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I got a dog when I was about 3...apparently, I pestered my parents endlessly about it. She lived till I was about 16, and my mother decided it was time to put her down bc she couldn't walk well. She was dragging herself around, the vets said she was too old for surgery...what gets me is that she was mentating well...just not having a good time with life. I was a kid...I didn't know better...but I'll never get over the guilt of just not trying harder.
My parents never got a dog again, because it was too much work for my mother...they were never really dog people.
It took me till I was in my mid-20s to get another dog. Until then, something was always missing. Today is her birthday. She is ten today. I got her when she was 5 weeks old. When she passes, I'll have known her for approximately a third of my life. I don't know how to deal with that idea. Or go through that again.
It's nice to read y'all's posts about this stuff. We have a younger dog...she'll be three soon. They are friends. I was always afraid the new puppy would prefer the older's dog company to ours, but she really loves people.
I've loved and lost many dogs over the course of my life. Now, granted...they were mostly "family" dogs and not specifically "my" dogs, but they were dogs I lived with and loved.
The pain of losing them is heartbreaking, no question, and it hurts really bad for a good couple weeks before the anguish starts to tone down a bit. It's hard to come home, for instance, and not have them waiting for me, or it's painful to get into bed and not have them cuddled against me. For the first couple/few weeks, there are too many reminders everywhere, and the loss just seems unbearable. That sort of thing.
But I have found that eventually, I get to place where the happy memories replace the pain of loss, and I just feel grateful for the years I had with the dog.
Of course...I know -- because I know myself -- that I have to have "dog overlap," and we always have had. We've lost dogs, but we've never been WITHOUT dogs. One might die, but we still had another in the household. I don't think anything quite eases the pain of the loss of a beloved pet like the presence of ANOTHER beloved pet. Or at least, that's how it is with me.
I totally understand that people who experience great pain at the loss of a pet might not want to get another, because in that moment, the pain is so incredible that NOBODY would want to go through that again. And we know, of course, that we will, due simply to dogs' short lifespans. But for me the good/blessings/joy/comfort/companionship far outweigh the loss. I'm willing to suffer through a few weeks/months of acute heartbreak in exchange for 12+ years of acute joy.
My dogs are getting old but they seem to be O.K so far.Had lots of vet bills though around $12,000 in last few years.
Haven't been able to go any place freely on vacation but have been taking them with us for short getaways for about 3 nights last few months(won't leave them).
I worry myself sick about them,they are just like helpless babies(all animals are )
Will I get another,well I hope not but then maybe I will go save some old dog from the pound that no one wants and who will be put to death like lots of old dogs that are passed over for a puppy.
So many old dogs are cast aside.
Yes,that is what I will do save an old dog from death and love him/her.!
My pets live a long time. I have only owned two cats in the past 38 years; one lived to be 20 and the other to be 18.
I'm down to my old dog now; I decided to wait until he's gone before I get another pet, including a cat. I like to have one of both, but sometimes I've just owned one or the other for a period of a few years.
My old dog is 14 1/2 now, old for his breed, and he's failing steadily now. I expect he has a year or less left in him. I probably will take my time selecting a puppy, and I can't say how long a period that will be. I never choose a pup as a replacement for a dog that's gone. I choose one for it's own personality and qualities, and I've had a lot of dogs since I was an infant, so I know what my preferences are. If it takes a long time to find a dog I know I'm going to like, so be it.
But at the same time, I never know when a swell puppy will come along. My old guy was a 2nd dog to one I already had, and I got him because he was another right dog for me, even though I really didn't want 2 dogs just then.
If a pup shows up before my old guy is gone, it would have to be just right for me; at his age, I don't think he can do well with a young puppy around, but I'm not going to dismiss the possibility that the pup might agree with my old dog- I would have to introduce them and see how they do with each other.
One thing is sure true... if you have lived with a pet or two, life is lonely and incomplete without a pet. I'm sure that I will have another eventually no matter what or when.
