loss of dog

Question
I have a german shepard/wolf cross, he is very low wolf content, he is 7 years old. I got him when he was 3 months. I live in a trailer on my sisters property, since I got him he had my sisters female malamute/wolf (high content) as his playmate, she was 7 when I got him. A week ago they had to have her put down, it was very sudden. The vet came to the house and put her to sleep. When asked the vet said we should let him see her so he had closure, it was the hardest thing I've ever done, but he knows shes dead and not looking for her. My problem is he used to make the rounds with her at night, we'd let them out of the big fenced yard, and into the large mini storage area thats also fenced to run after gate was closed. He now seems very lost at night. My problem is deciding if I should get another dog, I want an adult female for him to play with. So my question to you is, is it best to get one, now or not? I want to but want whats best for Conan my dog. He gets alone with other female dogs I know for sure. Please help me. Thank you, Suzanne

Answer
Hi Suzanne;
Yes, dogs grieve just like humans do.
I would get a dog and bring it, introduce him to it, and see how he accepts it.
Go to the animal rescue groups, and they will have just about any kind of dog you want, and you can bring it a couple of times for them to get well aquainted.
He is lonely for her, and another dog cannot ever take her place, but it is just like it is with humans. If you lose your dog. No other one can ever replace it, but you can still take another one and give it all the love it needs, and have a good relationship with it too.
He will probably be glad for another dog to keep him company.
I am assuming he is neutered.
Another neutered male may be just as good a companion for him.
I have brought adult males in with mine.
A couple of them were not neutered when I got them, but I had them neutered because they were either mixed breeds, or not a good enough confirmation that they should be bred.
The large un-neutered male, Australian Shepherd/ Husky mix got along with my other two adult males very well. We had him for about 4 months before we had him neutered.
The other two are an Australian/? mix, and a Lhasa mix.
The most troubloe I had was with a little 10 pound Yorkie.
He loved the Lhasa, but hated the Aussie/Husky mix, because he was new, and Mighty Mite did not want another dog at Aunt Charlotte's house.
He woukld attack, and Big Boy would just try to help he get the little freak off of him. He didn't ever try to hurt the little beast.
After a few days getting his little butt thrown in time out everytime he attacked, and getting himm neutered cut it way down.
Anothger couple fo weeks with him getting chewed out and put in time out, and he finally learned I would never put up with that and stopped.
When he comes to visit now, he still doesn't like Big Boy, and won't play with him, but he knows better than to be nasty.
I dopubt very seriously that your dog is a wolf cross.
A lot of people SAY they have wolf cross dogs, and that seems to make the puppies more desirable, but in fact, wolf crossing with dogs is very rare.
There are just not tame wolves around to cross with dogs, and with a German Shepherd, how would people know? LOL
I think whoever gave you or sold you the dog, is either very mistaken, or just full of it.LOL
I know how hard it is to lose them.
Go to this site, and read the poems, and stories there.
I always have several dogs, and they are uausally a variant of ages, so we have to accept losing one every few years, and it is always just as hard.
I have gotten a lot of comfort from reading things on this site.
Especially read the poem, The Rainbow Bridge.
It will make you cry, but it is a good, cleansing cry.
I really believe that Rainbow Bridge is there, and all my little ones I have had will be waiting for me to cross it too.
   www.petloss.com

Turn your speakers up, because the music on that site is beautiful too.
Charlotte