Peggy, I'm so sorry to hear about your loss of Buddy. Your words about him are beautiful and touching, and it gives me a wonderful picture of the close relationship you shared with him. I am very much the same way with my own dogs (turning down trips because they can't go, etc.), so I really do sympathize with what a huge hole will be left in your life and in your heart.

A new dog never replaces the old dog, of course. Anyone who has ever lost a good dog knows that, but I think your new little guy is going to be like a balm for your wounds, and like Betty said above -- a perfect description -- an addition to your lifetime savings account of dog experience.

I'm sure Buddy would want to thank you for loving him so much and giving him such a good life.

Peggy, I too hear your deep pain. I'm so sorry for your loss.

It's been a little over 2 years since my last boy passed. We struggled so hard with the actual decision to put him down and kept thinking that if he had passed on his own it would be so much easier to deal with.

We waited too long hoping he would choose the day and not force us to make that decision. You did the hardest part in making that decision for him. The fact that he passed the day before would have been an incredible relief to me. You didn't fail him in any way, you simply knew his time was near. You knew what was right and did it. He just chose the day earlier.

As far as how to say "Good bye", that is such a tough question. I don't know that I ever really have. It may be a little irrational but I find comfort in knowing that all my past dogs are still very much with me, living deep in my heart and memories.

I’ll bet Buddy is smiling right now, knowing that a new young life is on his way to you.

It may take a bit, but like has been said, a new pup has such a beautiful way of taking some of the depth out of that open wound. I too look forward to hearing what life with Rajah is like.

Peggy I'm so sorry to hear about your loss my heart also achs for you.
Please remove the thought from your mind that you failed him you did not.

RIP Buddy

So sorry for your loss of Buddy. It is so hard to say good-bye.

You didn't fail Buddy, you gave him a wonderful life of love & your companionship right up to the end.

He will be waiting for you at 'the bridge'.

RIP Buddy.

Peggy, I too am so very sorry for your profound loss.
I echo the many comments of the others here, and will add that it sounded like Buddy sure was your heart dog. His memory will always hold a big place in your heart forever. Buddy was there for you during some of your hardest days.
He sounded like a very special dog. Surely, you gave him as much in return as he gave you, missing trips etc, to be near him.
He was your faithful companion, and you were his. That is a very beautiful thing, and something to cherish always.

I wish it didn't hurt so much, but that only means he was so special and he was deeply loved.
Little Rajah will bring those smiles back and keep you company, and will have his own little nuances that will melt your heart all over again. You are in my thoughts.

Helen Keller once wrote "Those that were truly loved, never really leave us."

I believe in this wholeheartedly- my past dogs have carved their own little niches in my heart and will be with me forever. Those dogs, with all the lessons they taught me, made me who I am today.

I too had a dog that saw me through some of the most difficult times of my life- her loss is one of the most profound that I have been through. My beloved Mokie... gone now for nearly 7 years, and still missed as if it was yesterday. The pain never goes away, but the sharp edge does get dull. The memories and the smiles of so many years together help ease the pain. Only time dulls the edge...

I am sorry for your loss. You will see him again at the Bridge- running and playing like a pup again. Until then, remember him with love and he will be with you.

--Kel

Thank you all for your kind responses, it has helped me having you all understand how I feel and be able to relate to my grief. This morning I woke up thinking of my life with Buddy and would like to share a few thoughts that come to mind.
Since Buddy was never trained to attack, I wasn’t sure what he would do if I found myself in a difficult situation. One was I usually wake up 2-3 times a night and would get up and go outside to smoke and try to relax. I was living with my daughter at the time and her and my grandsons went camping for a week and I stayed home to take care of her dogs. Anyway one night I was up at 3am and me and Buddy went out front, I set on the stoop close to the front door and Buddy lay down behind a rose bush that was right by the walkway. A pickup truck with 3 guys in it stopped at the stop sign that faces her house, and the jerks stayed there with their high beams on pointed directly on me. It didn’t scare me, rather made me mad and I stared right back at them. This went on for 5 minutes, I could hear the voices but not what they were saying. So I quietly called Buddy and he got up and came to the other side of me where they could see him. What happened next will forever make me laugh. I heard the guys yell (GD she has a Rottweiler) and they floored it and squealed around the corner and took off.
Another time, I was in the park with Buddy on his daily walk when a young kid, maybe 19 or 20 yrs old, he stopped me by saying I know you and I told him he did not. Any way two other guys were sitting at the table and that punk introduces me to them. Buddy was wearing his vest that said “working dog, do not pet”. Anyway, the kid was close enough to me that I did not smell alcohol on him. The stupid jerk would not leave Buddy alone even though I told the guy to not pet my dog that he would bite. Even the two guys at the table told the kid to back off. I kept blocking him from touching Buddy, looking to get away from him. All the sudden, the kid started yelling and I knew he had to be on some type of drug. As the kid started to leave he got about 15 feet away when he turned toward me and bent over in somewhat of a crouch position and put both arms out and yelled. Buddy was on a 26” flex lead and I didn’t have my finger on the lock. Before you could say Boo, Buddy let out a vicious growl and took off toward the guy, jumped up and grabbed his arm land left a pretty good scratch on his arm, then turned and came back to me. The punk started yelling that my dog bit him and I and the two guys at the table told him that I had warned him more the 3 times to leave my dog alone or he would get bit. Being the responsible person I am, I told the kid to stay here and I would call the police and report that my dog bit him. That kid took off at a dead run to get out of the park. It was after, that I knew Buddy would bite anyone that tried to touch me and I was very proud of my Buddy.

Sorry Long Post,
Just thoughts that make me smile,
Peggy

Not a long post at all Peggy, I know I would enjoy reading more Buddy stories.

My condolences on Buddy's passing. I lost my best friend Koddie on April 20th, 2010. I had a wake for him and he was buried in a pet cemetary on a beautiful knoll. I visit his grave often because like your Buddy he was one special dog. So this is my advice, soon after I lost Koddie someone had asked me if I'd ever get another dog because they knew how devastated I was; I was shocked that they even asked because NOT getting another dog would be like saying that the last 6 weeks of Koddie's life (he developed cancer) were so horrible they outweighed the previous 12 years of love and friendship. Five months after his passing, I found myself with a little GSD hellion, who, while she has not filled the hole in my heart Koddie left she has certaintly dug her own.
You will find yourself making comparisons between Buddy and your new pup but in time that will go away and you will be able to remember Buddy with all the joy and love he gave you and find your heart has room left over to love someone else.
Forgive yourself, you did not cause Buddy's death it was his time, and he left knowing you loved him. Good luck to you.

Jodi, I'm sorry for your loss, what a nice place to lay Koddie to rest. Buddy was buried next to a rose bush on a friends property among their past dogs. I will be ordering him a headstone and will be able to go visit him also.

If I may ask, what type of cancer did Koddie have?

Sorry for your loss,
Peggy