I've had many dogs over the years and loved and enjoyed them all but have only had one soul mate.

They have been similar breeds to her and some totally different but when I decide to have another puppy I always have the hope that she will turn out to be another "special" one.

What's the chances of ever finding another soul mate?

Has anyone here had more than one special dog or am I lucky to have found just the one?

Out of the many, who have all been dearly loved in different way, there have been two who stood out from the rest. My first dal was special and I was devastated when she died suddenly, unexpectedly and avoidably, and I was quite ill. 20 years later her great-great-grandson Harry was my real 'dog in a million'; again not stunningly successful in the ring but such a total joy to own. Just looking at him made me smile and I realised at the time how lucky I was to have such a special boy. But tragically we lost him early too, for a totally different reason, and even 2½ years on remembering his loss brings tears to my eyes, even more so than my first one. For self-preservation reasons I don't think I want to love another one as much as that; I really couldn't bear to grieve like that again.

I've had more than one - right now Remy and Raine are my soul dogs, Linc maybe would be if he didn't drive me to distraction lol!

But the one that really stands out from everyone is (well, was) Soli.  I had a connection with that dog that no-one has had, even her last owner who raised her from 9 weeks.  Despite the rough start (she tried to bite me a fair few times, and if not for a thick fleece jacket would have succeeded on one occasion), she was absolutely my soul mate and it kills me that she's not here anymore.  I still struggle to get my head round it sometimes, if I think about it too much.

Raine is going to be the same I think - again with the rough bitey start, I think it's the turning around that does it.  I didn't even particularly like her to start with and I did think more than once of finding a more suitable home (in terms of River, not me, they are like squabbling sisters at times and it was really a problem at the start), but I stuck with her and I am so glad I did - I regularly get thumped with her whole bodyweight for a cuddle in the evening, and although her and River are still like siblings at war some days :-P they really do love each other.  It's going to absolutely crush me when I lose her.

> For self-preservation reasons I don't think I want to love another one as much as that; I really couldn't bear to grieve like that again.

Oh how I so agree..... but a part of me misses that total love...but maybe I just miss loving him! He was my first of the breed, 3 others since and 1 more death. I cannot describe how deeply I felt for him - a part of me died with him and I wanted to join him. He was my complete joy. Although I  love them all and was heartbroken when my 2nd boy also died so young, I was still grieving for the 1st nearly a year later, so the feelings were kind of confused in my mind and I felt I should have grieved for my 2nd more. Losing Both boys still brings me to tears at times, but I love remembering them and we still always talk about them :-)

Can't lie, I thought my boy was my soul mate for a long time until my bitch came along. She's naughty and cheeky with tons of personality, completely opposite to my boy. She frequently steals things, she barks at other dogs on walks, and is a right bugger to groom. But I'm in love with her and don't think I'll ever have another like her. Her daughter is similar to her but not the same.

For self-preservation reasons I don't think I want to love another one as much as that; I really couldn't bear to grieve like that again.

I thought that too, and I really tried for that not to happen...didn't work :-)

I lost who I thought would be my only soul dog when she was 6, I became so ill with the stress and grief I ended up in hospital, and I swore I'd never love another dog like that.
Spud ( Celeste's son ) had other idea's though, and without me noticing he made himself into my most precious boy.
I can't see Daisy filling his shoes, but I hope that at some point I will have another dog to follow in Celeste and Spud's footsteps.

ps. I'd like to mention that I have an underlying health problem that flares up with stress, I didn't end up in hospital because I lost the plot lol.

I've been fortunate to have had a few... my first dog was 5 when I had her and she and I bonded incredibly, but my first true 'soul mate' I think was my next shep - Kim - I provide an agility trophy for her and even now I can't speak when we give it out, someone commented on me crying just a year after I lost her, but I'm crying now, just thinking of her and I lost her 6 years ago.  I was very close to little Pepsi but perhaps my next soul mate was Jed, my first border collie, who I see occasionally even now - lost him far too early at 11 years old (as with Pepsi).  Now my 'closest' dog is perhaps Oswy but I love them all :-)  Until I lose them I say they're not worth having if you don't cry over their loss, but losing them is very hard

I have had that 'special one', I lost her 4 years ago this July and still grieve for her and I think I always will. I have at least one here at the moment who I feel is special but I don't believe they are my 'heart dogs' like Shola was. I think really that there never will be another Shola but I am very lucky in that she is in the pedigree of every single dog that lives with us now so I will always have 'my' Shola with me no matter what. There are times when they do that little something were we turn around and say ' that is just what Shola would do', 'doesn't that remind you of Shola', etc, so she is always here really, just can't cuddle her anymore which is miss. And so the tears start to flow again!!!!

