Help me decide about getting a new puppy after losing our dog....

[samshane]

I agree with what others have posted about this being a decision you must make.

We always had at least 2 dogs in the house - but a few years back, after losing 3 pets within 6 months due to old age and illness, we found ourselves with one dog. Dh didn't want any more dogs - but I convinced him to go to the county pound after reading an article on high kill shelters. And that ended the 4 month period of 1 dog in the house.

I would rather have them in my life and know that there will be difficult times in the end than to not have them at all. Some of them are getting up there in age, and one day they won't be here anymore - but I am sure there will be another dog or cat to come along... they always seem to find us.

Best of luck with your decision!

 

[2BigKIdz]

We lost 3 of 4 pets in 2008. Two were older and expected but the loss of our collie, Jack was sudden and it really broke my heart. He was such a sweet and gentle soul and it was definitely the hardest pet loss we have ever experienced, even my husband balled like a baby all day. We had already gotten a puppy (Kona, the black and tan dog in my sig) after our older dog passed as we felt Jack needed a friend. But when Jack died I didn't know if I wanted to go through that again and decided to wait and see if we would get another dog, we actually left it up to Kona. If he was happy being the only dog then we would be happy too. Alas he was not happy, my husband and I work nights and he would wake me up numerous times during the day because he was lonely, much more than normal, so we ended up getting a female of the same breed (Shiba Inu) and that is Kali the tan one in my sig. I don't regret getting either of them, they are so much fun! So sorry for the loss of your Heidi and wish you best of luck in deciding what is best for you.

 

[bballmom56]

We lost our dog of 14 years when he was 15 1/2. As he was a large dog, it was amazing that he lived that long and in great health up until the end. I was heartbroken even though you know it has to come some time. DH started looking for another dog about 3 months later. I went along with it, but my heart wasn't really in it. It has worked out ok. New dog is absolutely DH's dog.

All of our dogs have been rescues. All have been past the puppy stage. The ones with the most health issues have been purebreds. The one that was the healthiest was the one I mentioned first and he was a great all around mutt - shepherd, St. Bernard and who knows what else. I still miss him very much.

If we get another dog after this one, it will be a medium sized mutt over a year old from a shelter or rescue.

 

[twinmomplus2new]

I lost my Beloved St Bernard 3 years ago come March. I miss her as much today as I did the day after I lost her. I was a complete and utter wreck and still the thought of her makes me cry like a baby. UUUGHHHHH

But, That said Less than a week after she passed. And I was still out of work still crying like a baby. A very good friend said you know eventually you will get another puppy. Do it now and stop, please stop because I am gonna have to kill you.
I joked... Said ok if there are puppies **** zus within a reasonable distance your on.Opened the paper and sure enough less than 10 miles away and ready to go in 3 more days.
I went just to look. Ya ok... Sophie died March 12th. vinny came home March 20th.It was the best possible thing I could have done for my kids and myself. they and Ok mostly me.. Had something to pull my spirts back up. And honestly He is truly the nicest little dog and We adore him. So much so we added a sister for him the following year. Now we have 2. Second one is a pain in the tush. But we love her anyway!!

I did at the time get some you can't replace her comments. The thing is I will never, ever replace her. To this day I can Not look at a St Bernard without feeling ill. I was raiswed with Saints. my mother bred them when I was a child. But Sophie was mine. ANd I could never get another Saint. To me it would feel awful. ( ya I know it's a dog)
I will always have a dog around and I imagine when I lose my new pups. I will get another dog. But for the same reasons. It will again be a differant breed.

 

[BC]

I guess I have never considered a different breed, especially since my husband feels strongly that he wants another dachshund. I know they tend to have back issues, but doesn't every breed have some health issues in common? Always heard larger dogs are more prone to cancer & such.

Thanks to all of you for your suggestions. It is truly helpful.

 

[luvwinnie]

I am NOT trying to "push" but have you considered daschsund rescue? I only ask becauase after losing our beloved 9 yr old bulldog 3 years ago, we did go look at bully puppies, but my heart just wasn't in it. Then I started talking to the woman I know who is in charge of bulldog rescue and I knew adopting a bulldog in need is what would help heal my heart. We've had our Hooch for 3 years now...and it's been quite a journey with him, but it was definitely just what we needed. Again, everyone is different and you have to figure out what is right for you, but I thought I would throw that out there.
I am very sorry for your loss.

