I'm conflicted. - Update Page 5 - I've got a dog!

[darlak]

He's not a replacement, he's a successor. What a wonderful legacy Griffin will have left if the time he spent with you makes you that much more able and willing to let another dog into your heart.

I firmly believe that every time we lost a beloved pet (and we've lost more than our fair share of dogs... they just don't live long enough... ), they helped us find their successor in one way or another. Sometimes we let another pup into our hearts and home right away, sometimes it took a little while.

Follow your heart. If that empty paw-shaped hole in your heart is begging to be filled with another dog's love, then let Bandit in. When you've got a lot of love to share, there's no reason to let it go to waste while you work through your grief. Sometimes it helps to have a furry buddy to cry on.

Griffin may be nudging you to get another pup as he knows you need a furry friend and he may have picked just the right one for you.

We lost our beloved 14 year old Boston Terrier, Maggie, just a few months ago to kidney failure and we believe she helped lead us to her successor, Daisy, an Aussie mix rescue, in June. There were too many signs that pointed to the hand of fate to ignore so home with us she came. She's a perfect fit and she's getting to enjoy the benefits of all the work Maggie did to train us to be good doggie parents.

Best of luck to you and hopefully pictures and memories of Griffin will soon bring more smiles than tears.

This is said so beautifully that I can't think of anything to add.

 

[N&B'smom]

So.......what did you decide!??!?!!!?! I hope you didn't post again because you were out picking up that sweetie!!!

 

[perdidobay]

I am going through the same thing as you right now, Feralpeg. I had to let my beloved dog go just over two months ago. She was not the first dog I've lost, but I was closer to this dog than the others, as my DD's were grown and moved out. She was my child #3. At times I say to myself that I can't deal with the pain of losing another dog so I won't get one, and in the same day I'll be looking on Petfinder.
I was in Barnes and Noble today and saw a book on pet loss written by a therapist. He advised not to rush into another pet right away, but to be open to another pet when you feel it is right. Going to adoption events like you did today is good he says if it helps you sort out your feelings about getting another pet.
Like any kind of grief, it is varies from person to person and you will know when and if the time is right.

 

[twinmomplus2new]

Last year when I lost Sophie. I took 4 days off from work and cried and cried. My BF said are you getting another dog? I said no never!! She siad your full of it. yes you will! Do it now and stop your crying focus on something posetive.

I got alot of guff from alot of people but, less than a week alter. I picked up a 3lb **** zu. ( Big change from My St Bernard) it was the best thing I could have done for the kids and myself.
Now I will say even now a year later. I can not even look at another Saint. They are my fave breed. However I simply will never, ever have another one. Sophie was unique she was my Saint. I never could have gotten the same breed.
I love my little baby dog. So much so that on his year Birthday we added another. we now have to ****zu's. They ddin't replace Sophie. They filled the hole we had in our hearts.

Listen to your own heart and you will know.

 

[chisnpeke]

I'm so sorry for the loss of your pup. You are still grieving but that does not mean you cannot get another dog who needs a home! Bandit looks like a sweetheart and I think you should open your heart to him. He needs a home!

 

[MinnieMe87]

I'm so sorry to hear about Griffin. I don't think you should think of another dog as a replacement because we all know that isn't possible. I think you should view it as giving another dog a chance at a wonderful life that is filled with love. We have enough love to go around and this fur baby would be so grateful.

Bandit is a very handsome boy.

Very well said, I agree! I'm so sorry to hear about Griffin.

 

[BeachGirlFLA]

Last year when I lost Sophie. I took 4 days off from work and cried and cried. My BF said are you getting another dog? I said no never!! She siad your full of it. yes you will! Do it now and stop your crying focus on something posetive.

