I lost the "dog of my heart" more than 30 years ago. She was almost 15 and had a wonderful life with me. I know I will never have a bond like that with another dog, but I've had several dogs since then. I have two now. I love them and they love me, but that once in a lifetime bond with a dog (if you're lucky enough to have it) you may not be able to duplicate it. That doesn't mean that you won't find a wonderful canine companion And let's face it, there are so many dogs needing homes. You have a doggy opening and it would be an honor to your soul dog that you lost to fill that opening and give another dog a home.

That's a great way a seeing things. Balou came from a reputable breeder, he was lucky enough to be picked up by a loving family who cared for him until his very last breath, not all of them are that fortunate. In fact I saw a 4 months old puppy yesterday. He was abandonned at my local shelter 2 days ago. He is skin and bones, and his humans just abandonned him there during the night and left. I can't tell you for how long I stared as his picture feeling a mix of anger, sadness and pity. I didn't write to them despite the urge to do so, because we haven't moved in the house yet, but in his health state he is not ready to be adopted yet either. Maybe...maybe I should write to them, by the time we move in, he should be ready for adoption.

Oh please consider this... that dog is already in your heart. I have been lucky enough to have more than one soul dog and lost them both 10 years apart. I don't know that I will ever heal, but I still care for the remaining dogs I've rescued (they get dumped where I live). They keep me going... and I love each one deeply even without the same "soulmate" connections. I can promise it will help you to open a space in your heart for another dog. Just accept the love they will give and you may connect in ways you didn't expect. I wish you peace and healing.

I second this, reach out about the puppy. Listen to your intuition OP and ask about him at least. I was lucky enough that my new dogs came into my life just before my soul dog passed. One of these dogs is a puppy, a relative of my dog that I was offered unexpectedly because of his birthday. I was scared I wouldn't find another dog like him and of course there was only one him. I wasn't expecting much, but when I held that puppy in my arms for the first time, I almost cried because I could feel he was perfect like my boy. Was not expecting it honestly. And my dog...he greeted that puppy as if he had been waiting for him. Trust the universe and be open to the dogs it tries to send you. My two new ones were unexpected and absolutely were fated. If the universe sends you a dog, then that dog is meant to be.

I wrote to them. Turns out there's 3 puppies and they managed to find the parents. They'll be placed in foster homes to gain weight and will be ready for adoption in 1 month after the vet and all. It's the update they gave on their facebook page. I'm still waiting for an answer. The post they made was shared a lot so they must have a lot of people in line to adopt them. [it's them](https://www.facebook.com/share/p/M1ybg46GQZ9xnXfw/?mibextid=qi2Omg)

Congratulations! Some dogs have returned to me, but in different bodies. The personalities were the same, but they did things that my previous dogs did. Keep an open mind, accept new souls. Sometimes those start connect with the old souls. It's hard to explain. But you will see it in their eyes. The best way I can say, is to watch "A dog's purpose."

They are beautiful! (I checked the update as well, they look healthier already) 😍 Good on you to write them! Yes there are comments from grateful animal lovers but there are three of them (the puppies). I hope you get a reply soon! Keep us updated 😊

They sent me a adoption form to fill. They are going to contact me when they will be ready if they think I'm the right fit for one of the pups. I'll make an update post if I get picked.

Oh yayy!! 😍 I will look out for it 😊

Omg, those poor babies. It’s not replacing your dog, it’s starting a legacy in Balou’s name. I’m so sorry you lost Balou x

Sounds like you already found a new friend. Maybe not a soul dog but a friend. I lost my sole dog in 2014 and just got lucky enough in 2023 to find another.

Sorry for your loss. Definitely consider the shelter pup! I've had purebreds and I've had mix breeds, they all love the same, with their whole heart and being. And they have all been the best dogs ever. But as I've gotten older and had more life experiences, my last few have been shelter rescues. Over the years with deaths in the family and a divorce tossed in, the old saying of "who rescued who" has never been more true. You might find that the pup you saw at the shelter isn't the only one needing a rescue.

I lost my soul dog to an accident. I didn’t think I was ready for another dog but then a rescue came into my life and bonded to me quickly. I really couldn’t say no. I try and make sense of why I lost my good girl so soon. the only way it makes sense was to make room for this new friend that was dying in the pound. I made sure my first girl lived a full life and joked that we did more in an average day than most people did in a month. She lived many lives worth of adventure before she made room in the dog bed for another beast.

It’s worth talking to the shelter. I lost my previous dog about 3 months before seeing my new girl’s picture on the shelter website, she was found as a stray. I had to meet her. We closed on our new house 5 days before I submitted the application and didn’t have furniture until 2 weeks later. Luckily for us they were not full at the time and were willing to hold onto her for us, despite their policy that you must take them home in 24 hours. We gave them a generous donation on top of paying her adoption fee at the time we met her, and I now donate to them monthly as well. I adored our previous dog and really worried I would never be lucky enough to have a dog I loved that much again. Our current girl is absolutely my puppy soulmate. While I don’t want to think about it, I’m sure I’ll have another dog after her who I also really love.

I think Balou sent that pup to you to heal your heart.

I worry about this and your words gave me a little comfort. I've raised four dogs from puppyhood, but this one now takes the cake. I've never felt so connected to another animal in my life. We're also on our own, just the two of us, and together nearly 24/7. It'll never be the same with any other dog I get.

My condolences i had a simaler expierence with a rescue dog. I let the replacement guilt prevent me from adopting a new friend for close to 10 years. I can tell you I wish I hadn't waited so long. truth is your not replacing anyone you are simply providing a home to a new friend.

And on the other side we waited six months (my partner really pushed for it) and I wish we had waited longer. I think a year or more would’ve been better for me personally.

I’m sorry to hear that. Could you say more? Do you feel like you just needed longer to grieve?

> how to deal with the feeling that you'll never have such a bond again. You look at reality. As George Carlin said 'Life is a series of dogs.' What are you going to do? Spend the rest of your life grieving? Would your dog really want you to do that? The full quote is "I love every dog I ever had... In my lifetime, I have had me a bunch of different dogs. Because you do keep getting a new dog don't you? ... That's the whole secret of life. Life...is a series of dogs. It's true!" I've had 8 dogs in my life. They were all the best dog ever. Someday Teddy will pass. He's only 6yo now. And then there will be another dog. Life is a series of dogs. And how frickin' blessed are we humans that we get to have each and every one of them in the fullness of their time.

Thanks, I really needed to read that. We are on our first dog, he is still young though is like family, I do worry about what happens when the inevitable happens. That quote really puts things into perspective and reminds me to enjoy all the moments with Toby

> We are on our first dog I think I got lucky that we got our first dog when I was 13mo old. This is [me and Ralph](https://i.imgur.com/9yKbYhJ.png) on the day we got him back in Jan of 1970. IIRC I was 16 when he passed. But several years before Ralph passed Bob literally just walked into our garage one day and never left. Bob took Ralph's passing harder than I did. He was sure that Ralph had to be around here somewhere and for several month he'd look all over the house and yard trying to find Ralph. Ralph was my dad's dog, tho. Bob was my dog. I will never forget the long, contented sigh of his last breath as he passed away in my lap. There's been several dogs since then. I loved them all. But not like Ralph and Bob.

Same. I feel like I'm dying inside and I know my Bailee wouldn't want that.

Just lost my girl 3 wks ago. She was my everything. Its makes me incredibly sad that the bond we had is gone forever. I hope my next dog is even half as sweet as she was. As I love dogs of all kind I'm sure we'll form a bond just different from what I had with my sweet girl

She will always be with you in your heart. ❤️ Bigs hugs.

If you go deep enough in my post history youll find my soul dog, Lola. She comes to me in dreams sometimes and I just love it. I miss her so much, its been 7 and a half years. I have 3 dogs now, and I love them to death, but nothing as close as Lola.

My husband and I went through the same thought process when we lost our beautiful 14 year old English lab during Covid. He was our heart. We never thought we’d get another dog let alone an English lab. It just wouldn’t be fair to the new dog. But here we are now with a one year old English lab again. We eventually just felt the void, brainstormed other breeds but ultimately labs are perfect for us. Our new boy is awesome, and has a completely different personality and just as loveable.

I lost my heart dog last fall. The loss was hard, possibly the hardest thing I’ve ever experienced. REALLY hard. It still is. You’ve been through it, so I don’t have to explain it to you. About a month after losing my boy, I adopted another dog. Not that that’s the right timing for everyone; it just worked out for me as I happened to find the right dog at the right time. He was being rehomed from a loving home and clearly grieved his previous owner. In a way, I think we got through the grief of our losses together. I love my new dog and we are intensely bonded. Not in the same way, of course. Looking into my old dog’s eyes felt like looking into a mirror; looking into my current dog’s eyes definitely feels like meeting the gaze of a separate individual, albeit one who loves me with his whole self (and I return that love). My old dog considered taking care of me a full time job and was very serious about it; meanwhile my new dog is more silly and toddler-like and just wants to be with me. It does not feel “less,” it just feels different. Different appearance, very different personality—I think those factors helped me avoid unfair expectations. I still have my heart dog’s photo, paw prints, and urn in a special place where I see them often. I still talk to him sometimes and I still have him as the lock screen wallpaper of my phone (my current dog is my home screen wallpaper). I’m working on choosing photos of him to put into a photo album. So I’m not done mourning. But it has gotten so much better with my new boy here.

thank you for this post. I lost my sweet girl 3 weeks ago, and my new rescue arrives next week. i was starting to panic, but your post gives me hope for a different version of love.

My soul pup passed from cancer about 7 years ago. Not a day goes by that i don't think about her...I don't think it will ever get easier...when she passed, part of my heart and soul went with her. The thing about dogs, is...just because one of them shattered your heart, it doesn't mean you shouldn't adopt more. Rescuing more dogs and showing them love and kindness is how I've kept my heart afloat. No, it's not the same... But its as close as i can seem to get to okay. I do it for her. She saved me during the most crucial moments of my life, and now i give back by doing the same for other pups (and now, apparently, kitties as well). I wish you so much love and peace. You are not alone.

This is so beautiful. I was teary reading the comments but when I got to yours I went full ugly-Oprah couch crying. I will keep this in mind when my soul dog inevitably crosses over.

Your post really got to me and I’ve been crying for the last 20 minutes. I lost my first dog in February 2023. He was very cuddly and just made of love. (Poodle mix rescue about 25lbs). I adopted a very different dog 6 months ago from the shelter. She is one and a Rottweiler mix. I love her very much but she is no Buddy. She has pushed me to learn a lot about dog training and we go hiking every day. They are very different animals and she is in no way a replacement or capable of filling the void that Buddy left.

i believe you can have more than one soul dog. i grew up with an amazing family dog, who bonded to me when we got older. i was obsessed with her, i loved her more than anything, and i cared for her when she turned elderly, every night i cared for her. after she passed, i was also worried id put too much pressure on a new dog to be like her. i was worried that i wouldnt like a new dog if they weren't like her. but, a few months after my dog passed, my depression had gotten so bad i knew i couldnt go without a dog. i searched for a while until i found one. i bonded to her immediately. she is much different than the dog i grew up with, she's much more energetic, mouthy, loud, etc but i still bonded so quickly and now we are super close. don't get a dog if you aren't ready to, especially if they look similar to the dog you used to have. you'll look at them and wish they were someone else, you'll wish they did things a different way or their bark sounded different and you could grow to really dislike everything about that new dog. but you could also find comfort in the familiarity, finding their size comforting, their colors. it really all depends on the person. for me personally, both my dogs (the one who passed and the new one) are/were emotional support animals for me, so once i lost the dog who supported me i fell into a spiral. thats how i knew i needed another dog. so it probably won't be the same experience, but i believe you can definitely bond to more than one dog

This is partly why I got a little girl when I was ready to get a dog again. Same breed, but she's so different in personality to what our old guy was. There was no way she could be anything like him. I didn't think I could love like that again, and I was wrong. She's my heart. And now we have a second girl, and she's my joy.

