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Beloved Sex Symbol

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Hello everyone. Recently I lost the one thing that gave my life purpose, my little Maltipoo. Her name was Bella. We got her from a man that said he found her on the side of the highway running in the bushes, covered in blue paint and sores. He shaved her, and fed her but said he couldn't keep her. And said if we didn't take her, he would have to shoot her.

Of course, we took her. She was very scared at first, so I assumed she ran away from a puppy mill or an abusive owner. Since then she was my baby. She was the best dog I've ever encountered. She listened, comforted me, didn't care what I looked like or whatever, she loved me for me.

I'd had her for about 5-6 years. She got me through most of my depression and stuff. And by this time I had it drilled in my head that wherever she went, I went too. If she got lost, I wouldn't sleep until I found her.

But on September 15, she just kind of... stopped everything. She didn't want to jump up on the couch, and she wasn't herself. She wouldn't play, and physically couldn't bend her head down to eat or drink. Her head was stuck upward, and sometimes she would twitch her head. We couldn't afford a visit to the vet until the beginning of October. Her condition got worse, then better, then worse again. It got to the point to where she couldn't even move to go pee or stand up on her own, I had to hold her up, she even accidentally peed on my arm trying to get up while I was asleep. Then the heaving breaths and choking started on the 20th, and we figured she was just coughing and needed water.

We went to sleep, and she woke me up with her heaving. I took her to go pee, and she just fell over. And laid there. My mom said she had congestive heart failure for dogs, I still don't know if this is true, and she was dying. That she was drowning in her own saliva and blood and vomit.

It was about 8:30 a.m. on the 21st, and I couldn't stop crying. She had been drowning for 5 hours straight, suffocating while I was asleep, and she suffered that alone while I was oblivious.

She died at 9:10 a.m. that morning. It had now been two months. I still sob all the time, I visit her grave whenever I can. I feel so guilty for not spending as much time with her as I could during her last few weeks alive because I was staying the night with my neighbor.

I have a new dog now, her name is Joey, she is about a month and a half old and she is the exact opposite of the kind of dogs I like, fluffy, calm, and comforting. She is none of those.

I can't help but feel resentment toward her and the fact I'm now stuck with a dog I could never like, because the only option we have is to throw her out and I'm totally against that.

Does anyone have any coping advice, and to help with my resentment to this new dog? I know she is not Bella, never will be. I have to love her for her own unique personality, but I'm just the type of person who prefers a dog that doesn't need constant exercise. (Joey's a chihuahua/terrier mix)

Any advice is appreciated. Please don't be rude ;-;

Devoted Inquisitor

I'm sorry you're going through this, grief is hard.

If Joey is six weeks old, she's a baby-baby; that's really too young to be away from her mother and litter, and she needs a lot of support and guidance.

I would look at clicker training and think about teaching Joey to do a sport like rally, which is pretty straightforward. Having a goal makes training easier, and training makes it easier to bond with a dog.

I would also recommend making sure you get your dogs to the vet when something is amiss.

Hugs.

Beloved Sex Symbol

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I'm sorry you're going through this, grief is hard.

If Joey is six weeks old, she's a baby-baby; that's really too young to be away from her mother and litter, and she needs a lot of support and guidance.

I would look at clicker training and think about teaching Joey to do a sport like rally, which is pretty straightforward. Having a goal makes training easier, and training makes it easier to bond with a dog.

I would also recommend making sure you get your dogs to the vet when something is amiss.

Hugs.

Well we got her from my brother's now ex girlfriend. Her grandmother's dog just kept on and kept on having babies, and she was the only baby in this litter (idk if that is unusual or not). They had to get rid of her because she was getting to where she could run around, and older people don't really watch where they step most times, so she could have gotten squashed.

I just checked and shes about 8 weeks old now, but she was 5 weeks when we got her. We have her brother, who was born about 4 months before her, and I still don't like him. But sadly, I cannot trade Joey out while she is still young because my parents won't buy me a Maltese, Miniature Poodle, or anything of the sort because they believe the prices are ridiculous for a dog.

I am stuck with her, but I guess I could train her as best I can. Who knows? She may grow on me better than her brother did.
Wow, it sounds like your first dog may have very well had some sort of neck/back injury. It's hard of me to conceive of letting a pet slowly suffer and die, regardless of money issues. I'm not sure how your family would have the money to afford caring for a new dog when there wasn't even enough money to take your first dog to the vet.

