Dog Grief

Reflecting on the past three and a half months, I have learned some things about grieving the loss of a beloved dog:

1. Three months is not enough time to prepare for the loss.
2. Three months is not enough time to "get over" the loss, either.
3. I have zero regrets about a single dollar I spent to get those three months after his diagnosis. I would have done the same thing even if I had known in advance that I would only be able to buy three months. I never think about the money I spent as if I could have spent it on something else. No regrets there. (On the other hand, I think I would regret not trying everything that I tried, but that is only me in my circumstances. If Cash had been older or in more pain or if I did not have the resources I had at the time to try everything, I would have made different decisions. No judgment here.)
4. Besides the passage of time, I have not found anything that helps alleviate the horrible grief associated with losing an animal that you spent more time with than any other thing or person in your entire life. 
5. You can avoid hearing other people's ridiculously inappropriate opinions on euthanasia if you simply say that your dog "died of [cancer]" rather than referring to "putting him down" or anything like that. Euthanasia is not something that people can understand until they have been put in that horrible position with their own pet. My dog died of cancer. 
6. I struggle a lot with the fact that I had to make the decision to put Cash to sleep. I wanted nothing more than the cancer to stop his heart so that I would not have to make that decision.
7. You do not need anyone else to tell you when is the "right time" to let your dog die. You know your dog, so you will know when he has reached the limit of what he can handle. There may be other factors that influence your decision. That is okay. You don't owe anyone an explanation.
8. Your grief is compounded by watching your other pet(s) grieve and being unable to offer them any explanation or comfort for their loss.
9. For me, memorializing Cash's life by burying his body and marking the grave was a cathartic experience. I think it helped me begin to start healing.
10. I have not found anything else that helps.
11. Looking at pictures and videos does not help.
12. Getting another dog (even a puppy) does not help. In some ways, it makes it harder.
13. Getting another dog may help your other pet(s) who are grieving.
14. Do not get a young puppy if your other dog is older or just less energetic than a young puppy. The annoyance to your other dog probably negates however much the puppy helped.
15. Every now and then, when I'm alone with Tub, I pet her and tell her that I still miss him too. I think it helps her to hear it. I know it helps me to say it out loud.