How soon did you get a new dog?

[Theala]

Just out of interest.

Our beloved girl died suddenly on Saturday.

Dd (6) is asking when we'll get a new dog. Dh says no way, no how, never again, but I know that's his grief talking.
I've told Dd it'll take a long while to find a new dog that's right for our family to buy time.
I don't want a new dog, but the house feels so empty. And we live invrhe country, so there's also the practical aspect of having a dog around.

I'm not going to rush into anything, don't worry, just wondering.

Thank you all for the sympathy and stories.
I'm heartened to hear that you've all had different experiences, strangely, it's reassuring that there's not one right way.
We're definitely taking our time before making any decisions though. [Flowers]

I volunteered the next day at the local council rehoming kennels to walk the dogs as I could t bear the house being so empty with her gone. Within a week I had brought one home with me who was so desperate for a home. Best thing we ever did he is absolutely gorgeous. We will never replace our first dog and I would never have got another puppy but I will always rescue

We waited a year in between loosing our rescues. Not on purpose, it just happened that way. We have always had rescue dogs as we live very close to a lovely rescue centre.
Our wonderful BC, is now 11 and has given us such love. However he has numerous health problems and psychological problems. Mainly due to his first owners who treated him with extreme cruelty.
We won't have another dog if and when we have to say goodbye.

I've mentioned this before, but we got a pup quite quickly after our old boy died, because the other dog went into a deep depression without him.
It was heartbreaking to see him indifferent for food ( he was a Lab!!) listless and brooding, no wag in his tail. He even stopped barking.
So we got him a puppy and he was the best, happiest, most indulgent uncle ever.
In fact, I could wish he disciplined her a bit more because she is a little madam.

Less than three months previously but it was eight months this time as we had to go on a waiting list. Worth the wait but such agony being Labradorless.

Our lovely vet lasted ten days when his retriever died!

My dog is 11.5 with several health issues. He's had a couple of near misses in the last 18 months and I know that he won't last forever - though I'm hoping it'll be a while yet as he's a stubborn old bastard who loves his life.
He's my soulmate. No human has ever and will ever love me like he does and he's got me out of bed on some very dark days. I love him beyond reasoning.
However, I know that when he eventually decides it's time for him to go, I will get another dog and get one soon.
I need to have a dog and there will be another puppy out there that I will love and who will love me. My current boy is the special one, but, in a different way his predecessors were also special, so I know that I'm capable of loving a different dog differently....that loving a new dog doesn't mean I don't love the ones I lost.
I just know I need dogs.
Luckily for me I date a vet

I lost my canine soul mate just last month. She was, like me, complicated and had, like me, a bad start in life. She was my devoted companion right from the start and I feel quite lost without her. She wasn't easy though. She was pretty reactive with strangers, men more broadly, farmers very specifically, cyclists and the poor long suffering postman - but she completely trusted me. At least I got to hold her and tell her how much I love her as she died, that is a great comfort.

We have another ddog (I agree with previous poster, having another helps soften the heartache), still, the house feels so quiet without her bossing everyone about. I miss her terribly but although I'm already looking at other rescues to adopt online, I know (for us) it's too soon. I know it's too soon because I'm looking for her in their pictures.

Sorry for your loss, OP. We all have our ways of coping.

We lost DDog 3 weeks ago and while he was declining I swore I wouldn’t have another, couldn’t go through it again, but as a PP wrote the house just seems wrong without a waggy bum charging through the middle of everything. I miss him desperately, and another dog wouldn’t be instead of him but as well as him. I don’t know how long we’ll be dogless but it won’t be forever.

I lost my DDog on Wednesday. She was 16 and a half and is absolutely irreplaceable. However, on Monday I'm going to see a puppy. No dog will ever replace one I lost, but I can't stand not having a dog in my life

We waited 10 months , I couldn't look at a photo of my old dog or talk about her without crying or having a massive lump in my throat all that time . My dh was ready sooner and he said he would wait until I was and if I was never ready then that was fine too. I came on here and got some wonderful advice and chatted to my stepdad which made me realise I could love another dog it wouldn't lessen my feelings for my old one . ( my old one was pts v suddenly it was a massive shock we found out at 1pm she had cancer and she was pts at 4) . Once I made my mind up we started looking decided we wanted the same breed and there was only pups available. Somebody had let the breeder down and we actually collected her the next day .