[Kimeoffessyr]

As most of you know, Destiny passed on us yesterday, she had an ongoing battle with something for the past 1.5+ and just decided enough was enough and gave up. I was going to wait 6 months or so to get another dog, and I wanted one from health tested parents to give me a little reassurance so that another unknown illness wouldn't pop up but you never know and anything can happen with the healthiest dog which has been proven to me. The guy that I was with is moving out, and although Tyson has always been my boy, he wanted to take him with him so I said yes, there is a huge void now that Destiny is gone and I know one they are gone I will feel even more empty so I have been looking at dogs. I always said my next dog would in face be an APBT, but the few that I know with APBT arent having litters for a year or two, and I cannot wait that long, so meet Peanut Butter, I saw her face and fell in love with her, the only possible problem is they say they don't know for sure if she is good with children or not, she is probably about 2 hours away from me, but her face is the most precious face I have seen other than Destiny, when I was searching for rescues she was the first one that popped up and I immediately closed the rest. Another issue, I don't want to get another dog until Ryan moves out, especially with her being DA and Tyson still being here, I know I can crate and rotate, but I would rather be settled for a bit and alone first.

http://www.hart90.org/PetDetail.aspx?id=6624

[Seesspoxy]

Oh...my ... god... that face is to die for!

[Dstyeglm]

She is gorgeous!!

[Jxmwzgpv]

She is beautiful... but please, make sure you give yourself, your heart, time to mourn losing Destiny. However, saying that... I ended up getting the foster, Cooper, 4 days before Maxx died. It wasn't intentional... I didn't know Maxx was going to die... but Cooper did give me something to focus on and work with. He needed me, I couldn't help Maxx anymore, but I could help Cooper. Not everyone is like this, but for me, having Cooper gave me something to take care of since I couldn't take care of Maxx... She is a cutie. Best of luck with your decision.

[Kimeoffessyr]

I am going to call them and speak with them tomorrow, since it is out of state they may just say no who knows.

[pouslytut]

She is adorable.

[Seesspoxy]

It's totally worth asking.

[Dstyeglm]

I agree with Robyn, you never know until you ask.

[Olympicdreams]

Hey April. I was very sorry to read about your loss, and what you went through with Destiny.

I am not YOU (and that's very important, because it changes perspective and just about everything else). But there are a couple of things I really think you should consider before aquiring another dog.

I noticed in your post about this dog, that you said you wanted to get a pup from tested parents in the hopes of avoiding another situation like you just dealt with. But then you say that even "healthy" dogs get sick, so you might as well go ahead and get a non-health tested dog.

You also said that you can't "wait that long" to get a puppy from proven parents.

In your present emotional condition, these two statements send up red flags. It seems as though your brain is making excuses and exceptions to what you know you really want/need because you need comfort right now, and aquiring another dog right now may help fulfill that need.

Also, in the Destiny thread, you mentioned not being able to afford much of anything right now. Just keep that in mind whatever you do. If you adopt this dog, and she gets sick or injured in the next few weeks, can you financially handle that?

My suggestion would be to give yourself just a bit of time, A week, say. Let the turmoil die down a bit and reassess your options.

You don't want to jump head first into something based on very powerful emotions. We as humans tend to overlook the negatives of something in favor of the positives in order to fill an immidiate void. Once the emotional part is over, we often find that what we used to fill said void was not the best choice.

I don't feel you should try to respond to this post at this time, or even at all. I really just feel you should take a few days, really think these things through, and don't sacrafice what you know you want and need just for the sake of trying to make yourself feel better.

If after a few days of thought, you still feel strongly about this dog, then I say go for it.

[intisgunkas]

I still say you sould head to the pounds in your area and check there for a new dog. You get to meet them in person and get a vibe from them, they are desperately in need and the adoption fees are more than reasonable. I figure getting a dog is a lot liek choosing a mate. You have to get out there and meet a few before you know which is "the one" and having chemistry is just as important as appearances.

[f6HLLFcw]

I cannot acces the page... my acces gets denied

can someone post the picture please?

[CarmenSanches]

I think she is adorable, but also agree with what gator said, that is a very good point. I think if you can't get peanut then maybe you should look into the shelters and rescues for a foster dog, you might get to foster a dog that you want to keep and that fits you, and if not you will get to give a dog a chance at a forever home it would not get otherwise.

[cialviagra]

She is cute! For me, I prefered getting another dog right away. Last 2 dogs I had die, I wasn't able to and I was miserable right up until I found the right dog. I felt like part of me was missing from my Dobe Zeus, but haven't found the right Dobe yet.

I have a Dogo Argentino up for adoption that needs to be an only pet if your interested! She wouldn't be available to January though as she just went thru a hw treatment and can't be spayed until then.

[Charryith]

I have to agree with Gatorpit. You have been through a terrible loss and I think you need to give yourself time to heal.

[brorialsibers]

She is adorable but I think you may be rushing into it. When I lost Trouble I was ready to go out and get another dog. But here is the thing, every dog I was looking for was Trouble. I was looking to fill a void. At there was a puppy I almost brought home 3 weeks after we lost Trouble that it would not have been fair. It would not have been fair to the new pup because the realization would kick in that he wasn't Trouble. All I wanted was Trouble. I wanted another dog fill the void and take away the pain. That would have made things worse, I would have brought home a dog that I really didn't want before I was ready to get a dog, and I would have caused that pup to miss out on a potentially great home where he would be appreciated for just being him. Its never good to get a dog on impluse and while grieving that can happen. I felt I couldn't save him so I needed to go out and get another dog and take of that dog for Trouble. Well Trouble wouldn't have wanted me to do that, he would have wanted me to focus on taking care of his sister (our other dog) and taking care of myself and giving myself the proper time to heal. There is another dog out there for me, and I will be able to give that next dog a good stable home, once I've let myself heal. In the meantime I'm loving just having Sasha believe it or not. But I miss my little buddy every day. Its been six months and I'm in no way ready to open my heart and home to another dog just yet, but soon I will. We just have to wait for a few things to fall into place first and by then I will be ready you know. What I am trying to say is, please give yourself time to heal. It won't be fair to a new dog if you bring that dog in before you are truely ready. Destiny just died, take some time to morn her death and soon you will find the right dog. Just give it some time.

