How long did you wait?

[ChangeMustCome]

I lost my beloved dog recently (end June) and am definitely going to get another. I do have kids, one teen and one who's left home but works from home (own flat) and we will share the training depending on who's home.
I am really sad about my dog and also want to fill the gap before I get used to the freedom!

I’ve never been 2 weeks without a dog. At the risk of sounding like a heartless cow, I’d actually lined up dog no 2 before one of my dogs had actually passed away. He was nearing the end of his life with weeks rather than months left to live, and I came across a litter from a local breeder and saw this puppy that I knew I just had to have. Dog no 1 passed away a couple weeks before Xmas and I got the puppy just after the new year. Dogs have always been a huge part of my life and daily routine, I fall into a huge depression when one’s gone that doesn’t go until I have one at my feet again.

Thanks for this, I was worried I hadn't properly grieved etc but I think I have! I've seen a lovely pup ready to go now. Going to do it, thanks. X

About a month was the longest between dogs for us.

We lost our lovely boy in early June. The house has seemed eerily empty and flat ever since. We have been trying to adopt via rescue etc but no luck so far. Found out this morning we found out that we are going to be home checked by a lovely Greyhound rescue. Can’t wait. It’s not disloyalty to our old boy who we loved more than anything, it’s a wish to offer a good home to a new friend that we can have new adventures with. Can’t wait!

It was four months from when our old boy died to us bringing home our new pup. It was either that or wait a year until the breeder I trust had their next planned litter. I was really worried it might be too soon, but four months with no dog in our family felt like forever and it actually felt just right by the time we picked him up.

New pup has been with us a couple of weeks now and has really brought back the life and laughter to our home. Bit of a shock going from a geriatric and naturally calm old boy to a 200 mile an hour pup, but loving every minute. Before we lost old boy the whole family was involved in his care and we spent a lot of time together. Afterwards everyone retreated back to their individual rooms computers/devices etc. Since pup has arrived he has brought us back together as a family again.

We all still miss our old lad (and our other boy that we lost in 2020 and the ones that came and went before that) always will, but new pup is a totally different breed (and size) so there haven’t been any comparisons made.

Over the years, with some dogs and at different stages of my life, I felt I needed to wait longer, with others the house just felt too empty without a dog. For me there will always be plenty of room in my heart for the dogs I’ve lost, as well as any newcomers, so timing when to bring the next dog home comes down to trusting my gut feeling.

I think it’s a really personal thing and there is no right or wrong answer.

I did read up on the effect it might have on children as mine were only young when that happened. Research does say that you’re meant to leave a longer period for children to learn to grieve, otherwise they will try to view the new pet as a replacement for the old. Not having a dog is not an option for my family though, and it’s sounds like your children are old enough to process and separate their grief for the old dog.

Our 12yr old dog died January 2021, we were obviously devastated and I couldn't even contemplate another one for a few months. Then fate hit and my friend decided to breed from her bitch in the February which happened to be exactly what I love ie working cocker so by June 2021 we had a new puppy. If it wasn't for this I think we would have waited longer but in the end it actually helped me recover from the loss of our old dog. Until we got the puppy I would wake up crying in the middle of the night and just felt a huge hole in my life.
There is no right time, just whenever feels right for you.

Ten weeks after Painlessdog number 1 died, eight months this time round as the breeder wasn't having puppies for a while. I spoke to her about a week after Painlessdog 2 died. If she had had puppies available it would have been sooner.

Usually around 6months. We have rescued a series of older dogs, so only have each dog for 5 years max. Each time one of these Dogs has died we are very upset and decide never to get another one, but then we see a sad face and a grey muzzle on the Oldies Club rescue site and off we go again.

Thank you to everyone who took the time to post. I'm so pleased that people managed to move on from the grief of losing a much loved pet, whether it was weeks or months. My wee dog joined us weeks after I became a single Mum and was my best pal and she's irreplaceable. But our home doesn't feel the same without a wee dog and we're going to visit a litter tomorrow. X

That's lovely. But you must post puppy pictures