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.

You will still cry every day for your dog I do and he's been gone well over a year now, but new dog is a massive distraction she makes me smile, laugh AND gets my lazy arse off the sofa

You're going to be fine ❤️

Please do it. I lost my beloved girl and was beside myself I couldn't come back into the house without breaking down. The only thing that helped me was rescuing a badly treated lurcher from the council kennels. He was a stray and in need of love and feeding up. He gave me purpose and helped me so much. Honestly let something good come out of your baby passing. You can never replace them but a rescue will help you to heal I promise. Best thing I ever did ! Good luck

Thank you all, again.
Well! We done it, we rescued Bear at the weekend.
Tbh, in hindsight I do think it’s too soon (although maybe the time will never be right, who knows?). I am still crying every day (some days all day) for Archie but as hard as it’s going to be I am determined to get Bear to where he needs to be, he has been so let down by humans and as much as I am struggling, I/we won’t do that to him.
He came up on a rescue site on FB the other day. They were full to capacity, their enquiries are dropping and at an all time low with adoptions. I saw him on there and had to give him a chance.
He is a lockdown dog, was purchased at 7 weeks and crated for 12 hours a day. He didn’t have walks and hardly ventured into the outside world (so everything is so scary to him). He has lots of anxiety and although 18 months old, is still very puppy like (a real shock to the system after having 10 year old Archie). He was surrendered to the rescue, then adopted but they returned him after 3 months as he was too much for them and has been in the rescue kennels since May. I am asking myself wtf have I done but I am sitting here crying for the loss of my beloved, well looked after dog and looking over a Bear now and thinking how unfair that he has been let down and not once asked for that, poor little mite.
I know I will never love a dog like I did my Archie and tbh Bear will probably be closer to dh as they have already formed a close bond but that’s great, as long as he becomes happy and content then we have done our job properly. I will love him purely for that alone.