moonie - How wonderful for you to be adding a new family member.

I haven't had that experience yet of dogs acting alike. I suppose it is because my boys act differently than old gal did. My first lab when we got married was an entity unto himself. If you've read "Marley & Me, he was a Marley-type labrador. He was defintely my husband's pride and joy. My husband took it much worse than I did when we had to put him down.

I am the one taking the loss of Martha the hardest. He is sad, but not to the degree I am. Martha and Sonny (1st lab) were pals for close to 7 years. She probably would have been okay as a only child since she thought she was the queen anyway:)). Life doesn't always work that way. We thought Sonny would be with us longer than he was so we had already put a deposit for arrival of a puppy on 7-28-01. Sonny was put down 7-17-01. Timing is everything. I think Lowell helped me concentrate my efforts on potty training and house manners and took the sting out of losing Sonny. Lowell was my 40th birthday present, so for all intents and purposes, he is "my dog". However, I do not share the same type of relationship with the boys as I did with my girl.

Fortunately, I only seem to connect with "dog/cat people" so they look at as many pictures of mine as I do of theirs!

My SIL told me that one thing she did to help mourn her golden, was to make a scrapbook of her earlier and happier years. She didn't include many pictures of her much later and hard years. I'm defintely going to do that at somepoint. I have only gotten as far as putting Martha's ID tag in a frame with a favorite picture of her. I actually have a little shrine going in my office at the moment. If a stranger saw it they would think I have gone round the bend. There's a glass heart dish with some of her fur, a memory candle, condolence cards, etc. She's going to have her own shelf on one of the bookcases in my office.

I actually don't want her spirit to leave me. I have too many good memories.

I'm really choked up!

It's those good memories that have always helped me look back and laugh or smile... with human loved ones and the furry ones.

Sometimes I think that K'Ehleyr acts just the way B'Elanna would have had she not died 2 years ago. They are both female Rotties, both had been breeders. They have very similar characteristics too, although they don't look that much alike aside from they are both Rotties. B'Elanna died of cancer at age 6 2 years ago; last year I adopted K'Ehleyr from school at age 8. So it is kinda like B never left, even though they are definately different dogs in some respects. They are similar in their loyalty to me- both follow me around wherever I go. Both are extremely obedient, although K's hearing isn't that great any more. B used to break up Husky games that got out of control; K doesn't do that so much as join in as much as her old body will let her. The thing that hit me most when I got K was how empty the house seemed without a Rottie, even though we have 3 other dogs. I don't think I'll go without a Rottie again.

Going around the bend here, they sometimes come back. You will notice it but it is hard to explain this to other people because there is a cultural belif that dead is dead. I use the term circle of life, I mean that as never ending. Love keeps us together.

Our new(er) rescue Chihuahua looks nothing like our beloved, departed PeeWee,a Pomeranian mix.

We were so afraid to bring another dog home because PeeWee was just perfect in all ways.., cuddly, loveable, no accidents, non-yappy, loved human contact and gave unconditional love.
We felt there was no way another dog could measure up and we'd be constantly comparing one to the other.

Circumstances led us to adopt a rescued chihuahua and we can't believe our good fortune! It's like having PeeWee incarnated. Pucci is everything we could have hoped and prayed for and we never think about PeeWee being better at something than Pucci.
Sometimes, I think PeeWee's spirit is giving Pucci lessons on how to do things the way she used to do them. There's no other explanation for the way she responds to things in the same unique way PeeWee used to.

I'm in agreement with Acorn. I think they do come back. We just have to be open enough to recognize it's happened and open enough to accept it.

As an aside, let me say that for weeks after PeeWee died we could still hear her tags clinking as though she were walking in our home. Even visitors to our home would ask if we'd gotten another dog so soon, because they heard her,too.
I don't expect others to believe this, but those of us who experienced hearing these sounds will certainly stand by this story.

Do you have dreams where your passed pet is in the dream -- and it's so real you can actually feel their breath and fur? About a week after Sawyer died, I had "the dream" and woke up fully expecting him to be in his bed. Strangely enough, that dream didn't make me sad; it was actually quite comforting. Probably because in the dream he was happy, very healthy and wasn't blind any more. I have not had a similar dream about Beauty and am not sure why, except to think that maybe her former beloved and elderly owner is now having comforting dreams about her.

Lady couldn't be any more different from the other 2 if she tried! She's wonderful, but absolutely her own personality. Who knows, tho, what the future holds with other new dogs?

I've lately been inadertantly calling my 14 year old Shepherd Doberman "Buster." His real name is Barney, but he's beginning to remind me more and more of my childhood dog, Buster. Barney is hanging in there, but he is old. I can't bear the thought of loosing him, though I know it will be sooner, rather than later.

I try to enjoy our time together as much as possible, and keep telling myself that if we hadn't adopted him from the shelter, he would likely not have lived 14 days - let alone 14 years. (Blessedly, our shelter no longer euthanizes)

Interestly, Barney is beginning to answer to "Buster." He looks at me with so much wisdom in his old eyes. I know we will be connected for eternity, so it will be interesting to see what manifests when he does pass.

"There are more things in heaven and earth, Horatio, than are dreamt of in your philosophy."

I have not lost a pet since I was little. Sometimes I think my dog is my father come back. Yeah it is stupid but sometimes I am careful if I get mad not to cuss in front of my dog cuz it is like my father is listening.

I am so sorry for Labmomma and you others that have lost your loved pets. It makes me want to cry!