How soon is too soon?

[guitar man]

Or is there a "too soon"?

Most of you here know that we just lost our beloved dog Birdie a couple days ago. Last night I found myself cruising the pet adoption pages. I know that I will want to rescue another one, I'm always a sucker for a dog with a hard luck story, but I didn't seriously think I would find a dog that would interest me just yet, not so soon after Birdie's passing.

As I clicked through the pages it was "dog, dog...yawn...dog..ho hum...dog, another dog..."

But then I saw this one...that face!!

http://www.adoptapet.com/pet4107322.html

I called and she's still available, I'm just wondering if it's way too soon to even consider it? What say ye wise denizens of the lounge?

[CaliforniaPeggy]

1. My dear guitar man!

Follow your heart!

I don't think you'll be sorry...after all, you'd be giving another lost dog a chance at a real life and love!


I think Birdie would approve, too...

:hug:

[guitar man]

12. I think you're right

I think rescuing another one would be the best tribute I could give in honor of Birdie's memory.

And the fact that she's the same breed mix as Birdie was is just icing on the cake! :D

[Phentex]

2. I think we have room for more love any time we find it...

I can't imagine not having a dog or two around all the time. :)

[guitar man]

9. I'm the same way

If Mrs Guitar man hadn't put her foot down years ago there would probably be 10 or so dogs running around in the house, she said "two at a time is quite enough!" :D

[Mojambo]

3. If you want another dog, get another dog.

What do you think people are going to judge you?

[guitar man]

7. no, it's not about that

I just want to make sure that I don't subconsciously expect the new dog to be Birdie. She was with me a long time and without a doubt was the best dog that has ever been a part of my family. I want to make sure the new dog has a chance at being herself without having to live up to expectations.

[jobycom]

4. If you want the beastie, that proves it's not too soon.

The worst pet loss I suffered was my Persian kitty, Mister Vincent Kincaid (never let a group of people name a cat, it turns out that way). He wasn't even ten, and he died at a really bad time in my life, very suddenly. I don't think I've ever grieved that hard before or since (though I'm sure I will). Two days later I got Minnie--she was famous in the Lounge a few years back. She was an annoying, neurotic, stupid, clingy animal that never gave me a moment of peace, and I loved her dearly. I missed Mister and grieved for him, but she added something to help me not suffer so much.

Go for it. Start your next wonderful relationship. There is no disloyalty to Birdie, only an acknowledgment that life moves forward and never stands still.

[guitar man]

17. ok, you convinced me

And I think Mr Vincent Kincaid is a cool name for a cat B-)

[jobycom]

21. yay!

And I came up with the Vincent part--had something to do with "Thriller." Kincaid came from "The Partridge Family." I had strange roommates. :)

Make her as happy as she makes you, and be patient if she ruins a rug or two. She looks like a sweetie. :)

Edit for gender.

[SammyWinstonJack]

5. Adopt her!

:hug:

[guitar man]

19. Ok, I will!!

:hug:

[hobbit709]

6. Don't hesitate a minute.

If the picture grabbed you like that then it's not too soon.

[guitar man]

14. yeah, it grabbed me allright

I knew what breeds she was mixed from before I ever scrolled over and looked. Well, as Dad used to say, if something works, why not stick with it. :)

[mnhtnbb]

8. Oh, what a cutie. Giving a forever home to a dog in need--if you are ready--

is a wonderful way to remember Birdie.

We had to put our beloved Mouse (cat) down last November. I'm not having another cat, since I'm allergic to them, but I couldn't stand that Simba (Mouse's brother) was alone. We had to put our Tanya (dog)down
18 months earlier.

So I cruised the petfinder pages and found Snowy. I brought her home about 10 days after Mouse died.

Here she is --last year--with Simba:

[guitar man]

11. she's beautiful

what a beautiful coat she has :)

[uncommon]

10. I think if you are ready to provide a loving home for another adopted pet, then you should do it.

The dog will benefit from your love and care and maybe it will help you feel better too.

[guitar man]

18. I think I will

My home has always been a refuge for lost animals, they have always found a warm place, food and lots of love there. Before Mrs Guitar Man came along I was "that crazy dog guy" that had 10-15 pups running around the place. :rofl:

[PRETZEL]

13. similar situation we had about a year ago,

we had to put our shi tsu down who really was the most special pup.

by the end of the week we had already adopted from a kill shelter.

Do it. You'll never regret it.

[guitar man]

15. aww, so sorry to hear

I have a shi tzu at home right now who is wandering through the house looking for her big sis. I think that as much as anything is a good reason to adopt another pup, so she won't be so lonely.

[PRETZEL]

16. Any reason is a good reason,

and it sounds like your mind's already made up.

