I am so sorry to hear about Brock. Losing our Boxer boy was one of the hardest things my husband and I have suffered. We have both each lost a parent which is also a horrible thing but when we lost our Tigger it was like a piece of our hearts went with him.
In time the tears and pain will ease but that part of your heart never returns. Our boy was three weeks past his sixth birthday when we had to put him down because of lymph node cancer.
I cried for weeks. I slept with his favorite stuffed pig every night. I am in my forties and felt like I was a child. I was embarrassed by my behavior but I could not help myself. For us, it was like losing a child.
We still have days when we call our Woody by Tigger's name. There is not a day that goes by that I do not wish that he was still here. There will never be another dog like him. However, he will live forever in our hearts.
I am so incredibly sorry for your loss. For me, hearing the stories of other peoples losses made me feel normal. I wish our dogs could live as long as we do. May they all leave footprints on our hearts.
With sympathy,
furrykidmom