How soon do you get another dog when one has just died?
My other dog Magnum ( a Golden Retriever), died on Super Bowl Sunday and I have been trying to decide whether or not to bring in another dog for company for my other dog Sonny after his father died. I have been doing some reading on grieving the death of a beloved dog. One point that was really strongly made was that it is important that I acknowledge that my emotions will have an effect on Sonny. Sonny relies on me to provide a healthy environment for him. In other words, it is important to allow time for both of us to grieve the passing of Magnum. I need to bring myself to a more positive energy level.
One of the things that was pointed out to me was that if I am still mourning and my other pet is still mourning, a new dog will pick up on the grief and mourning in the household. The new dog may develop bad habits or issues that I am not willing or able to deal with. What I got from my reading is that is a good idea not to bring a new dog into a household until the grieving is done. There is no time frame on how long this will take. Some times it can feel completely overwhelming. It has been almost 4 months now and I still can see Magmun laying there in the living room the day he died. I can’t get that image out of my mind. As Sonny is his son, it is amazing how much he looks like him. Sometimes Sonny is laying in the same place where I found Magnum that day and I have to check whether he is still breathing. It is quite unnerving sometimes.
I guess it is important for both of us to go through the grief in our own time so that we can move on. All I know now is that it is not a good time to bring in another dog at this time for us. At this time, Sonny is enjoying the individual attention that he is getting. Also, all of a sudden, we are welcome at many other places that we weren’t welcome before, mainly because of the size of the dogs and that there were 2 of them. As well, I hardly ever have to get Sonny a dog sitter now, because I can take him most places that I go. This is quite a significant change for both of us.
Another thing that was pointed out was that the new dog should not be a replacement or substitute for the previous dog. Right now I can’t say with conviction that a new dog would not be a replacement for Magnum.
It all comes down to that I am the only one who knows when I am ready to bring in a new dog, to know when I have let go of Magnum. I am the only one who knows when I have let go, finished my grieving , feel peace and can begin again with a new dog.
Source: dog loss