Kudo's my friend.

[ceile]

20. You're ready when you're ready....

There is no "too soon". I didn't think I was ready so soon after I put down one of my cats (about 2 weeks), but this adorable creature made me her's.



Unfortunately she is no longer with us...but I wouldn't trade that time for anything.

[guitar man]

24. beautiful cat

love the color of that coat ;)

[LWolf]

22. I don't think it's too soon.

You might have wanted to adopt a 2nd dog before Birdie's passing, if you'd met the right dog.

I often think I'd like a 2nd dog now, except that my current dog is simply too territorial to make it practical. I hope to have her around for many more years, but I know when her time comes I won't be long without a dog.

[guitar man]

23. actually it would have been a 3rd dog

There's a little Shi Tzu at home right now looking all over the place for Birdie right now. I saw a few dogs I wanted but that would have violated Mrs guitar man's "2 dog" rule lol

don't sell your current dog short either, you may be pleasantly surprised if you bring another dog in. I had the same concern about Birdie when china first came to live with us but it turned out fine.

[LWolf]

25. I had a foster dog when she was younger.

It worked because she was young enough to respect his age, and he was old enough that he never tried to compete with her.

As she's gotten older, she's gotten more territorial, though. She likes other dogs; loves to play with them. She's developed a very possessive attitude, though. She doesn't allow any other dogs to actually approach me. She starts by wiggling all over and inviting them to play. If that doesn't work, she wiggles all over, and in a friendly way, "pushes" on them to back them up. If that doesn't work, she growls. It's never gotten any further than that, but I think a 2nd dog wouldn't get enough personal attention without having to restrain her somehow.

My mom may stay the winter with me, bringing both her dogs. That will be a circus. If we get that worked out okay, I'll put the 2nd dog back on the list of possibilities.

[guitar man]

26. that might be a good test

I hope it works out for you!

[Maraya1969]

27. It's not too early for Olive!

[La Lioness Priyanka]

28. whenever you feel like it. i am afraid of losing my cat and want to have a second one to bond wiht

to ease the eventual (in 8-10 yeears) loss of kitty.

[guitar man]

46. I know what you mean

We still have our little Shi Tzu , China there which helps a lot. I don't know if I could survive a day in a completely dogless house :O

[redwitch]

29. It won't be too soon for her.

I bet she is quite anxious to get sprung. I say go for it, you need someplace to put that love. :hug: So sorry about Birdie.

[guitar man]

30. she's at a foster home now

I called the Humane Society and they were a little nonchalant about when I could see her. They said she has to come up on the schedule at the adoption center before I can go over and check her out. I understand the foster family can't take her there every day but it would be nice if I could schedule an appointment.

[livetohike]

31. I don't think there is a "too soon"

When we lost Ranger on Valentine's Day 2003 (he was almost 16 years old). I started looking on-line the next day....for selfish reasons - I can't live without dogs. There are so many homeless pets out there. Maybe Birdie is whispering to you to get busy. You will never forget her. She will be in your heart forever.

Oh, and I brought home two dogs. One is from the South Central L.A. dog shelter, and the other came a month later from a shelter in San Diego County. Adopt two :-).

[guitar man]

34. yeah maybe she is

This pup is the same breed mix as birdie so she may even be family :)

I wish I could adopt two but I already have one at home and the wife had to put her foot down about how many dogs we could have in that little house. If it were up to me there would be dogs everwhere. :silly:

[livetohike]

35. Olive is beautiful and she and Birdie could be related!

Oh, I know what you mean. I always tell my husband that if he wasn't here, the house would be filled with dogs. I'll be like one of those crazy cat ladies, LOL.

[guitar man]

37. I was the "crazy dog guy"

When I had a place out in the country where I could keep them I'd have 10-15 or more at a time around there.

after we got married we had just one while we lived in an apartment then when we bought our little house with a good sized yard I started in again. One day she just asked straight out "how many stray dogs are you going to bring home?!"

I answered "all of them" :P

that's when she put her foot down and she was right, two dogs at a time is plenty for that little house, but it is still hard for me to pass a stray on the street and not stop lol

[pokerfan]

32. How late is too late

for a rescue animal?

[guitar man]

40. exactly!

good point! :hi:

[lunatica]

33. It's never too soon to rescue your next dog

That's why it's called a rescue

[guitar man]

41. exactly

I'm going to do it if at all possible :)

[femmocrat]

36. Sounds like you are "ready" to me!

And Olive needs you! She's adorable. :hug: Best wishes.