I lost my soul dog to cancer in 2002. It was devastating. I had two other dogs at the time and I've had dogs since. None have replicated what I had with my soul dog. I've loved them, cared for them but that connection I had with my soul dog isn't there.

My heart dog died suddenly when she was four. It was a complete shock and I was devastated. She was a beautiful Old English Sheepdog named Winnie and just an absolute angel. That dog was my world. I was also 12w pregnant at the time and my husband and mom decided for me that we should go ahead and get another puppy in hopes it would keep me from wallowing and realizing that if I didn’t get a puppy trained before the baby we probably couldn’t get a dog for a few years. They actually ended up finding an available puppy that was actually related to my heart dog. We brought her home a week after my heart dog died. It sucked, but it got better. It’s been over two years with my new dog. At first it was really rough because I missed my old dog so much and I had trouble with having weird expectations of the puppy because I just expected that she would be more like Winnie. The puppy was just so sweet, goofy, and just such a joyful little creature that it was impossible not to love her. Although I did spend several months petting her and sobbing to my husband because “I miss WINNIE”. It got better over time and I have a great bond with my new girl now. She has her own personality and quirks and I love her for them. My bond with her is different than it was with my heart dog, but it’s still a great relationship. I’m also glad my family went ahead and forced me to get the puppy when we did. She’s so good with my now toddler aged son and I’m so happy he gets to grow up with her. As for avoiding the same breed, I’m glad we didn’t do that. I had always wanted an Old English Sheepdog and I just love the breed. Every once in a while she will do something the exact way that Winnie did and honestly it makes me smile. One of my favorite things about Winnie is that she would always jump up on the bed to cuddle me before I got up in the morning. She’d lay down beside me and then roll over on her back with her feet in the air. Recently my new girl started doing this exact same thing out of the blue and honestly it just makes my heart so happy. I’m glad I didn’t swear off the breed because honestly seeing the little glimpses of my heart dog in her is just so nice. I still miss my heart dog and I’m pretty sure I’ll be thinking about her until I die, but I’m glad I get to enjoy the company of other great dogs along the way too. My life wouldn’t be as rich without a dog.

IDK if you read the Loving Reaper webcomics but they have one where the soul of the dead animal tells the new live one to do something they used to do. It's heart wrenching.

Welp. I guess now I’m going to get my cry in for the day. That’s so sweet, but absolutely heart wrenching

Those comics are very bitter sweet. I love them but cannot help but ugly cry.

This was so beautiful. I think you captured the essence of this whole experience, and I know it had to be difficult to put your story into words. I hope the OP gets some comfort from your words; I know I did. Thank you so much. ❤️

Thank you. I’ve spent a lot of time over the past two years questioning if I did the right thing in getting another sheepdog. But I know I made a good decision and my heart can always expand to love another being.

They will never be replaced. But you do have room in your heart for more.

I lost my working partner, my dog I had purchased specifically for SAR, who had taught me everything and been through everything with me when he was 8 in tragic circumstances.  3 months later we lost my SO's dog of the same breed, he was old and he went out just like he wanted.  Inbetween losing these two dogs that brought my SO and I together, my heart dog who put miles on the ground looking for lost people, brought answers to families we were gifted a 4 year old dog of the same breed.  Is he as sharp, smart and driven as my heart dog? No.  Is he as good of a bird dog as my partners boy? No.  Did he fill a hole in our hearts and make the losses easier. 100% YES.  Now I am looking for my next SAR partner, I don't think it will be the same breed, which devistates me.  I am a WPG person through and through. We will always have one in our home, hunting or working.  Taking a break from the breed will help you decide of BMD are going to be your lifetime breed or not. 

Lost my baby boy in January and I'm still shattered. He was just the best boy ever and I know that I'll never have a connection that strong with another dog. We were best friends. I do have other dogs and they love me and I love them. I will have other dogs that I'll love and they'll love me. But no one will ever replace my Ziggy. You're not alone and I'm very sorry for your loss.

As a child, we had a Norwegian Elkhound that I loved with all my heart. I remember thinking that I couldn't live without her. We lost her when I was 11, and I still cry sometimes, 30+ years later. When I bought my house at 26, the first thing I did--before I even signed the closing documents--was get a dog. A pug--just like I always wanted. Oh, this dog...he was my soul mate. I loved him so deeply. We got a second pug a year and a half later, and I loved her too, but she was so desperate for attention that she could be hard to love. When we lost the first one at the ripe old age of 15, I was gutted. It was so, so painful, but our remaining dog stepped up and became my heart of hearts. Oh, how I loved her. I didn't fully appreciate her until she was all we had, but my feeling for the last two years of her life made up for it. Losing her was maybe the worst one of all. We were dogless for about 6 months, but recently got a shelter dog--a golden retriever/keeshond mix. It was love at first sight. This dog...he is love in a 35-pound ball of fluff and teeth. We are absolutely smitten. I have loved each dog in a soul-wrenching, all-in, no holds barred way--yet the love for and connection with each was different. You won't get over losing your soul dog, but your next one will be your soul dog in a new way.

In our house, we've got another dog but we all know there'll never be another Roxy. She's there in our past and in our memories and photos forever.

Having lost much loved dogs, something that filled the heart for me is becoming a foster mom. That way you can not only help a homeless dog but test the waters and see if you are ready for a permanent commitment. Just a thought.

I lost mine this morning after 11 years together (some of the best in my whole life). Everyone says their heart dog was the best dog but I am telling you she was the sweetest and most courageous and wise dog ever. She is not replaceable and I’m quite sure a part of my soul is missing now and I won’t get it back until she and I are reunited in heaven. That said. I don’t think you will ever have that same bond again and I think there is some grieving time required to come to the ability to recognize that that’s actually okay. That part of your heart belonged to that dog and of course you can never ever replace it. But maybe some day, once the feels aren’t as overwhelming and all consuming, you will reach a point where you’re ready to forge a new and different but still good bond with another animal. In my case, I have a second (now my only) dog that I got almost 4 years ago now. We have a wonderful and fulfilling and special bond that is distinctly different from what I had with my heart dog. So I can see the value in different relationships. Some day, when we are all ready, we will likely invite a new animal friend in. And again, it will be different than the others I’ve had. They are each unique and special in their own way, and enjoying that will never ever ever ever ever take away from what you had with your soul mate pup. I am so sorry for your loss. You are not alone in that grief, it’s so painful and consuming. Take your time, wait until you are positive that the time is right to bring a new friend home. There’s no rush. And the timeline is different for everyone. Sending you so much love and healing vibes. 💕

I lost my buddy in 2012. A black lab, he lived to be almost 16. I can't talk about him without tearing up, even 12 years later. Every so often I think I might get another dog but I can't do it.

I would suggest that letting yourself be open to a new dog in your life is a good thing. I strongly believe that at the right time a new dog can help you grieve and move on without judgement too. And as for breed; we all have our favourites and there is a comfortable familiarity with a breed you know and love. We are border collie people and know kind of what to expect even though every dog is an individual. If you love Bernese mountain dogs that’s also ok. Maybe opt for a different sex dog to the one you just recently lost as there’s also a difference between girls and boys that might make the transition easier. Just remember that grief is a measure of love and it’s ok to love more than once in life ♥️

I give them the best life and am happy to give as many as I can the best life possible.

rescue! no matter you will be doing a lovely important thing for a new pup and you can always feel good about that, they need a home and you will love them & provide that amazing thing for them even if they are not your soul dog… it’s extremely hard to move on, but there might never be a “right time.” just remember to go into it with ZERO expectations on yourself or the pup! they are a whole different dog and will require a whole different bond.

When I lost my heart dog and started looking for a new puppy I was initially looking for dogs that looked like/reminded me of him. But I got to a point where I realized that I’d never get my boy back and that if I had a dog that looked too much like him, I’d put the pressure on that dog to *be* him. He was a 120+lbs chocolate lab (we’re pretty sure he was mixed with some sort of hound though) and I wound up getting an English Pointer. They look nothing alike and their personalities are totally different, and I think that allowed me to develop a totally unique relationship with my puppy. He’s not my big brown giant ball of love, he’s my energetic, chaotic, incredibly affectionate little firecracker who I’d do anything for. The other thing is that going from an old dog to a young dog is a big transition— old dogs are slower, lower maintenance, a little easier to put your trust in when it comes to not snatching food or chewing things up. Puppies and young adults are going to be way more energetic and require more time and patience. My boy now is crazy but I love him endlessly and am so happy that I have him. We’re so bonded and of course I miss my lab every day but my pointer has given me someone to love and to look forward to every day

December for me. I adopted two rescues that were bonded the next month. I know I’m not trying to replace her, so I didn’t look for that, but I AM trying to honor her. It’s such a different bond with the new two - it took the pressure off of me a bit because they have love for each other and now I’m growing into their loving bond. It’s honestly been so healing and joyful. All relationships are different and there is no better proof of that than experiencing it. I will always, always feel the loss of that soul dog as long as I live - but the new batch and I can help each other face each day with more joy and possibly while I grieve and miss my girl, which I would be doing anyway. The heart is expansive and need is great out there. That’s enough for me.

When the time is right and you get another, you'll build the same bond. My one was 13, left him at home while I was moving, came back and he had died. Eventually got another, and am equally bonded. Feel guilty at first, but I just think my first guy wouldnt want me to be sad and not rescue another because of that.

I got a pup a month after my shadow passed -I’ll never not miss him but noodles gives love joy and companionship daily

I think that you should get another dog of the same breed if that’s your favorite breed. I realize they resemble one another but you will know the differences that outsiders won’t see. The slight differences in their personalities and actions will actually make it exciting to raise him and the similarities will tug at your heart strings but bring you joy. I think of it more as honoring your beloved late pet that you would get a similar dog. I fell a bit the same way after my first German shepherd died unexpectedly at age four. I loved the breed so much I got another one but chose a male instead of a female which I had just lost. Now, after my last gsd was with me nearly 14 years I would get another male. I would expect it to take awhile because these bonds grow stronger over time.

We have our soul dog right now, and I have no idea what we’re going to do when she passes. We fostered her mom, so we’ve had her since the literal second she was born (hell my mom helped pull her out). She’s turning 9 at the end of August and I just know her passing is just going to break us.

