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The doghouse

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Original poster

Could I love another dog?

31 replies

Fluffypompoms · 30/01/2026 22:04

I lost my darling dog a year ago. She was 16 years old and I absolutely adored her. She was like a child to me - my soulmate and I miss her so much. My 10 Yr old daughter would love another dog. I'm reluctant though. Aside from the practical considerations, I don't know if I could love another dog like I loved my dog who passed away. It's such a huge commitment- almost like having a child. Has anyone lost a dog who was their soulmate but was able to love another dog? I'd appreciate to hear from you.

OP posts:
tattychicken · 30/01/2026 22:13

Yes. You absolutely could. Take your time, research it well and choose wisely, but you will find another friend who you will love just as much. They will never replace your beautiful girl, but a whole other part of your heart will open up for them.

FeeLipa · 30/01/2026 22:16

After our spaniel passed away we went for a different breed for our next dog. DD1 was upset that she was being replaced and wasn't keen, but fell absolutely in love with him once he was home. Our lovely lab is a completely different person and a year later we got a second dog.

All of them are so different with their personalities and irreplaceable. My house is too quiet without dogs, I missed the company when we were without one.

Pinkissmart · 30/01/2026 22:19

Absolutely you can! No dog will be exactly the same, but will have their own charms.

VacayDreamer · 30/01/2026 22:21

It’s a dog. Not a child. Of course you can replace it with a new one and love it.

Grananry · 30/01/2026 22:21

Yes, absolutely. When our dog died after a short illness I grieved deeply, much more so than my DH and DC. I had to have a week off work, he was a combination of my child and best friend!
I found being without a dog very hard and so after 5 months we went to look at a litter of puppies and inevitably paid a deposit on one. He hasn't replaced our previous dog, but he certainly helped me to heal from my grief and I love him very much, more as time goes on.

Mmmkaay · 30/01/2026 22:22

It's a bit like having a second child. You wonder if you can possibly love them as much as the first. And then the they arrive and you discover your heart is infinitely stretchy in different directions.

aperolspritzbasicbitch · 30/01/2026 22:24

I had my first dog for 12 years, she was a tricky soul but also my sweet girl.
she died really suddenly and unexpectedly. We are very much a dog family, so I knew we’d always expand our family again, but figured it would take time.
it took me 2 weeks of a dogless home to realise that it just wasn’t for me.
i was so scared and worried that people would think I was just replacing her, like I would a kettle, but in the end I went with my heart and a month later we had our current dog.
I purposefully went different breed, sex, and colour.
he’s my absolute best friend, and I’m so glad I got him when I did.
we still talk about our first dog, the kids both have one of her toys in their rooms, we kept some ashes in a house plant and she’s very much not been replaced.
We love them both equally.

YeOldeGreyhound · 30/01/2026 22:30

Of course you can. The new dog wont be the same, and wont be replacing your old one.
Just don't rush it. Be 100% ready.

YeOldeGreyhound · 30/01/2026 22:31

VacayDreamer · 30/01/2026 22:21

It’s a dog. Not a child. Of course you can replace it with a new one and love it.

People who have lost small children, or who went through the trauma of a still birth, do go on to have another child a lot of the time.
The same logic applies here. They are not replacing what is lost. They will be different.

Costacoffeeplease · 30/01/2026 22:39

I have had dogs all my life. All loved for their own little quirks

We lost our much loved dog to cancer at 15, in October last year. 10 days later we adopted a 12 year old boy from the local canil, who has fitted in perfectly and is a real delight.

We couldn’t do any more for the one we’d lost, how would it help him for our next dog to spend extra days or weeks in a concrete cell? Plus the house was so quiet I couldn’t bear it (even though we have 10 cats!)

Now we’re both in our sixties, puppies are too much for us but if we can give a senior dog a happy, loved, comfortable last few years, then that’s what we’ll do

Pricelessadvice · 30/01/2026 22:42

I always say that it’s not replacing an animal, it’s giving another animal the chance to find a lovely home and be loved.
You absolutely can love another dog. They’ll never replace your other dog, but you will find lots of ways in which they are special to you.
All dogs are precious and deserve a loving family 😍

Amodernhistory · 30/01/2026 22:43

VacayDreamer · 30/01/2026 22:21

It’s a dog. Not a child. Of course you can replace it with a new one and love it.

What a shitty unnecessary tone. I’m sure you didn’t mean it.

