I feel your pain brother. I had a St. Bernard that I was big time tight with. That big, hairy bastard was awesome. He was a little overprotective of my wife. If someone was over he would lay in the floor between whoever and my wife.
He's been gone 5 years. It sucks. I won't get another dog anytime soon because I get too attached to them.
Yeah...you know - it was a hard decision to "replace" (what a horrid word that doesn't come close to doing justice to long-time, loyal, and unconditional companions)/get another dog after Kodiak died.
I ended up getting another puppy a few months sooner than I was planning to -and- haven't regretted it.
I decided that I'd feel better & be happier giving another dog an awesome + loving home to live in ('cause...any dog of mine fucking hits the lottery when it lands in my house; seriously, my dogs have beds/sleep in 'people' beds, a fire place (w/ a bed in front of it) + a pool & a lagoon to swim in).
The other thing that really cinched it for me is that, my 2 favorite breeds (Akitas & Rotties) so often get used as fighting dogs and live miserable lives (Heh...just like their owners would if I ever met one:) that - in a way, I feel that I'm doing a good thing since there's a good chance that at least 1 of the dogs I've had over the years didn't have to live such a shitty life because I got it before "they" did.
I don't believe that there's ever been a "bad" dog...just bad people (likely insecure little pussies) trying to live vicariously through the lives of dogs that are brave & loyal enough to do the things that they never would/could themselves.
I've lived w/ a good amount of Akitas & Rotties, and have yet to meet a bad/mean one yet...