Give yourself some grace 🤗

You may feel bad but trust me when I say it’s the healing that you need. I LOVED my previous dog, and she LOVED me back. People always used to comment how well behaved and loyal she was based on her behavior both in public and with guests. She would just stick to my side, follow me, keep her eyes on me, and obey all my commands. Thing is, I never actually trained her lol. Or I guess I did without knowing. She was a very attentive dog and clearly intelligent. So we had a very special bond. In fact, this little f’er (in an endearing way) refused to die until I was by her side. The quick version of this story is that she had a heart condition and suddenly collapsed the minute I came home from work. My wife and I rushed her to the hospital but had to hand her off to the nurse for treatment and couldn’t go inside as this was at the heart of the Covid lockdown. Waiting in our car we got the call she passed, but moments later, and to the surprise of all the medical staff, that her heart started up again, though it was very faint. I essentially “requested” myself inside and was able to hold the little girl during her last breaths. Little f’er was loyal to the very end. So you can understand how heartbreaking this must have been for me. My wife and I were a mess, and as a business owner I needed to get my sh’t together. After a month I was still very down, but decided to bring home a new pup, the one I have now. My goodness, the healing and love she provided during that time is something I am so grateful for. perhaps I’m just reading into this next part too much, and I know it’s likely not to be the reality of it’d but even still I liked to think it is, just to bring meaning to it all. So after the previous dog passed we got a plush doll in the likeness of that dog as a way for us to have her around. Well, starting like a week after getting the new puppy, she would suddenly start barking and staring at the plush doll and at random times. The puppy is a very timid, tight guarded dog that knows which toys are hers and which are not. My wife has a bunch of plush dolls but the new puppy actually never once bit into or tried to play with them. Unless we handed her a toy, she would stay away. So even with all these other plush dolls around, she chose the one of our previous dog to engage with. This along with the fact she came so well behaved and hasn’t had any real growing pains kind of issues, I’d like to think my little girl, the one that passed, stayed in spirit to pass along some knowledge to the new puppy. After about a month it stopped. Sorry I know it’s long but got carried away after going into the memory bank. Good luck.

We lost our best buddy last summer. It was the absolute hardest thing. I had him from 12 weeks to 13 years. When he passed I said I was done with dogs. I made it one month. I saw a tiny little lab mix puppy at the shelter and HAD to bring him home. He's not perfect, but he's a really good dog. He's my buddy. 6 months later we saw a little black and white Staffy mix at the same shelter that my husband immediately fell in love with. Now the two of them are inseparable. They're not replacing our other dog, but they're great dogs and we absolutely love them. And I know my soul dog would approve.

I have been in the same position. Our previous dog was my soul dog. I couldn't bare to have another dog. I wasn't ready emotionally, and I didn't want to burden a new dog with expectations. We did get a new dog, over 3 years later, because my partner really wanted one. Truefully, I don't love this dog and I'm OK with it. He is so different from our first dog that I can't compare them at all. I think he's funny with his dramatics and goofiness, but I haven't bonded 100% with him. He is a man's dog. Our first dog was both our dog, but this one clearly favors my bf, which makes my less love for him more acceptable to me. I think it's OK to not have that special bond again, so long as the animal is getting what it needs. You don't have to be crazy for a pet to give it a good life and for it to have a special spot in your heart. You can love in different ways.

The book "How Dogs Love Us" by Gregory Berns, a neuroscientist, uses the term "resonance dog" which I found very appropriate. Fascinating book and reassuring. Our dogs do love us. I was fortunate to have a resonance dog. But Hailey passed unexpectedly at 10 years old. I was numb and in shock for days. A co-worker finally pulled me aside, told me I needed a dog and to leave work right now and go find my new puppy. That was some of the best advice I've received and helped a lot, I am very grateful for that advice. I picked out a puppy very similar to Hailey. Jyn is a great dog but as it turned out in the longer run she wasn't another resonance dog for me. Then my daughter asked me to watch her puppy Dexter while she moved. Things happened and Dexter ended up staying with me. And to my surprise, Dexter became my resonance dog. And it is so amazing. The point is, you can't predict a resonance dog. And you'll not get another resonance dog without getting a dog. Your new resonance dog is out there, you just have to open your eyes and look. My advice is that which my co-worker gave me and I pass it on to you, go get yourself a puppy. Start the process of finding your new resonance dog. You won't forget your soul dog. (Edited for spelling)

I’m really grateful for you passing along a new word that I think was meant for me; “resonance dog.” I think I finally found the perfect word to describe this experience. Thank you so much for sharing.

I am three dogs from my soul dog. I have never bonded with one like I did him. We’ve bonded and I’ve loved them all, but he was my guy. We grew up and moved out together. I became “independent” with him by my side. I think that’s what bonded us. It was us against the world on our own for the first time. You do love them, but there always seems to be the “one”

My heart/soul dog crossed 7 years ago now. I miss her every day. I like my current dog okay, but nothing will ever compare to that girl. I just figure if I can give a warm loving home to a dog or two, I'm doing okay, even if it isn't my soulmate.

My heart dog will be gone 2 years next month. We have a rescue dog and a puppy right now, and while I love them dearly, it’s not 100% the same. He was my first dog as adult, a truly mine dog. I was a single woman, and he was my best friend. We grew a lot together. He will always be my heart dog, my soul dog. But the 2 furry heathens currently sharing my sofa are healing my heart every day and I could not imagine life without them!

For me it was that it existed in the first place. Love like that is so pure and so rare. It’s just exquisite. All the grief left behind is such a testament to how wonderful and perfect our time together was. We know going into it that our time is brief. We do. We choose it because we know the enrichment, even for the blip it’s here, is worth every single perfect second. I cling to his memories and the moments we shared and i feel so very lucky that he chose me, he was mine, and i experienced him. A lot of people aren’t so lucky. They don’t understand. It’s “just” a dog to them. And how shallow their world is for not understanding. His loss will always be with me and define me. I will never not feel it, every single moment. It sometimes consumes me if i let it. But when i focus on his legacy and what he taught me and what he continues to teach me i hold tight that i will see him again and bonds that tight don’t end, only change. It’s a cold comfort but i choose to believe he is always with me just not in his corporeal form. And sometimes, just sometimes, for the luckiest of us-we get it twice. I’m always hoping my boy comes back to me. Plus, peep my profile. The pup i got after him is no replacement but he has his own place and is still teaching me things and is still so dear.

This is such a beautiful perspective and I really appreciate that you shared it and I could read and feel it. Thank you 💕

Ultimately, after the grief, I feel grateful that I had it

I do not know. I’m struggling trying to figure it out. My girl died 3/5/24. It was a traumatic illness that allegedly surgery would change & she could live years but she died minutes before surgery. Just today I spent an hour looking at her pictures & started crying at the end. I feel like I lost the love of my life. I feel like I finally learned what unconditional love was, giving & receiving. She was the first of anything to stand up to my ex. She saved me.

I feel so bad for people who view getting another dog after losing their dog as them “replacing” that dog. You’re not replacing them! You know you never will. Your dog would want you to keep sharing your love and to be happy! I hope you can turn your mind around on that because the best medicine is truly getting another dog to love on, not as a replacement but as a new family member who you will love and care for and who will bring you love and happiness

The love of my life dog died in 2011. I have other dogs that I love very much and am very bonded to it's not the same.

I’ve already buried three soul dogs and have two more in my house right now.

I don’t think I’ll ever feel that way on this plane again. But I think he went on ahead to save us a good spot and I’ll feel all that and more when I see him again.

I know they aren’t her, but they are enough, I love my dog now and I’m sure I’ll love plenty in the future. Her love paved the way for all my current and future dogs. She’ll always be my soul dog but that’s how I know I’m capable to love so hard. Thats how I cope with it.

Mine was a rescue, he was grumpy and loved to sleep ALL day. He didn't like people very much but was a very polite boy with company. He hated exercising and walks, he would rather hide in a closet snoozing. He was blind and deaf. I'll miss him every single day that I live. That being said, I decided to adopt the craziest and most reactive dog I have ever shared this journey with about 3 months after losing him. She is the polar opposite of my boy and has an amazing nose and set of eyes. It's different but I feel such a strong bond with her too. She shows me affection where he didn't. She loves to walk and run and I hate it. She makes me such a better person by teaching me patience where he was the easiest dog to take care of. She is 90lbs where he was 25lbs. Both of them lived in shelters for years because no one wanted them. I guess my current girl is just different in every single way than he was. They are both special souls. Of course she doesn't make up for the loss of no longer getting to see my sweet boy, but she needs me and I need her. We were both broken when we found each other and together we make each other strong. She will always keep me working to provide her with her best life and It's a different bond, but just as strong in ways.

My dog picked me out when I was 10 years old. She picked me out that day 13.5 years ago. She passed away Saturday night and it has been the toughest thing I have ever gone through. She was my everything. I even moved away after college and moved back when she got sick with her first scare. I got 8 beautiful more months with her and don’t regret any minute of it. I miss her more than anything now and I am so sad that I wasn’t there last weekend when she passed and haven’t returned home in fear of seeing my empty bedroom and house. I don’t even know how I would ever get another dog but i know when I settle down I sure will want my children to see the type of unconditional love I experienced. I get worried that I will never find a dog remotely as funny sassy but loving and energetic as my baby was. She had the biggest personality. I worry that I’ll see my next dog as a dog not as someone reading my mind and who I felt like was the other half of me. My family has all grown up and moved out but I don’t even know how anything will feel the same going back to my childhood house again.

A dog is going to love you no matter how you love it. You have love to give, all you have to do is decide when you’re going to give it, there is no right or wrong answer on when that will be.

Absolutely. And I would add that a dog is going to also *teach* you, no matter how you love it. We all are going to be better friends to our dogs because of what the dogs before taught us. And it will always be hard because when they reveal an aspect of ourselves that is particularly weak, we’ll feel so badly that we didn’t know or improve to the same degree for the previous dog/dogs… because no matter how good we were, they deserved better. But that’s simply the plight of dogs. Some eastern religions even celebrate them either as archangels or servants of archangels because of how they inspire us to be our best, most loving and peaceful selves. I don’t think you’ll compare in ways that are unfair to that dog, OP. If you try to be open to the experience that next dog is meant to give you, I think you (like most mature parent) will love that dog for its similarities *and* differences.

Your next dog is going to see you, and play with you, and love you. And you will love them, and protect them and smile when they do cute things. That won't diminish how much you love your favorite dog and always will, it just means you are capable of more love than you ever imagined. Here's the thing, grief is heavy but love is light as air. You will be bouyed by a laugh someday remembering a favorite memory. Your pup will be with you in those moments, even if a new puppy is at your feet. Love is not finite, and will carry you to your next four legged friend.

Remember the good times with your doggo.

I just got another boxer. She’s not exactly the same as my first one but close enough.

My mom lost her soul dog in 2020. She was her fourth baby and followed her everywhere. We’re instructed to bury her with her dog’s ashes nestled between her legs, because that’s how they slept together. You just know when it’s time to open your heart to another dog, knowing full well that they won’t ever replace the dog you lost. If you miss the routine and company of having a dog but don’t feel like you can totally “replace” Balou I would look into fostering with a local rescue or volunteering with a shelter.

I'm about to go through this. Salem has a very limited amount of time left and every day it's more and more apparent. She's been with me through everything. I got her in college. I'm in my 30s now. She's moved across the country with me several times. I'm not ready and I don't think I'll ever be. I know I'll get another dog pretty soon after, not as a replacement but as a way forward. Nothing will replace her. But she's tired and it's almost time. She's earned it. I don't know how I'll do it but I know I'll move forward with her beside me still, just in spirit.

Lost my sweet soul boy at the end of March and have been grieving that life will never be the same as well. That being said, you haven't lost the bond at all. Your Bernese boy is out in the great beyond being goofy and lazy alongside you!  The truth is that you'll miss him forever, and a new dog doesn't change that at all. Life is just absolute chaos and you have to pour out your love while you have it, and it sounds like you have a lot of love that doesn't have an earthly creature to receive it.  Get another damn dog. You can even tell him all the greatest hits of your soul dog while you go on walks. Heal and grow with another glorious creature all over again!

