Dear Searching: Losing a dog, whether through unexpected accident or old age, is never an easy experience. It takes time to heal the sadness you will feel from the loss of your pet. While it may seem necessary to go out and get another dog immediately, the best thing you can do right now is to wait. Give yourself time to grieve and remember the wonderful life you shared with your pet.

From your question, I see several issues going on that need to be addressed. My first concern is how did the dog drown? Most hound breeds, including the Dachshund, are not known as exceptional swimmers. I’d like to know if the dog was left unattended in the pool or perhaps wandered over and fell in and couldn’t get out. Whatever the cause, before you consider another dog, please prevent access to the pool by putting up a fence so the dogs can’t get in. Always try and be poolside if your dog does decide to go for a dip. More importantly, teach your dog how to calmly enter and exit the pool. Many dogs panic and are at risk for drowning, especially if left unsupervised, when they try to get out of the pool. Make sure your dog knows how to safely get out.

Best Breeds

I’m curious as to how you selected the three breeds for a replacement dog. Looking at the age of your child and the breed of your other dog, a large German Shepherd, I would tend to steer you away from any of those breeds. It seems you want something smaller than your current dog, with short fur and is a capable swimmer. After you teach your dog the basics of the pool, why not get a breed that loves water, like a Labrador Retriever.

Plus, a larger sporting breed is more compatible with your shepherd in terms of size. Getting a small breed puppy not known for swimming could be a disaster in the making. The large shepherd could inadvertently injure the young pup during playtime based solely on the size difference. And while some dogs may come with shorter fur; remember that all dogs will shed.

As for your other wants – sweet and loving, good-natured and intelligent – who doesn’t want that? Much of what you seek in a good companion can be accomplished through early socialization and proper obedience training on your part.

Birthday Gifts

And finally, just forget about getting a six-year-old a dog for his birthday. That’s about the worse idea I have ever heard of. Your child maybe upset over the loss of the family pet, but he is in no way capable of the responsibility of caring for another living being. Youngsters have shorter attention spans than adults and certainly lack the resources and skills to deal with a puppy at their tender age.

Do the whole family a favor and focus on the current pet, since she too may be feeling the loss of a canine buddy. Give her extra attention, discover new places for walks, and enroll her in a class of some sort, like obedience or agility. Let your young son learn about proper dog care from an older adult dog that knows the ropes and is already tolerant of small children. As your child grows and can demonstrate sustained responsibility for the family pet, then consider getting him a dog of his own.

Lisa Peterson, a long-time breeder of Norwegian Elkhounds, is the Club Communications Manager at the American Kennel Club. Contact her at ask@lisa-peterson.com  or Dogma Publishing, P.O. Box 307, Newtown, CT 06470.