I lost my adored dog at 13 years old at the weekend. I had been anticipating the end for the last few months and knew it was coming. He died at home very peacefully so I didn't have to make that awful decision which has made the grief a little easier as it was a natural end. I do want another but am still processing the loss and don't want to rush but also don't want an empty home too long.
Does a couple of months seem too soon? The one I just lost actually came to me two months after a previous dog died and I found having him helped to heal. He didn't replace the last dog because he couldn't and likewise I don't want to replace him because I can't.
I feel that I can still have enough room in my heart to love him and process the loss while also having room to give another a loving home. At the moment it isn't just about the one I lost. I also feel like I have lost part of my own identity because I have always had a dog in the house but now there's just emptiness and silence.
So does a couple of months seem too soon or is it a reasonable time frame to bring another dog into the house to help heal the void? I currently feel like the only thing that can take away that emptiness left behind by the loss of a dog, is another dog.
Of course I feel sad and cry because I miss him and feel the grief of his passing, but I also want to think about the future. Right now a future with no dog makes me feel even more sad and empty. I feel like I lost my own purpose when he went and the only way I can find myself again is by embracing the grief but opening my heart and home to another dog.