Welcome Linda and Jake! I'm sorry about Annie.

Hi Linda,  We just lost our 10 1/2 year old Corgi so I know just how you feel.  We have two other dogs, a 14 year old male Westie who we adore, and a 3 year old female fox hound beagle mix that we rescued and she's a sweet heart.   However, my heart is so broken over losing Winston that for now, they're not filling the space.  I feel an intense need for another Corgi.    I realize the time we had with our beloved Corgis is wonderful and that's what we should focus on and I'm sure you've gone through enough with your own loss of Annie without having to commiserate with another Corgi owner. I just wanted to say I'm sorry for your loss and I know how it feels. 

Thanks Linda.  I'm sitting her sobbing with hot tears streaming down my face.  I'm certain that getting another Corgi will be the only thing that will help, other than time.   When you have time, post some pictures of Jake.  I'd love to see them.  Do you have any on a Facebook page ? : )  JOYCE

I forgot to mention, I'd really like to rescue/adopt a Corgi.   My husband says he knows my main reason for doing that is so I could find one that looked just like Winston !  He's partially right, but it's also because we did get Winston as a puppy and I know there are Corgi's out there that need families and my heart goes out to them.   Where I would draw the line is if the pup had any known health problems.  After what we went through with Winston I could not deal with that right now.   

Both of them area adorable.  I was thinking I'd like to get another male Corgi and try to find one that looks like Winston, but maybe it would be better to get one that looks different.  We'll see.  I do know one thing, my future  definitely includes a Corgi.  Life just isn't the same without winston.  Everything I do reminds me of him and I miss him so much.

I am so happy to hear that Gryffin and Jake are getting along nicely.  We brought another dog into the house when Winston was 8 years old and never gave it a thought.  He loved her and they were pals from day one.  Of course, she was a girl, and that might have had something to do with it.  I'm so happy for you.  We're not going to get a new corgi right away, but mostly because our daughter is getting married in October and there's a lot going on with that even though it is going to be a simple wedding.  However, after that, I'm going to be praying and looking.  I miss Winston so much, and I'm not trying to replace him, because that would be impossible, but I really can't imagine going on without a Corgi. Doesn't that sound pathetic ?  Seriously, I really am a well adjusted person, I just loved that little guy SO MUCH and I still cry every day.  Most of the time I actually forget that he's not in the house anymore.  How long does that last I wonder ?  You see, his health problem came on very suddenly, and then in three weeks he was gone, and during that time he had an amazing recovery as far as the infection in his back right leg, and honestly we thought he was going to be OK.  He had to be under anesthesia when his leg wound was stitched up, and he aspirated during the surgery and then developed pneumonia.   It took awhile for the symptoms of that to show up and it was just was more then he could fight off.  So, six weeks ago he was running around playing, acting perfectly normal, following me everywhere, and then three weeks later he was gone.  It's just hard to deal with.

Well, I thought I was beginning to do a little better and then I read your message and I was crying so hard I thought I'd never stop.  For you to have just parted with your 16 year old cocker mix and then three months later have to start dealing with issues with Annie must have been so hard.  I can't imagine your shock and dismay when they told you she was full of cancer.  Of course the only right decision was to part with her right then and there. It was the right thing for her, but for you to have to implement that decision, I just can't imagine what you were going through.  I'm so sorry.  I guess I just can't seem to grasp the concept that our pets ARE going to get older and die.  They have to.  It's the way life works.  And, they're not just going to pass away in their sleep peacefully one night.  It doesn't happen that way.  Still, I don't do well when they die.  I guess its their innocence and the fact that God has given pets to us and they bring so much joy and love into our lives, and then suddenly they're gone.  Our almost 15 year old West Highland Terrier Sparky had to be put to sleep in February of 2010 and I'll never forget calling the vet to make the appointment and then holding him in my arms and saying goodbye while the vet put him to sleep.  I carried him home in my arms wrapped in a blanket, patting him saying, "It's OK".  : (   We buried him in the back yard by the edge of the woods and cried for days.  We have another Westie named Wesley who's 14 years old and it won't be long and we'll have to part with him too.    I don't remember what I've told you about Winston, but he had developed diabetes and we didn't even know it.  When he got what we thought was a small infection on the back of his right leg we brought him to the vet his glucose was at 600.  We couldn't believe it.  He had gotten a little chubby a couple of years ago but he had been on a strict regiment of 2/3 of a cup of lamb and rice dog food mixed with low sodium green beans morning and night for a year and a half with nothing more than carrots or frozen pumpkin cubes for snacks. He had lost weight and seemed to be just as happy and healthy as any pet owner could hope for.  Suffice to say that after three weeks of his back leg being debrided, cleaned, packed and bandaged it healed incredibly well considering the diabetes.  Then when he had the surgery to stitch up the wound and aspirated and developed pneumonia I knew it was going to just be too much for him to get over.  He was home for three days before he started breathing a little heavy because of the pneumonia.  We had him at the dog hospital being treated for that and I knew it wasn't going to go well.   They said most dogs can be treated for three days and come through it, but because of the diabetes and his state of health due to all the stress of fighting off the infection in his leg it was just too much for him.  The last night we were visiting him and hugging and kissing him and we spent a long time with him and he licked my face.  We told him we loved him so much, and when we left I was 100% sure we were going to have to come back in the morning and make the decision to put him to sleep.  We were devastated.  Then at 7:00 am Sunday morning the vet called and said that he had just had a stroke and died.  I talked to the nurse when we got there and she said she had been giving him a nebulizer treatment and was hugging him and patting him and he sat up and turned around and was looking at her and then she turned around for a minute.  She said then she heard him make a little noise, and when she looked back he had died.  All the vets and nurses and vet techs had been caring for him for a three week period, re-bandaging his leg and trying to get him regulated on insulin, abd they were so sad that he didn't make it.   

