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Comment by Debbie, Sadie & Joey on August 28, 2009 at 9:24pm

My sincerest sympathies to you and your family. I know the pain of losing your little angel. I lost my beloved Sam in March 09. He was 15 but you are never ready to let go. I was grief stricken and hurting so bad I could barely stand to face each day. I knew I would not go the rest of my life without a dog but wasn't sure when the time would be right for me to get another. I did what you said you are thinking of doing. I got a girl this time. I only waited 7 weeks. I wish I would have waited a little bit longer and this is the reason why. I was so devastated by Sam's loss. I was very depressed and stressed. I thought getting a puppy would get my mind off losing my Sam but it compounded my anxiety. I had not had a puppy in a very long time and forgot what puppyhood is like. The pottying in the house every few hours (even though I tried to catch her in time). Getting up in the middle of the night. Keeping a constant watchful eye. It all added to my stress level and I didn't think I was going to make it with her. But I was dedicated and since I made the decision to get her, I was going to see it through. I'm not sure I would have made it if not for the help from my husband. Normally I am a pretty tough person but I was just so weak with grief. Everybody is different though. It seems that everybody says to get another dog as soon as possible. And maybe that is the right thing for you. I just wanted to share my experience. By the way...Sadie is 6 months old now and I have loved her from the minute she stepped into my life regardless of how bad I felt. It was just extra hard to deal with a tiny puppy and my grief at the same time. It took a while but Sadie has filled the empty hole I had in my heart. I think your other dog is feeling what you are feeling inside although I am sure he misses Ollie too. I lost my German Shepherd when Sam was 9. I was devastated at his loss too. And Sam acted very sad. He didn't recover until I started to recover.Good luck with whatever you decide. And again, I am so very sorry for your loss. God bless you!

Comment by Edward and Gemima on August 26, 2009 at 12:00pm

Renae, I am so so sorry about Ollie!!! We had the same type of thing happen to us just in June!! Our beloved puppy Phinny (9mos) at the time was fatally hit while we were at our cabin. Actually both of our dogs Gem and Phinny ran into the path of the car, but Gem only sustained a minor abrasion thank goodness!! I wanted you to know that I swore off getting another puppy but through a chain of bizarre circumstances ended up with our character Edward!!!! Phinny was such a good boy, we now refer to him as our Angel Dog!! Edward can never take the place of him, but we believe he sent Edward to us because he needed a home!!!

I understand your hurt and grief, I still feel guilty about what happened to Phinny!!! We actually wanted to get another boy, if there hadn't been a boy I think I may have waited. Just something about the Corgi boy breed is so humerous, I think I would've been missing it alot if we hadn't found Eddie! Anyway, I wish you the best! Make sure you post new pics when you get your new puppy!!!!!!

Comment by Geri & Sidney on August 26, 2009 at 11:15am

I forgot to add; shame shame shame on the coward(s) that hit Ollie and kept right on driving, and blessings on the two men who DID stop and help you.
We had a husky/lab mix who dig out from under our fence and was hit and killed while I was at work. The guy who hit her didn't stop but our kind neighbors called me to give me the news (they also moved her out of the street and into their driveway), and my understandling boss let me go straight home and bring her body home. That was a really hard day and the hardest part was telling my daughter, who was in second grade at the time. While I can't understand how the driver did not stop, I'll always remember how considerate my neighbors were. You and Ollie have been on my mind ever since I read your post and I hope you and your family are doing as well as possible under these circumstances. {{hugs}}

Comment by Jenni & Dave Fields on August 26, 2009 at 10:42am

I am so very sorry about your loss....I am sure it has been incredibly difficult. Our thoughts and prayers are with you and your family. You will find another puppy when you are ready. Maybe the visit to the breeder is just the thing you need to help you in your healing. Take care of yourselves and Angus.