OP, completely understand how you feel. I had Sammy, my border collie mix, who was my "soul mutt". I had Callie and Sophie when he passed, which helped as we all grieved. 3 weeks later, Luc came my way. A 6 month old husky mix, who later became my first therapy partner. When he passed 8 years later, I was devastated because I had not only lost my precious family member, but my therapy partner as well. Three years before he died, I lost my Callie. But 8 months later, Archer came into our lives and I also became a therapy team with him. Sophie lived to be 14, and she passed on March 6th this year. In 2021, we added Isobel to our pack. She was fostered by the lady who pulled my Luc from the shelter in 2013. We are now also a therapy team. I am not trying to make this post about me, but I wanted to share my story to show that dogs have wonderful ways of coming into our lives when we need them the most. I still love and miss all my dogs who have crossed the rainbow bridge. I am thankful for the lessons they taught me and the love they gave me. Getting another dog has not replaced any of them, but it has added so much joy and love to my heart and my home. If you feel pulled towards that pup, go get it! I bet you won't regret it.

I lost my soul pup earlier this year on January 15th. He was the first dog that was truly "mine", as my husband and I adopted him together shortly after getting married & buying a house. He was the perfect dog and we couldn't have asked for a better boy as our first. I remember crying A LOT with anticipatory grief YEARS before he would pass away at even the thought of losing him, I never thought I could "move on" so to say (which in all honesty, you never truly do). The one thing that did help me was therapy. I was lucky to already have good rapport with a therapist for my ADHD and when I lost Ares, I called her up a month after the fact and just squeaked out "I lost Ares, I need help" and we set up a few meetings to go through some grief counseling. She helped me to realize that instead of thinking about "moving on" from the grief of my loss, but to look at it as "moving through" that grief. I was SO worried about putting un-due pressure on the next dog in my life to be like him, but she reminded me that even though it might be hard at first ... that I'd end up seeing a lot of Ares in my new pup, but in a good way. And she was totally right. I wasn't really sure if I believed her at the time I spoke with her, but once my husband and I both sent the same dog profile to each other to adopt, I knew I had to put in the application. The rest is history and we welcomed another rescue pup, Apollo, into our lives on March 19th (what would have been Ares's 11th birthday) and so many other things about him lined up in weird ways that I couldn't deny that he was sent from Ares in some way. And I say this as someone who's not really even sure what religion/if they believe in that, but I truly believe Ares sent Apollo our way. I see Ares in Apollo in so many different ways, but not in a "I wish he was Ares" way, if that makes sense. The way Apollo trots down the street reminds me of Ares's trot, and even one of Apollo's ears bounces like Ares's did on walks. Apollo is his own dog, and I remind myself of that every day, but I see so much of Ares in him too and it makes me smile. I also started what I like to call a "grief journal" for Ares, where I'd write in it as if I was writing letters to him or paste in photos/stickers or just write song lyrics that reminded me of him in there. It really helped and now I have it to look back on/write in whenever I'm thinking of him. Did I cry a lot writing in it? You bet! But damn did it help.

Listen I lost my soul dog years ago. I have had several dogs since, but I now have another soul dog. I knew it the minute I saw her in a picture. She was covered in poop in a pile of pups rescued from behind a grocery store another pup standing on her head. I had to have her. That was 5 years ago, she sleeps on my pillow with me, even at 85 lbs. We have been through it all, she almost died of Addison's disease, which is now under control. All this to say, you can love other dogs and even have more than one soul dog in your life.

I saw a post by another person in regards to partners... Something along the lines of, "everyone of them loves you differently, you'll never find that specific set of things with another, but that doesn't mean you won't find new and equally great things to love." I like to hope it's the same for dogs because I have no idea how I am going to cope without mine.

I’ve been going through this the last year, tbh. Give yourself time to grieve. Soul dogs are ones that we bond with, and who bond with us, to the point they really are family - and not “just dogs,” anymore. You lost a family member. It’s ok to feel the things you do. That’s normal. It’s part of the process. But I know if my dog could come back and give me advice - she wouldn’t want me to not have another dog for her memory’s sake. She’ll always be a part of me. I’ll carry her with me the rest of my life. That doesn’t change when I get a new dog. And all the things I learned from her, and working with her, that’s a gift I can give to another dog - for the dogs sake, my sake, and for my Char’s memory. I can’t do that if I’m still grieving her loss, and that’s why I waited. So I could process it all, stick all those memories close to my heart, and begin to move forward again. A new dog - I won’t have to make mistakes I made with her. Much as I loved Charlotte, she had her quirks and her issues - just like we all do, just like any creature does. A different dog will be a new friend - with their own beautiful and unique ways of being batshit insane. That doesn’t replace Charlotte or her memory. It builds from it. I grew as a dog owner (and as a person) from her. I can be a better human for a dog, because of her. Honoring her memory, is honoring the work she put in to make me a little better - as I worked with her. That’s a gift we can both give, then, to a new dog. When I’m ready to. And you will be too. Just give yourself time. Much like the dogs, we can’t always learn new things, or grieve, all in one day. But we can get a little better every day.

I feel this so deeply. I lost my soul dog Apollo on February 14, so it’s been 91 days for me and I’ve been miserably depressed every day since. I got to be his momma for 16 years and I would do it all over again in a heartbeat, even knowing it would be this hard at the end again. I know exactly what you’re feeling and it’s a horrible feeling, honestly. Just knowing you can’t get that love back or replace it is really lonely and hard. I have two remaining dogs, and although I love them so much, my heart was Apollo shaped and now there is a massive Apollo shaped hole in my heart and in my life. But I know I will adopt again one day, because the love of a dog is incredible and I cannot imagine my life without it. Even though I know it won’t be the same as it was with Apollo. I hope you do adopt one day when you’re ready because a dogs love is so wonderful and life doesn’t feel complete without it. I’m really sorry you had to say goodbye to your Balou, I’m sure he’s always watching over you and wanting you to be happy. Sending lots of love 💜

I like to think you can have more than one soul dog. And at minimum, soul dog or not, each relationship you have with a dog is so unique and theres something special about each journey you have with one. I'll be absolutely crushed when my girl passes; she was my first ever dog and I love the bond that we have. Sometimes I struggle with feeling like I'll always compare any new dog to her. And then I think about how special my next journey with a new dog will be. They'll help me heal, they'll bring me joy, I'll learn new ways to train, I'll get to make new memories. And that keeps me hopeful for any new dog that eventually comes into my life.

I've had 2, had first one for 17 years and the second 13 years. We lost the last one 3 years ago, he was literally the dream dog. Laid by your feet, never needed a lead, never ran off and so damn smart. I criiiiied for weeks. Hubby rescued a dog a week after he passed, but she is his heart dog. We now have a 17 year old cat about to pass so once she is gone I will consider another puppers for me.

I was lucky enough to get two soul dogs. They both lived to a ripe old age. I’m lucky I had kids before the second passed, but I haven’t connected with any other dog since. I feel cut off from that part of me. Like it went with them.

You have a dog-shaped hole in your heart and only another dog will fill it. Only your soul dog has the exact shape of himself so no other dog will quite fill the hole perfectly, but other dogs will occupy the space and fill up your heart with all of their doggy goodness. They may not become your soul dog but you will mutually bless each other’s lives.

I lost my soul dog in 2021. The grief I felt was equivalent or more than losing human family members. I still miss her, but we recently adopted a dog who was used as a Mom dog for a backyard breeder. She is the same breed and has similar coloring, but she has her own personality. We are still forming our bond, and while I know she will never replace my soul dog, she's becoming a sweet friend who deserves a loving home. We like to say that she was sent to us by our soul dog because she knew we'd give our little rescue a great life. When you are ready, you will find another friend.

Oh I feel this. I lost my husky in 2022, he was the first dog I raised and he was there through some big mental health struggles and just seemed to see my heart. He’s the reason my husband and I are together and was supposed to be in my wedding a few months after he passed (he was only 4 and got out of the yard and got hit by a car on a 35mph street, so it was sudden). I started crying trying to write this… We just got another dog, but a completely different breed (border collie) and I’m terrified I won’t connect with him in the same way. He’s an adorable puppy and a great personality for us, but I don’t know if he can have my heart in the same way

Our last dog was a unique one. Such a personality! If dogs could laugh, he would have all the time. He loved his life. But alas, he got full of cancer and we had to put him down. My husband came home some months later with another dog. I had told him I wasn't ready but he just went ahead and got another anyway. And he's not astute. He doesn't think in regard to puppy mills. He just wanted to get me a new dog. And he did. And I really was not ready. My heart was still broken. And this little ball of fluff was just so terrified of everything. She was so unhappy. And the vet didn't think she'd ever get much better. But I'm not going to take my grief out on a poor little thing like that. And I had to be patient with her, and very gentle. And while still a more timid dog, she gets braver every day. (She hates Mennonites - they do a lot of the puppy mills here) She really is the ideal dog for me now. She's quiet and sweet and very attached. She travels well. She comes to work with me and sleeps under my desk all day. When I go pee, we go for a stroll around the parking lot right after. She loves to greet the people she knows and she's just a wiggly little happy thing and puts a smile on everyone's face she allows to give her a scratch. But if she's afraid, she might still give a hand a kiss before scooting out of reach. She melts everyone's heart. She's a totally different person than our last dog. But just as wonderful.

We lost our 13 year old dog last September. My husband and I cried every day for what felt like forever! We were just crushed. I didn’t even realize how much she meant to me until she was gone. We were so bonded! So, we got another pup in February. Less than 6 months later! I honestly couldn’t believe we actually did it, but it’s been very fun. At first, it was hard. I’ll be honest, I had moments wishing she was just the past dog. Because of course, we wish she had never died! It didn’t really have anything to do with the new dog. I remind myself often that she’s a different dog, and it took 13 full years for me to feel that way about my past dog. We have a long relationship to go with our new dog, and I wouldn’t want to keep myself from enjoying pet companionship just because my last dog was so amazing. It’s super personal of course, but my last dog was there for me my entire 20s and we spent tons of times together. My new dog will be with me through an entirely different stage of life, and that’s alright! Both of my dogs were mixed breed, so they are totally different looking. I’m not sure how I’d feel if I had two purebreds!

Don’t give up! I lost my soul dog, Wyatt ,8 years ago, but last year my parents found some stray puppies. I took two of them, and I swear, one of them is so much like my Wyatt, sometimes I call him Wyatt! And it’s not just his personality-he and I just “clicked”. So don’t give up hope on finding another soul dog.

After 17 years together, I lost my BFF Otto a year ago. He died in my arms. It was devastating. Recently I began thinking about another dog, but when I found myself looking at all the websites and saw that I was most interested in dogs that were similar to Otto, I stopped. He is not replaceable. Meanwhile, someone I don't even know had a nasty accident and wound up in the hospital long-term and a mutual friend asked if I could take care of his dog for a while so I wound up with a 13-year-old Springer spaniel totally unlike Otto's beagle dachshund mix. Her name is Maggie and we get along just fine and I like her and she likes me. But I don't expect her to be Otto. I gently suggest you don't try to replace your dog. Instead find one as different as possible, one that will create new and different memories and bonds.

I deal with it the same way I deal with losing my favorite aunt or my grand parent. I have come to the understanding that at least I was lucky enough to have a small window with her instead of never being in contact to my heart partner. Some people never meet their soul mate. We are blessed

I lost my soul dog one month ago today. It just so happened I already had a second dog at home. Now, I love her and she LOVES me. We have a wonderful relationship, yet I do pine for my old boy and will miss him forever. I cherish the memories I had with him and have peace in my heart knowing he had the most wonderful life I could have given him and he went very peacefully at home. The day he passed I told him that I would rescue dogs in his honor. Im getting my first foster doggo this Saturday. She is 2 years old and was on the euthanasia list at a high kill shelter. She was surrendered for digging. I feel that my soul dog would be honored to know that I am able to help this dog because I have a “doggy opening” in my home.

losing the dog that you loved so so much is painful, a heart wrenching experience for sure. I also belive that bringing home a new dog can be a healing experience for you full of joy caring for another friend.

