I'm really sorry, I work in a puppy store and we get a lot of goldens in. We also get a lot of people who come in and have to buy a puppy right away since their own had passed away. The best advice I can give is to not wait too long, the longer you wait the more you won't want to fill the void. I would be devastated if my dog died, hes a monster of a rottie at 190 pounds but is scared of his own shadow and likes to wrestle. He's just turning two soon.