DDR;
My friend, as I breeder, obvious dog lover and one who; "Is allowed to live in the house, only because the 4 dogs that occupy it, "said it was okay, if I behaved", I can sure understand your feelings about "another dog" and I'm sorry for all the losses that friends have posted here so far.
"Loosing a Fur Kid", a family member, a best friend who NEVER questions you or your motives..... just agrees, because "that's what dogs do", is a tough thing to to go through. The adoptive families, Linda and I adopt our dogs to, will often come to our kennels with the idea and feelings of "REPLACING, the family member they've lost".

The very first thing we suggest to these families if to "NEVER, EVER, try and "replace" the loved one, you've lost!" It's impossible to do, even adopting the same breed, dog, that you may have lost. "Replacing a dog", is exactly like "trying to duplicate a lost human member of a family", there's no way it can be done!
If one adopts a new dog, on the assumption of "replacing, the one lost", they're being unfair to themselves, as well as, to the new dog. If you start looking for your new "Fur Kid" to be as smart, as quick, as funny, as dumb acting, as whatever....... that your lost companion was, there's no way, that's going to happen. Maybe "close", but still "no cigar".
Adopt you new Fur Kid, just like you'd welcome a new baby to the family. Namely, watch it, study it and see how it will develop into its OWN personality and disposition!
As we also tell, adoptive families, adopting a "replacement dog", is one of the great things about getting a new dog, after the death of a lost pet, is the fun and joy of discovering "just, who, your new companion is going to be"!!
Taking care of this new, young and dependent Fur Kid, is great "therapy" for the grieving process, we all go through, as well.

People often make the mistake of missing out on having that love and faithfulness around them, they once cherished so much, because they're trying to "duplicate, replace and copy", that which they once had. It doesn't happen, that way, fortunately or unfortunately, because every dog, every breed, every new puppy is just that......... "new"!
This has been a great post, thank you, Denny for starting it!