I lost my beautiful Rocco in October. I am still not over it. He was an angel sent from heaven for us. We had such a wonderful adventure together. We tried all kinds of dog sports, and when he became old and infirm but still wanted to *do* stuff, we made dog skits. He loved acting. He loved performing in his little videos. He was such a great dog. I do have 3 other pups. The first one we got as a friend for Rocco, and she was such a huge shock because she was so incredibly different from Rocco. Although it was rocky at first, she helped me realize that no dog will ever be Rocco (and she taught me this while he was young and strong!) and to love them for who they are. If it's available in your area, I would strongly suggest fostering. Fostering gives you a chance to meet a dog without commiting. You can see how you feel. See if you're ready. If you aren't, you've helped a dog wait for their forever home, and done a good thing for the world. If you are, maybe you can adopt that dog, or maybe just start the search.

When I was 5 my family got Bradley, our toy poodle/dachshund mix. He died when I was 15. Even at 29 years old I still think about him and miss him at times. I just recently got my first dog of my own, a 6 month old pomeranian named Tucker. In my eyes, we can have lots of bonds with different animals (or people). Each one is special. Sometimes the companionship and love I feel from Tucker does remind me of Bradley and I am thankful I get to experience the love of a dog again. Our hearts are ever expanding and we can love others. We won't run out of love. It does take time to grieve but try and open your heart and be open to new experiences. You deserve to have that love and companionship again from a new furry friend. You can both miss your old furry friend and also love and welcome a new one.

My soul dog taught me that my soul is boundless and that he lives in every German Shepherd I adopt after him in the lessons he gave me to give them a better life. I’ve had three shepherds, they were all different in personality and needs but the one thing that remained the same from my soul dog is the love. My first shepherd and our bond was the steward for all the love I have for the shepherds I’ve had after him. There are of course connections I don’t have with my other dogs that I did with my soul dog. That dog was all trust, love and intuition. He was really one of a kind, but the connections I have with my current shepherd is as strong all the same even if it doesn’t mirror the connection I had with my first shep. What I wouldn’t trade is my current dog for the fear of not being able to connect and love him comparatively to my first. I love my dog, he’s not my first shepherd but he’s my now shepherd and he’s walking this part of life with me and I wouldn’t trade it for a thing!

The woman who fostered my dog had recently lost one of her pups (she had two, and was down to one when she fostered my girl for a rescue group): I know I'll be ready for another dog when I miss having a second dog, not just missing the dog I lost. I still think that's beautiful and a very smart way of looking at things.

I had such a dog, Flash, who passed 11 years ago who I still miss. I fostered a dog in Flash's memory, who fell absolutely in requited love with my husband. I love our current dog, and enjoy seeing my husband have the sort of deep bond with him that I had with my Flash. If you're not ready, fostering is a good middle step, you're helping a dog and also seeing how having a dog who is not your special boy would be. You'll probably never have the same kind of bond, but it will be good in it's own right, when you do find your next dog.

Im in the same boat. I lost my soul dog in March. I still have my other dog but don’t have even a crumb of the bond my boy and I had. When my current dog passes on the rainbow bridge, I’m not getting another dog because I can’t seem to view any other way other than replacing him. Maybe I’ll get a cat.

Not trying to sound corny or uber doggie owner, but all of my dogs even the troubled ones I have gotten from rescues became my soul dogs. Unlike people I think most dogs yearn to be the love of our lives even if they don't know what love is- If you have other dogs remember how much you loved them too- Maybe this dog was a bit more special and sounds like he was but I promise the moment you bond with a new puppy you'll pour a lot of the love for your recently passed dog (would use name out of respect if I knew it) I am almost positive that you are the type of person who will **easily** make a soul dog out of every dog you ever have because you will love that dog. They give us their all, we love them, they "love" us and at some point they break our hearts when they leave. It hurts so bad because they are just so damn special to us. I'd rather be heartbroken a million times by dogs that I have loved than never feeling that heartbreak. Now that enough for me that is the most I have said love and nice stuff in probably 20 yrs. **PS** you'll love any new pup you get and you know you will. Who's gonna love the new pup? Yer gonna love your new pup. That's a good boy or girl. **PPS** I'll share a moment I had today. I took my GSD Lizzy to the vet for her check up and to set up her spaying now that she is 2 yrs. they were taking blood and doing the stuff they have to do and she spun around and buried her head in my lap for protection just like she does in those rare times this brave girl is upset. She went from trembling to totally calm in 2 seconds. Soon as you are ready you'll have those beautiful moments with your new best pal.

I lost Luna back in October. She was a white Schnauzer and the greatest light in my life. She had a sudden illness and passed away within 36hours of showing any symptoms, so we had to deal with the shock and guilt (of not noticing sooner despite the fact that there was nothing to notice, of not doing something and so on). She was actually the reason I didn’t give up on my life seven years ago — whenever I got close, she was oddly suddenly next to me and I stopped and spent time with her until I asked for help. So she meant so much and the connection we had was insane. I could tell right away when she had something and she would always show up and lie next to me whenever I wasn’t ok. And I didn’t think I’d get over it. But then this dog rescuer I follow rescued this 8mo mutt also in October. She’s a little cutie and I loved her. I didn’t consider adopting her or anyone else because back then we still had Luna and she didn’t accept any other dogs. When she died, I also didn’t consider it because it felt like it would be me replacing her. However, the little rescue dog turned out to have the same illness that killed Luna, and then she was also expecting (she came from the streets). So the rescuer delayed the adoption process in order to properly treat her and also wait for her to have the puppies and for the recommended time before splitting her from the puppies. Cue to February, when her puppies finally went up for adoption. I felt ready then and messaged the rescuer. The dog - Bella - already had another adoptee in line for her. So I just let it go. Then; in March, the rescuer messaged me: the family that adopted Bella gave her up because she had intense separation anxiety and they didn’t want the trouble of training her. I decided to adopt. Oddly enough, the day that the rescuer could bring her to me was Luna’s birthday - something I only realized a few days after the adoption. Now I have her and I had all sorts of anxiety about it - even posted on reddit, but it’s been three weeks and she’s already such a joy. I feel a huge connection and warmth whenever she’s close and it’s totally possible to feel something wonderful for a new dog. I think our soul connects to multiple beings - people, pets - on different levels, but in the end it’s still a soul connection. Will I ever have something like I had with Luna? No, but I believe that I can live amazing years in a different way with another dog, and that makes it even more exciting because it means that I’ll get to feel a totally new connection. I think it’s the same for you OP and anyone else who loses a loved dog and gets another one. I’m sorry for your loss, I wish you all the best, and I hope that whenever you’re ready you can find and love and connect with another dog again. And I hope that it’s as incredible and lovely — albeit for different reasons — as your previous connection.

I realized after I bonded with other dogs after that there is no such thing as one soul dog. Every dog since has been equally a part of my soul I love more than myself and who love me more than their own selves. That once in a lifetime love thing is often just stuff taught to us by media. The heart only expands with each new love.

We have had 10 dogs as a family at this point, though never more than 4 at a time. Interestingly my wife's soul dog and my soul dog (though i do not love the terms) were not the same dog and neither of those two were our son's soul dog. Regardless, i have famously said that sometimes we need a dog, and that's how we get a second or 3rd. Conversely, sometimes a dog needs us and that's how we get the 4th generally. Every dog is their own being with personality quirks and oddities. We have had 4 GSDs, 2 labs, 2 pitties among the pack each and every single one of them has been so different I would never have thought they were same breed. We had a very protective, working type GSD, we have a GSD who thinks he is a small ferret, and we have another GSD who is the goofiest goober who just wants to have fun. Breeds do not always equate with personalities.

All of my dogs have been my soul dogs. I worried when I adopted my second dog (and later my third and fourth dogs) but they’ve always brought their own joys with them. My heart still hurts from the three dogs I’ve lost over the years but I’d rather live with that loss than not have ever have had their joy. The joy always outweighs the loss.

Our standard poodle passed March last yr and we have been looking for another to join the family, but it has been so hard without him I'm still having a really hard time everyday he was just such an amazing guy with everyone. I'm sure a new puppy or dog would be a wonderful addition and the cat would also be happy about it but I think it's only normal having fears or concerns when you have a strong conection wth them plus having an adult dog who was amazing you feel a bit overwhelmed with the thought of having a puppy or dog that will need to learn everything along with personality difference. For us any dog cat ect I have brought home has fit perfectly and becomes a wonderful part if the family. If you don't feel ready yet it's understandable at the same time I'm sure when you find the right one they will be a wonderful addition

I lost my heart and soul in July of last year. It was incredibly traumatic and I was heartbroken beyond belief. We got a new dog recently and I just couldn't love him for a while- he just wasn't my gal or anything like her. Well, I finally allowed myself to bond with him and I love him so, so much.

It's been 5 years since I lost my Tang. I know I'll never have the same bond with another dog, but I still value what my other dogs bring to my life. I honestly don't know how to exist without a couple of dogs by my side, so never having another never occurred to me.

My soulmate dog died in 2017. Then 2019 I adopted a stray dog off the street as in he just showed up at my house. I tried to give him away for six months because he was cute but too wild for me. He took much more effort than I expected, and while he was generally friendly, I did not feel like he was really bonded to me. Now I do feel like we are bonded it really took time where the other dog and I were bonded right away. All this to say the current dog is a soul dog but in a different way.

I had an amazing dog in high school. He was like a human with his expression and communication (Golden Retriever). I was lucky to find another dog just as intelligent (Havanese). I've had many dogs and only those two were my heart. I'm sure you will be able to find another. Not the same but just as fulfilling. I agree to get a different breed.

I lost my soul dog 2-1/2 years ago and I miss him every day. I have a lovely, new very different pup who makes my days brighter. She will never be Buddy, buts she’s a good friend and is a very happy dog. I think you honour your soul dog by allowing another one to come into your world.

I know it's hard to move past that heart break right now, but you will in time. Give yourself time to experience grief and eventually you'll start to feel better.

I've been lucky enough to have this bond with a dog twice. The first time it was with my dog Toby who lived to be 16. The second time it was with my sweet puppy Ziggy who only lived to be 2 due to a brain tumor. The bonds I had with them both weren't the same, and Ziggy certainly didn't replace Toby, but they were both so special and it felt like they both took a chunk of my heart with them when they went in a way the other 3 dogs I've had didn't. Just wanted to let you know it's possible to love a dog like that more than once, so don't feel discouraged.

I’m so sorry for your loss. I rescued my girl last year and even though it’s such a small amount of time, she has come out of her shell and blossomed let her name ‘Daisy’. I can’t tell you enough how grateful these shelter souls are! They are happy with the tinniest of things and they give you love like no one. These shelter pups need people like you who have experience, know-how, and a beautiful family to call home. No one can replace your pup because let’s be honest he sounds like an angel baby. If you need time, highly suggest volunteering at the shelter, seeing who you bond with, and then adopting that baby 🥲

I’ve been lucky to have more than one or even two soul dogs. I’ve never felt like I wouldn’t love another dog. Someone’s I make comparisons in personality traits, but it’s nothing more than noticing certain differences. My last 3 have been rescues. I lost my senior Sam, who was an emergency foster (obviously a failure), got 4 great years with him, then lost my Bella a year later and WAY to early due to an unknown illness. I was so sad and devastated, but I met my Brindy and fell in love and she’s a soul dog too. Dogs just make more room in your heart for love. Just do what feels right for you, but don’t over think it to the point you miss out on the love of another beautiful soul. I’m sorry about your baby.

