[Bluebird]

Lost my 16 year old Teddy Bear five months ago. A loss of a friend and companion. Thought I was dealing with it. But this last month I wake up in the middle of the night and am trying to find him in the bed. I do realize he isn’t there and why. I am wondering if I am crazy or what. I am old 68 and alone. I don’t have dementia. I am so lonely with him and really don’t know what to do. Have had 2 other dogs who live 12 years each. Loved them, but this one even more special. I am thinking about getting a cat because it is hard in winter to get a walk for a dog. I just don’t think I like cats. Wish I did but they aren’t a dog companion that wants to be with you and you want to be with them, a friend!!

 

[stbob]

Lost my 16 year old Teddy Bear five months ago. A loss of a friend and companion. Thought I was dealing with it. But this last month I wake up in the middle of the night and am trying to find him in the bed. I do realize he isn’t there and why. I am wondering if I am crazy or what. I am old 68 and alone. I don’t have dementia. I am so lonely with him and really don’t know what to do. Have had 2 other dogs who live 12 years each. Loved them, but this one even more special. I am thinking about getting a cat because it is hard in winter to get a walk for a dog. I just don’t think I like cats. Wish I did but they aren’t a dog companion that wants to be with you and you want to be with them, a friend!!

Time to get another dog. I'm sure folks here can suggest lots of dogs that require little to no walking. As for cats, i thought briefly about getting one as a pet for my boy Bosco, but then thought about what it'd be like coming home one day to find my flat screen tv knocked over and that was the end of that idea...

 

[storyist]

You have all my sympathy, but I don't think what you're feeling is unusual. I lost the dog of my heart 5 years ago, and it took a year before I was back to normal even though I still had 2 other dogs. The reason I have other dogs is that I found years before that I am one of those who grieve. I went years without a dog between my first and second Akita. Sometime after that I decided I'd always have 2 dogs of different ages so I had an emotional bridge and didn't go without for years again.

So I haven't gone without a dog again, but as above, I have grieved to where it affected pretty much everything in my life for a pretty long time.

I'm considerably older than you are, and I now have a puppy. He'll be the last. Raising him is a joy but also more physically difficult that any other puppy, and he's of a smaller breed. The loss of sleep in the first weeks was especially hard - and he's a good puppy. He started out sleeping 6 hours straight every night. Our circumstances are undoubtedly different, but my theory is having him keeps me up and at 'em. I hope to still do Rally and Obedience competition with him. My one remaining older dog is having medical problems that I think have put an end to her competitive career.

I understand your concern about walking a dog in winter. I'm fortunate to have a fenced yard. In bad weather the dogs don't want to go out or walk. They zip out, relieve themselves, and zip back inside. Particularly if you get a small dog of one of the companion-only breeds, I don't think skipping anything past a potty walk is a problem in bad weather or when footing is worrisome. If you have a fenced yard, where a dog can go out for a bit by itself, it wouldn't be a problem at all.

So if you want a puppy, try looking for an older one. My guy came to me at 11 weeks. The Akitas were 12 and 16 weeks, respectively, and the older, the easier in my experience. If an older dog would suit better, try for a foster to adopt situation. Good luck.

 

[Bluebird]

You have all my sympathy, but I don't think what you're feeling is unusual. I lost the dog of my heart 5 years ago, and it took a year before I was back to normal even though I still had 2 other dogs. The reason I have other dogs is that I found years before that I am one of those who grieve. I went years without a dog between my first and second Akita. Sometime after that I decided I'd always have 2 dogs of different ages so I had an emotional bridge and didn't go without for years again.

So I haven't gone without a dog again, but as above, I have grieved to where it affected pretty much everything in my life for a pretty long time.

I'm considerably older than you are, and I now have a puppy. He'll be the last. Raising him is a joy but also more physically difficult that any other puppy, and he's of a smaller breed. The loss of sleep in the first weeks was especially hard - and he's a good puppy. He started out sleeping 6 hours straight every night. Our circumstances are undoubtedly different, but my theory is having him keeps me up and at 'em. I hope to still do Rally and Obedience competition with him. My one remaining older dog is having medical problems that I think have put an end to her competitive career.

I understand your concern about walking a dog in winter. I'm fortunate to have a fenced yard. In bad weather the dogs don't want to go out or walk. They zip out, relieve themselves, and zip back inside. Particularly if you get a small dog of one of the companion-only breeds, I don't think skipping anything past a potty walk is a problem in bad weather or when footing is worrisome. If you have a fenced yard, where a dog can go out for a bit by itself, it wouldn't be a problem at all.

So if you want a puppy, try looking for an older one. My guy came to me at 11 weeks. The Akitas were 12 and 16 weeks, respectively, and the older, the easier in my experience. If an older dog would suit better, try for a foster to adopt situation. Good luck.

Thank you for your reply and care. I am looking at getting a Maltese little pup. and one of the apartment training systems so I teach him/ her to go on pad in winter and how to go outside. I will spend this year taking a look at things. I want to do right

 

[Bluebird]

Time to get another dog. I'm sure folks here can suggest lots of dogs that require little to no walking. As for cats, i thought briefly about getting one as a pet for my boy Bosco, but then thought about what it'd be like coming home one day to find my flat screen tv knocked over and that was the end of that idea...

Laughing about the flat screen turned over. You are right l. I have Nixed out the cat. I am a doggie woman!! Thinking I will wait a year and am investigating doggie apartment kennel that helps train them to a pad. I think the design needs improvement. So if little dog can’t go out in snow of 12-30 inches, he has a place to go. That really is my biggest problem SNOW

 

[Bluebird]

You have all my sympathy, but I don't think what you're feeling is unusual. I lost the dog of my heart 5 years ago, and it took a year before I was back to normal even though I still had 2 other dogs. The reason I have other dogs is that I found years before that I am one of those who grieve. I went years without a dog between my first and second Akita. Sometime after that I decided I'd always have 2 dogs of different ages so I had an emotional bridge and didn't go without for years again.

So I haven't gone without a dog again, but as above, I have grieved to where it affected pretty much everything in my life for a pretty long time.

I'm considerably older than you are, and I now have a puppy. He'll be the last. Raising him is a joy but also more physically difficult that any other puppy, and he's of a smaller breed. The loss of sleep in the first weeks was especially hard - and he's a good puppy. He started out sleeping 6 hours straight every night. Our circumstances are undoubtedly different, but my theory is having him keeps me up and at 'em. I hope to still do Rally and Obedience competition with him. My one remaining older dog is having medical problems that I think have put an end to her competitive career.

I understand your concern about walking a dog in winter. I'm fortunate to have a fenced yard. In bad weather the dogs don't want to go out or walk. They zip out, relieve themselves, and zip back inside. Particularly if you get a small dog of one of the companion-only breeds, I don't think skipping anything past a potty walk is a problem in bad weather or when footing is worrisome. If you have a fenced yard, where a dog can go out for a bit by itself, it wouldn't be a problem at all.

So if you want a puppy, try looking for an older one. My guy came to me at 11 weeks. The Akitas were 12 and 16 weeks, respectively, and the older, the easier in my experience. If an older dog would suit better, try for a foster to adopt situation. Good luck.

 

[Bluebird]

Thank you . Really about 3 years ago I thought about getting a pup but didn’t know how Telly would deal with that. I was getting the pup because I knew I was going to be losing Telly. I knew how hard it would be.