Sad to say my dog died on Weds night. She was 13 and had a heart attack and fell down the stairs.

The family are gutted and we have thought about getting another one, although it doesn't quite feel right. Has anyone been in this situation? Advice/experience will be appreciated.

:'(

Sorry to hear that.

Give it some time before you get another and when you do. Rescue one and give a needy dog a good home.

:D

Sorry to hear mate.
Our dog died 2 weeks before Xmas 2001 the dreaded Cancer.Very upsetting for us all.We waited a week before we baught our Germen Shepherd.It will never replace your old dog,but it will fill a huge gap left in your life,just could not cope without a dog.
Thier just so stupid as pups it is guaranteed to bring a smile back to your face,except when they eat your house,we forgot what having a puppy was all about,but its worth it.

Hope this helps and good luck.

D

Sorry to hear tha mate. :(

Give it a while till you get a new one. And enjoy it being a loony pup :)

Thanks Davy. I think you are right. There is just such a huge void in our life now that she's gone...No one to jump all over you when you get home, no one to take out in the mornings etc... You only realise these things when they have gone.

I think we will get another, just give it a couple of weeks and comes to terms with this loss.

Sorry mate. I had two bullmastiffs that both had to be put to sleep due to cancer. They were only 6 and 8.5 years when they died. The youngst one really, really got to me. He looked so ill but was such a lovely, wimpy dog it really hit me. I still really miss him now and he died 6 years ago.

We swore never to have a bullmastiff again after this but now we've got two again. They are quality. One is 1 year 4 months and we've just got an 8 week old puppy too. Keep me entertained for hours.

I would post pix of them but I don't know how to!

Get a pup. I'm sorry to say, our rescue dog has been a nightmare and has put me off having another. Think long and hard about taking on other peoples problems with a dog, especially when you are feeling so gutted about losing one :(

Sorry to hear that.

i sympathise greatly. Our family dog, whom i had grown up with from the age of 2, died of Cancer when she has 15.
We decided to wait a few years before getting another dog and it was the best thing to do. It takes time to get over the loss of a pet and you cant replace them with another one.

red_dog104 - I think thats a bit strong. Theres plenty of dogs that need rescuing for perfectly valid reasons and not just bad behaviour - such as couples splitting up or older owners dieing. Just because you've had a bad experience I dont think everyone else should give up on them.

We've had four rescue dogs and theyve all been brilliant. Going to the rescue centre breaks my heart though - you just end up wanting to take them all home.

agree with Sub97.

both our dogs have been rescue dogs and theyre both great. The most recent addition has her problems but not through her own fault (abuse).

Of course you have to work harder with problem pets but you shouldnt give up on them because it seems like too much hard work.
(this of course does not relate to safety issues or family members).

:( Sorry for yer mate!

Sorry to hear that mate :( Know how you feel been there b4.

Our first Border Collie - Whiskey - died a few years ago at the rip old age of 16 :D She was a star, very happy memories of my childhood with her, she was a rescue dog. We saw her at the shelter and was being picked on by the other dogs with her and bearing her teeth at them. We though OMG and walked on. We were just about to leave and this lovely dog was sitting by the exit with one of the attendants - she was lovely - and the same dog we saw earlier :eek:
She hardly ever gave us any trouble - I think we were very lucky with her as she was about 1 when we got her, though she had been trained.

When she passed away we didn't get another dog, "it didn't feel right" but it left a huge hole. We didn't feel it fair to get another due to work etc. Eventually a year or so later my sis was pestering my mum, and my mum said no - until I swayed the vote.
We picked up a Border Collie pup a few months later called Cerys. She is absolutely lovely, it was soo good bringing her up as a pup - there was much more of a bond. Everyone loves her to bits and shes soo friendly with everyone. :D

Gawd - I'm waffling. I guess what I'm trying to say is we regretted leaving it so long to get another, a couple of months would have been fine. Chin up, no dog will ever replace your old one, but you'll grow a different and equally strong bond with the new 'un, and it fills that very empty void :D

All the best :)
Neil.

red dog...we got a rescue dog 9 years ago and apart from biting window cleaner twice (they tormented her and didn't realise she was in the garden when they entered!) she has scared off people from attempted burglaries in my house and garage, but she also saved the scoob... she was very timid when we got her and afraid of men...probably due to the abuse she sufferred as a pup...and she cost us about £3000 in the first year due to damage, but we persevered and she is a brilliant dog.
don't tarnish all rescue dogs with the same brush!
ps...message for original thread...you will know when the time is right for another...i personally would probably give it a week and then look at some rescue places.

And here she is:

Pup (yawning ;)):

http://www.casmawllan-border-collies...ges/yawn21.jpghttp://www.casmawllan-border-collies...Cerys11999.jpg

and at 6months:

http://www.casmawllan-border-collies...ges/cerys1.jpghttp://www.casmawllan-border-collies...ges/cerys2.jpg

I knew I should have put a flame suit on for having a different opinion.

All my comment was saying was that not all rescue dogs are 'grateful' for being rescued. Some are real problem dogs (like ours) and will cause nothing but heartache (like ours). It's better to know a dogs history in my opinion.

red_dog....perhaps you should have taken the dog on a walk with the littlie un .. i always make sure i am near enough to any dog the first time my little un goes near..you can tell by the dog's initial reaction what it's going to be like!