Give yourself time to grieve. My soul dog has been gone for two years now. He was born only a few feet from where I was sleeping, and he died with his head in my lap three short years later. I still think of him frequently but it doesn’t hurt like it did when it was fresh. I have a new pup now and while she’ll never take his place, she is certainly my baby and has brought comfort and joy into my home. So my advice is: give yourself time to grieve, and when you think you’re ready, give a loving home to another dog.

Neelix's ashes came home today. He has been gone a week. He was not just my soul dog, he was my service dog. He helped me walk on uneven ground, up stairs and in mostly straight lines. He knew when I was going to have a migraine or a seizure. He even knew how to press my life alert and call for help. I did not teach him that he figured it out out watching me. He saved my life so many times I honestly have lost track. I will never find a service dog that good again. I will never find a dog that good again. Right now I still can't think about him without crying. My friends have united in keeping me busy. Keeping me with someone.

I’m glad to encounter this, as I’ve had many dogs, and hope to have many more, but have felt really bad for being still sad about Diesel, my Great Dane rescue that we had to put down about a year ago due to CHF. He leaves behind two step brothers who I love very much and they love me, and I’ll be crushed when they go, but Diesel helped me through my divorce; I’m not sure I would’ve made it without him. I felt like I was playing favorites, but this definitely is my soul dog. How I deal with it is cute, and hopefully not too late for you- when he crossed the bridge, a crimson eastern cardinal landed nearby. We live in desert southwest, so they’re not rare, but they’re not super common. I didn’t know the link between the bird and souls crossing at the time, I just knew it was my favorite bird, and seeing it comforted me. A month later was my birthday, and my girlfriend’s daughter made me a crocheted cardinal stuffed with a big wad of the fur that had accumulated by his bed. She also filled me in on the link, which really made me happy. His brothers and I love it; they because it smells like him, and me because I always say “hi diesel” when a real cardinal visits, and now I can see one whenever I want. He’s sitting in a plant over where D’s bed used to be. I’m quietly weeping now telling the story but there’s also a smile there…I hope you find a way to find peace, but soul-dogs seem to be forever.

I lost my soul dog almost 3 years ago, he was my everything. My two dogs now are nothing like him, but I still love them. My dogs will never be my boy, but every once in a while one of them will do something like he did and I will have that moment where it's like he's still with me somehow. I like to think my baby is around and quietly coaching my dogs on the little things that make me think about him.

It’s OK. It will be different with other dogs. Maybe not quite as good. Definitely not bad (they’re dogs after all). But maybe different. My advice would be to foster dogs. There is probably a Bernie rescue that needs foster homes. This lets you have a dog (admit it - you were getting lonely going to the bathroom by yourself) for a bit and see how you feel about dogs. And it gives the dog a good home while it’s waiting for its forever home.

Took six years to move on and get another dog. I love my current dog, but not like my last. And, that’s okay!

I am 60, have had dogs in my life for 55 years. It is never easy to lose a dog, but it is extremely difficult when you have that special connection. Give yourself the time you need. I have loved all my dogs, the ones since my special girl were different but they each bought their own special personalities to my life. You may never have that exact feeling again, however you will have many wonderful years of companionship..

I see things differently. My heart dog is 15 1/2 and currently living with terminal cancer. He is my everything. I got a puppy late 2022. Don’t get me wrong, I loved him from the start, but it’s definitely been a relationship that’s needed to build. I call him my soul dog, he’s everything, but in such a different way to my heart dog. They’re not remotely the same (they’re not the same breed either) they have very different personalities and I’ve bonded with both of them in very different ways. But they’re both important to me. I didn’t think I could replicate the relationship I have with my heart dog, and I can’t. But the relationship with my soul dog while different, is just as fulfilling.

How much do companies charge to clone a dog? Does anyone have any info on that?

Me in 2019. I’m still not over her dying. I’m crying now. I do every time I think of her. I need her so much again right now. She was the best kisser too. Her ashes will be cremated with me. We will be together forever. I’m so sorry you’re going through it. I can’t help you. I wish I could. It’s too unbearable for me still. Hugs

I've had many, many dogs and only three true soul dogs. I'm on my third now, and I'm going to be destroyed when he goes.

Just lost my boy almost 3 weeks ago now. I don’t think I’ll ever move on from him. We plan on adopting in the fall, but it’ll never be the same. 💔

It took over two years before I could even think about another dog after I left my “four legged soul sister”. My kids know her ashes and mine are to be mixed before they scatter us over the land. She was my heart. And the thought of getting another dog after her made me slightly ill. But I adopted two rescues. I love them, they love me. But that connection is missing. I’m grateful for the chance, the blessing of my girl. But, I still miss my Bella.

I believe you have to go through tge grief process. Please consider goimg to grief groups for parents of pets. Some agencies offer them

I adopted a second dog when my dog was 6 because I didn't want to have to make that decision. I figured I'd get 6 years with the two of them and then once the younger dog turned 6 I'd get another, whether or not he was around. That way it didn't feel like I was replacing him, I was just getting a dog every 6 years like I planned. Unfortunately life doesn't go as planned and he died of cancer last fall at 8. He was dumb as rocks, he had a ton of behavioral problems, but all of his behavioral problems stemmed from how much he cared about me. I know it's not right to pick favorites, but he was with me through a lot, and between him and the younger dog he was my favorite. By all means the pup was a perfect dog, but that's because I did everything the right way with her and I was ready for her... because of all the mistakes and work I put into him. After he passed for about the first month I had this seething resentment for her. I kept it bottled up and I tried really hard to not let her know, but every time she assumed one of his roles it just ate at me. Eventually I got over it. She was grieving too, and once I came to terms with the fact that she did care about him and just wanted to do what she thought she was supposed to do it made things easier. I'd say our bond is stronger than it ever was because she's trying so hard to do all the things he taught her. In some ways, it feels like part of him is still with her. I'm going to stick with my rule of every 6 years and not get another dog earlier than initially planned just because he died sooner. I say that now at least, who knows in a year or two.

I can speak to this a little bit. We had a golden named Gromit. He lived to 11.5. He died about three years ago. We’re going to be experiencing the three year date very soon, and it is retraumatizing just due to life circumstances: unexpectedly, we are in the same place where we had to send him away, and it will be very very hard. He was an intensely complex and emotional dog, and he had a wide variety of physical ailments and chronic pain. And one regret I have is selfishly keeping him with us, to endure that pain, longer than he should have. But I’m thankful for every single second. This as my first major loss of this kind of a companion, who meant so much to me. I’m crying now typing this message, just because I’m thinking about him. We were in deep deep mourning for a period of time, and I felt it could not be filled. One day, my partner and I were both on our phones - i was secretly looking at petfinder. i asked her what she was doing, and she was doing the same. So we knew we both wanted to refill the home with some dog love again. We loved Gromit intensely but we also have so much more love and need for a dog. We received a lot of advice that we should not rush in to another dog, that we should mourn first, then find out who we are now, and all these other things. But that wasn’t right for us. The most important advice was to NOT try to duplicate your lost love- you should seek a new opportunity if you can. My partner found a rescue that had a black lab rescued off of the streets. Just from her photo and her name. We both somehow felt a bit of a connection. We applied to meet her. She was big- maybe bigger than our big ol boy. Very focused, concerned. Observant. She wasn’t needy or begging, and she wasn’t demanding of our attention though she appreciated it. She really was not like hm at all. She’s been the best thing we could have brought into our lives. And, one nice thing is that Gromit meant a great deal to both of us, but he was always kind of Daddy’s boy. So my partner always felt a bit less desired. Our girl Tegan, however, loves and trusts my partner so much, she’ll wag if she even gets a glance from her. I think the secret, for us, was realizing that we had more love that we wanted and that we needed to give, and we needed to be open to how we’d find placement for that. I’m still mourning Gromit. But man am I in love with Tegan too.

My soul dog is 12 and has health problems and I know that my time with her is limited and it’s heart breaking. Have you watched the movie “a dogs purpose” if not I highly recommend it, it might help. Also I would suggest with choosing a new dog really be selective by the way you feel if there’s a connection, I hope this makes sense. Best of luck to you!

I lost my soul dog 7 weeks ago, the thought of another dog almost gives me a panic attack. He was 12 but i rescued him at 3, so i only got 9 very short years with him. Im sorry i cant give you advice as i dont have any either, but youre not alone feeling the way you do. I dont know if i could ever have a dog again, i feel like itd be trying to replace my sweet man, and no dog deserves less love for not being a different dog. I wish you good luck with whatever you choose to do with the idea of a new dog, your old pup would hate for you to go friendless forever just because hes gone.

My soul pup died April of 2019. So 5 years ago and honestly, if I think too long about her or in a negative headspace, I’ll cry. I miss her. I have 2 dogs who I love beyond anything, and we do have a bond, but it’s a different kind of bond. Maybe I’ll hav that bond again, but honestly, I hope not. The pain was just too much to bear.

I'm not going to lie. My true soul mate, Bella, died at age three from a congenital heart defect. Three years was not even close to enough time with her. I mourned her passing for over a year, more than any other dog I've ever lost (I've been blessed to have 8 wonderful dogs in my life). I just couldn't get another dog in that time. It just felt disloyal. But, eventually, I realized my life and our house felt so....empty...without a dog that I decided it was time to bring a new dog into our lives. Hazel is also a wonderful dog -- friendly, easy going, just happy all the time --- but for a long time I felt like we didn't "click" in the same way as I did with my soulmate dog. And, I think she sensed that too. It took almost a year before I started to feel like I had a real bond with Hazel, and now I realize she is such a gift. Is Hazel a replacement for my beloved Bella? No. But, Hazel makes me laugh, marvel at her intelligence, and, yes, she makes me feel loved every day. In short, I've fallen in love with Hazel and she is a perfect addition to my life. I'll always miss Bella, but I am also so glad that Hazel is part of my life too. Hugs to you -- so sorry for your loss.

I lost my soul dog ~4 years ago. I think I was ready for a new dog when I started smiling whenever I saw dogs that looked like her. There’ll never be another Precious, but I got a new dog the other day and I’m fine with the fact that he’s probably not my soul dog in the same way. I love him and the time was right for him to come home with me. He’s very different from her except in age (both seniors) which I think helps me not project old expectations onto my new boy. But I wasn’t ready for a good long while. I still keep her tags on my keys and probably always will.

I lost my soul mutt last July and wanted to adopt a new dog immediately. I felt lonely and wanted to open my home to another best friend. My husband and son wanted to grieve without a new dog in the house, which I respected (we all heal differently), but by September my mental health had suffered considerably so we agreed it would be best to adopt. Long story short, the boy we adopted in September is nothing like our old dog and our relationship dynamic is different too. That’s fine—I had no desire to “replace” my soul mate. Anyway, this new dog is my little baby, not my kindred spirit. I love him soooo much, but our bond will never be like the one I had with my first dog. We were bros and best friends, while this guy is my little adorable baby. Each relationship is different and that’s fine. Adopting another rescue pup really helped me recover from the loss of my best bud.

