[Hondaracer]

We had a 10 year old husky that was our first dog, basically died in my arms one night because of a twisted stomach.. really the first time i experience true "death" and i was still 18 or somthing..

Dog's dieing really is a part of life though, they live seemingly tiny lives compared to humans, and i think its important to think about the good times you have with your companions as opposed to the sickly and dieing parts..

pretty much right after our Husky died my parents got a new dog, a lab, and then once he was about 5 we got a second dog, another lab. When you have two dogs they really do take care of eachother for the most part, especially if you have a yard they can run around in. In a lot of ways they are a burden as you say in terms of going on trips etc. but i think the benefits outweigh the negatives, and with 1 or 2 good dogs, they can easilly stay with friends/relatives for a week or more while you go away.

Dont let this experience sway you from getting another dog imo