So, that's my sad story which I probably shouldn't have told you because you've had enough sad stories of your own. We love our dogs and will always want

How old is Gryffin ?  I know you mentioned his age already but I forgot what you said, and couldn't find it in a previous post.  I noticed that the novel I sent to you last night got cut off on the last sentence.  I'm sure what I said was something about always having dogs in our family.  It was late.  I fell asleep last night on the couch with our beagle fox hound (Girlie) and the last thing I said to her as I pressed my face up against hers and reflected on how her profile looked like Winstons was "I wish you were Winston" then I felt terribly guilty.  We rescued her two years ago and love her dearly.  She's very sensitive and there were a lot of changes that went on when Winston was trying to recover and then a homeless puppy showed up at our place a month ago.  Girlie was really sweet to the puppy but I'm sure that having another dog around caused her some stress.  We were able to find a family to adopt her this weekend but we had been feeding her and taking care of her.   My best friend has been sending me links to Pembroke breeders.  I just don't know if I'm ready for that process.  The breeder we got Winston from moved to another state and I don't want to get a puppy long distance.  Do you have any recommendations ?  We're an hour north of Chattanooga.   I would drive a reasonable distance to see Pembrokes that I had already confirmed were coming from a good situation.  JOYCE

I spend all day at home so every single thing I do reminds me of Winston.   I'm slowly becoming accustomed to him being gone, but I still cry all the time. We're realizing that life isn't going to be the same without a Corgi and I'm pretty sure we're going to get a puppy.  My husband and I both want one that will grow up to look somewhat like Winston.  The place we're considering is expecting two litters in a couple of weeks.  There are some people who have requested tri-colored males and some others who have been just generally waiting for a puppy.  They breeder said hopefully there will be some other males.   We have our hearts set on a red and white male and would prefer one without white on his face.   However if there are some other males with different coloring or females that are available I think we're going to have a hard time saying, no, we'll wait for the next litter.  I know we would absolutely LOVE any Corgi.  Our daughter is getting married October 6th, and I'm pretty sure the puppies will be born before that so we'll have to find the time to go and see them and maybe pick one out.  Part of me feels like I'm trying to find a way to replace Winston, and now the tears are starting.   

How is Gryffin ?  How old is he ?  Can you post pictures ?  : )

Winnie did look a lot like Jake. I've been looking at LOTS of Corgi photos and I've realized that tri colored Corgis and red and whites are all adorable. If we could find a red and white without any white on his face he would grow up to look like Winston, but we'll gladly take one with white between the eyes. The bottom line is the sooner we get another Corgi the better, so we're not going to be too picky. : )

Linda, I forgot to reply to what you said about feeling guilty about getting Gryffin so soon after Annie passed and feeling like it was disrespectful to her.  I'm certain I'll feel a little like that as well, but if I can act a little crazy here for a minute, let me say that I'm sure Winston wouldn't want me going around the house crying all day because he's gone.  He'd want me to be happy and if that means having another Corgi to enjoy and to remember him by, then that's what I need to do.  In your case, have you thought about the fact that Jake was probably going to be lonely without Annie, and you got him a new friend ?  I've heard that Corgis can get quite attached to other corgis.  Besides, Gryffin needed a good home and he's got the best !    : )