Comment by Kristin, Honey, and Hooch on August 26, 2009 at 3:56am

I am so sorry to hear about the loss of your Ollie. It sounds like he was an amazingly sweet, beloved little guy and it's so tragic that he had to go suddenly like that. It must be so downright devastating to lose a puppy like that. I remember losing my cat Cleo to a car years ago, and I was absolutely grief-stricken for a long, long time. Take your time working through the grief, look for support in those you love, and be sure to not just keep it at bottled up inside you. Just take things one step at a time, and take time to cherish and remember your memories with Ollie when you can handle it. Losing a friend and family member like that is an incredibly difficult thing, especially when you're losing such a young guy so suddenly.

As for getting another puppy, I think that is a personal decision. Some people see that as "betraying" the animal you lost if you get another so soon after losing them, but for me, it is a great comfort to bring another animal of the same species into the house shortly after I lose an animal friend of mine. It is not at all because I want to "replace" them or simply move on, but because if I don't go about adopting another animal shortly after losing one, I dwell on the loss too much and end up frustrated, lost in grief, and have difficulty coping. If I adopt another animal shortly after losing one, I feel like it allows me to cope in a way that is better. It keeps my mind busy as I make the new addition comfortable, get to know them, care for them, and so on, and then I can face the grief a little at a time instead of dwelling on it to the point that it's almost unhealthy. It sort of balances out the incredible sadness with some happiness, if that makes sense.

Think carefully before bringing another animal in, though. Be sure you're not going to expect the new animal to be like the one you lost (that you can recognize the animal as a new individual with a different role in your life, instead of expecting them to fill the others' shoes), and that you are prepared to cope with any challenges, stresses, or difficulties that may arise with the new dog. You may want to consider getting a different coat color (I would say breed, but seeing as this is a corgi site...) or something else to emphasize the difference. I got a border collie puppy not long after losing my border collie I had for nearly my entire childhood, who I loved absolutely dearly, and while I don't regret getting the puppy one bit at all (she's three years old and fantastic!), she looks so similar to my dog I lost that I must admit I've gotten memories of the two confused a few times, and that makes me a bit sad. I don't want to "overwrite" or confuse memories of Lily with memories of Hana, just because they look similar...

Regardless of what decision you make, try not to feel guilty. We all cope in different ways, and regardless of whether you end up bringing another dog into your life right away or not, it's obvious that you truly loved Ollie and miss him very much. I wish you the best in coping--I know it's extremely difficult dealing with tragedies like this. My thoughts will be with you, and may little Ollie rest in peace. His passing was swift, tragic, and unexpected, but at least he had a loving, caring friend like you to make his short life as wonderful as possible. I am so sorry that you had to lose him.

Comment by Kristen on August 25, 2009 at 11:57pm

Renae, I have to admit. I have tried to find the breeders of Basil. They were a military family and have moved out of the area. There is a part of me that still wants to have a little bit of him back...I want all of him back, but that is not possible. I still "google" them on occassion hoping that I will find them somewhere. I would like to thank them for just how much love I got from that little guy. No such luck. They truly loved their dogs and referred to their little boy as "son" . The girls are different and admittedly, I am partial to little red headed boys! Now I have a house full of girls. Four girls and one boy. Love them all and their unique personalities, but still deeply miss my Basil. I wouldn't pass up the opportunity to go look. Even if you decide to wait, there is something about having a litter of slobberly bundles of fur climbing all over you that will just make you feel good.

Comment by Renae J Ekstrand on August 25, 2009 at 10:20pm

Thank you for your post Nicole - I got Angus, my Scottie, when we thought our Westie was not going to make it through reoccurring bouts of Lymes Disease. I just couldn't imagine life without a terrier. Chester lived another 4 years after we got Angus and it was a true blessing to have both of them. I again, can't imagine life without a Corgi now. Ollie will be in our hearts forever as our first Corgi and we are grateful he was in our lives to show us how wonderful Corgis can be! I'm so sorry for your losses and am happy you have Stella. I hope your mom finds the answer to when she is ready for a new Scottie in her life.

