What happens to the dog left behind?

[Oberon]

My old girl's (Xara) recent diagnosis of CDRM and obvious decline in health has got me worrying.

My other dog, Salem, we have had since a pup (the only pup I've ever/will have) and at the age of 3 - he is (touch wood) going to outlive Xara.

Salem is very much a pack dog (Husky/malamute/GSD x) and has to go wherever Xara does. He doesn't mind going places without her, but becomes whiney if left home without her (which happens for an hour, once a year) even with humans in the house.

We've never left him totally alone in the house.

We both work full-time, but my job means I can get home for an hour in the afternoon (I work 3 days/nights a week). So they tend to only be alone for a few hours every other week.

What I am rambling towards is that - when Xara leaves us, is it possible or fair to not get another dog?

To tell the truth, I would rather not get another dog. It's easier to just have the one, I don't feel I could emotionally deal with 'Xara's replacement' and Anti canine hubby is putting some pressure on me too.

But would Salem be able to cope? And would it be fair?

To tell you the truth. I am just really scared.

 

[Bosworth]

I lost my old boy in May after a short illness at the age of 16. My other dog Poppy was only 4.5 years old. i had her from a puppy and she had always had Bosworth around. I had always made sure that each dog spent time on their own away from the other. And when I had Boz put to sleep I made sure Poppy saw his body. She grieved, and was clearly missing her Boz. He had been there all her life, from the day she left her mother she had had him. So i was expecting her to be down. I spent a week with her coming with me on driving lessons, securely fastened in with her seatbelt. And that did help her. She needed my time and me to reasure her. If I left her at home I arranged for friends with dogs to pop in and take her out. I then bought an 8 week old pup. He was never in a million years going to replace Boz, no dog ever will and I never would think of him as a Boz replaement. Poppy hated him with a passion, but it gave her something to think about. Instead of needing me so much she spent her time avoiding him, moving beds, changing rooms, in fact anything to get away from him. It took 2 further weeks for her to start showing some positive interaction. Now 3 months later she is transformed, happy, relaxed and having a ball with the new pup. It worked for me and Poppy, I know Boz would have been totally happy on his own, in his world I was the center. He was happy with life as long as I was around. Poppy was more dog dependent so I am sure there are some who will be happy on their own and will cope far better. Had I left Poppy on her own I am convinced she would have become very clingy and withdrawn.
I would start taking him out on his own, try letting him develop some independence now before you have to. Try taking Xsara out on her own, even if its just popping her in the car for an hours kip when its cool. Increase the length of time and chuck him a great big meaty bone each time you do so he has something to occupy his mind.

Good luck.

 

[Honey08]

Our old GSD had to be put down, years ago, and the smaller dog was left behind. Again, she saw the body. For the first two weeks she became obsessed with a football - dribling it up and down the lawn all the time (quite impressively!). Then she stopped and never touched it again. That was the only ususual behaviour that we saw. We made a lot of fuss of her, which she loved (being the sole attention receiver), and the cat started to fuss over her, to the extent that they slept on the same chair at night and cuddled up for the rest of their lives! The only small problem that we had was because the other dog was always pack leader, meeting strange dogs on walks before she got to, so she was very nervous of other dogs for a long time afterwards.

Don't worry too much. They deal with things much better than we do. As for the getting another dog, it always amazes me how we love our dogs, but after we have grieved for them, we can fall in love with another. It doesn't mean that we are replacing the previous dog, or falling out of love with it, its just the power of dogs, and how lovely they are! Each and every one has the power to make us love them, in a different way. I think its nice really, otherwise we'd spend our lives missing that one special dog, whereas its nice to look back on several dogs in my life - all of them equally loved at their time.

 

[zarablue]

We lost our older gsd zara about 5 yars ago now. prince was about 2 years younger and came from his breeder and his mum to liv with zara at 10 weeks old, he was 8 when we lose zara. for about 6 weeks when we came home h would meet us at the door and look round us for zara bfore he would greet us. that reducd as time passed, he thrived as an only dog, he didnt feel the need to compeat for attention, time or food. when walked he stoped pulling to be in front and his DA behaviour stopped - i guess he didnt feel he had to protect zara
Its sad to se them missing their house mates but they do adjust

Good luck x