[cobismom]

As some of you know, we lost our Chipper to cancer last week. And I do thank all those who helped us through it.

Now, I am wondering, my second furbaby has no one that looks like him. Cobi is a pure bred beagle, but has no pack. We are not ready for a new member in the pack yet....it's way to soon for us to think of giving our hearts to a new puppy. Yet, Cobi is still with us. How did you go about helping the second pet deal with the loss of the first one, AND what about another puppy? Cobi is seven, and we aren't really sure about his being a good "big brother"....but in the future, we'd like to try.

Ideas?

Cathy Jacobson

 

[Zookeeper]

Well, I'm almost in your same position. Though Duke has a brother and sister, our sweet Roscoe is about to leave us (it's become a matter of weeks, if not days at this point). Roscoe and Cassie have been together since Ros was 1 y/o and are the best of friends. When we added Duke into the pack, he formed a friendship with both of them, Cassie is his playmate and nurturer, Roscoe is his mentor and idol and fellow outdoor adventurer.

We aren't sure how either of the two will react when Roscoe leaves us. Though we are sure they will greive at his loss. We do plan to get another dog at some point (not a pup, our next will be a beagle rescue). Not right away, but after a brief time. The main reason is that we know Cassie is also getting up there in age and labs don't usually live as long as ours, we don't want Duke alone when she goes. We also know that she is a wonderful mother figure and will help in training the new dog, just like Roscoe and she have done with Duke.

My best friend had 2 labs, one 8 and one 7, the 8 y/o died and the 7 y/o mourned for months. Then she ended up with a rescue mini-dobie and that brought new life back into her 7y/o. Lollie was playful and happy again and finally able to stop mourning.

As for whether your Cobi could handle a big brother role to a pup at 7, mine were 11 and 12 when we got Duke and they both did a great job. They weren't playful as much as Duke would have liked, but they were more playful than either of them had been in a long time. They did a great job in helping train Duke and he brought new life into them and I truly believe he extended their lives.

You will remain in my thoughts, as I've thought about your post on the Rainbow forum many, many times in this past week and about how to know when it's time. We are in that same place with Roscoe and though I've thought I prepared myself for this moment for the past few years, I realize how wrong I was. You can never be prepared to lose a family member. My sincere sympathies to your family on the loss of your beloved Chipper.

 

[Murphys Dad]

Cathy,

Cobi will deal with as you are, in his own way, in his own time. Just show him the same caring and love as you always have.

When the time comes, do consider a rescue. Puppies are cute and have great "Awww!" factor. But nothing beats bringing home a scared, timid, beagle that has been abandoned and over the course of time, watching him/her come out of that shell and bloom again.

As for Cobi being a good big brother, make him apart of the choosing process. Take him with you and let him and his potential pack mate meet. His reaction will tell you what he thinks. Thats what we did with Murphy and Summer.

I might help if you don't think of a new dog as a replacement of Chipper. Nothing will replace him. He will be with you always. But you would be giving another dog the chance of a happy new life.

 

[angelaH]

I feel for you. We have two rescues and they are so devoted to one another I dont know how one would survive wihout the other. We have decided these are our last dogs, we are just getting too old, so it will be very hard. If you can take on another dog, then wonderful, please take an older rescue, this could really be the solution to both you and your grieving dog.

 

[Artimus Beaglesworth]

I agree with the idea of getting a rescue rather than a pup. I also think that maybe you can try to foster dogs (local rescues are always looking for foster parents!) instead of committing to a new member of the family. The pros of this is maybe you will see that you may be ready for a new member sooner than you think, and of course the companionship of another dog, but the cons are if you are not ready for a new member, and Cobi might get attached to the foster baby and be sad again when it is gone. But at least in the meantime he will have had some companionship.

Im sorry to hear about Chipper /forums/images/%%GRAEMLIN_URL%%/cool.gif

 

[Gingergoose]

Hi Cathy,

How sweet that you are concerned about Cobi. I second what Artimus BW said....consider fostering. Maybe that will help Cobi's lonliness.

Joe made a good point too. Please don't think you are being unfaithful to Chipper's memory by considering another dog. If you adopted an adult rescue, you will have made something good come out of such a sad loss. There are so many out there who need homes.

I hope that you and your family are well and coping. This is such a difficult time.

