I can empathise with how you must be feeling, as my mother and I lost our first Bichon, Teddy, when he was only 2 (he escaped and was run over by a lorry [truck] :cry: ).
I was only 18 at the time and he was like a baby to me, so I was devastated.
I have 3 dogs now and one is a Bichon. Although you can never replace a beloved pet, I think it still helps a little, to have a new furry person to cuddle!