I got alot of guff from alot of people but, less than a week alter. I picked up a 3lb **** zu. ( Big change from My St Bernard) it was the best thing I could have done for the kids and myself.
Now I will say even now a year later. I can not even look at another Saint. They are my fave breed. However I simply will never, ever have another one. Sophie was unique she was my Saint. I never could have gotten the same breed.
I love my little baby dog. So much so that on his year Birthday we added another. we now have to ****zu's. They ddin't replace Sophie. They filled the hole we had in our hearts.

Listen to your own heart and you will know.

I think that's one of the reasons that I'm closer to Hurley than I am to Kody. I look at Kody and see Cocoa (he's taller, but other than that they look alike.) I think I subconsciously expect him to be her and when he's not, I feel like he doesn't measure up. Hurley is so different that I look at him and see him as himself without comparing him to her. As much as I love Labs, when I adopt another dog of my own it won't be a Chocolate Lab...but I think everyone is different. Peg, I hope you're out picking up Bandit.

 

[ZachnElli]

We've always replaced our pets quickly. It just helps us to heal. I'll always miss the ones we no longer have, we still talk about them, my kids still talk about them. The new pets just provide what we miss, someone to greet us at the end of the day, to fetch a ball, to sleep curled up in our lap or at our feet, etc. Everyone is different though.

 

[Pea-n-Me]

Sorry, can't resist.

Your Pets In Heaven
by Ken D. Conover

To have loved and then said farewell, is better than to have never loved at all.

For all of the times that you have stooped and touched my head, fed me my favorite treat and returned the love that I so unconditionally gave to you.
For the care that you gave to me so unselfishly.
For all of these things I am grateful and thankful.

I ask that you not grieve for the loss, but rejoice in the fact that we lived, loved and touched each others lives. My life was fuller because you were there, not as a master/owner, but as my FRIEND.

Today I am as I was in my youth. The grass is always green, butterflies flit among the flowers and the Sun shines gently down upon all of God's creatures. I can run, jump, play and do all of the things that I did in my youth. There is no sickness, no aching joints and no regrets and no aging.

We await the arrival of our lifelong companions and know that togetherness is forever. You live in our hearts as we do in yours. Companions such as you are so rare and unique.

Don't hold the love that you have within yourself. Give it to another like me and then I will live forever. For love never really dies, and you are loved and missed as surely as we are.

Your Pets In Heaven

 

[damo]

You'll probably know by tomorrow. If that's all you think about tonight and wake up thinking about him tomorrow, your decision will be made.

I love hearing rescue stories. Rescue dogs deserve to have a wonderful life and it sounds like he'd have that with you!

 

[Planogirl]

I kind of understand. I lost my beloved Sylvester recently and I know that I need cats around me. I usually have two or three but right now we have none.

I keep wanting to bring a couple of cats home but losing Sylvester hit me really hard so I keep hesitating. I know that I'm not replacing him and instead just finding new buddies but it feels weird somehow.

He's a cute dog. I say go for it!

 

[Keli]

I would do it. I held off getting another dog when my beloved golden passed away. I felt like I should wait, not rush into something and who knows how long I'd have waited if Maggie, our rescue golden hadn't needed me to save her. I didn't feel like my heart really healed after Shadow until Maggie came into my life. Next time I won't wait so long.

 

[NMAmy]

Peg, I'm so sorry for the loss of Griffin.

This is the first time in ages I've only had one dog so I'm not sure what I'll do when it's Sunny's time.

 

[WDWBarb]

I'm so sorry about your loss. All of these posts have me in tears, remembering all the furbabies I have lost in my lifetime.

I recently lost my beloved Bunny - the world's biggest (slight exaggeration, maybe?) and most darling rabbit. It's taken me more than a month to start to feel like I am coming to grips with losing her.

My vote on the new furbaby? Do it.

Our dogs want us to be loved and to be happy and it would be a compliment to their memory to offer a place in your home to a new friend. And with all of the creatures of the world that need a home, I feel it's almost a responsibility (maybe that's too strong of a word...) to offer a place in our homes to those in need.