~Denise

 

[NORTHWEST REDNECK]

Unless you are up for a challenge like Pop & I was with Nibbler
you might be overwhelmed by adopting a hound with the "baggage"
that Nibbler had! Nibbler was abused after his "puppy cuteness"
turned into an adult beag that was ignored by a single parent
family that barely fed him or even gave him water to drink! If
you have an elder beag/ hound like I did with Goober...Your best
results are to get a puppy when they become a seniour like I did
with Goober! Homer was adopted when he was about 9 weeks old & Goober, then about 10 yrs old, raised him as if he was his puppy!!! /forums/images/%%GRAEMLIN_URL%%/yay.gif

 

[NORTHWEST REDNECK]

BTW, Goober has done his job so well that Homer knows that
counter surfing is "verbotten"!!! Homer-the-Huge is a mystery -
mix of hounds... but thanks to Goober, He acts like a giant beag!
"Kind of like a giant Snapper"!!!(Thumbup)!

 

[beaglesmom]

I have a little different view perhaps - when my keeshond, Sasha was about 14 and I knew she wouldn't be with me forever, I adopted a Lab/Shepherd puppy because I didn't want to be without a dog. Sasha wasn't very playful with the puppy - but she wasn't mean to her either. You can't REPLACE one dog with another, each has their own special place in your heart, but when Sasha crossed the "rainbow bridge", Honey DID help me a lot. It isn't being disloyal to get a friend for you and Cobi. I think it's an honor to Cobi's memory. Your heart always has "room for one more"! I've had both rescues and raised puppies, 4 of my beagles were born here in this room, and two were purchased as puppies - some of the best dogs I've ever had were rescues - and some of the most troubling were also rescues. They can, like my Lottie, come with SO much baggage that can be difficult to deal with. After almost 3 years of being loved and cherished, she STILL cowers at loud noises or sudden movements, and has never really "mastered" the house training (she was a kennel dog before I got her). On the other hand (playing devil's advocate), with an adult rescue you don't have the house training issues (sometimes anyway unless they're like Lottie), and the furniture being chewed and having to hang everything from the ceiling issues that you have with a beagle puppy - and with beagle puppies their puppyhood can last a LONG time as most here know! There are many wonderful rescues that DO need foster homes if you decide to try that route. Whatever you decide we'll be here for you.

 

[cobismom]

I'm sorry if I sounded like I was trying to replace Chipper, NOTHING can do that. It's like replacing your child or your parent when they pass on. There will NEVER be another Chip, just as there will never be another child or parent.

That said, I have looked through a lot of adoption sites, rescue sites, I know their importance in keeping these very beautiful dogs alive and well. However, there are none in our area, and we aren't in a position to travel far or even have the new member "shipped" to us. So we have to find a pup or a young dog to take on. Since Cobi can be on the aggressive side, (because of his own baggage) I think he'd do better with a pup who is defenseless rather than a dog who might vie for the alpha spot.

I know that it won't be soon, like this week or next. Actually, with the number of beagles or mixes that aren't around here, I am thinking that it will probably be later this summer. But will keep looking.
thanks for your help and ideas.

Cathy J

 

[Gingergoose]

That makes sense, Cathy. It sounds like a pup will do better with Cobi.

But you know what they say...when you least expect it, expect it!

How are you all doing?

~Denise

 

[NORTHWEST REDNECK]

Ditto on the fact that no dog can "replace" another! I will never
forget my first one, "Snapper" that I rescued from the San
Gabriel CA animal shelter! That poor little beag/fox terrier mix
was soo happy to be "sprung from the slammer" that me litteraly
walked the 3 miles home with me on his hind legs! (I was barely
16 yrs old @ the time) as I adopted him on 2/2/1976 & today as I
turn 48 my best present is the fact that Goober is 16 yrs old & 2
days short of one month old and is still a very happy & healthy
hound!!! /forums/images/%%GRAEMLIN_URL%%/thumbup2.gif (Make a rescue dog your first choice when you
decide to get your first dog)...but, if you have a seniour dog,
a puppy is the best way to go! "It will rejuvinate the seniour
dog" & the pup will learn a lot from the elder one! (The puppy
does not have to be the same breed) as Homer-the-Huge is more of
a Walker/Greyhound mix dog that is over twice Goobers size! /forums/images/%%GRAEMLIN_URL%%/smirk.gif

 

[beaglesmom]

Cathy, you will KNOW when the time is right to add another family member - and only you can know which is better for your "pack". I know people who will ONLY have rescues, and others who ONLY want a young puppy. Depends on what YOU want and need - you'll find it when it's time.