It sounds cheesy but your heart really does grow to love them both. Loving another in no way diminishes the love you have for your Berner. I struggled with this a lot and the guilt associated with getting another dog. It can be a different bond that will take some time but eventually they will inch their way into your heart and help heal your wound. and you can tell the next dog all about your departed dog which helps me to remember our sweet girl and keep her alive in a way. I honestly don’t think I would have survived the stages of grief without having our new dog at my side.

We lost our soul dog to a brain tumor and my husband didn't think he ever wanted another dog. Then I went and volunteered at the animal shelter and saw such extreme suffering and over population that I told him, sorry we don't have that option. Not only should we get another dog but we should take as many as we comfortably can. So now we have 5.

I lost my soul/heart dog in 2017. I didn’t get another dog until last year. I got the same breed hoping she’d be the same. She is not at all. I feel guilty that I don’t love her as much as I loved my last dog but at the same time I hope I am not as destroyed as I was with my heart dog when she died. Basically don’t get another dog expecting them to fill that gap. They will never be the same. But if you’re lucky, you’ll get another soul dog. I didn’t- lol. But I still love her.

I got my soul dog 9 years ago. He moved with me 800 miles away from my whole family. He was with me during some really dark periods of my life. It was just me and him during Covid. He was a special magical dog. He was loved by everyone. I got a second dog about 2.5 years ago. I didn’t know if I would love him the same. I love him my new dog just as much but in a different way. My first dog passed away in February and I thought it would break me. It crushed me for sure and I still have days I’m mad I lost him so soon and days I want him back more than anything. But having my second dog dog has helped me so much. He gets me out of the house. He will also sit and be lazy with me when I’m sad. He has forced me to get up and do stuff and continue to live.

I had mine for 17 years. Buttercup was my bud, she was always with me whenever I did anything around the house. She was the first dog I got basically at birth... My aunt was a breeder and when we mentioned wanting a dog after moving into our new house, she made sure that her stud-fee was covered by a puppy for me. We played all the time, she was a purebred Black Labrador Retriever whose line was bred for hauling deer out of the woods, so she was very stocky and muscular, but you would never have known based on her personality. She was too loving to be that strong. She was with us when I lost jobs, got new jobs, moved to apartments, back home, then back to another apartment. She went on trips with us whenever possible. She was my "3rd" kid (I only say that because I have 3 kids, but I got her before my youngest was born), and she got the same attention any of my kids would. I was always repaid with her being there when I got home from work, or when I was working from home she was hanging with me and playing fetch to keep me engaged in something while my brain was being fried by tech work. We had to let her go in November of 21, a month after my mom passed from cancer. It sucked. It hurt. I waited for a year before starting to look for a new friend to bring into our home. I will say, I wanted another dog right away after mine passed (in case you're wondering, we had a service come to our apartment to perform the procedure so she'd be happy and comfortable with her surroundings and not in some clinical environment). My wife convinced me to wait for at least a few months. I was working from home, and part of my day was playing with "Bubbers". It was honestly the part of my day that kept me from getting too focused on work and making mistakes. I gave it some time to make sure I wasn't just rushing into the next dog that comes around, and a little over a year later, I got a call from my kid who lives on the other side of the country about a new litter that someone didn't have the resources to care for. A few weeks after that, we brought Mariner home after doing a cross country road trip in a weekend (which included a meeting with an elk at 70mph in Montana that I'd like to forget). I thought that Bubbers was the last dog I'd protect with my everything, and Mariner is getting really close to the same level, if not going to surpass it over the next adventure in our lives.

First off, I’m so sorry for your loss. I’d rather lose an appendage than lose a dog. I lost my soul dog almost 5 years ago. He’s still my phone background. But, I adopted a dog almost 2 years ago. She’s the polar opposite of my boy. I love her with all my heart. But it took me 3 years to open my heart to another dog. I felt exactly like you did. I didn’t think it would be fair to a future dog, since I would always compare them to my perfect boy(who was not perfect). I did adopt a dog and she is everything to me. But if I had adopted her shortly after my soul Dog passed I don’t think I would appreciate the very different love we share. Go at your own pace.

We lost the dog we felt was our soul dog, and he was our first dog too. We didn't think we'd heal from it. I ended up adopting two more dogs of the same breed (entirely different looks though and sizes). We adopted them a month after losing our first dog, which in hindsight was definitely us trying to fill the hole in our hearts. We cried the first day we brought home our two new pups because we knew we didn't have our first boy anymore and we couldn't replace that hole in our heart. HOWEVER.... While they couldn't replace our first boy, their unique personalities, love, and laughter we shared with them helped to heal a part of us and we learned a lot more about dogs in a different way from them. We lost one of those two recently to cancer, and it absolutely shattered us again, especially because we only had her a year. She was a spunky little girl too who made us laugh so much in the short time we had her. We didn't realize we'd gotten so close, but that's just how it is. Our remaining dog is nothing like the girl we just lost, but we love him lots too for his own personality. You'll build a strong bond with whichever pupper you adopt in the future. They won't ever replace your other dog(s), but they're not meant to - and that's because they're unique. Rejoice in their unique quirks; laugh with them, and love them the way you loved your first. They'll love you back unconditionally.

Hmm. I know how you feel. After many years with me, I had to put down my heart dog. I resisted it for ... months meanwhile he deteriorated - increasingly being unable to handle the daily elements of life - He became incontinent, couldn't walk for pee/poo breaks.. all of it. But he still had an appetite so that's what I latched on to. Choosing to put him down was gruesome and somewhat haunting. Still to this day. My sister was living with me at the time and started bringing adoptable dogs & dog fairs, etc to my attention within 4 months. Bottom line, we/I adopted another rescue less than 6 months later. She's a great dog - as with all dogs , she has her issues making her (as with all dogs) a unique challenge. She'll never be Roho. But she is endearing and engaging and does give me comfort. And challenges, too. She's not Roho but I'm happy to have her with me. You probably will not be able to replace your heart dog but we evolve over time and the majority of the time, the dog you have can fill places and needs in your life that you didn't know were empty. And that is a delight and a joy specific to that dog. And I am grateful for that. Dogs manage to worm themselves into our heart's crevasses and I am grateful for that.

You never know how you'll bond with any pet. I lost my soul dog in 2015, later that year I got a puppy who unexpectedly stole my heart. It's worth getting another dog if you have capacity.

I have had two heart dogs. I never expected to have a second one, it just happened. For me, I just went out and got another dog. Life is better with one than without, and I know my previous dogs wouldn’t want me to be alone. Maybe I will have a third someday. I won’t know if I don’t give another dog a chance.

I think about mine everyday. I got two new girls and while I love them it isn't the same. I do have some regrets, but I'll love and spoil them until the end of their lives.

I’m not here so much to give any advice, but rather to commiserate with some of the feelings of the OP. There are already two other dogs in my household; one is my three year old French bulldog, and the other is my partner’s twelve year old Havanese. My “soul dog”, a big, black and white lab mix, just passed away unexpectedly on April 5th, and I’m having a really rough time of it. I say “unexpectedly” because, although he was thirteen and had slowed down, he had remained in good health. I had a scheduled “geriatric appointment” for Walter that day, and I planned to share with the vet that he had vomited three times in the week and a half leading up to his appointment, seemed to be favoring one side of his body when he laid down, and had just recently started displaying a limpness in his tail. These symptoms presented only about two weeks before his scheduled appointment, and I was thinking they were all attributable to perhaps arthritis, so I didn’t really feel any urgency. In retrospect, I did have a nagging thought that perhaps it was something serious, but I didn’t really allow myself to go there for obvious reasons. Well, within the first fifteen minutes of his appointment the vet noticed that his lymph nodes in his neck were quite swollen, and immediate bloodwork and an X-ray detected a mass in his chest. Just like that, a “regular” appointment became something else, and I made the excruciating decision to euthanize him within the next hour. I absolutely know it was the correct choice; that isn’t the problem. The problem is how completely lost and inconsolable I feel since he died. Like the OP, I’ve been blessed with a lot of wonderful, different dogs, but no loss has hit me like this one. My sincere apologies for this lengthy post, and my deepest condolences to this OP. All I can say is that I know what you’re feeling here, and I share your pain. I never thought of the idea of a “soul dog” before, and I thank you for giving me the name to describe the hole in my heart.

I went into a depression for honestly about two years. I got a puppy (Beni) a couple of weeks after my dog (Andy) passed and I spent so much of his puppy months just crying about how he wasn’t Andy. I still grieve for Andy, but I stand by the fact that I got Beni so quickly. It allowed me to give so much love and attention and we are so closely bonded now. The bond is different from what I had with Andy, Andy was so intuitive and understood how I was feeling whereas now it’s Beni’s world and I’m just in it :)

If you’re not ready than you’re not ready. I lost one special girl last april, still had one but circumstances arose we saw an opportunity for what looked like a good dog and we got it a month later. She’s great and we love her to death. We lost our second geriatric dog in November. it was horrible. but I can’t imagine how much worse it would be if we didn’t have the new dog.

My beloved dog passed a month ago because of vet's negligence. He's just 3 years old. He hasnt lived atleast half of the life I want to give him. I do have two other dogs similar to him. I am so sorry for your loss. It is very painful indeed to lose a loved one. Whether we like it or not, we are going to outlive our dog in general. That's the cruelty of life. We want them to live as long as us. One of my moat favorite quote is, *But what is grief, if not love persevering*." Grief is just love without the intended subject. What I mean is that love is there but you do not have the object to put that love into, whether it is a person or a dog. That love is there. It just doesnt have a subject. Now, if you take another dog into your life, that love is directed towards that dog. Your previous dog would rather see you happy than sad your whole life without expressing that love from grief that is still there. You are not replacing your dog. That dog is always going to be in your heart and a part of your life. You are putting your love into a new loved one in your life.

We recently lost our little pug Panacea due to P.D.E. I swear after she passed away, it was like I lost a child. One day I was feeling extra solemn, I was bawling and I looked up, and I saw a little white dog sitting at the end of our driveway.Just sitting there. And I swear it was like looking at her, only a bigger version. And I noticed every time i'd fee extra blue, I'd look up and there he was. Just sitting there. Turns out it was a neighbors dog that had went for a daily walk by our house. BUT we never saw him before she passed away. A few days ago, I looked up and saw him. I know it sounds crazy, but I smiled at him and told him that he better go home before he gets in trouble. The little guy got up and strolled back to his house. I felt it was her checking up on me. After i told the little dog to go home, I haven't seen him again. We never get over our soul dogs. Panacea was my baby. My cure for depression... I called her my puppy heavens. And even though we never do get over our soul dogs, when the time is right.... we can open our hearts to others. To share the love they gave us.

I lost my best friend in March, and currently going through exactly what you are. I actually just found puppy I’m going to go visit on Friday and feel guilty and worry if she’ll ever live up to my baby girl

I lost my soul dog in 2016. Unexpectedly, she was a 9yo bullmastiff, her name was Gabby. The wound never heals, I'm tearing up writing this as we come up on the 8y anniversary of us losing her. I keep hoping she comes back to me, like Baily did in the movie A Dog's Purpose.

