Only you as an individual can decide if the time is right to get another dog, says Carol Price.

ABOUT CAROL

Carol Price is a leading canine behaviourist, trainer, and writer, and a world-recognised specialist in the Border Collie breed. She is an official ambassador for The Border Collie Trust GB, the largest collie welfare/rehoming organisation in the UK.

Often, it’s the shared walks we miss so much.

Remember that a new dog will not be the same as the one who went before.

There is no doubt that dogs become a massive part of our lives — so much so that when we lose one, the shock can be utterly overwhelming, and leave lasting emotional pain or scars.

Once the initial trauma and grief have eased a bit, however, our thoughts often turn to the question of when — or even if — we should get another dog, and how soon we will really be ready to make that kind of commitment again.

What if a new canine companion is totally different to the one you had before? If you are older, what happens if your next dog outlives you? If you already have an existing dog, or dogs, what if a new dog does not get on with them? Finally, what if the emotional shock of losing your last dog was so great that you don’t think you could ever face a similar loss again?

A VERY PERSONAL DECISION

These are questions grieving owners will agonise about again and again. They may also revolve around many more personal factors, from your own life situation or age to the manner in which your last dog was lost (for instance in more traumatic circumstances, or at a far younger age). Sometimes people leap into getting a ‘rebound’ new dog too soon, and it works out less well for all concerned. At other times their greatest fears or reservations about getting a new dog may be overcome with better advice, thought, research, or planning.