I think you are smart to wait until Ryan and Tyson move out. It will be less adjustments for you and your new dog if you two start out together in a settled environment.

Good luck and again I'm so sorry for your loss

[leoto5Fm]

She is adorable but I think you may be rushing into it.

Everyone morns differently, but yeah, WOW.

April, I think you'd better examine exactly WHY it is you want another dog right now and how you can even stand to LOOK at other dogs.

I know, I know, everyone morns differently, BUT I am putting together past postings and drama and now THIS reaction.

I AM sorry about Destiny. Having my dog die in front of me after a long battle would be something that I personally would pretty much be paralyzed by for a long time. You are a lot stronger than I could ever hope to be in a situation like this.

But, think about WHY you need to rush into this now, especially when things are a bit chaotic now..

Carla

[JediReturns84]

When my dog died in January, I was super heart broken and I just got Dylan in September. Almost 8 months after she had passed.

To be honest, I wish I would have gotten a dog sooner. I didn't seriously start looking until April or May, and then I found Dylan in August. I mourned for my dog for maybe about a month after she died, and we had had heard for 10 years, so it was really hard. I had grown up with her. But it didn't feel right only having one dog. I felt terrible knowing I had the resources available but shelter dogs died every day that I didn't go and save one. It took me 7 months to convince my mother to get another dog.

Everybody mourns differently. This is very true. But I've done a lot of research about losing a pet and most of the articles I read stated that getting another dog afterwards does help ease the pain a lot.

I think this decision is yours and yours alone. Just make sure you're able to handle it.

Btw, she is adorable.

[brorialsibers]

Just another suggestion. If You don't want to wait that long to get another dog. Have considered maybe fostering for the time being once things settle down. It might be good for you. You would be caring for and helping a dog until that dogs forever home is found but still leaves you with the option of getting that health tested American Pit Bull Terrier you want in the future. And who knows maybe during the time you foster one of the fosters will prove to be the right dog for you. Just a suggestion because by fostering you are comitting to be a temporary home for a dog in need and not a permanent home. So you can still help a dog and be around a dog, but you can wait for exactly what you are wanting as well. Ofcourse I would still wait until Ryan and Tyson move out. But it might be something that is therapeudic for you and may help you through this hard time, plus you will be helping a homeless dog.

Just thought I'd throw that out there.

[Kimeoffessyr]

Thanks for all of the replies guys, I am going to try to answer as much as I can remember to:
About the health testing, I wanted a dog with health tested parents just to have some sort of reassurance about everything so I could mentally say hey this dog is better and what happened to Des may not happen to this one, but after I thought about it, and thought about some of those shelter dogs, I thought, hell I could have a perfectly healthy pup from good parents and it could just drop dead one day, you never know.

And I cannot afford much of anything right now, and times are going to be tight when he moves out, but once him and Tyson move out (he is not moving out until I have everything money wise straightened out) I will be ok That is why I cannot have another dog right this second, but will be able to in the future. And as far as the necropsy, I cannot afford it, and it was not something that he would be comfortable paying for, but if something did happen to the new dog, I know for a fact my dad would help me out .

And about the fostering and rescue thing, there is only one pitbull rescue group within a few hours of here and I have worked with her, I think some of you may remember threads I have made about bringing those dogs in my house after she had "Taken them to the vet" before they came to my house, come to find out she works at a vet and was giving them generic antitiotics and hoping whatever would go away, heck I was bringing dogs in my house with kennel cough, giardia, coccidia and god knows what else, so I cannot go the rescue route. And our pound here is ok and all, but its $40 for a dog, any dog, these dogs are not spayed/neutered, no vet check, nothing, I don't feel too comfortable with that because I have Madison ya know?

And Tiff, as far as the Dogo, hmmmm I am scared that may be too much dog for me lol. That is why I wanted a pup, so I could research lines a bit and find me that bulldog that will more than likely be in the mid 30s fully grown .

If I missed something I apologize, plese post it again and I will respond. Thank you for taking the time to talk to me guys it really means alot

[Jxmwzgpv]

Everyone is different.... everyone handles things differently. Only you know what is best for YOU. None of us can know what is emotionally best for you, only you can know that. Do what is best for you, not what we all think is best. Listen to your heart and your head, and go with your gut. Only you know what you can handle, and only you know how you handle things like this. Each person mourns differently.

I have never had just one dog... except when I first got Sheaba. By the time she was getting older, I got Gizzmo. I got him in Dec. '98, Sheaba died April '99. I had Gizzmo from April to August, then I went to the Humane Society and got Maxx in Aug '99. It was just them for a while, and then came Mollie... then the rest.

Some people need to give themselves time to grieve and not fill that void with another.... others need something to distract them. I have only lost a total of 3 dogs in my adult life, and none of them were ever the only dog I had, but for me, having other dogs around, helped me. It may not be that way for everyone, and none of us know if it is best for you, so we can offer our opinions, but only you know you. Whatever you decide, I pray that it is the best choice for you.