We sadly had to put our 11 year old westie "White Dog" down on Friday. White Dog was the best friend of our 12 year old Lhasa "Black Dog."
I have had BD since he was 6 weeks old and, for the first year of his life, we lived with my parents and their 2 dogs. Then we moved out on our own and added WD to the family to be BD's companion. While a bit wary of other dogs, BD became inseparable from WD.
Our vet has said that introducing a puppy can help keep an older dog feeling younger. While free of medical issues, BD is defiantly slowing down. I fear that BD will begin a steep decline now that WD is gone.
Our vet also emphasized the importance of allowing time for my husband and I to grieve. We are doing plenty of that but we have already started to look into getting another dog. This is not so much to patch over our loss, but to fill the significant hole in BD's life. It is absolutely heartbreaking to watch BD search for WD around the house and I feel that it will only perpetuate my own grief.
I'm seeking general advice from other who have experience with a similar situation. And also more specific advice such as should the new dog be male? (BD is neutered). And when we go to look at puppies, should we let BD interact with them?
I have had BD since he was 6 weeks old and, for the first year of his life, we lived with my parents and their 2 dogs. Then we moved out on our own and added WD to the family to be BD's companion. While a bit wary of other dogs, BD became inseparable from WD.
Our vet has said that introducing a puppy can help keep an older dog feeling younger. While free of medical issues, BD is defiantly slowing down. I fear that BD will begin a steep decline now that WD is gone.
Our vet also emphasized the importance of allowing time for my husband and I to grieve. We are doing plenty of that but we have already started to look into getting another dog. This is not so much to patch over our loss, but to fill the significant hole in BD's life. It is absolutely heartbreaking to watch BD search for WD around the house and I feel that it will only perpetuate my own grief.
I'm seeking general advice from other who have experience with a similar situation. And also more specific advice such as should the new dog be male? (BD is neutered). And when we go to look at puppies, should we let BD interact with them?