I've thought about this a lot. When I had to euthanize my 15-year-old shih tzu I was totally inconsolable and thought I wouldn't get a dog for a long time. She was my best friend/"child" (I don't have kids, she was like a kid to me)/personal little old lady all in one. A month goes by and I saw this daddy longlegs in my bathroom and I wanted to keep it as a pet. I decided I was going off the deep end and started looking at ads for dogs needing adoption...(and I put the daddy longlegs outside...)
I adopted Nora two months after my shih tzu died. It was really too soon, an emotional adoption and at the time I was really not emotionally ready for a young hound after a senior shih tzu, but thanks to a lot of training we made it work.
I hate to think about when Nora goes, especially since I now know it'll be younger than planned most likely, due to her autoimmune problems (hope not but it's reality). I think I would like to take a long break and travel a bit, but, who knows...I could never be without a dog for very long.
Last edited by NM posts; 06-28-2012 at 05:15 PM..
Reason: oops, it was two months after, not one month
My pets live a long time. I have only owned two cats in the past 38 years; one lived to be 20 and the other to be 18.
I'm down to my old dog now; I decided to wait until he's gone before I get another pet, including a cat. I like to have one of both, but sometimes I've just owned one or the other for a period of a few years.
My old dog is 14 1/2 now, old for his breed, and he's failing steadily now. I expect he has a year or less left in him. I probably will take my time selecting a puppy, and I can't say how long a period that will be. I never choose a pup as a replacement for a dog that's gone. I choose one for it's own personality and qualities, and I've had a lot of dogs since I was an infant, so I know what my preferences are. If it takes a long time to find a dog I know I'm going to like, so be it.
But at the same time, I never know when a swell puppy will come along. My old guy was a 2nd dog to one I already had, and I got him because he was another right dog for me, even though I really didn't want 2 dogs just then.
If a pup shows up before my old guy is gone, it would have to be just right for me; at his age, I don't think he can do well with a young puppy around, but I'm not going to dismiss the possibility that the pup might agree with my old dog- I would have to introduce them and see how they do with each other.
One thing is sure true... if you have lived with a pet or two, life is lonely and incomplete without a pet. I'm sure that I will have another eventually no matter what or when.
I hope you would consider a little older dog. They are a lot less work, and what you see is what you get. Just leave the door open.
I learned something after I put my bestest friend down last year, Kaitlyn. I never thought another dog would come close to what we had. We have 3 others, which helps, and I love them all, but it's not the same attachment.
One, our youngest rescue, is starting to garner a very special place in my life and in my heart. I notice that when she is not with me, I miss her presence very much. I guess what I'm saying is that once we open our hearts, reality may take a surprising turn. She won't replace Kaitlyn, but I do have a new best friend. She's got qualities that I didn't see before, and Emma has become very dear to me. I am so grateful to have dogs in my life.
My angel doggies are responsible for making me a better person. I did not grow up with them; I was in my later 20s when I bought--yes, bought my first dog, a boxer. Boy, did she EVER train me?!? It was crazy, she was a wild, hyper handful who opened my eyes, made me aware that there are these beautiful creatures, ANIMALS, that I had never paid attention to, cared about, never concerned myself about their welfare. In fact, I thought they were dirty, filthy items. Not the loving, loyal, better than any person on earth gift I have been honored to have in my life my "first born" had to show me about her species. Because of her, I learned about homeless dogs & cats, mistreatment of so many BY MY SPECIES!!! Since her, I have rescued (actually they have rescued me) 7 dogs (currently 6 are living) and 3 cats into my home and placed others who were being neglected/mistreated. What my beautiful angel babies have given me I would not trade for all the wealth in the world. I don't know if I am worthy of entering heaven, but my babies are, and I will hope they invite me to visit once in a while!! When my first born passed on may 13, last year, I thought I wouldn't survive it. I wanted to go with her, I didn't want to live. I am who I am because of her. She gave me purpose and molded me into the better person I am today. Even with my large pet family, I was lonely, felt empty, thought I would not make it. BUT I HAD TO, my living babies needed me. Without them I might have given up. Fortunately, I HAD TO keep living, keep going. I had mouths to feed, and those mouths needed love and needed me to get up in the morning and KEEP LIVING, KEEP MOVING. I needed them to need me. Long story short, I will always have dogs (and cats). LOTS OF THEM!! I want lots of invitations to visit heaven.
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