You can’t replace it in my experience - but you can most definitely love another OP, I promise. I’ve been there and every day I’m surprised at how much I love dog 2 in a different way, as she’s a different little character and we have a different relationship. The love is just as fierce and marvellous 😉

middleagedandinarage · 30/01/2026 22:44

Yes you can but in my experience never quite the same, just make sure you don't always compare new dog to last dog. Maybe get a different breed

mumoronegirl · 30/01/2026 22:45

Yes you can. A new dog is a different dog and not a replacement. In time you will love them more than you ever thought possible. Don't put expectations and pressure on your self to fall in love with them quickly, just focus on giving them a good life and then without realising it you will find you love them.

Thecows · 30/01/2026 22:46

VacayDreamer · 30/01/2026 22:21

It’s a dog. Not a child. Of course you can replace it with a new one and love it.

Nasty and unnecessary

Aparecium · 30/01/2026 22:48

There is absolutely no limit on the amount of affection-love you can hold in your heart. Loving another, be it child, friend or pet, does not diminish the love you feel for the ones that came before. It is additional, not substituted. That’s how we can love 2nd, 3rd, 4th etc children just as much as we love our 1st dc.

Go ahead and get another dog. It will not diminish the love you had for your previous dog. You will hold that love as a memory, and enjoy more love as you fall in love with your new dog.

TokyoSushi · 30/01/2026 22:51

Very similar situation here but with a cat, my goodness I loved him and was beyond devastated when he died.

6 months later we got a kitten, she is an absolute joy, you can 100% love another.

Branleuse · 30/01/2026 22:56

I think so.

It isn't a replacement dog and noone could replace your old girl. She will always be your special girl, but it sounds like your family needs another dog to love now. 💜

Chinsupmeloves · 30/01/2026 23:03

Yes of course. Having had dogs (and cats amongst other pets) all my life, each loss is heartbreaking 💔 and you grieve heavily. Those who say it's only a pet have no idea as they are like your children but mostly better behaved!

Time is needed inbetween but absolutely you will love your new family member ❤️ xxx

Gingercar · 30/01/2026 23:04

I have this theory that when you lose a beloved dog they take a bit of your heart with them when you die, and leave a little hole. But the next dog comes and it gives you their heart to plug the hole. Eventually you end up with a heart that is a patchwork quilt of dogs. Full of them all. You might even have one that you loved a tiny bit more, but you’ll still adore the others. They are just such loving creatures. Life is better with one around.

Grananry · 30/01/2026 23:06

Gingercar · 30/01/2026 23:04

I have this theory that when you lose a beloved dog they take a bit of your heart with them when you die, and leave a little hole. But the next dog comes and it gives you their heart to plug the hole. Eventually you end up with a heart that is a patchwork quilt of dogs. Full of them all. You might even have one that you loved a tiny bit more, but you’ll still adore the others. They are just such loving creatures. Life is better with one around.

This is one of the most beautiful things I've ever read ❤️

LaurieFairyCake · 30/01/2026 23:09

I waited FAR too long to get a dog after my bestest friend died. What a waste of 2 years! Within 5 days of having my bonkers puppy I was madly in love again.

Love expands to fill the room you give it 🥰

I now have multiple dogs and they’re so different and so utterly adored individually

CryHavoc · 30/01/2026 23:41

You absolutely will love another dog. The current dog in our household is number 4. Entirely different to all who went before him, and everyone loves him.
We had his predecessor for 8 years, and had to have him PTS in April. H and I made the decision that there would be no more dogs as our daughter should be off to uni in September, making us more free. But I saw the new one on a rescue’s insta in November, and he’s lived here for 7 happy weeks now. It feels like the end of the world when one goes, but you will live another, I promise.

CMOTDibbler · 31/01/2026 09:08

Yes, you absolutely can. Some people need to fill the dog shaped hole in their life straightaway, some need more time.
My old boy died in November and I miss him hugely as does the other dog. I've been fostering another dog since December and though she is utterly gorgeous I can tell its too soon for me - and she will (cross fingers) be going to some lovely people who have spent 2 years since their beloved dog died waiting for it to be the right time

Talapia · 31/01/2026 09:14

We lost our dog at 16. He was the family dog, there with the kids every step of their childhood. I was devastated.

We did get another dog, a puppy a year later. At first I found him hard work and compared him too much to my old dog and his good he had been. Then after a year I realised that I love new puppel just as much as old dog but in a different way. He's a totally different character but still such a wonderful companion. I also see his much the now adult children get from him. The unconditional love when you've had a bad day.

I guess what I am saying is you will love a new dog but it may take time and that's ok.

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