Getting A Puppy

[imaprincess!]

We had our dog put to sleep in January; she would have been 15 years old in March. I miss her terribly and when my 3-year old DD is tired, she cries for her. I still can't believe she is gone forever. I miss my dear Molly's companionship so much.

I do miss having a set of big, brown eyes to stare into, ears to scratch and fur to pet. My older children (the younger one, too) are asking if we can get a puppy. I am not opposed to it since I miss having a dog, but I am afraid that I will not like the dog because it is not my dear, old friend Molly!

Have any of you experienced anything similar?

Thanks for any advice!

[Pastcastmemberdaughter]

I remember when I was a kid having our dog put to sleep, I was completly crushed! It took me a very long time to convience Mom and Dad to get another dog but we did. I never had a problem adjusting to a new four legged friend in the house and I remember my Mom being almost happier then me. She still has pictures of our old dog hanging around the house and our "new" puppy is now 14 years old. I for one am gratefull they got a new dog and now that I'm moved out I have 4 of my own and one I may end up keeping after originally deciding I was going to sell him. We shall see.....

Anyway good luck with your decision, I think you and your family would have a great time making new memories with another puppy!

[mrsgaribaldi]

My very much loved and spoiled baby Mr Garibaldi died suddenly in 2004 at the age of 3. I still had another cat named Samantha. Not wanting to leave Sammy home alone for 12+ hours at a time when I work we got another cat 4 months later. We actually got 2 since they are so adorable and we didn't want to split up the last two in the litter. I often think that Mr Garibaldi led us to them since they are so loving and affectionate. Charlie really reminds me of Mr G alot. I think you will love your new puppy as a brand new friend and remember in your heart your dear old friend Molly for a lifetime. There is so much love in our hearts to give a pet, I'm sure it will not be a problem for you at all.

[Clotho]

You can never replace a lost beloved pet. You can only invite a new and wonderful bundle of furry love into your life. DO IT!

[Icegoaliemom29]

You can never replace a lost beloved pet. You can only invite a new and wonderful bundle of furry love into your life. DO IT!

ABSOLUTELY! DO IT! I have had to put my last 3 babies (2 Cocker Spaniels and a Border Collie mix) to sleep due to illness and old age and had my first Cocker Spaniel die of Parvo when he was 1. I still love and miss every one of them but I do not regret getting my current babies (another boy Cocker Spaniel and a Coon/Fox hound mix). I can't imagine our house without the animals (we have a rabbit and fish too).
I am very sorry for your family's loss. I definately understand.

[DVC2004]

Do it. You'll be surprised how much you love the new puppy! OF course it won't replace Molly, but I think it will be good.

[dixielandings]

My form of pet grief therapy has always been to mourn for a few days, then go adopt a new one. They all need homes!

[conorsmom2000]

We had to put our dog down on July 6, 2001. Mike would probably kill me if he saw me write this, but I have never seen him so heartbroken - we both cried for days. Couldn't even leave the house, we were such wrecks.

In 2004 we our got our Black Lab puppy. We only waited that long because Conor was only 1 when we had to put Foster down, so we wanted him to be old enough to deal with a puppy (and puppy bites! ) Getting our Molly was the best thing we ever did - she didn't replace our Foster, or our memories of him, but she just added something to our family. I say go for it - nothing heals the heart like having something to love!

[Tinkerfreak]

You will always remember and miss your furry baby but I do believe that a new dog would help ease the pain a bit. When we lost our little springer spaniel after 12 years (she was our wedding gift to each other) I thought we would never get over it. We pet lovers all understand how much we love our pets. I still miss Misti all the time but I can now remember her with a smile instead of crying all the time. About a year and a half ago DH found a little kitty hiding under our deck and after a couple of weeks of searching for her owner we ended up keeping her. I truly believe she was meant for us. She just fit right in with our family and although we did not want a cat we absolutely adore her and she brings my family so much love.
I say if you are prepared for dealing with a puppy then go for it. I'm sure this little puppy will bring your family alot of love and joy.

[thrillme]

My condolences on the loss of your beloved pet. But do get a new puppy. You will fall in love with the new puppy. It's OK if it's not the same...love is love and it's always going to be the BEST.

My first two dogs Buttons and Bows eventually had to be put down. They were around before I was even born. We loved them so much...they were the "best dogs we ever owned"...Then we had Smokey...a frisky lab puppy, my best friend and first puppy..."he was the best dog we ever owned". 14 years later it was his time we were done...we could never love another dog more than Smokey. Then "Jake" happened into our lives...5 weeks old, part golden, part coon hound...this tiny handful of a mutt laid his little head down on Mom's chest, licked her chin and instant love..."he was the best dog we ever owned"...another 13 years and a battle with hip displasia and a whole lot of tears we lost Jake (actually I was already out of Mom and Dad's house but...our pets at both houses are still all of our pets).

As time went by my Dad found himself bluer and bluer without a dog around. He and my Mom missed Jake soooo very much they could never replace him...

Christmas 2005 arrived Shadow. A frisky golden retriever that loves to eat paper. He has brought a whole new life back into the house..."he's the best dog they've ever owned"

[imaprincess!]

Thank you all so much for your responses -- it's difficult to type through the tears! Why didn't I come here sooner? Your understanding touched my heart.

I think we will get a puppy in August. My DH would like to get through one summer vacation without worrying about doggy care. Also, since football starts Aug. 1 for my son and school is right around the corner from then, we won't be going anywhere and the weather will be warm for potty training.

[MsMin]

When reading your post I was reminded of the many times I've heard children ask "if mommy gets a new baby will she still love me?" Funny thing about our hearts there is always room for another child, another friend and another puppy. We can never replace our lost friends or family but we can help fill the gaps by adding new loves into our life.
Good luck with your puppy search and I do think it's wise to wait until August if you plan to travel during the summer. We got our Chloe in Jan. 03 and I found it hard to potty train in the cold and it doesn't get that cold down here. I don't know how you train a dog in the snow??
Have you seen the sites that help you find the perfect type puppy for your home and family? I wouldn't say it was foolproof but some offer excellent advise on different breeds and temperaments which is great info to have before you get a pup. Best of luck with it, I can't wait to hear about the new fuzz ball you finally adopt into your loving home. I'm sure Molly would be proud of the fact that she was such a great dog that you are finding life missing something without the love and companionship that she gave the family.

[imaprincess!]

No, I haven't heard of the sites matching your family with the best type of pup for your family. What a great idea! I did see on Oprah yesterday that Springer Spaniels are great family dogs.

We got Molly from Animal Rescue and will probably look for a pound puppy in her honor. But I will definitely take a look at those websites and give their recommendations some thought as well. Molly was from an unwanted litter on a farm in Pennsylvania.

[MsMin]

I think its great to get ideas of the temperaments of different dogs. My mom got a new puppy in January and the vet lectured me on several things to help her. Of course my mom didn't take any advice (she loves Pomeranians and at 76 it's quite an active and aggressive puppy, they are known to be nippy)
One great tip that she gave was that dogs with pink skin have more allergies. I don't know if you have problems with that where you are but it's helpful here. She said to check their bellies. A white dog, or cream and red, for example, is more prone to skin problems. Mix breeds are often healthier than purebreds. I wish I could remember if the site was Purina or another site but if not educational it was fun. You can change your selections of traits to see how it changes and kids/families learn about what they can expect.