I have a dog too, a girlfriend and friends and family also but me and my dog are together 24/7, sleep in bed together, etc. At this point his death will be devastating, I already know it will completely wreck me.
I worry people will think it silly to go to pieces over the death of a dog, but I am right there with you, it is a massive loss.
I consider myself a huge "dog person", yet I don't own one. If I'm honest with myself, the fear of losing them someday is the biggest blocker to me getting one. I feel like I already have a lot of inner turmoil, and I'm not sure that all the joy my dog would bring me would compensate for the grief I'd inevitably feel when saying goodbye. My brain tells me this is the wrong way to look at it, but I can't help it.
Thus far my choice has been to live vicariously through other dog owners, i.e. visiting dog parks with my partner and playing with other peoples' dogs. I tell myself that, this way, I get to have all the upside of having a dog, with none of the downside. This feels like a complete and utter copout to me, and I have no defense against that argument except to say that I am emotionally fragile and don't have the inner fortitude it takes to let a dog into my life.
I worry people will think it silly to go to pieces over the death of a dog, but I am right there with you, it is a massive loss.