I had a friend who had one cat in her life, and when it died she said she was never ever going to get another animal.
When I had to euthanize my poor elderly rescue husky, and was left with only two, less than a month later I was trolling the shelters and got another, a 10 month old black-and-white husky with the fluffiest butt ever. She's a gorgeous girl.
It's what you do. People are supposed to know they 're going outlive their dogs before they get them, unless the person is fairly old themselves. What would life be without huskies? Boring.
Pretty much.
I am prone to Wolf/Malamute with just a touch of G. Shepherd. Hella good mountain dogs. Pack a load, pull a sled, and will kick the crap out of a griz just for giggles. And smart enough to understand.
But such a mutt will be no good in a kennel or a yard. That's the sort that needs a five mile run every other day just to keep him sane.
Since I been stove up, I have made due with a cow dog. And he's smart and communicates alright - and he's fine with a half acre of yard. Heck he runs like a bucket of bricks...
But he is handy at the ranch, and he knows all the critters by name... I send him down alone to bring em up for feed, or he can cut the one I call for and bring just that one... Super good on a whistle or a sign, and he's been a good friend in a time of trial.
But I DO miss my malamute talking to me. Singing with the wolves and coyotes... There just can't be the dimensions in the relationship with a cow dog that there are with a mountain dog. It just ain't no where near the same thing.
Ol Chewy is getting long in the tooth these days. Been with me ever since before my illness. And I am holding off getting a new pup, with the thought in mind that I will get back up over three miles a day... If I can go a bit, you can bet I will have another malamute on the way.