Mum and Dads Lab was a "battered" dog which hadn't had a fantastic background...left home alone a lot. Must have been battered as he ducked and hit the floor if you ever raised your voice or raised your hand. He (Brandy) was terrible at first. They got him when he was about a year old. Now he's going on 7 and he's the most soft, pampered thing you've ever met.

I know he reads Scoobynet, or at least tries to nick the keyboard for attention when I'm on Scoobynet so here's a pic of him posing for the camera.

http://www.btinternet.com/~blackscooby/temp/brandy.jpg

[Edited by Blackscooby - 5/23/2003 5:28:46 PM]

akshay67
I very sadly had to have 3 dogs put to sleep within 3 weeks of one another 2 years ago, two German Shepherds and a Border Terrier X - all of them rescue dogs

I have only now felt the time was right to get another dog so have just got a German Shepherd puppy [now 11 weeks old] - I wouldn't have hesitated in getting another rescue dog, but I really want to train a puppy to how I want it to be and also to breed from her.

The Border Terrier X I had, I went and got her from a Rescue Centre the same day that I had to have a previous dog put to sleep and she lived to the ripe old age of 19!

Only you and your family will know when the time feels right to get another dog.

Sorry about the sad loss of your dog, it's very traumatic to lose a pet.

Here's the cutie
http://groups.msn.com/_Secure/0TQDeA...23096688261652

[Edited by Redkop - 5/23/2003 5:50:12 PM]

It's very heartbreaking when your dog dies. My dog died 11 years ago. It cost a fortune in vet bills when he collapsed in agony a couple of years earlier. The vet advised us he gets put to sleep as the success of the operation was minimal. He had to go through a 10 hour operation to get cancerous parts removed. But it was worth the expense because he enjoyed another 2 years of life. It really tore me up when he died. I've never ever considered getting another dog. I just couldn't go through that hurt again.
A few of my friends have dogs, so when I visit them I can have the friendly doggy greeting, and take them for walks 'n stuff.
Basically, all the good stuff with none of the bad.

We had to have our little mini daschund put down at about 15 months of age. She had always been small, and was diagnosed as having a hole in the heart at about 5-6 months of age.

We spoilt her rotten from the moment we found out, both of us and everyone who ever met her realised the gift that she could give. I have never met a human who could give as much affection. She was there at the birth of our daughter, and put up with some abuse when Ellie stated being able to grab things, but Millie coped.

It was heartbreaking to have to have her put to sleep, and we were both devastated for weeks.

However our breeder said she would replace her and we collected just over a year ago a replacement stud (who we named Bilbo) :)

Whilst we both still think back and have fond (and sad) memories of Millie, we both love and wouldn't be without Bilbo.

They do not replace other pets, but fill the gap if you know what I mean. How such a small animal that cannot talk can leave such a massive hole is beyond me.

Think of the positives and they greatly outweigh the negatives.

Get another dog soon, or at least put your name down if its a breed that you can't get quickly.

robski

Thanks for all the comments people.

I think that Dogs really do offer something that no human can, and that's unconditional love. I am really devastated.

Right now when I think of getting another dog it makes me almost feel guilty or disrespectful to Heidi. Having said that we have a void in our lives - its like a really close family member has gone, and we have so much love to offer - so maybe we will get another dog.

Akshay :(

Yeah - I know how you feel, def. get another dog when you're ready, surely it's more of a testament to your memory of Heidi rather than anything else as you all want another dog :)

Rescue dogs are excellent :D All of ours have been rescued (even the cats ;):)) ..ok, so not hte fish :rolleyes:;):) Most good rescue places will be able to give you a history of the animal and recommend if they're good or bad with kids etc. We got our last one (my Holly :cool::)) as a rescue pup - the best of both worlds :)

Thoughts are with you and your family.

Sorry to hear about your dog dying :( it does get to you and the whole family :(
We, after a short 3 year break from having a dog (a westie) got another (rescue dog, 5 months old and 5 owners, she had been tied to a drainpipe in the rain and got soaked :() but now she has a good home (and a part from being a little monster ;)) she gets on great with my sisters kids ;).
She too had her difficulities when we first got her but also on the first night she stopped car thieves trying to steal next doors car from their garage but she did keep everyone awake that night!
She's still a bit manic but then again she's still young (shes a throwback Yorkshire terrier, ie a scruffy little monster but twice the size of those toy yorkies).
We havnt looked back since we got her :D
(apart from she eats anything! including socks :eek: )

Tony:D

Akshay,

I feel very sorry to hear about losing your dog. It is very upsetting, we lost our old tortoiseshell cat a while ago, she was 17 years old and died of a heart attack in my arms. I was absolutely gutted and our black cat who is the same age still goes and sits by her grave. I am also very worried about losing him too.

I think you are right to get another dog shortly. I hope you find one who will give you as much pleasure.

Les :(

I remember it well, lost our dog on World Cup final day in '98 and had no intention of replacing him.

Then on Guy Fawkes' night a small dog wandered into the house and stayed for two days with us before the (very grateful) owner was traced.

An omen?

So go out and get a rescued dog - same breed as the one who died, an OESD; but this one was really hyper, couldn't stand being left on its own.

We perservered with it for 6 months, then passed it on to a friend who owned a farm - and the dog loved it - acres of space and free to roam.

So, on the subject of rescue dogs - depends on you and depends on the dog?