Kato howled and cried for a long time after we left.

Oh boy. Separation anxiety can be so hard.

The friends who kept Bartleby when I was ill have two Greyhounds. One is 14, the other is 3. They are already planning on adopting another when Darius, the elder, begins to fade. Goose, the younger, would not be okay alone...at all.

I've considered getting Bartleby a dog of his own, but have very mixed feelings. We have such a good thing going on, I would hate to mess with the mix. And, it wouldn't be fair to the younger dog.

As for Frankie, unfortunately, the growling isn't about confidence. A confident dog shows no dominant/aggressive behavior. Try disagreeing with that behavior and letting Frankie know that the other dogs belong to you. Praise playful behavior and distract from the negative stimuli.

They are already planning on adopting another when Darius, the elder, begins to fade. Goose, the younger, would not be okay alone...at all.

Tim has said that Kato is much happier with another dog around. But it's so hard watching Chloe decline that I can't imagine getting another dog after Chloe dies, because I don't want to have to go through this with another dog (I am refusing to believe that Kato will ever get old and die, despite the sprinkling of white hair in his fur that wasn't there a year ago).

Granted, my attitude will probably change, but right now it's too sad to think about.

Oh, dear. Okay. Could you explain a little more, or do you have a relevant handout?

Oh, dear. Okay. Could you explain a little more, or do you have a relevant handout?

Boy howdy, I have a dark sense of humor, because I read this right after my post and thought "A handout? Like, 'So Your Dog Is Getting Decrepit'?", with a picture on the front of Chloe standing in a corner facing the walls. (She seriously does this. She loves corners, and she'll walk in one and then stand there facing it until one of us eventually gets her out [she can't comprehend backing up any more, so she'll just stand in a corner endlessly, given her druthers].)

On the couch, sneezing and blogging and basking in the aftermath of a lovely evening with smonster and Tom. I'm blogging around the my review (it's on my blog as well as Yelp and Chowhound) because it's new, and there's relatively little info out on it. It's my New Orleans duty!

That was nice. Bed time now though. Hope my throat is feeling better tomorrow and that Taz and I have a couple days off from the vet.

Steph, I know the feeling, and yet...I know I'll be adding a kitten soon when I lose Mister Kitty, and while that will be hard, it will be right. MK is...he's the biggest love ever. Puppy in feline form without the housebreaking, total charmer. OK, so Loki is his younger version with added aggravation. He's also a freaking miracle cat. 18, diabetic for the past 8 years... I know I don't have much left. My poor old man wrestles with the stupidass Loki even when he doesn't want to. The thing is, Loki needs a companion, he adored MK from the start. And after MK goes, there's just Devi, who adores me and hates everyone else. So I'll suck it up and fall for another cat with the excuse I got Loki a kitten. Cause you know, I will. Time will pass.

And Mister Kitty will be the one who taught Lokes how to unbehave.

I've considered getting Bartleby a dog of his own, but have very mixed feelings. We have such a good thing going on, I would hate to mess with the mix.

I got Percy because Leo had always had another cat around, and he seemed like he missed the companionship of another feline. Percy is the same age and gender, and was not a dominant personality, so I figured there wouldn't be problems. It's worked out okay, and I'm really glad I got Percy because he's thrived and I love him to pieces and my sister, who's never cared for pets, has fallen totally in love with him, but they aren't friends like I'd hoped they'd be. Mostly they ignore each other, sometimes they chase each other, sometimes Leo gets rid of his excess energy by playing rougher than Percy likes and Percy hides for a while. A couple times I've seen snuggling, and ear licks, and of course there's the sniffing, so they don't dislike each other, they just... aren't close, and I think Percy would really rather be an only cat and have me all to himself.

So, back to you... You'd probably have an easier time finding a dog he liked, since you can take him with you to meet the prospectives, but still, if you and Bartleby are happy with each other, I say stay with that.

I've considered getting Bartleby a dog of his own, but have very mixed feelings. We have such a good thing going on, I would hate to mess with the mix.

That reminds me of Dharma & Greg--Dharma would introduce one of her dogs and then introduce the other dog as his dog. Very cute.

It took me 18 months (to the day, weirdly) after Lucy. My coworker lost her dog around the same time and had a new puppy within weeks. I think when the time comes your instincts will guide you. There's no right or wrong here, and no way to know in advance.

smonster, I'm going to bet that Frankie had a 'moment' that created an uncomfortable memory for you. If you, semi-consciously, fear he will react negatively, he will sense that and do so. Even when you are SURE you aren't the stimulus.

The basic principle of helping your dog to be confident is to make sure that the entire world belongs to you, and comes TO him, THROUGH you. That means 'claiming' the stimulus as soon as you notice a potential negative response.

Step in front of him, bend forward a tiny bit and ask for a sit. Praise him for doing what you ask and do not let him break position until he is calm.