[guitar man]

42. she is isn't she

a real cutie :)

[rurallib]

38. Methinks Birdie would want you to help another pooch.

[guitar man]

39. I know you're right

And besides, Olive could well be one of Birdie's cousins...on both sides of the family! :D

[david13]

43. As soon as possible. There are so many animals out there that

need homes. Now more than ever. So, I think, the sooner the better.
dc

[Ahpook]

44. You will know

We lost our Lab a couple years ago. I was, and still am very attached to him. My girlfriend says its to a fault and a bit nutty :) She is excited to bring a stray home especially after caring for a friends dog.

This may sound strange, but after quite a bit of thought, its always going back to losing Joker. I will get attached and lose another, and it upsets me all over again about Jo.

Maybe soon for me, and good luck to you!

By the way, fellow guitar player, whats is your current rig?

Just went through a bit of GAS and picked up the Egnater Renegade Head along with the 4x12 cab. What an amp! This thing tests me instead of me testing it:)

[guitar man]

47. I know what you mean

It's hard to get another dog knowing you're going to go through it all again, and if it was just me I'd most likely pull up and wait a while. But with my wife and daughter there and me gone working I have to remind myself of the job Birdie did around there as much as anything. She was a valiant guardian of my home and family without equal. She had a heart of gold but she was a hard nosed bitch if she thought home and family might be in danger. So I have to get busy filling that position and Olive is a good candidate since she is crossed from the same two breeds Birdie was.

Now , as far as guitar stuff goes, I could spend all night on that lol. I'm jealous, I got to play on an Eganter a while back and it was really nice, I wish I could afford one. My rig now is a 1987 strings and things "strat" and a mid 80s Marshall Artist 30w tube head on a Marshall 4x10 cab. I have a little 30w Vox hybrid I like a lot too. Nothing botique fancy but it gets the gig done.

Generally when I get a case of GAS it's for recording equipment. I have a ton of that :P

[bluethruandthru]

45. It's never too soon to give love!

I'm so sorry about Birdie. No dog can ever replace her in your heart. But it sounds to me like you have plenty of love to share with another...and there's no reason on earth to wait.

[guitar man]

48. I know you're right

I just have to remember not to hold the "birdie yardstick" up to the new dog and it will all be good :)

[Forkboy]

49. I love my cat dearly, but I'll have another within a week of his death.

There's no way I'm not having a fuzzy friend around. No disrespect meant to my current pal. :)

[emilyg]

50. You got love to give - get

the dog. Cutie, too.

[guitar man]

51. She is indeed a cutie

I'm chomping at the bit for her to come up on the schedule at the adoption center so I can go see her in person and spend some time with her. If she doesn't show any temperament problems, I'm taking her home with me :D

[Lorien]

52. I was "forced" into getting a second cat when my beloved kitty Peewee passed

away in 2003. My remaining 13 year old cat, Miro, would not eat after Peewee died and sat in the hallway howling day and night. No amount of petting or cuddling would help, so I went out to find him another kitty friend right away. I honestly felt that it was "too soon" and was too heartbroken to even consider another cat for myself, but I was worried for Miro. After much searching in shelters and pet adoption events little kitten Oberon "picked me" and I took him home. Sure enough, within a week old Miro stopped crying and started eating (and eating!) again. I ended up getting a third cat to play with Oberon, since Miro was so old. These pictures show how successful "too soon" turned out to be:










All cats, and all dogs, share a little bit of the same soul. Perhaps a bit of Birdie would come back to you in a new friend?

[mnhtnbb]

58. Oh, such cute kittehs!

[kimi]

53. Aw, best of luck with a new one!!

How does your daughter feel about it?? Cause I do believe that Birdie would approve. :)

[HopeHoops]

54. Go for it. That dog obviously needs someone to love it.

[old mark]

55. When the lightning strikes, you can't fight it...the dog needs a home and you need a dog.....

all the best.

mark

[guitar man]

56. thanks for all the advice and encouragement

I'm going to meet Olive in about an hour, wish me luck!

:bounce: :bounce:

[mnhtnbb]

57. Yeah! Hope it's a match!

:hug:

[guitar man]

59. It's a match!!

She's running with my pack now :D

[Forkboy]

61. YAY!!!!

That's awesome! :)

[guitar man]

62. she's strong and rambubctious

but totally lovable :)

[mnhtnbb]

63. Oh, that's so wonderful! Congrats to you and Olive. Are you going to give her a new name?

When we adopted Snowy, she'd been fostered for some time. So I decided to keep her name.

[mikeytherat]

60. Never too soon - you just know

I lost a dear, dear cat a few years back and, while at the shelter a week later, his would-be clone ran right up to me, snuggled in my arms, and said, "me."

That night, he slept on the bed with our other two cats, as if he'd always been there.


mikey_the_rat