Grieving loss of dog.....and plans for future puppy - Update - Puppy Pictures Post 15!

[TatteredDaydreamer]

I recently lost my heart dog of 15 years on May 21st rather unexpectedly. We knew that we didn’t have much time left, but he had a traumatic health issue and had to be PTS 12 hours later. I am still devastated and completely and totally heartbroken. This was THE dog, the one that had been there with my in my dumb early 20s, it was he and I before we met my DH…my complete heart dog. I feel like a huge part of me is gone, and I still can’t really talk about him, or look at his pictures for too long or I completely breakdown (sobbing through writing this post). I am dealing with being pretty dang depressed, and am keeping on for the horse, my cats, and my DH. In social settings with friends it’s easier to deal with, but at home I still really struggle. I WFH, and he was my daily shadow. Does it ever get easier?

I’ve included some of my favorite pictures of him below. Everyone thinks they have the best dog, and they do. But he was mine.

On to the hopefully happier part of this post. We do want to eventually adopt a puppy again, probably in the September/October timeframe as we’ll be done with our vacations. Looking for a puppy because we have 4 cats, and think it’ll be easier on all of us if the puppy gets to grow up with them. Emmett loved the cats, and they absolutely adored him. I think they really miss him too. I haven’t had a puppy in a very long time so hit me with everything I may not be thinking of! We have a place picked out for puppy/obedience classes that friends have used, and a rescue group that I’ve already been in contact with/have in mind. The good is that DH and I both WFH, so the puppy will rarely be alone. The bad news is, we do not have a fenced in yard. That is in the works/future, but won’t be here before the puppy is. Favorite types of crates? Puppy toys? House training tips? Let me hear any/all suggestions please!

[Demerara_Stables]

I’m so sorry to hear about your boy. I lost two young horses (17 years apart) suddenly and tragically, and I can tell you that it seems impossible right now but it does get better. Allow yourself to grieve and cry and talk about him and look at photos when it feels right. Everyone’s process is their own so don’t ever feel like you should be “over it by now.”

I haven’t had a puppy in forever, but for crate training (depending on the puppy’s size, maybe one with a center divider would be good. You don’t want the crate to be too big when crate training, but when the puppy grows you can remove the divider to make more space. I like the wire collapsible ones because if you decide you’re past the crate stage or you want to take it on a road trip, you’re not dealing with something massive.

As far as the yard - is there any way you can install a doggy door? DH and I both commuted over an hour when we got our 2yo GSD, so building him a dog run (6’ tall, wood framed fence in filled with hog wire) next to the house was a god send.

[TatteredDaydreamer]

Thank you for the kind words, much appreciated. I don’t think that we can do the doggy door due to the cats, but I love the dog run idea in lieu of a fenced yard for now. Thanks for sharing! I wonder if I’d need to get township approval to build something like that.

[Texarkana]

What a beautiful boy he was.

I lost my “heart cat” last summer. It does get easier. It doesn’t make it hurt any less. They say losing a beloved pet is like losing family.

I currently have a 3.5 month old puppy. My first puppy in ages. I don’t have a fenced yard (well, horse fenced but not dog fenced), but it’s been working out fine. I take her out on the leash, although even off leash her recall has been good. She just spent a week at my friend’s house, then another week at my mom’s house, both with more neighbors in sight and no fence at all. She was fine.

Amazon has great deals on crates; I really appreciate that many come with dividers now so they can grow with your puppy.

Someone here recommended GoDog toys and I will second that; her GoDog dragon is her favorite. She also really likes her Kong-brand stuff- not the actual Kong, she totally ignores that no matter what is in it. But she has some of their rope soft toys; a giraffe and a squirrel and a rope/jolly ball combo that she loves. We also have one of those heartbeat Snuggle puppy dogs that she still sleeps with.

[skydy]

I’m sorry.
No puppy advice, but hugs to you.

[cilla1]

I feel your pain, when I lost my Max last february I was really depressed, it’s hard to lose such good friends.
I decided to adopt a young rescue but regarding the puppy I suggest you to start training him/her to be by herself quite soon. It’s easy to neglect this part of training expecially when you WFH, ask me how I know it
We crate trained our last puppy because she was and alligator and couldn’t trust her on her own even for a few minutes, I found it very useful. Buy and use a stuffed Kong, it really helps to tire them. Prepare to have lots of fun!

[sophie]

I am so sorry you lost your best friend. 15 is a long life! Tons of memories 🥹
I still grieve for my heart dog, who passed 11 years ago. She truly was a once in a lifetime dog, and I have had dogs my whole life.
Lost my last beloved dog last September, and now we’re in puppy world since May 18! Haven’t had a puppy in about oh, 25 years…?! Fun! We also both work from home, so that makes it easier.
First thing we did was puppy-proof and fence-in the backyard, and puppy-proof the area where she spends most of her time. We don’t crate other than while traveling in the car or going to the vet, but I recognize that most people love using a crate.
Yes, get Puppy used to being alone from the very start, it’s so important.
Toys and stuff:
DH bought her a little fluffy squeaky dog that she loves.
I put a chew stick through the puppy Kong, keeps her entertained big time.
There is something called “chilly penguin”, which I discovered recently. I stick some treats in it along with broth or “chicken juice” and freeze it. It will keep her occupied for a good 30 minutes.
She also loves organic baby carrots

Since I hadn’t had a puppy in years I also got the book Puppy brain, and it’s a good resource I think.Lots of practical advice and training tips.

