Earlier in the week we lost Opie to the road. Long story short he got loose and ran straight into the road where he was hit by a truck and he didn't make it. It has been a very rough week. L Bird is a mess, she is racked with guilt. She questions herself constantly with things she could have done differently. I have told her repeatedly that it isn't her fault and there was nothing she could have done to change what happened, but it is just one of those things she is going to have to come to terms with herself. A Bird has had a few moments where she'll ask questions about where Opie is and what doggy heaven is like, or she'll say that she misses him. So that breaks my heart, but for the most part she seems ok and from what the literature says, that is normal for her age group to react the way she is, so that's a small comfort.
As for me, I try to keep myself distracted but it really is amazing how one little dog can impact your life so much. Its things like when A Bird and I are horsing around on the bed, I expect to see him come tearing into the bedroom howling as he jumps on the bed and goes crazy, or when I go out to the chicken coop to get eggs I expect to turn around and see him waiting for me, or while I'm watching TV, I expect him to come and cram himself on top of me so he can snore loudly as I keep turning the TV louder and louder. Then I realize he's gone and I won't be able to do those things again with him and I get a little choked up.
Then I struggle with getting another puppy. We will sometime, I am 100% positive we will, I am just a two dog kind of guy, but I don't want people to judge me if we get a new puppy sooner rather than later. We all love Opie and miss him terribly, so a new puppy would be a distraction to take our minds off Opie, but even as I write that I feel guilty. I am going to try and fight the urge to run out and get another puppy. But then on the other hand Roxy our other dog is a great dog and I truly believe she was teaching Opie some of her greatest traits of tolerance and mellowness. She is 12 now which is the top of her breed's life expectancy so I'm not sure how much longer she'll be here either, so I would love to have any new puppy spend time with her to "learn the ropes" so to speak.
Hell I don't know what I'll do, but whatever I do I always feel like people will make snide remarks or judge me because it is too soon. I guess the only thing I can do is just know for myself how much I loved Opie and how much I miss him and no dog will ever replace him.
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