 

[robinb]

I guess I have never considered a different breed, especially since my husband feels strongly that he wants another dachshund. I know they tend to have back issues, but doesn't every breed have some health issues in common?

Yes, every breed has its problems. That's where a good breeder comes in because they want to breed the best dog they can. Not just a batch of puppies to line their pockets. A quick google search tells me that the back problems in dachshunds is genetic. So, a carefully bred dog from parents from a line of dogs with few back problems is more likely to result in a dog with few back problems that a backyard breeder's dog. You'll have to do your homework so you know what questions to ask. I would recommend starting with your state's dachshund club.

If you want a dachshund, then don't let the rescue people guilt you into going to a shelter and adopting a dog. While I admire the people who do save furry lives, it's not the best option for some people. ETA: luvwinnie this was NOT directed at you. Your post just happened to slip in before mine. I think that a dachshund rescue may be an option but you run into the same problem with poorly bred, abused or poorly socialized dogs.

 

[EeyoreEma]

We lost one of our girls over the summer, and I still miss her so much. There are parts of me that feel ready for a new furry baby to love, but 1) I still miss my girl too much and 2) the heartbreak is still there over the medical things she had to go through. She had double knee surgery as a pup and then went into renal failure unexpectedly, which we think she must have been born with some degree of kidney issues as she had apparently been functioning normally at some degree of problems for quite some time. I'm sure someday we'll get another one, but we have 2 other dogs right now, and I don't think I'd be ready to handle the heartbreak right now. I'm sorry for the loss of your 2 sweet pups, and I"m sure you'll make the right decision as to when the right time for another one is.

 

[Maridw]

We had a white german shepherd, Bambi, for 14 years. It was with a very heavy heart that we had her put to sleep after being very sick. This was in 2007. We were not going to get another dog until we fenced our yard. Then in February 2009, we were at PetSmart and there was this one dog. She looked in terrible shape, it seemed as if she wasn't getting as much attention as the other dogs, she had terrible skin problems, plus a very bad sore on her tail. She was listed as 8 years old and an owner surrender. She looked older than 8 because of her health issues.

We ended up adopting her. She is now a totally different dog from when we got her. She is a beautiful Cocker/Lab mix. Even though she is 9 years old she is VERY young at heart. We also have cats. Out of the 7 cats that we currently have, only one was not a stray. We just recently had to let one of them go to the rainbow bridge because she had severe health issues. We had also had one run off on us, but he is now safe at home.

I grew up with dogs and later we had cats and if someone had said to me years ago that I would have as many cats as I do, I would have laughed at them. But I love all my fur babies and would not have missed having any of them or the pain that goes with having them for anything.

 

[BC]

Thanks...I think I am going to "tactfully" email the breeder and ask about the history of back problems in her dogs. Hope she isn't offended as I know her dogs are from a champion bloodline or so her website shows with all their family trees. Thanks again for all your help!

 

[elgerber]

My DH and I got our first dog together right before we got married 12 years ago. When our Boxer started getting sick and putting him down was imminent, we said we wouldn't get another dog right away.

Well, we lasted a whole four days without a dog. In fact, we ended up adopting two puppies from our local shelter. Like I tell my DH, we didn't save those puppies, they saved us. We were still grieving over the loss of our Boxer, but having the puppies gave us something else to focus on.

I wholeheartedly agree with this!! We have had many dogs, and each time I say I can't do it again, I do. But our last dog, our beloved golden, had gotten very ill. He had seizures for about a year and a half, and we racked up close to $2000 in vet bills. We really thought when he went, we would try not having a dog for awhile. It was so hard to go through all that. Well, we inherited a tiny rat terrier about 2 months before our Golden died, and let me tell you, without that little rat puppy, I don't think we could have handled it well at all. Yes, it was heartbreaking, but that little angel really helped us through. She got lonely after the golden died, and a year later we ended up getting a second rat terrier for her (yeah, for her )LOL.

 

[LindaG4458]

When we lost our cocker in late September we said we would wait a few months, maybe until next summer, befopre getting another dog. Harry was almost 14 and had been sick for about a year and a half. We actually should have had him put town six months earlier.

Well, we lasted a whole four days without a dog.

Exactly what happened to us. The house was so empty. I was checking online with shelters, looking into breeders, just to know what was around. A neighbor had a Pomeranian that we loved. She got him from the local shelter but they didn't have any at the time. The same neighbor had seen some at a pet store. We decided to go look just to check things out.

