Help us try to replace our best friend Chloi...

 A video of Chloi (she liked to play with the street dogs in Athens!!...)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TZo60sF3zBI

Seth I am no help with what breed but she was a pretty girl.  I am sorry to hear of your loss and good luck with a new family member.

What a pretty girl!  I'm so sorry for your loss.  Honestly, I don't think she was a Cocker Spaniel/Brittany mix.  Britts and Cockers have different shaped heads, and both breeds have ears that hang down and are feathered.  I'm so glad you posted a picture of her standing near something for size comparison as I'm not good at converting kilos to pounds.  She could have been a mix of more than two breeds.  I think Border Collie was probably one of them.  Brittany could be one of the other ones.

Thanks both of you for your replies and your kind words! I'm glad you agree with us that she was a beautiful dog :). We do miss her every day. I think only other dog owners can understand that.

So perhaps some Border collie in there eh? This is becoming something of a mystery! Anybody else have any suggestions at all? Chloi was 22 pounds in US measurements.

Not going on looks, but we think she had some Jack Russell in there somewhere, because of her energy!

Seth.27

...Not going on looks, but we think she had some Jack Russell in there somewhere, because of her energy!

 Border Collies have at lot of energy, too .    Another breed that just came to mind that your dog might have bveen mixed with- the English Shepherd.  http://www.google.com/search?source=ig&hl=en&rlz=&q=english+shepherd&aq=f&oq=&aqi=g10

I totally understand about missing her every day.  It's been three years since our beloved Mick died.  We have another wonderful Lab, Caleb, who I love dearly.  But I still miss my old man.

My suggestion has nothing to do with breeds. 

I don't know you at all well, and please forgive me if I sound brash -- it is not intended.

My breath caught when I saw the title of your post "Help us try to replace our best friend ..." (my emphasis)

You can.t.  You won't.  You honestly should *not* even try. 

She was unique.  She was ... simply ... Chloi.  She was a completely un-comparable mix, not only of breeds, but of her own unique style and personality.  Her breed (s) history truly had somewhat to do with her personality, but likely far less than you may know.

Trying to 'replace' a dog truly is often a mistake -- because Chloi was unique.  Even *if* you had the exact same mixture of whatever breeds -- it would *not* be Chloi.  And there would always be the inevitable comparisons.  It's not fair to you and it's really not fair to the new dog.  Because there will never *be* another Chloi. 

If she had been mass produced -- it would have made her "less" somehow.  Her uniqueness was part of her strength and part of what makes her so incredibly memorable.

Can I respectfully make a suggestion?  Why not sit down with family members and start absolutely from ZERO. 

Rather than make a list of Chloi's good points to try to find again -- approach it completely from a different angle. 

1.  Make a list of requirements you have/need in a dog now and for the next 20 years or so.  Size, coat, color, temperament, energy level. 

OR ... make a list of things that would be UN-acceptable.  Perhaps the dog needs to be under a certain size ... or maybe at least a certain size. 

What things do you want to do with a dog?  Swimming, boating, sports?  Or mostly companionship? 

How much energy and personal time do you have to devote to a dog?

Are you interested in rescue?  Or is a puppy practical for you (rearing a puppy *today* may be quite different from when Chloi was a puppy -- can you spare that kind of time agan, that kind of energy again, are you willing to expend the effort on the chewing stage?).

There are no *wrong* answers to any of these questions -- just what your individual needs are and your own preferences.

2.  Then collect a few books -- or browse some websites regarding breeds or rescues.  Simply do some open-ended looking to find the dog that uniquely needs you ... and the one *you* need. 

Personally, I'm quite addicted to rescue.  You can see none of my dogs are alike -- nor are any of them similar in age.  We like it that way.  But each has come to us needing *us*.  That's our own personal requirement. 

As I say -- there are no "wrong" answers -- only what works for you. 

But you will honestly find your search far more fun and far more fulfilling if you allow Chloi to be unique -- and not try to find a dog like her. 

My guess is -- she was very very special.  I hope you can celebrate that ... and allow her to be as unique as she was, and thereby allow yourselves the privilege of finding a new, absolutely unique friend to be loved by and to love in return.

As I said -- as an American, I may seem brash, and I truly mean no disrespect at all.  Your description of Chloi glows -- she must have been very very special. 

Callie, the word replace made my heart stutter, too.  But, after reading the post, I realized the OP isn't from America, and thought maybe he only picked the wrong word.   

As usual, Callie- you provided a lot of very good suggestions!

To micksmom, thanks for another suggestion. To callie, thanks for being so honest!..

It is very possible we are looking at this in the wrong way. I know we will never replace Chloi, and it is maybe unhealthy thinking in terms of race when it is time to find a new companion (we are waiting at least one year to be fair to all of us). Of course I do know that it isn't the dog's breed that matters, it's the same for all animals: if I didn't think that, I would be nothing less than a racist! But hearing from more experienced dog owners is why I cam to this forum in the first place, so it's very good of you to confront me on this way of thinking.

'Replace' was clearly the wrong word, I did afterwards add 'try to replace' to the heading to make it sound less heartless. For me that word doesn't mean we need a dog exactly like Chloi- it means a dog who will eventually take her place in our family. We don't have children, so this is a very big place to fill! Right now we have a plush toy dog who looks a little like Chloi... we take it from room to room and talk to it sometimes to help us feel like she isn't totally gone. Might sound strange but it has helped a huge amount.