Yes, I love all my dogs but I do have a soul mate and I do believe I am hers. She cuddles up tighter than the others and looks at me all doe eyed. My expression back at her is the same. We have a mutual appreciation thing going on lol

Thank the Lord she is not old for I do feel when she goes it will kill me.

I know that look so well. If I shut me eyes I still see the look as her eyes connected with mine. I really believe she used to look into my soul.

Raine is going to be the same I think - again with the rough bitey start, I think it's the turning around that does it.  I didn't even particularly like her to start with and I did think more than once of finding a more suitable home (in terms of River, not me, they are like squabbling sisters at times and it was really a problem at the start), but I stuck with her and I am so glad I did - I regularly get thumped with her whole bodyweight for a cuddle in the evening,

Sounds sooooo familiar, all of it. :)

> For self-preservation reasons I don't think I want to love another one as much as that; I really couldn't bear to grieve like that again

I absolutely agree but unfortunately we can't control that. After losing my heart dog (my first borzoi) and being devastated I tried not to get as attached to the rest, since then I've lost several dogs, all good friends and much loved but none have been as bad as losing Chaumie. However a certain little Princess has firmly wrapped itself around my heart now and I hate to think how hard losing her will be.

Oh, Celli, your post made me laugh till I cried!! You are indeed a loon!!(I know it wasn't intented to be funny but that last sentence......OMG!)

I love every one of my dogs differently and for different reasons.  Much the same as kids.  You don't really have a favourite, you just love for different reasons.  I thought my first Akita was the love of my life, but the rest after him sneaked into my affections for other things.  The bitch for hating me and making me work for her love, another bitch was such a loving mum, the first dog I bred myself, his kennel mate and how he was BF with another male(they were the odd couple) even though they weren't supposed to get on with same sex! Loads of silly reasons why I adored each and every one.

Given a choice though, I think my springer is the best dog I will ever own.  She knows me straight to my soul so much so the we don't need to talk in the field, she just knows what I want and watches me constantly, even when sleeping!  If I look at her, even if she can't see me, she knows and starts wagging her tail.  Now, how she does that, I'll never know!
But in saying all that, I still adore my other dogs too.  Saff has made such a fab mum and Ole Roobs has recovered from her cancer brilliantly.  All dogs are amazing and hopefully, I can be the owner they want too.

My Puds is mine. She just gets me and I get her :-)

I think all my collies have been my soulmates,and my gsd.The only one I could say wasnt,was my old Ben,a rescue collie I took on aged 14.I loved him,of course,but there wasnt quite that"under the skin"thing.

thats exactly it Alison. It does feel as if they look into your soul and us into theirs.

I don't get that intense feeling with the others, just her. It makes her very special to me.

Oh, Celli, your post made me laugh till I cried!! You are indeed a loon!!(I know it wasn't intented to be funny but that last sentence......OMG!)

Lol, well I just didn't want anyone to think I was a complete bam !

I have/had 3 dogs who have meant more to me than I could have ever realised... Megan, in 9 years we were only seperated when I was in hospital.. she came everywhere with me, slept under my desk at work, sat in the car while I shopped, and slept in my room.. and at 9 years old she was pts after being diagnosed with a brain tumour, I was devastated.

Tia, who is stil with me at a very young 8.5 years.. can manipulate me like Megan never could...

However, then there was Ollie.. my spawn of satan nighmare on legs. The most wonderful impetuous, demanding in your face, me me me dog anyone could Never wish for.. when I lost him to cancer at just 5 years old, I found out what grief really meant.. every now and again, it hits me like a brick.. real physical pain.

I now have his daughter, and 2 grand-daughters, and every so often, I find I have Ollie (in triplicate), with me for a short while :-)

My first Pomeranian was my soul mate.  I was only 9, life for me and my parents was hard at the time.  My brother was seriously illy and died a year later.  She was a brilliant girl but only lived until she was 9.  We've had some great Pomeranian's since but none matched up to her until a month ago.  My mum has just imported a boy and he's such a character, amazing.  I don't even live with him but can't wait to see him when I go there.

Again Dilita my first SWD was my soul mate.  Great girl, who everybody loved and she was such a brilliant girl.  Had her grandson Anton who was my fave but in a totally different way.  A nutter, loved everyone but sadly had to rehome him at 6 years as he used to attack my oldest SWD.  Did wonder if I'd ever have another one quite like him and luckily didn't have to wait long.  Now have Calida who is 4 years old, just a brilliant character who you just look at her face to bring a massive smile on your face.  She's just such a happy soul who brings sunshine into my life every day.