Yup, we came home with a 12 week old female Pomeranian puppy. DH wanted a dog with a big personality, but I don't think he thought it would be quite as big as Roxie has. She is a little terror. but we totally adore her and wouldn't change it for the world.

Best of luck with you decision.


ETA: We would have been interested in adopting a rescue cocker spaniel but the New England Cocker Rescue will not even discuss adoption with anyone without a fenced yard. We live in condos, so that wouldn't work for us.

 

[EllenFrasier]

We have always had Golden Retrievers. We bought our first from a newspaper ad. Not knowing anything about how to go about getting a dog, we snapped him up and brought him home. He had surgery a year later for a bone chip and was never the same dog again. Very aggressive with strangers and just a dog you had to be careful around all the time. He lived to be 10. Next dog was one from a reputable breeder. He had a healthy life until he was 13 when he was put down to complications from arthritis and a liver tumor. One we had with the 13 year old was from a breeder too and she died when she was 8 from lung cancer of all things. We now have one we got from a breeder as a puppy and she is 6 and another who is 5 that we got at age 2 from a rescue group. We've always had 2 Goldens, it just seemed more complete.
What I'm trying to point out is that it doesn't matter if you do research on the breeder or not, you could get a dog that has a disease or hereditary condition down the road. You could get a dog from the shelter and have it live to age 15 - there is no guarantee.
My mom had a dachshund for 15 years and he never had any problems until he turned 15 then he got a heart condition that could not be treated. She had him put down and never got another dog. But for those 15 years, he was her companion.
Good luck with whatever you decide to do.

 

[Pea-n-Me]

Thanks...I think I am going to "tactfully" email the breeder and ask about the history of back problems in her dogs. Hope she isn't offended as I know her dogs are from a champion bloodline or so her website shows with all their family trees.

A good breeder will welcome your questions and concerns.

 

[lovetoscrap]

My experience is with cats, but still very beloved pets.

I have said for many years that although I loved our cat very much, we wouldn't get another one. I have bad allergies and she definitely added to my misery. And we keep our cats indoors so it is a real pain to keep yelling "CLOSE THE DOOR, DON'T LET THE CAT OUT" to the kids all the time, and worrying that maybe she did get out.

Then Abby got sick. Kidney failure as is common with older kitties. We were very fortunate to be able to have her for about a year after her diagnosis. At one point she had to stay in the hospital for about 3 days. Those where the loneliest 3 days of our lives. Even though she was at a point in life where she mostly just slept on the couch all the time, the house was just empty without her. On the 90 min drive home with her from the hospital DH and I were very quiet. Relieved that she was doing so much better but we both were worried. And I was trying to figure out how to tell him that I had changed my mind and wanted to always have cats around. As I started to tell him that, he got so excited and was so happy to hear it! He had been thinking the exact same thing and was really hoping that I would change my mind.

So a few months later we added 2 kittens from the shelter into our lives. We lost Abby about a month later and were absolutely devastated. Her last few days were pretty bad and putting her down was just heartbreaking. When we got home I made DH remove her bed and bowls because I couldn't bear to see them (still can't ). That night was the first time that one of the kittens curled up in my arm right next to me in bed and laid there with me all night. She knew what I needed.

I still miss Abby terribly but having the kittens really did help us all with the transition. I am not sure that I would have gotten another cat for quite a while afterward, but we were all really glad we already had them. They are 2 years old and complete holy terrors and I wouldn't have it any other way!

You can never replace a beloved pet, but you can always find enough love for another one. Do your research and ask all the questions that you need. A reputable breeder will welcome your questions.

 

[BC]

I am clinging to everything you all are saying..Thanks!

 

[belledreamer]

No experience with dogs, just cats...

Our cat that I had since I was three, died at the ripe old age of 20 in her sleep. Once she had hit about 16, I always knew that I wanted another cat once she passed; my folks said no more.

Once she died though, I took it alot harder then I thought I would. Couldn't bear to look at her food bowls, dad had to bury her; I had to take the day off work and didn't leave the bed the whole day she died. After about two weeks, it was definitely lonely without having a pet, and my parents felt that I (and maybe a little bit them... ) needed an animal around.

So we made a deal that if I got a cat, whenever I moved out, she'd go with me. Two weeks later, we adopted a 9 month old rescue cat that I named 'Jenny' and we can't imagine life without her.

That said, I'm glad I didn't get her right away. It gave me a little time to adjust not having her and deciding if I really wanted to adopt again. But it all depends on the person.