Hi there,

We have had these two dogs ( brother-sister) since the were only 7-8 weeks old. At just over two years old Midas(male) developed a crippling deformity in the spine that almost immediately caused severe paralasis and loss of mobility in his back legs. He was also diagnosed with severe hip displasia in both joints... [German Shepherd-Black lab cross]After much indecision and great hearbreak we had him put down.

Now we have Misty here at home and as expected seems somewhat at a loss of what to do without her brother at her side as it has always been... They spent 8 hours a day together in a 20' x 80' run when we were at work with food,shelter,heated water dish and such so the comfort level was there... But now she is alone:(

My question is should we get another comrad for her now or in the near future ? If so should it be a puppy so that it can grow up under her supervision/guidance or should it be an older animal ? I can imagine it depends on Mistys attitude as my wife seems to think that she may be very protective of all that she and Midas shared or... Is in plausible to think she may be ever so greatfull to have another friend ?

I look forward to hearing back from you .

Best regards,

Mark.

Hi Mark,

I'm so sorry to hear about Midas. :( Misty is still young, so I would definitely get Misty another companion. She is probably still grieving the loss of her brother, but a new friend would help her to get through it. Dogs grieve just like people, but they are willing to move forward if they have a positive distraction... they are more able to live in the moment.

My sister went through this not too long ago with her fur babes. Her 15 yr old Bassett Hound Tucker had cancer, and she had to put him to sleep. Tucker's buddy Finnegan the dalmatian was heartbroken. She waited a few weeks, and then went to the shelter with Finney and let him help her pick out the best match for him. Finney helped my sister pick an English Bull Dog, and now Gaylord and Finney are the best of buddies.

It depends how active and playful Misty is, and her energy level. Personally, I would go with a dog closer to her age, or maybe even a bit older. Try and pick a dog that has her same tempermant and personality. You might want to try and pick a dog that is slightly more energetic, just to give Misty a bit of a challenge!

I hoped this helped you a little bit with your decision. I think Misty will recover a lot faster if she has a buddy to keep her company.

Good Luck :)

Also depending on her personalty I would look for a companion that is not incredibly dominant. If Misty is more dominant this can cause serious issues with the pecking order of things. I would also suggest not introducing the two in the run. Let them establish a connection on neutral grounds so that she does not feel her territory is being threatened. Also another male dog could be a better choice to avoid same-sex issues.