How long after losing your dog did you wait before getting another?

[JustlookingNotbuying]

I have already posted about losing my beloved dog, a month ago.
It has been so much tougher than I anticipated.
DH and the kids miss him but have been able to get on with their lives.
Archie was with me almost 24/7. He followed me everywhere, if I went out he would take my shoes/slippers to lay on, if he was at my parents he would sit on their window sill and wait for me. He worshipped me and I him.
And that’s why I am finding his passing so difficult.
I appreciate that it’s only a month and I have a while to go before the rawness eases but it’s not just his passing I am struggling with, it’s the emptiness of not having a dog, or any animal in my home right now. I am 49 and have had either dogs or cats in my life since I was a baby. I hate this emptiness.
Archie took with him a piece of me that will never return but I am already longing for the presence of a pet in my life. As much as I want him back that’s obviously not going to happen.
I have started looking on rescue sites and have made some enquiries but the guilt is overwhelming. I feel that I should give it months, maybe years but the downside is that the love I have to give is going to waste. There are so many rescues out there and we would be saving each other I suppose as I feel lost, the depression I had (which having Archie in my life really helped with) has returned in a big way. I really would love a dog back in my life.
How long did you go before getting another? It is such a strange feeling, it feels so wrong to even think about it.

2 weeks was the longest I ever went. Hated not having a dog to walk or greet me in the morning, we usually had more than one so when the last boy went, unexpectedly young, it was a shock. We debated rescue or puppy and ended up with both. An old rescue (10.5) through breed rescue, whose owners were emigrating to a hot country and didn't think it would be fair to him (his passion was sea swimming) and a pup that had unexpectedly become available due to time wasters.

After the old boy died we took in another rescue. Having more than one dog at a time really does help the process, for me, of dealing with the death of one of them. You have to keep feeding and walking the other.

No dog has ever held my heart like my girl who died 20yrs ago - but I have loved the ones that came after her and would not have been without them.

I waited a couple of years but wish I hadn't. Lots of circumstances lead to the wait, the first being COVID, wanting a rescue and I was pretty determined not to get a puppy from a breeder.
I am at home all the time, we don't holiday abroad, have no other pets and our youngest DC is almost 16. We live on the coast with woodland nearby but because of our huge garden layout with many mature trees we couldn't meet the fence requirements of rescues. I barely got a callback. I also wasn't prepared to pay stupid money for a puppy.
DH bought me a puppy in May after many fruitless enquiries over dogs needing rehoming. He's fantastic and our home feels like it should. Ironically rescues are now inundated and the cost of puppies has fallen to below pre COVID levels so it's probably the ideal time to find another companion.
I'm currently sat in the garden with ours. He can't replace what we lost but he's so different that I don't compare them. If I was you I'd start the process now. x

@Tanfastic I also assumed I'm raising the puppy so it'll be just like my old dog!! How stupid was I lol mine is just over one and I also hate myself for hating her for so long I missed out on a good 6 months puppy time I'll never get back

Love her to bits now though

About 2.5 months. We lost our beloved dog in the September . She was my baby , had her form a puppy and she’d been my rock during chemotherapy. Couldn’t cope without her and my house felt awful. Ended up Looking at a dog rescue place in December and fell in love with my boy immediately. He was neglected as a puppy and used to breed. We took him home and he’s been ours ever since. Strangely he’s picked up the exact same habits my girl had so in my head I think she’d approve.

My boy . Little bugger he is. But wouldn’t change him.

When our greyhound died I was shattered - she was my dog, and came everywhere with me - I was lucky enough to be able to take her to work, and people loved coming into the office to see her. She was calm, laid back, loved people, hated cats. Got our second grey a month later - another black girl, as they seem to be the hardest to rehome. I'm not at work, which is good because she's a complete contrast, hated the car, not keen on people. She's been hard work, but after four years will now go in the car, but is still very nervous. I think that's the way she'll always be. I love her dearly, and apart from a few days at the beginning when I wondered what on earth I'd done, I'm not sorry we got her so quickly

After our first dog died, it was only a few days before we'd decided we wanted another. I just couldn't settle to anything until we'd decided. We thought we'd have to wait quite a few months for a pup, but DH found a 10 month old who needed a home (kept for show and breeding but had developed alopaecia). He fitted into our family beautifully.

We lost him a few months ago, over 16 years old. This time we've decided not to look for another. DD has grown up and left home, we're at a stage where we'd like to travel a bit. Mainly, it's knowing that if we got another who lived as long we'd be in our late 70s - caring for an infirm old dog, carrying him up and down stairs etc was physically hard. I'm not sure I could go through that and the emotional pain again tbh.

@JustlookingNotbuying I am so sorry you lost your precious dog, when I read something like this it instantly makes me cry. I lost a dog 10 years ago and I remember how much it hurt. Now I have 2 dogs who are like my babies and every day I think about how limited time with them is and how scary that is.

I don't think you should feel guilty, some people feel the need to wait and others need another dog asap. They will help you with your pain and you will help them by giving them a home and love. I think I would do the same xx

4 days. It's what Monty would have wanted and suited us.

I was adamant I wasn't going to get another one at all after I lost my GSD far too young. Then the itch started and 5 months later I came home with a terrier puppy. If I'm honest he was an absolute bloody nightmare and I've sworn off puppies for everymore (probably!). It took me a while to really love him and I don't feel the same way about him as I did my Shepherd(s) but I wouldn't be without him. It's entirely how you feel, it's certainly not disloyal to your 'old' dog - you don't replace them you just offer another one a good home and of course it benefits you.

