Is it normal to get this sad over a dog?

My condolences. Some people don't understand the death of a pet is like having your heart ripped out of your chest. He's irreplaceable. It's important to be grateful. He's not suffering anymore and you gave him the best life he could have. Respect his cheeky little attitude by remembering all the good times and be thankful for the opportunity you had to know him and spend time with him. xxx

Your dog is like your best friend. You get close to them like you get close with a kid, a friend, etc. It's completely normal to feel like this.

Sorry to hear about that sweetie! I still find tears welling up sometimes when i think about my pet doggie (Shownna) i had years back almost at your age. He was like my shadow. I still cherish our memories so sweet. I know it sounds childish but I felt (still feel) he was the little brother i never had.

Perfectly normal, losing a cherished long term pet is about as close as anyone will get to losing a family member (without actually losing said family member).

Over time you will cry a little less, and not feel as sad, but they are always there.

One of the most touching pieces of writing I have ever seen on the subject is by Ernest Montague:

"Some of you, particularly those who think they have recently lost a dog to 'death', don’t really understand this. I’ve had no desire to explain, but won’t be around forever and must.

Dogs never die. They don’t know how to. They get tired, and very old, and their bones hurt. Of course they don’t die. If they did they would not want to always go for a walk, even long after their old bones say: 'No, no, not a good idea. Let's not go for a walk.' Nope, dogs always want to go for a walk. They might get one step before their aging tendons collapse them into a heap on the floor, but that's what dogs are. They walk.

It’s not that they dislike your company. On the contrary, a walk with you is all there is. Their boss, and the cacaphonic symphony of odor that the world is. Cat poop, another dog’s mark, a rotting chicken bone (exultation), and you. That’s what makes their world perfect, and in a perfect world death has no place.

However, dogs get very very sleepy. That’s the thing, you see. They don't teach you that at the fancy university where they explain about quarks, gluons, and Keynesian economics. They know so much they forget that dogs never die. It’s a shame, really. Dogs have so much to offer and people just talk a lot.

When you think your dog has died, it has just fallen asleep in your heart. And by the way, it is wagging its tail madly, you see, and that’s why your chest hurts so much and you cry all the time. Who would not cry with a happy dog wagging its tail in their chest. Ouch! Wap wap wap wap wap, that hurts. But they only wag when they wake up. That’s when they say: 'Thanks Boss! Thanks for a warm place to sleep and always next to your heart, the best place.'

When they first fall asleep, they wake up all the time, and that’s why, of course, you cry all the time. Wap, wap, wap. After a while they sleep more. (remember, a dog while is not a human while. You take your dog for walk, it’s a day full of adventure in an hour. Then you come home and it's a week, well one of your days, but a week, really, before the dog gets another walk. No WONDER they love walks.)

Anyway, like I was saying, they fall asleep in your heart, and when they wake up, they wag their tail. After a few dog years, they sleep for longer naps, and you would too. They were a GOOD DOG all their life, and you both know it. It gets tiring being a good dog all the time, particularly when you get old and your bones hurt and you fall on your face and don’t want to go outside to pee when it is raining but do anyway, because you are a good dog. So understand, after they have been sleeping in your heart, they will sleep longer and longer.

But don’t get fooled. They are not 'dead.' There’s no such thing, really. They are sleeping in your heart, and they will wake up, usually when you’re not expecting it. It’s just who they are.

I feel sorry for people who don’t have dogs sleeping in their heart. You’ve missed so much. Excuse me, I have to go cry now."

And so do I. :'(

You poor thing! Your little dog was your buddy for years. Of course you are upset! I am so close to my dog that when the day comes (gulp) I know I will be devastated. Don't let anyone tell you how to feel or how to grieve.

This is very normal and not over dramatic. You lost a family member/friend that was a huge part of your life. People just chalk it up to "it's just an animal", but they don't get it or just won't admit to understanding. My dog Blackie passed away a few years ago and I still get sad from time to time. I miss her greeting me when I came home, I miss running with her, rubbing her belly, walking her, playing with her and just being around her.

I remember when I was growing up(age 10-17), I'd take her for walks and creepy dudes that looked to be in their 30's would follow behind me saying shit like "hey mami" or "hey sexy". I'd tell them my age and they'd still bother me. Blackie picked up on my uncomfortable feeling and was ready to attack. I liked when she protected me.
:)

sorry to hear that also. be thankful for the time u had together. I just lost a black lab after 14 years. it hurts and u miss them. take care