Without sounding too defensive of myself, I just want to mention that I am not trying to find the exact breed of Chloi so that we can try to find another one 'the sane'. It has just been really bothering me that I don't even know what mix she was! Can any of you imagine not knowing that about your own dogs? Breed matters little to us in reality, and that's how we could go through nine years without even giving it much thought: she was just Chloi, everyone said she was pretty, and we loved her. That was more than enough. Without wanting to offend anyone who ever thought about this, but to me the fact that there exists dog cloning facilities so people can have an exact copy of their pet is nothing less than sick (sorry if that sounds harsh, too).

Perhaps it would be better to start a new thread- help us choose a new, different, dog who isn't a 'replacement'! I think we want a dog with plenty of energy who can join us running, exploring, and playing. One who can manage being in an apartment (temporarily) and is friendly. Obedience is important, and trainability. So this last point rules out two of my favourite breeds, Jack Russells (hard to train, I've heard) and Beagles (follow only their noses, not their owners!)

I do really appreciate the honesty in your replies. I want to be sure we find the right animals to join us. For me a rescue dog isn't out of the question; we will hopefully be volunteering next month for a week on Ko Samui at the dog rescue centre during our holidays. There are so many unloved animals out there, perhaps we should see the dog and not the breed, and let him or her take us by surprise!...

Seth.27

'Replace' was clearly the wrong word, I did afterwards add 'try to replace' to the heading to make it sound less heartless. For me that word doesn't mean we need a dog exactly like Chloi- it means a dog who will eventually take her place in our family. We don't have children, so this is a very big place to fill! Right now we have a plush toy dog who looks a little like Chloi... we take it from room to room and talk to it sometimes to help us feel like she isn't totally gone. Might sound strange but it has helped a huge amount.

For many -- especially if it is your first "loss"  - it IS a journey, so I think this is probably a good thing for you to go thru.  You were wise to seek input.

But even more -- I'm going to add one more thought.  Not arguing semantics or words -- but particularly since you are suggesting rather forceful animals in terms of personality (terriers tend to be that way) you might choose to think of it as "**making** her place in our family".  That's how a family is formed.  If we all simply assume one is going to fill a particular "place" we tend to get dissatisfied if they don't perform -- but rather learning to accept what comes and work with it to mold it all to work together.

My husband and I are likely very unusual -- as you can see I have four **very** different dogs.  All rescues.  All acquired at different times in their lives.  We've only ever had TWO dogs that were alike -- we had previously another English cocker -- but **very** different in personality from Billy.  We did so VERY reluctantly simply because there was no 'replacing' Muffin and we didn't want to try, but Billy so obviously needed us (and he was actually "chosen" by one of our other dogs at the time -- a sheltie/corgi mix).

We like it this way -- we always seek for "different" but we are actually VERY choosey because we also know what will and won't work for us in terms of drive, needy-ness, size, and personality.  We do pet therapy (meaning we take our dogs to hospitals, nursing homes, where sick children are, etc.) altho each of them have **separate** gifts.

But part of the *fun* for us -- and I choose that word whole-heartedly -- is learning the different nuances of what each breed is like.  Luna is a ***HOUND*** (hear the baying  aaaa-rooooooooooooooooooooooo in the background of your mind??? sheesh) -- she thinks with her nose **FIRST**, the brain's cognitive portion is quite a distant 'second'.  But -- altho she takes a LONG time to train to something, once she does she's solid.  Temperament wise she's the most patient dog I've ever seen (with children, with other dogs, etc.)

The pug?  Oh my gosh ... she is a PUG!!!!!  fun fun fun ALL the time.  But she was rescued from a dire situation and VERY ill ... (look at some of her pictures in my photo area -- she nearly died from horrific skin infections), and that too worked to actually birth in her compassion. 

Billy is naturally exhuberant and sweet -- but he also had come from an abusive situation ... and he's got his "issues" -- but part of the bond was created in training.

Kee Shu was one of life's throwaways.  She came to us very old (probably about 14-15) and she's likely 18 or 19 now.  But again, despite her breed, her background has given her a sweetness and just a thankfulness for a good environment.  A peke who likes BABY humans?  Unheard of.  But she has been a wonderful therapy dog -- now very very elderly. 

But if you have the patience and the mindset to train it's a great way to just try for the dog who speaks to your heart and then commit to it and go with it.  You have to be careful ... but open. 

The groundwork you lay now is critical.  Have a FUN journey tho. 

Seth.27

There are so many unloved animals out there, perhaps we should see the dog and not the breed, and let him or her take us by surprise!...

This is so true.  Good luck and I know the right dog for your family is out there. 

 Like most mixes, Chloi likely was a combination of several different breeds making it hard to do much other than guess based on how she looks what those breeds may have been.

  There is nothing wrong with wanting another dog "like" one you had that was a well loved member of your family. Lots of owners want dogs like their other dogs, which is why so many people hav a certain breed always - they like the traits common in that breed. All dogs, like people have unique personalities though. You can meet people that you have a lot in common with but you'll never be the exactly same as anyone else. Same with dogs, even related dogs who share characteristics will not have the same personality. I have a pack of dogs who are the same breed and all look the same (a breed without a lot of differences in looks). The dogs are all related to each other and related to many other dogs I know. All have a lot in common but they are also all are unique.

  What traits did you admire most about Chloi? Would you like a dog who had similar looks and/or size or does that not matter at all? It sounds as though you alreday know that no dog will ever be just like Chloi but there is certainly no harm in looking for a dog who has things in common with her.