I waited a year. In all honesty, I probably would have waited longer if it hadn't been for DH really wanting a new dog. Our previous dog was absolutely wonderful and his loss was terrible. I will never stop missing him. The new one isn't a replacement because he is irreplaceable. But I am so glad that I allowed myself to be persuaded. I adore the pup every bit as much as I did our last beloved dog.

When we were discussing a new dog, I was adamant that I wanted one that wouldn't remind me of our old boy. So I wanted a female, a different colour, a completely different breed. And what did we end up with? A male pup, the same colour as our old dog, nearly the same breed (old dog was a crossbreed, new dog is a purebred one of the two breeds of the old boy). And I couldn't be happier. They are quite different in ways that go beyond appearance so I'm not troubled by sad reminders.

I already had another dog but it was still hard. I lost one of my dogs 5 months I still cry. Don't rush in to getting another dog .

9 years.
Our dog was our first pet and we adored him. It broke our hearts more than we ever imagined it would once we lost him. The thought of going through it again was just too painful.

We now have another dog now and shes fabulous

We got another 2 weeks after her death.
It was very soon and tbh it was for a whole lot of reasons. One of them (the main one) was that our second dog didnt eat for the entire 2 weeks. Wouldnt get up out of bed etc.
it worked. The new puppy brought him “back to life”.
i felt guilty at first, but honestly it really helped me too and the kids. It really cheered everyone up.
its been a year now and it was definitely the right decision for our family. We still miss her though! A lot.

I lost my soulmate dog at the same time as you OP and I picked up my new pup on Friday.

It's the best thing I could have done for me, I love her already. I was a little worried how we'd bond because I had such a special bond with my old girl but I'm just starting to figure out some of her little quirks and she makes me laugh everyday.

It's hard work having a puppy again after living with a 12 year old dog but I'm enjoying the challenge. I have a reason to get out of bed again (I don't have children) and we've started to develop a little routine which I was craving so much since my girl passed.

Even though having a puppy can be hard work, I just feel grateful I have her. I don't think I'll ever take her for granted, it feels challenging at times but I keep thinking before I know it the hard puppy days will be gone, then she'll be an adult and before I realise it a senior and then I'll be alone again. 😭

Thanks again everyone. I knew you would all understand. And I am so sorry for your losses but so pleased you were able to give a loving home to another when the time was right for you.
There has not been a day gone by that I have not cried and cried for my Archie. I am going into a depression and I don’t think anything other than another dog will help me. I no longer have the enthusiasm to go for a walk alone and I’ll just bump into the many dogs we would see on our strolls and the house is so empty that I just hate being in it.
We have just been away for a few days with the kids and although we had the freedom to go anywhere and had a lovely meal etc, it just wasn’t the same and everyone there (slight exaggeration!) seemed to have a dog. When we got home last night, the house seemed empty and grey. Dd started crying as she misses him so much too, they were best buddies and he’d been in her life since she was 4.
Anyhow, long story short, on Saturday we are going to go see a rescue dog. He’s 15 months old and a lockdown dog, he suffers from anxiety (I understand him as I do too) his owner got him at 7 weeks and for some reason never took him out of the house, he didn’t even now there was a world outside of her front door. Luckily, she had the sense to release him to the rescue centre where is has been waiting for a new home. I keep telling Archie that I will never replace him, that’s impossible but this little dog needs some help and love.
I am so nervous but feel so drawn to him too.

Cait73 and CharlotteRose90 how lovely, such beauts.
ErrolTheDragon I totally understand that, caring for a poorly animal is such hard work. We often had no sleep all night when Archie was so unwell. My parents always had dogs but had to stop at a certain age as they said it was too much physically and emotionally. At 80 they would still love another pet.
Srx1 thank you.
MustBeThin I’m sorry for your loss. I hope you have lots of fun with the new pup.

That's good, hopefully a happy - not ending, a new beginning for this little chap.

You'll find a dog needing a home that you think you can give the right home to, and it will all fall into place.
A few years ago a dog died and our remaining one expressed his grief through urinating indoors - that motivated us to get him a new friend rather faster than we wanted for ourselves, and it did take a while to bond with new dog as he was Old Dog's pet more than ours! Still don't regret it mind.

There is no right or wrong answer. We were 9 months but part of that was me saying I never wanted another dog, changing my mind, researching what breed to get and then sourcing a breeder.

Sorry for your loss op x

We waited 8 years and just last week brought new puppy home.

We are constantly comparing him to our previous dog

So it never goes away even after 8 years ❤️

Took me a full year before I felt able to get another one. It felt like I was disrespecting his memory for a long time.

Two years the first time. 8 weeks the second time. The first time was expected - she was 15 and the DC were quite young. The second time we lost our boy suddenly and we were all bereft. The new boy (he’s7 now) is an absolute angel, a dream of a dog.

I thi

I waited two months.. well, just under. Like you, my old dog was just everything to me. She had been with me through some of the hardest times of my life. She only had eyes for me and we adored each other. I found her loss very difficult to come to terms with.

So I looked for a bit and a little boy puppy was available. I drove and got him that same weekend. It was all a bit of a shock really, and I kind of expected to fall in love with him straight away. It didn’t happen and I still longed for my old girl for a long time. In retrospect, it was too soon. He wasn’t my old girl and was never going to be and that wasn’t his fault. Over time (a year almost we’ve had him now) my love for him has grown and he is a beautiful, lovely boy who is full of mischief. He has filled that hole where I needed a dog and he is adored by all of us. I don’t think I’ll ever have a dog like my old girl.. and I get that now. Not every dog is the same, just like people.

take your time and allow yourself to grieve the loss of your dog, and you will know when the times right.

Lost DDog end of May. We've found a pup coming home to us October.