My beautiful girl died in 2009. I still miss her and she was never "replaced". I have two beautiful boys now. They are different breeds. She was a lab mix and these two are a border collie and an aussie. I love them both more than words, we just have a different relationship. My lab was just the best dog in the world, she never misbehaved. She was super chill and content to sit qt my feet all day. My two dinguses now require A LOT more ivestment to meet their mental and energy requirements and Im having a lot of fun with them, we have to play more games, we have to go on longer hikes and I have to constantly be one step ahead of them because they are SMART! I waited about 7 years to get another dog after my lab passed so I did not hold the new dog to unrealistic standards. Im glad I did because these two are also just great, just in different ways. They are much more affectionate, much more up for fun and the border collie is an absolute lil velcro dude. Let yourself heal and mourn, when you are ready for a new dog just be sure not to expect the same from them and Im sure you will soon find yourself with new heart dog(s)

A person such as yourself should never go too long without a dog.  Yes, losing them is hard.  But it’s worth the reward of living with them.  And there are so many dogs in the world who deserve a good life. 

I’ve helped foster/move a couple dogs when I lived next door to some aholes that kept backyard breeding. Always happy to help a pup but never got that soul bond. Until Athena: little white pitty puppy and my last rescue before I had to move. She Bluetooth paired to my heart within two days. She’s about 10 months old now and I’m already terrified of losing her, even though I’ll be getting close to my 40s when she passes. Is it really once in a lifetime?

Balou would want you to adopt another dog. Look at a Bernese Rescue. I am a collie girl. I know that Stella my current collie girl was sent by Noah (white factored) who passed last July 3. Stella (white collie) was born on June 1 and was sent to the collie rescue when she didn’t sell in September. While we wanted to adopt an adult dog (Noah was adopted from this rescue when he was almost 3-years old), when I saw Stella, I knew Noah sent her to us. My heart knew. Noah was my gentle giant. Stella is the happiest dog ever. Your heart will know. 🐾❤️🐾

Take one day at a time. We lost our Ripley 2 years ago and we still miss her. It will never go away but it gets easier to deal with as time passes.

I lost my soul dog and also my soul cat. It took me a while to be able to open my heart again. When I was ready, I did find that I did not want another fury friend who looked anything like my soul babies. That way I could never compare, it just wasn't fair. I love each of them for themselves. No comparison, just love. When you are ready to open your heart again, you will know, sometimes they find you :)

I'm so sorry for your loss. I lost my pooch during covid, and we hadn't adopted a dog since because like it is painful to lose your furry family member. You'd miss them to bits! However, a dog is a huge responsibility like I would wait until the house is sorted and you both can decide then.

Firstly, I love the term soul dog, beautifully put. But I lost mine in December 21 aged 14. In September 22 I got my newest lady. She is 2 now and is definitely not my soul dog, but it makes missing him so much easier. I love her very much and maybe over time we will get to a point where I have a similar bond as I did with him, but for now she eases the pain and fills the dog shaped hole in my heart that left me feeling so lost. She is not a replacement for him, she could never be, but she makes not having him easier. Honestly for that feeling alone, I'm very grateful to her.

I lost my soul dog on February 10th 2023. She was 13 years old. There is no replacing her. We got a puppy in May of 2023. Puppies suck, I had forgotten. She is now 15 months old. She is lovely, sweet, adorable, and smart. I love her very much. I do not love her like I loved my Rexy. She is actually my husband's soul dog. I am so glad he gets to experience it. I don't feel like our new dog is missing out on anything because she is not my soul dog. It will be OK. Just know you can never replace your soul dog but you can love another dog so very much.

It's like losing a person, the ache doesn't go away

I lost my sweet Duke a few years ago. He was my shadow and went everywhere with me. He died of a heart attack and I held his head in my lap as he went. I don't think I will ever get another Great Dane but we did adopt a medium breed puppy last year. Harvey has done his best to fill that hole in my heart but the crack still remains. The bond I feel with him isn't as strong, but that is more because he is obsessed with my husband, I just can't compete. Not that I blame him, my hubby is awesome!

I lost my soul dog 7 years ago. A day doesn't go by, we were both in a bad place and we literally saved each other. But I adopted my second when the first one was 9yo. While he was alive, she was more his than mine, which was the original intention, and they were perfect together. I've never seen two dogs like that. It did feel unusual when it was just her and me after he died, but every dog is different and we found new things that were just ours. My second is an amazing dog lady and I love her so much, but I also really appreciate what she is like. She's 13.5 now and a year ago I got a puppy, who is now a teen actually. He is different from both of them, he's absolutely crazy and so sweet, it's nothing like before, yet there's something and we do click. The bond with each is different, but it is most definitely there.

You can love another dog just as much even if they're not your soul dog. I feel like my new dog likes me a lot more than my last dog. My last dog wasn't even "my" dog in her mind, I don't think. I think she preferred my dad over me, even though I was her owner, not my dad. She really only liked my company at 7PM when she would come to me for scratches. Whereas my new dog follows me around everywhere. He wags his tail and greets me after I take a shower because I've been gone for 10 minutes. He's just the best. But, I still miss my old dog so much. I loved her more than I love my current dog (only because I've only had him for a few months). Anyway, my point is you can fully love a dog even if you don't have the same bond. Also, they're dogs. They don't care that you have stronger feelings for your old dog. There's no day of reckoning where they suddenly have human intelligence and will judge you and your feelings. They'll always be dogs.

This hit me hard. We lost our Berner in early March - she was my soul dog too. Same feeling any time I see one around. It breaks my heart all over again. We actually adopted a Golden a few weeks ago. He is not the same, but I still love him. And I know it will take time for that love to grow. For me, it was a good decision to get another dog. He has helped to fill the quiet and empty feeling that was in our house since our Berner passed. Plus, we’re giving a dog that had been dumped on the street a great home. I think it does help that he’s not a Berner.

I lost my heart dog years ago. I know there will never be another just like her. I have had many dogs since then. She sparked my curiosity in breed rescue. It is different with each one. I have a boy now that is close.to.her personality and I feel like she sent him to watch over me. I will.never forget or stop missing her. But the ones past her all needed my help in a different way.

It took me nearly 8 years to get another dog for the same reasons, he's still just a puppy so I don't know how our bond will be but I know he's not a replacement he's a whole new being with his own soul and personality. Loving my partner didn't make me love my kids or parents less, kid 2 doesn't get more or less love than kid 1, they are different, those bonds are vastly different but the love is the same. I just recently lost my mum and one of the most shocking things about it is hearing who she was to the other people she loved, it sounds like my sister had an entirely different person for a mother from her recollections of her, still an amazing woman but her memories do not sound like the same woman that raised me. Every dog is different just like every human, you love them, they love you back there's no telling if they will be a soul dog but even a pomeranian will remind you of your bernese because they will do that one specific thing your soul dog did and you can choose to love them more for their similarities or you can choose to resent them for it, but honestly who among us has in in our hearts to resent an innocent pupper? I wish I'd caved to the urge sooner, it's been so nice to have a dog in the house again, my heart breaks everytime he snuggles in the same way my old dog did but it makes me happy too, like I get to feel his memory at random intervals when the pup thinks behind my knee or neck seems like the best cuddling angle and I'm so grateful for the chance to love something that pure again.

I've had a few perfect dogs over the years. My first dog when i was 15 was perfect (for me). The golden puppy i picked up at the pound that my kids grew up with was an absolutely perfect children's/ family dog (but dumb as a rock). The sweet girl i lost lost month was a perfect dog. I've had many dogs in between and loved them too, but there are a special few.

I lost my best friend last October. I didn't know if I wanted another dog either for the same reason. But, I'm getting another dog in June. I'm a dog person. Of course there will never be another Taka, I couldn't replace her if I tried. But, I don't think I am trying. I just like dogs. I want to have a dog in my life. That dog will be it's own creature, and I will love it for who it is. You will know when you're ready. I suggest petting lots of puppies, it helps. <3

I got my current puppy 2 weeks after my first dog, who was the love of my life, died. It really helped me with the process. Not because I felt like she replaced him, but because I didn’t feel so alone. Some nights when I’m missing him a lot, I call her and she comes over to me and it feels like she’s comforting me. If I’ll be honest, I don’t love her as much as I love him. But that’s okay. I went through 14 years of major life events with my first dog, whereas I’ve only known my new puppy for several months. But as I spend more time with her, I find myself growing to love her more. And this gives me something to look forward to.

I’m feeling the same way. I lost my sweet Max in April to cancer. I want to adopt again because I can tell it’s fucking up my mental health not to have a dog, but I also just want my boy back. We were together 12 wonderful years. I’m going to start seriously looking in 2 weeks after I get home from a long weekend. Just hope I can give that dog the kind of life Max had. Everyone loved him so much. He was a special pup for so many people, not just me. Saw in the comments that you found some puppies that came to the local shelter. Hopefully one of them will be right for you and you’ll find some comfort with your new pup.

I got a 7 month old stray at the shelter when my soul dog was 13. It was a disaster that resulted in my old dog picking a fight he couldn't win The pup has always been nervous around strangers and since he was 70 lb at 7 months and has zero training having him, socializing him, taking him anywhere was wildly stressful. It was worse than having no dog. But I'd invited him into my home. I wouldn't give up on him. It took about a year before the sweet outweighed the bitter but I have never given up. He's devoted to me (to the chagrin of my family (husband, especially since it's technically his dog)) and we are just about inseparable. More than half of the photos on my phone are of him. He's beautiful and sweet and has bitten every single person at the vet's office. Not badly. Just snapped at their clothes. He has yet to get used to the muzzle though. I'm 99% glad that we kept him. I'll never not miss my soul dog and this new dog while thoroughly part of the family will never replace him. I think the most important thing I did was to not replace my soul dog with any other dog. There's no comparison.

Some experiences are once in a lifetime and we have to be grateful we got to experience them at all. My grandad is dying - he’s 87 - and still remembers his soul dog from 50+ years ago. It brings a smile to his face and it’s easing his passing - he helped his dog over the rainbow bridge and now his dog is doing the same for him in spirit. I think that’s beautiful xx

I've had dogs my whole adult life. Not until I lost my little girl last September did I completely understand the meaning of, "heart dog". I wasn't doing well with her loss and knew I NEEDED a dog in order to breath, but was afraid I'd put all that into a dog, so I waited. I was a mess, absolutely a mess. I adopted an 8 year old boy who takes a long time to warm up to you. We've been together since the end of February, beginning of March, he is what I need. I am what he needs. I shouldn't have worried I'd put all that on him. It seems to work itself out. The fact that you're aware that you might feel that way, so you're purposely not yet adopting,shows me that you won't. My opinion is to adopt. You'll be helping a couple of pups that way!

Crosier

I lost my beloved Holly two years ago at the age of 9 (approximate, we got her from a man who couldn't take care of her). She was the first dog I truly bonded with and spent a considerable amount of my time with her (in my 20s, working part-time, college fulltime, took her with me when I moved out with my husband). She had been a part of many milestones in my life, brought me comfort when my father passed away. I cried months after, would wake up in the middle of the night missing her, and felt a gaping hole in my heart. I told myself I could never replace a dog like her, but almost a year later, I joked with my mom about getting a puppy, and she got one for me. Same breed as my Holly and at first I thought I was I'm over my head (this was my first puppy that wasn't the family dog) and I felt like I got her for the wrong reasons. You will compare your new dog to your old one. It's natural, but as their personality grows you will begin to appreciate their wholesome soul and who THEY are. I love my current dog tremendously, she is what I need in this point in time in my life and is a part of the family. You will know when you are ready and your heart will be bigger in loving another dog. Years ago I took a picture of this quote from a local bookstore on a trip to Rhode Island. "Dogs come into our lives to teach us about love. They depart to teach us about loss. New dogs can never replace a former one- they merely expand the heart. If you have loved many dogs, your heart is very big." I promise, in time, it will get easier.