Sorry for your loss man; I've been thru it a few times with 14 plus/minus year old dogs. I spent 14 of the most adventurous years of my life with my Chocolate Lab, "Red". He was the greatest dog. I lived in Colorado and Wyoming and he loved those mountains and streams. He would swim behind my canoe for miles. It's hard to replace a dog like that.
Pure bred dogs need homes too, or they are going to be out of luck too. No problem with the shelter idea though.
I think a person like you can help the dog world by getting another dog as soon as possible, help a puppie or dog out. Some people wait a long time, but I think it is good therapy for them to get a new dog as soon as possible so that they can continue to express their feelings and get that special feedback that only a dog can give you. They are good for your health too and a new one might ease the loss of your last beloved dog, knowing that you are doing something good for dogs in general. Plus a puppy is going to keep you on your toes; ha ha.
Good luck man and I think when you see the one for you that you will "know" it immediately, so pay attention to your feelings as you check them out. You'll see one that you just "know" is the one for you.
We have three Black Labradors all over 130 lbs. One male and one pure bred Lab female, the mother of our half pure bred lab/half pure bred Newfoundland - she is a beautiful big dog with fluffier fur than the pure bred Labs and a rounder face, but she has the happiest personality and is the most loving and smart dog. I can't believe how alert she is.
Newfoundlands are known for their intelligence and in the Maritime Provinces they have been known to often, of their own volition and decision making, swim out to victims of ship or boat wrecks and save drownding people; circling around the drownding victims until they realize they are supposed to grab onto the big tail and get pulled to shore. In their minds they can tell who is drownding from the others that are okay or can swim. Imagine that? Fact.
The Coast Guard uses them to jump out of hovering helocopters and rescue people in very rough seas, etc., and drag them via a trailing handle type thing, back under the tremendous down draft of the rotors so that they can lower a guy to get the rescued person up into the copter, then he goes down and brings the dog up. They launch themselves out the door from twenty or more feet above the waves with enthusiasm. Check it out on National Geographic TV if you can some day.
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