Have you recently lost someone close to your heart? Are you unsure if your dog is affected or not?
Believe it or not, dogs can mourn as much as humans do. They also get attached to their pack members and their humans. Here are just some signs of a mourning dog.
1. He's becoming lethargic. (e.g. aloofness accompanied by loss of appetite).
2. He's becoming an insomniac or he's restless. On the other hand, he can also be sleeping more often.
3. His destructive behavior worsened. He can also become more vocal.
4. He stops playing his favorite games, toys or even people.
A friend of mine lost her dog after 14 years of companionship. Her parrot and other dog was really affected of it.
My mother-in-law passed away a few months ago, and their dog was definitely missing her. He seems to be better now, but he was definitely affected by her death. I can also recall when my grandfather passed away their dog was always looking for him. It took her a long time to realize he wasn't coming back. It is sad, because we can't explain it to them like we can another human being.
Thanks for posting and informing everyone of this; I know there are several people out there that wasn't aware that dogs could mourn a loss and I am one of them. I can't imagine how your friend's dog and bird must be going through after losing their companion of 14 years. That is a very long time and I know they must be wondering where they are. I wonder if dogs know that if their their loved ones are deceased or just currently away. Or does that even matter? I have had a dog pass away but I have never had more than one dog at a time, so I wouldn't know what it is like to be around a dog that is in morning. My boyfriend and I were thinking of adding another dog to the family and now I know all the signs to look for in case something happens to my animals.
This makes me understand how much dogs have the same emotions similar to human beings. No wonder they are a man's best friend because they are so
thoughtful and just amazing to have. I have seem dogs in mouning and it is one of the most difficult things to watch. It almost broke my heart when the puppy just layed near the tv with the saddest look on his face as if waiting for his owner to come through the door. I was never even aware that a dog can fully mourn until I saw this with my own two eyes. It is really something special that develops between an owner and their pet and this is a bond that is clearly very strong.
I have been aware of times where dogs have mourned their masters, as well as, mourning the loss of another pet. My brother had two boxers, both brothers of the same litter. This past week one of them died at age 12. The other boxer keeps looking for his brother and is very sad and lonely. I have heard stories about dogs laying on their owners graves or not wanting to leave their home without their owner, not knowing where he or she, has gone. So I agree that dogs have the sense of loss in them and they have emotions like humans to react in the same ways that we do. The love of a dog is one of the most treasured gifts given to mankind.
When my Dad died 2 1/2 years ago, Misha was 1 year old. I didn't realize it until about a month later that she was going through grief just like I was. Her behavior changed. It was as if she was a puppy without training all over again. She also became somewhat mean. It took months to work all of this out of her and get her back to where she was.
I suspect she was picking up on my emotions, too. It is upsetting to be around someone who is upset. Once I realized what was happening, I could work on it. But, I missed all the cues for the first few weeks.
Just this past Monday my In-laws had to put their old dog to sleep, his health problems were too bad. They have 2 other dogs and they have both been affected, one more obviously than the other, she keeps looking for him and waiting at the back door as if he is going to come back
My chihuahua was also close to him, I think she thought of him as her big boyfriend, she has been over there (they just live across the road) looking for him when I've let her out of the yard
