(((((((((((Sirona))))))))))) Grieving is such an individual thing...there is no right or wrong way to go about it...it just IS. With hospice and bereavement counseling in my background I have learned that one should never look for things to return to "normal" again...when people we love and care about are now gone forever from our lives then life will never again be "normal". You will, however, find a NEW normal to your life eventually...and the labor of grief(labor just as in childbirth!) can take as long as it has to take...People mean different things to us in our lives, therefore our grieving for each individual we lose may be a different type of grief...but the pain in our souls is no less important or real. Having good days, then being brought to your knees suddenly another day is all part of the process. Its awful, but it will get better. As someone so wisely told you, just get into it...go to that painful place when it raises its head...embrace it.
The best thing to help us heal and to be able to move on is to be able to express our grief...be able to talk about the person to someone, which is why counseling is sometimes called for if we don't have someone in our life who can be there to just listen and allow us to go through the process without getting tired of hearing us! Don't ever apologize for your grief....it is a testimony of your love for the person... If a person doesn't acknowledge their grief and tries to bury it, be strong, be in denial or whatever, it most surely will raise its head somewhere down the road and MAKE you deal with it at a later date, possibly less convenient time! As you said..."Remember me??"
The many things we can grieve over, the losses we experience in life( through divorce, being DF, moving away, etc) only compound our sense of loss when a physical death of a loved one has occured. I agree with the thought that you should try to find a solution so that you can keep your dog...having to give it up at this point would only add another hole in your heart! And animals can be such a comfort to us...you need that happy face to come home to at the end of your day!!
My thoughts are with you...and I have a ton of resources I can share on grief...pm me if you want to talk or I can help in any way....hugs.... bythesea