I've never been a fan of "I'm going to go out and get a dog." I AM, however, a fan of, "I'm ready for a dog in my life, and I'm going to be open to the opportunity of letting one into my heart."

Sounds like this one made it in.

 

[sunlver]

I have not read all the posts, but I would have to say follow what is in your heart. Do what is right for you, not for everybody else.

I love dogs. I own 3 large dogs and have a foster dog. I always say that I have 4 dogs as I always love my fosters as my own. I love working with a all breeds doggie rescue group, it is hard and very fullfilling. With that sad, last New Years eve, we had to put our foster dog to sleep ...We honestly didnt know she was that sick. We knew she was an older dog, but didnt know she was very sick. My son, and myself took her to the emergency vets, and one of the ladies from the rescue group met us there. After 5 hrs of being there, the best decision was to put her to sleep ..We all sat on the floor and cried..
Although she wasn't legally mine, I had her in my home for 6 months. I was with her all day long as I am a stay at home mom,so she had plenty of love and attention her last 6 months of her life.
3 days after we put her to sleep there was another adoption show for our group. I Had to go and sign some papers for the foster I was adopting(Had another foster for 2 yrs and couldnt give her up at that point)and the lady in the group asked me "Are you ready for a new foster, or do you want to wait?"
I thought for a brief second, and said "Im ready now"..the next day I had a brand new foster dog in my home.
I cried for 3 days for my foster who passed.Even to this day, when I pass the emergency vet that she died in.. I say out loud "RIP Masiy, we miss you and love you"
My point to this long story...do what makes you happy..dont worry about what others say.

 

[Christine]

It's so hard to know what to do.

I've not been in your situation before as I've always had multiple dogs at one time, so when one passed away, I was just left with the remaining animal and usually didn't make any additions because it would be too stressful on the other dog at that time.

I think you are wise to question your feelings. My cousin just lost her beloved beagle last year and the whole family was so overwrought with grief. Honestly, I'd never seen anything like it. She was so miserable (this was 2 days after her beagle was put down), she just picked up the paper one night, found a beagle breeder and went there at 9:00 p.m. to get a new beagle. She came home with two. Besides all the vet bills she had left from the beagle that passed, the puppies have cost her a fortune. She loves them, of course, but says now that she should have never made that decision in her grief. Had she waited awhile, she probably would have gotten another dog, but I'm betting it would have been *ONE* beagle!

Since you know you want another dog eventually, though, I'm not really seeing a problem with your situation. Sometimes dogs find us at the most unlikely moments when we weren't really ready for them. That has happened twice to me and I've never regretted it.

 

[Feralpeg]

Thank you all for your support on this. It has really helped!

Unfortunately, when I went to the pet adoption today, Bandit was no longer available. That's okay. It wasn't meant to be. I did, however, fall in love with two other beautiful dogs. I couldn't make up my mind on which to adopt, so I am letting the lady in charge of the rescue group decide which dog will best suite my home. They will be contacting me for an in-home visit in about a week. I will be getting one of the following.

Danielle - 4 years old - She was found abandoned. She appears to be mostly lab. She is quiet and has a sweet disposition.

or

Yogi - 2 years old - He is a pure breed English Chocolate Lab. His family couldn't afford to keep him. He looks fierce, but is a really teddy bear.

Either dog will be fine with me. I wish I could take them both, but I'm not ready for two at this point. Maybe in the future. Also, I signed up to work as a volunteer for the pet adoptions. I'm a real softy!

 

[Sandy321]

Peg!!

You have such a big heart!! Glad you are able to volunteer - you are so giving!!

I vote for Danielle!! I'm a softy for the older dogs! but an in - home visit is perfect!!

 

[JessicaR]

What a wonderful update! Please let us know when you know. I would pick Yogi. Only because he looks a lot like my boy. They both have very sweet faces.

 

[FormrCastMbr]

Both furbabies are beautiful and lucky to have met you! Wishing you all the best...I cannot wait to see which cutie winds up in your home.