[islgrl]

I’m sorry for your loss. Yes, it gets better. And yes, after 20 years if I think too hard about my heart dog I will cry again. But that’s why we do it, because we love them that much.

[jonquil]

I’m very sorry about your painful loss. Hugs to you.

[TatteredDaydreamer]

Thank you everyone for the very kind words. It’s a struggle and I miss him so much every single day.

[2DogsFarm]

Your guy was a sweet & handsome fella

I haven’t had a dog in a looooooong time, so no puppy advice
But, I have lost many dear pets (I’m Old ) & the pain is very real.
Eventually the raw hole in your heart will fill with the good memories.
New puppy isn’t a replacement, just a tribute to how great a dog was the one before him.

[MunchingonHay]

I am so sorry to hear about Emmett. He looks like a sweet boy.

Take the time to feel the feels and heal your heart. It took me over a year to start to heal when my heart dog passed away over a decade ago and I still miss and speak of him fondly. I even went to therapy to seek help. I had no motivation and even adopted a pup from the pound to help me recover. The pup gave me a reason to get out of bed each day. Everyone moves at a different pace.

It sounds like you have wonderful resources already set up in place when you are ready for puppy.

Now on to the good stuff PUPPY!!
Get a schedule established and stick to it. And as puppy grows extend the time between potty breaks. For every month a pup is, they can / should be able to hold their bladder. So a 2 month old, can go 2 hours before potty breaks, etc. The Monks of New Skeet have a great timeline for potty, play, feeding, nap/crate time that I follow to a near T and it works beautifully.

I tend to restrict water access after X time in the evening. (I feed a raw freeze dried diet which I add water too and dogs tend to not need additional water because of this, but I still have a bowl on the ground. I picked it up at 7pm each night until pup is holding their bladder all night, about 8-9 months old.

GoDogs are my favorite stuffy toys and I push them like a drug dealer, they are great!!
West Paw Toppl is great! It is durable comes in three sizes (I have all three) they fit inside each other and you can freeze them, stuff them with treats/peanut buter and keep your pup busy.
My other favorite dog toy is a chuckIt Stick and tennis ball.
silicon slow feeder bowls. get two so you can rotate popping it in the dishwasher

We have a fenced in yard, but we kept our most recent pup on leash untill she had a 100% solid recall. And at night / dark out she is on her leash to go potty.

I like a collapsable crate with a side and front door. (personal preference)

And I agree with the above posters that puppy needs to learn to cope and be on their own regardless that you both WFH.

When I had Riley as a pup, years ago he was crated while I did my university studies. If I was at my computer or studying, he was crated and had to learn to cope. Has he grew into a great dog, he understood that I did not have to engage with him all the time and he learned to play by himself.

I can’t wait to see pictures of your puppy!!

[Kemosabe]

I have a fair amount of experience with puppies…small breeder and currently with 7 adults of various ages… all of whom I raised as puppies.

Crate training is essential: Also helps teach impulse control and “down time.” I have Aussies and impulse control and down time are critical skills

West Paw’s Topples as @MunchingonHay mentioned are great. So are Freezebones. They have a doughnut shaped one that is the favorite in my pack. Just fill with goats milk or goat yoghurt (easier to digest than cow milk), you can sprinkle some cheese or some canned pumpkin on top. My adults get a drizzle of peanut or almond butter. Then freeze.

I clicker train all my pups, starting at 8 weeks and beginning with Look. I generally discontinue clicker training between four and six months of age.

I have a fenced in yard and do minimal leash training: a few minutes each day, that’s it. I use a slip lead not a harness. I’ll take the puppy on short trips in the car every week and do some leash work on a church lawn. No dog parks!

I also do de-sensitization work (I do this also with the pups I’ve bred before they go to their new homes): hair dryer, banging pots, walking on different surfaces. I’ll start taking the pup to dog friendly stores at about 4 months, letting them learn about shopping carts and gaining confidence in meeting new people (within boundaries for the pup).

Three of my dogs are in the extreme category: the girl came out of the womb with an imperious attitude which she has maintained throughout her life. She is not unfriendly, she is simply Her Royal Highness and considers most humans and other dogs beneath her. IF she decides you are worthy then she will come close for a greet. On the opposite scale are two of my boys who are Walmart Greeters with humans: “Hey, it’s GREAT to meet ya, how are ya doing, what’s happenin’, wanna play?”

I am a huge proponent of reward training. I still carry around treats in my pocket every day to reward the dogs, particularly for recall, which on a farm is absolutely essential.

I really like the Nina Otterosson enrichment toys by Outward Hound. Gets the puppy to use his/her brain, and then want to take a nap.

[TatteredDaydreamer]

Thank you so much, this information is super helpful!

[TatteredDaydreamer]

Update…we have a puppy! She’s lovely and has been with us for several weeks now, but it’s definitely been an adjustment! I adore her already though, and having a dog in the house again is so so good for me. I will miss Emmett forever, but I’m so happy I was able to rescue another. Here are some pictures of Olive! What do you think she is? We are told her mom was a boxer, but those ears!

[Demerara_Stables]

Boxer/German Shepherd?

[MissusS]

I vote this too!! Peep these ears on my gal we adopted three months ago. Bet they share some genetics similar face colouring and toes too

[Demerara_Stables]

[TatteredDaydreamer]

Agreed! What a beautiful dog!

[chestnutmarebeware]

She’s adorable, congratulations!