Community Chat

[Marienkaefer2]

---

@RubyinNE wrote:

If you like the Doodles, I have two amazing cockapoos. They are smaller in size, around 30 pounds.

I am so sorry for your loss.

---

My Australian Labradoodle is 29 lbs.  They come in all sizes. 

[Serenity-Now]

My heart goes out to you, @KateinOK, and I am in a similar situation that you are in, where I am home ill almost every day, & the most company I get is from our rescue pups.  Yesterday morning, our rescue miniature dachshund Kat from Hurricane Katrina suddenly collapsed at my feet & was unable to move.  Since this happened at dawn and we live far away from any emergency vet, all I could do was hold her & call around, trying to find a vet that would answer the phone before 9 am, so we could take her in for euthanasia.  It was a heartbreaking day, & I got up before dawn today with a heavy heart, knowing Kat wasn't going to be here to share her joyful attitude with us any longer.  

Like you, I feel blessed that we had the opportunity to give her a home after she was tied to a tree in Waveland Mississippi after that horrible hurricane.  She was so traumatized it took weeks to help her feel safe again, just to go outside to do her business.  I remember on the first day, I stood outside trying to be nonchalant & hum or sing while I was trimming overgrown vines, giving her time to get her courage up to venture out...watching as she would take a few steps from the door, then run back with her tail between her legs.  Finally, a couple hours later, I looked down & there she was, sitting by my feet!  She was shaking, but looking around with more interest & less fear.

Our pets are all special with their unique ways.  One never replaces the other, just as one human can't replace the other...but we have room in our hearts to share our lives with more than one pet, & I can't imagine living my life without their special kind of unconditional love.  The right time to get a new pet is when you have healed enough to realize they will occupy a new place in your heart, and although they will help soothe the hole left by your other furbaby, they cannot fill it completely & you don't want to feel disappointment with them for not 'being' your beloved lost companion.  Does that make sense?  I mean, we don't do that on purpose, but it is natural for us to want that horrible pain to go away.  If you already know that this won't be an issue for you, then any time will be fine to adopt a new furbaby. Take your time & think it through. 

Since you have had numerous back surgeries, you will probably want to choose a dog that doesn't have high energy or is hard to calm down.  I have painful shoulders & back pain, so I would want a dog that is small enough that I am able to pick up if there is an emergency & I'm home alone, so I would be able to take care of her.  I also try not to take in breeds (although sometimes they choose US, don't they?) that don't shed as much, because housework is a challenge in my current condition.  So, as you start listing what you need, and what you would like, that alone will help you narrow the list to a few breeds to watch out for, & hopefully you will find the right one for all of you.  

Healing hugs to you & your dh, I know this is a sorrowful, heartbreaking time.  I am always dismayed at just how long the waterworks last, I'm already weary of crying, and this just happened yesterday for us as I write this.  Ah, I miss her so. 

[sallybusky]

@KateinOK: Please accept my most sincere condolences on the loss of your beloved pet. Yes, they are like our children, to be celebrated and mourned. Some people have said they need time to grieve before getting another dog or cat after a loss. Personally, I love having that little furry companion in the house, and have found the best cure for a broken heart is a puppy. I have a shi-tzu (sp? too lazy to look it up now) that found me. I didn't ever want a high maintenance dog, but here I am with the biggest sweetheart. Ten pounds of sweetness and fur. (Beagles are still my #1 fave breed, but my current one is a real pistol. I don't know that I could recommend HER.) Let us know what you decide to do. How 'bout a pic?!