Comment by Nicole, Stanley and STELLA! on August 25, 2009 at 10:12pm

Hello Renae,

I am so deeply sorry for your loss. I am a scottie and corgi lover, too. Stella's my first corgi puppy and I got her after our beloved family scottie, Dylan, passed away in February from Cushing's disease. My parents and I both had different reactions as far as getting a new dog. Dylan was, as you describe little Ollie, "perfect." He was a perfect gentleman, and we had never had a scottie with such a beautiful temperment. In June I moved to a house where I could have my own dog and I decided to get little Stella, since I had always liked corgis. To me, it wasn't replacing or comparing her to Dylan--they would just be different (Although, when I was bringing Stella home I saw someone walking a scottie and started to cry). I still think of Dylan every day, but I love having a dog in my life and each one that I've had has had something unique, and although little Stella isn't as well-mannered, I love her boldness and her personality (and how sweet she is--like you mentioned).

My parents, on the other hand, can't get over the loss, and, although they both want another scottie, can't imagine one being as perfect as Dylan. Yet all summer, my mom has been calling breeders and setting up appointments, just to chicken out at the last minute. This evening, she called and said that she actually cut out an advertisement in a magazine because it had scotties in it and they all looked like Dylan. It honestly kind of frustrates me that she doesn't get a puppy, yet I realize that she probably will when she is truly ready. I don't think that there's a right answer as to when to get a new dog after one passes. I think that some people would cope better getting a new puppy right away, and others need more time. Also, sometimes the opportunity arises when you least expect it. We got Dylan less than two weeks after our previous scottie had been killed by a bear because there happened to be a scottie in the pet store--and there NEVER was a scottie there before. And it was an AKC scottie with papers, and we actually called Dylan's breeder and maintained contact--which doesn't often happen with pet store pups.

Sorry to write such a long post, but I hope it helped and/or consoled you in some way. I think that you and your family will all probably know when the "right time" is to get a new dog. And you will love the new dog unconditionally, but keep little Ollie in your hearts forever. Once again, I'm so sorry for such a devastating loss.

Nicole

Comment by Beth on August 25, 2009 at 9:05pm

I am so sorry for your loss. You will know when it's time for a new dog. Keep in mind your Scottie is also grieving, and may be more open to making friends with a new one after some time has passed.

It is so hard to lose our furry friends.

Comment by Mary M on August 25, 2009 at 9:02pm

I am so sorry for your lose! Over 4 years ago our Lab/Border Collie, Ranger passed away unexpectedly. We knew he had a heart murmur for which he was on medication. His symptoms were getting worse and he had a vet appointment on that June 1st evening. I came home from work that evening and Ranger had passed away.
I called the vet office to tell them what happened. My husband and I put him in the car and I drove Ranger to the vets office. I do not know where I got the strength to drive into town with Ranger...as 4 years later it still hurts. Ranger was 11 years old and a wonderful friend for all those years. It still makes me sad even all these years later. I made arrangements at our vets office to have Ranger cremated and his ashes returned to us in a
beautiful wooden box. My husband and I have an agreement that his ashes with go with one of us when that time comes. Somehow that gave us both the closure we needed.

There was however, the discussion on what to do next. Should we wait or should we get another puppy...and
when? By June 3rd, we both had waves of emotion at various times and actually got to the point where we did not want to be in our house. Rangers presence was really missed!

That day I picked up some newspapers looking for Welsh Corgis. My parents had one for several years..her name was Cuddles...she was so sweet. My husband and I found our Pembroke not too far from our home. He was 9 weeks old and the last one left out of his litter. I picked him up and got one big wet kiss from my chin to my forehead. That's all it took! We named him "Radar" because of the ears and "O'Reilly" because he was born on St. Patricks Day.

There were times along the way where I questioned if we adopted too soon after losing Ranger. As we had some issues with Radar at different times. Radar was spunky and head strong, where Ranger was passive.
With training and time we bonded and this little rascal has wiggled his way into my heart. Sooo as to how much time to wait and when to adopt again. Only God and your heart knows what you need...the rest of it you take one day at a time!!!! Good Luck!!!

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