Sorry if this sounds cold. Since you are living at home under your parents care this burden may very well fall on them as the adults in the situation.

My suggestion for the new dog would be to consider re-homing it. Small breed puppies are highly adoptable and you should be able to find a good home relatively easy. Little dogs can easily live 15-20 plus years with good care so if this isn't the right type of dog for you than it is better to rehome now. I would tell your parents you just aren't ready for another dog right now and need more time to mourn and accept the loss of your first dog.

Devoted Inquisitor

Alexandriana Kay
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I'm sorry you're going through this, grief is hard.

If Joey is six weeks old, she's a baby-baby; that's really too young to be away from her mother and litter, and she needs a lot of support and guidance.

I would look at clicker training and think about teaching Joey to do a sport like rally, which is pretty straightforward. Having a goal makes training easier, and training makes it easier to bond with a dog.

I would also recommend making sure you get your dogs to the vet when something is amiss.

Hugs.

Well we got her from my brother's now ex girlfriend. Her grandmother's dog just kept on and kept on having babies, and she was the only baby in this litter (idk if that is unusual or not). They had to get rid of her because she was getting to where she could run around, and older people don't really watch where they step most times, so she could have gotten squashed.

I just checked and shes about 8 weeks old now, but she was 5 weeks when we got her. We have her brother, who was born about 4 months before her, and I still don't like him. But sadly, I cannot trade Joey out while she is still young because my parents won't buy me a Maltese, Miniature Poodle, or anything of the sort because they believe the prices are ridiculous for a dog.

I am stuck with her, but I guess I could train her as best I can. Who knows? She may grow on me better than her brother did.


If her brother is six months old, he's not grown up either; a six month old dog is still a puppy. His personality can still be modified.

Look up clicker training; have you done that? Train both of your dogs. If you don't put effort into that bond, it might not come, and that's not fair to them.

Shy Dragon

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i am so sorry for your loss.. and i agree with everyone else, if you aren't ready for a new dog, you shouldn't have one. it isn't fair to either of you. i'm sure you can find a good home for her. little dogs are super popular right now.

Aged Bunny

I'm deeply sorry to hear about your loss. I went half a year of grieving when my first bunny who was fours years old passed away in my arms. I've never had a strong bond like I have with her. It still hurts me. I accepted Luna's passing after the wish I made on my birthday came true. The one on my signature is the son of her close friend who was a stray bunny whom I adopted back on March of this year. He was three months old when i adopted him.~ If you're still not ready, then like others have said..it's best to give Joey a better home because you're still grieving. I know it's hard and painful, but you'll eventually accept it and it's okay.

Enduring Browser

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I can't not be rude about this...
You/your parents/whoever you think is ultimately responsible here (from your post and how old I assume you are, then it's your parents' fault) watched your dog die. Not only that, but she suffered for weeks and died in an extremely horrible way. If it was CHF then it's drowning, drowning in your own blood.
What the Hell kind of people do that to their animal? And beyond that, go out and get a dog again immediately after. You can't afford a single vet visit, but you have multiple young dogs (are they even spayed/neutered? Vaccinated? Do you feed them a brand of food that isn't s**t?). People like the people in this situation cause me to consistently have no faith in people to have pets...
They are lives, in YOUR hands! And they suffer because of it.

And you think your parents should go buy you a new puppy? A white fluffy thing like you described is easily 700+ in a pet store.... (granted, you should be going to a shelter), you think they can afford that when they can't even afford a single vet visit for their dying dog??

Also, in the future.... there's something called CareCredit, it's a medical credit card that can be used for veterinary expenses, Google it.
For that matter... most places (even the hospital I work at) will euthanize a pet even if the owners have no money, and then we bill them.

This situation disgusts me, your pets deserve better.

Educate yourself:
CHF in Dogs
Why Spay/Neuter
CareCredit

Devoted Inquisitor

pseudocyesis

And you think your parents should go buy you a new puppy? A white fluffy thing like you described is easily 700+ in a pet store.... (granted, you should be going to a shelter), you think they can afford that when they can't even afford a single vet visit for their dying dog??


Pet stores shouldn't even be on the list of places to consider buying a dog. I didn't see the OP mention a pet store at all (I might have missed it) but if they did;

OP, pet stores charge way, way more than even good breeders do. In my area, it's not unusual for pet stores to charge $1500+ for puppies (who come from deplorable conditions) while really excellent breeders of titled dogs charge less.

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