My first was Katie, she was in the first litter I bred and I loved her from when she was about 3 weeks old. I had to keep her although a different bitch was picked out as pick of litter by the stud dog owner. She was such a character, so confident and such fun, such a cheeky girl with a great sense of humour. She did an astonishing amount of winning for me as a complete novice too, but that was by the by. I still find Crufts emotional (she did so well there as a veteran) even after all these years, I lost her back in 2000.

Now it's her grandson, Bani. So like her in so many ways. He's nearly 12 now and I just weep at the thought of losing him even though he's fine at the moment, full of beans in fact, enjoying his walks, loving his food etc and he had great fun this morning playing with the pup. But I know that agonising times are ahead. I treasure every moment I have with him. 

> However a certain little Princess has firmly wrapped itself around my heart now and I hate to think how hard losing her will be.

The thought of it is just awful.  That's true of all my dogs but Remy I can't even begin to think about :-(  Raine at least is only 2, and she takes pretty strongly after the malinois side so I'm hoping she'll be around for a long time yet, but Remy is 9 now :-(  I hope he has a long time yet - I doubt he would have done if I hadn't learned everything I have about thyroid function (that alone is the reason he's finally nearly back to full health after 7 years of vets letting us down), but he is doing much, much better now :-)

I have had one, the Orange Dog, otherwise known as Abby.

When she arrived, I didn't like her, I didn't 'get' her, she was not what I wanted and I had been coerced and emotionally blackmailed into taking her on when I was waiting to see some breeders about Deerhound puppies.

She was practically the opposite of what I wanted, she ticked a long list of my 'absolutely do not wants'.... she was old, she was fawn, she was smooth coated, she was a she (and not only that but she was an unspayed, in season with lumpy boobs she!), the only thing that was right was that she was a sighthound!

She was terrified of many things, she thought we were trying to poison her by feeding raw meat, she had no idea what a sofa was for and she wanted to eat our cat!

Somewhere along the line, we clicked - I taught her some stuff, she taught me a LOT of stuff, she stopped wanting to kill all our dogs and the cat, primarily I believe because on some level she understood it would upset me. S he was the only dog who not only never slept on our bed (her own choice) but rarely ever ventured upstairs (again, her own choice)...

When she left I honestly thought I would never stop crying, I grieved more for that dog than for my own mother and I don't regret that or feel ashamed or as if that was wrong either. There was no question that we would have her ashes back and she sits on the bookcase behind me now,  watching over us all as she did in life!

My Sadie was a very special girl.I still cant come to terms with her passing and heartbroken.When out with my girls whom i love very much I grieve for her,I felt it wasnt her time to go,my husband brought Sadie home one day a short time after Penny went to the bridge,I couldnt take to her,after a few months and lots of lovely beach holidays she became my soulmate and grew into a beatiful girl.I always had her on a lead for steet walking,even though she didnt need one,she used to carry her lead into the vets,

sheila

My first dog was my special boy, in so many ways. But I love my first girl very nearly as much, she's very special too. The younger ones are lovable but not quite as special, not yet anyway. Hopefully they will be more special as we have more time together. But I'm lucky to have had 2 special ones to start with. There'll never be another dog to match Henry though. :-)

I lost my very special girl in Jan 03 in april 09 I handled her son in a veteran class which he won aged 12 years when the jugde asked me his breeding after the class I couldn,t speak without blubbing.
Never a day passes that I dont think of her my freind was looking at an old photograph of her the other day and said that little bich would have ridden a bike to the moon for you if you had asked her too and the tears came again.
You never forget them they are all a bit special but some just have that extra little bit,

Aww. I still remember the first show I went to afterwards, someone came over and said how sorry they were and I just burst into tears, so embarrassing! But of course they all understood. :-)

It does happen! :)

My first dog of my own was a labrador x cocker spaniel, who lived to be enarly 18. I had him for most of my life (25 now) and nothing was the same without him. I hadn't even imagined a world without him because I'd had him since I was such a young child, we did agility together, he'd come with my mam to collect me from school, sleep in my room.... he was like a real brother but better lol. Anyway, when I got my first dogs a few months after he died, I was very pleased with the pair of them and thought they were great and all....but yet...day 2 of having them home I was in my bedroom in tears telling my partner that we hadn't BONDED and I'd love them and take care of them but they just weren't HIM and i'd never find a companion like him again. Fast forward a few years, we did bond. Hugely. One of my dogs now is like my best friend, we even seem to think alike. lol. I cannot imagine life without him and can't believe I found another heart dog. My other dogs are amazing too and I adore them but sometimes just one becomes the VERY ultimate heart dog..... and that's my boy :) :)