First of all, my condolences on the loss of your friend. I've had many pets come and go during my life (we used to raise bird dogs), and it never gets any easier to say goodbye.
<<If I see a dog walking down the road I take him and look for id tags and if they don't have them I advertise it in the paper. The last thing I want is to have a dog ran over by a cruel person. If I can't find the owner then I find him one. >>
Found ads are free in the paper here...I can't let an animal just hang out on the side of the road when I could stop and pick it up. This philosophy has caused me to currently own 6 dogs, 5 cats. All are equal members of the family. I just figure I am destined to occasionally find stray animals and give them homes.
I think you've done yourself a favor by getting a new puppy already. He'll never replace your old dog, and he doesn't want to....he just wants to make you happy. That's the joy of pets.