Please share your experience/feelings of getting a puppy after losing beloved dog.

[pumpkinpie01]

Our lovely lab x died suddenly in April. We had had her from a puppy and she was 12. We are a very active family and really miss having a dog when we go for walks ,at the weekend we borrow my oldest sons 2 dogs as my ds7 enjoys the walks more. He finds it strange going without a dog as he grew up with ours. Anyway I'm digressing , we now feel ready to get another dog but I'm really worried I won't love it the same as I did our other dog.My DH assured me I will and I won't compare the 2 as the new dog will have its own personality , I just loved my old one so so much and really miss her . My dh says we will wait until I am completely ready but I think I'm always going to worry that I won't love a new dog in the same way. Can you love a new dog as much ?

Yes you can, maybe get a different breed or at least switch between black, yellow and brown labs so it’s not a replacement.

Our very much loved chocolate lab died in 2017, aged 14. She had been a huge part of our family. We welcomed a new choc lab puppy into our family 3 months later and she's wonderful. We described her as a tribute to our old girl, not a replacement. They are very different dogs and we love those differences, we miss our old girl still but definitely made the right decision to fill the hole she left. Good luck with whatever you choose to do - we had forgotten how demanding puppies can be! And sorry for you loss

Your*

You love each pet in a different way but you will know when you are ready to let a new animal into your life. Love is not a finite resource

Thank you , ours was a choc lab crossed with a kelpie , so was quite a bit smaller than a pedigree lab. she was very clever and understood so much . She was so well behaved , obvs not so much as a puppy! We only had one dog as a child that we didn't get until I was 12 so I have no experience of a dog dying and then getting another. My dh has as he had 3 as a child and he says you love them all differently but I'm worried about what if those feelings don't ever come and I regret it 😫 but then am I just being over negative and creating issues in my head ?

My experience is that it's similar to the decision to have more than one child. I worried that I couldn't love a second DC in the same way as subsequent dog.

I loved them the same amount but in a different way as they were different people/animal.

We lost our very much loved border collie to cancer in September. We were totally heartbroken and devastated and so was our other dog who had a very close bond with her. Our other dog became a shadow of himself so we made the decision to get another collie. We picked her up in November and the feeling of guilt was enormous but it was honestly the best thing we could have done. Our new pup has brought joy but will never replace our beautiful girl that we lost instead she is carving her own place in our hearts.

The new puppy is always utterly different and loveable in a new way. The heart is a big place. You don’t stop loving the old/deceased dog. Not one jot.

Plenty love around for a new dog don't worry about that.

Don't underestimate how tricky it is to go back to the puppy stage through 🙈

We knew ddog was on borrowed time. Suspected brain tumour a year after an op for mammary cancer.. We got a dpuppy a few weeks before she was pts... She was intrigued!! Had dpuppy a year next week. No regrets. She has been a great healing tool and a new bff for our existing ddogs. Vet said they can suffer depression after a loss also.. Dpuppy covered all bases for us. Strangely she has some similar traits to old ddog despite being a completely different breed. We joke ddog told her a few tricks before she went..
Sorry for your loss op..

I'm so sorry you lost your girl OP, it sounds like you had a wonderful 12 years.

I would get a dog that isn't a carbon copy on paper as even if it had a similar personality you'll not register the new dog as being a replacement as such. Maybe get a dog not a bitch, or a different colour etc. It will be a wonderful addition to your home though.

Thank you everyone you are putting my mind at ease and @SquidInALid you're right about the comparison with children and love I never thought of it like that. We can't get a rescue one as we have a cat and a ds7 so we're not eligible so a puppy it would have to be , not sure about having chewed furniture again but that comes with the territory I suppose ! I'm normally a positive person but I have been quite concerned that I would make comparisons between Cleo and a new puppy and the love wouldn't be there . Older relatives , my mum especially, have said ' you'll never find another like her so don't bother looking ' 😫 really don't think that's helped me .

We lost our Ddog in July aged 14. She left a huge hole in our lives, the house just didn't feel the same. So we got puppy in November. We changed breed and pin pointed some of the things that weren't great about Ddog to help us choose. Much as we loved her we didn't love the amount of hair she she'd, and no matter what we tried she wouldn't play fetch. So we went for a short haired dog known to be a good retriever. Even at 9 weeks we could play ball with her which has really helped the bond. Don't rush it. But your old dog was great because of the love and training you gave her, you can give another dog the same brilliant life.

Thank you @Frenchfancy that's helpful , our dog loved chasing sticks and would get 10 foot ones in her mouth then run behind us and we would all get whacked round the back of the legs , my son found that hilarious. We would definitely have to have one that played catch ! I couldn't have one the same breed or colour as I think that I would be making comparisons. God losing a pet is so hard ☹️ big hugs to everyone that has and thanks everyone for posting it's been so helpful.

We lost our lovely black lab 3 years ago this month.
Initially we were too heartbroken to get another dog but like you we are an active family and going out without a dog felt so strange and 'wrong'.
We eventually got a puppy months later, not same breed or colour as like you I felt I would be forever making comparisons and who could live up to our beloved lab.
New pup is 3 now. We adore him. He is very different from our lab but that's ok.

Thank you @Girlintheframe that's lovely to hear we have decided we are definitely going to be getting a puppy. We went for a walk yesterday with my sons dogs and my ds7 started crying at a certain part of the river as that's where our dog would always have got in and it brought back memories for him. I need him to feel happy again going to the river with a dog of his own. From reading these posts it's made me realise I won't compare a new dog and it's what we need .