley reading through them! I've also found it really interesting, there's a lot of emotion involved whatever the situation (and I suppose that's a bit silly being that you're all posting in AAD and obviously do care about your dogs!)

Lots to think about, cheers guys :)
 
We lost our last lab in March this year, and have just been to see a puppy today! To be honest, have probably waited a bit long as we would never have tried to replace her and the family isn't right without a lab! But I think you know when the time is right, or when the right dog comes along! :-)
 
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