Sorry to hear about your dog Greg. I lost one a few years ago, and I thought I was ready for it, since she was old, but man was I wrong. It was very painful.
Taking my dog out to track has become one of my favorite parts of the hunt. I'll even go get him when I don't really need him, just to have fun and practice. And he's such a good boy, I'm even thinking of putting him up in the stand with me and/or stalking. I've been working with him to sneak through the woods so that I can stalk with him, and he seems like a natural.