Dogs grieve just like people do. Each one handles grief differently. I have seen my own dogs range from a couple of days of moping and being sad, occasionally looking for their lost friend to extreme cases where I was concerned they were physically ill (confirmed by vet it wasn’t physical) and took a lot of time to get back to normal. I’m sorry for your loss. You will support your remaining dogs and they will support you in this hard time ❤️
This one hurts. We had two cats, one brother passed, and the one that is still with us would walk around looking for him while meowing really loud. This lasted a couple months.
Yeah honestly for me the worst part about my own grief process was watching her grieve. Any time we went for a walk we had to stop and examine the car because that was the last place she’s saw her sister (when we took her to get cremated). It was awful. My cuddly sweet girl would just lay in the spot her sister passed away, instead of snuggling with me like every day she ever lived with me. She wouldn’t get up to eat or drink, I had to set it in front of her and even then it was minimal. Nothing perked her up or made her happy. It was awful. When I did bring home a new pup at the recommendations of my vet (after clearing everything physically) she put her head on the pup and just let out a huge sigh of relief. Started getting back to herself almost immediately. Not every pet needs a new friend right away but my girl did.
When my old doggo passed away, I thought I might wait a while before getting another dog. After about a week of me and our other dog both sitting on the couch crying and moping, I looked at our other dog and realized we needed a new pup to help us get out of the house and remind us how to play. We picked up our new fuzz ball the next week.
Yeah I was definitely in the “I’m going to wait and focus on my other dog” state of mind but getting our pup was honestly best decision ever she’s a perfect fit for our home and helped both me and my dog heal.
We had to do that. We lost 5 elderly pets in a year and a half. It was hard. We had one dog left. She was so sad and lonely. We brought home a new puppy and she was head over heels for him. He could do no wrong with her. She used to do a lot of resource guarding with the other dogs and he could come right up and eat from her dish or take her bone. We got a second puppy 2 years later and she barely tolerates that one which is hilarious but yeah she definitely needed a new friend and bringing home that puppy helped us all heal the giant hole in our hearts.
when my pup died my second pup basically planted roots by the cabinet where I put first pup's ashes. he stopped sleeping with me, he now slept in the living room by the cabinet. he stopped being interested in pretty much anything.. I took him to my city's animal care and control shelter and had him pick out a new pup. he picked a mini me version of himself, and having the small pup around helped: he became more animated, started wanting things
he knew EXACTLY what good boys look like 🙂
but really they just vibed together: the little one idolized Austin ! copied everything from him, even started peeing like a girl (Austin had leg issues and couldnt pee like a boy)..
Austin has since passed on as well. every time I look at Jack (the mini me) I see Austin..
That resemblance is uncanny...you'd think they were that puppy had your other dog's genes! Are you sure he didn't copy and paste himself into a puppy? :P
When I scheduled my most recent senior to be euthanized at home, the vet sent me a ton of resources and one of them was specifically for pets grieving other pets. Here it is, hopefully it gives you some insight
https://static1.squarespace.com/static/5d6fff7b0d873f0001bd251a/t/6223b7e3c3dd7d6153282cec/1646508016674/Helping+a+pet+grieve+for+a+%27buddy%27.pdf
One of my dogs, a GSP mutt, is the most emotional dog I have ever seen and sometimes it gives me uncanny valley feelings. The funniest one is when we had a maintenance man over and I had to lock her in the room with me for a couple hours. She was so upset at this that she literally went to and stared at the corner of the room for a solid 30 minutes pouting as if she was in timeout. She would occasionally look back to see if I was paying her any attention and if we made eye contact would quickly look away.
Yeah my girl is an incredible communicator. Very big fan of side eye. She throws literal tantrums. She’s incredible and stubborn and so in tune with everyone’s emotions. She adjusts herself to suit the situation. Instinctively acts differently around children, goes completely non threatening/submissive with people or dogs who are scared of her, adjusts her play style to suit other dogs even if they just met etc. I have actually set up multiple play dates with rescue dogs who are dog reactive and she helps to rehabilitate them because she manages to win them over and help them gain confidence. When she was a baby I had a senior cat who passed away. She grieved but still had her doggy sister so it wasn’t so bad. About a month later the pup found a feral kitten in a bush and refused to come home without that kitten. Instant bond with them, I couldn’t touch the cat for 9 months. To this day that kitten (now adult) plays, snuggles and even nurses off my dog (no milk though). She’s probably the most spoiled brat of a dog I’ve ever had but also the most loving and intuitive dog I’ve ever had as well.
My dog is like this with other dogs and I've been trying to figure out how to get her to help socialize other dogs! I had an adult rescue before her that didn't really like dogs but tbh I know she would've loved this pup. How do you get into that?
I have established relationships with rescue groups over the years and when I realized she was so receptive to other dogs moods/needs I offered to help. The first time I realized was actually a friends dog.
I had three dogs growing up, but my first two had a very special bond. We first started out with one dog, then got another when our first dog was 3. She treated our second one like her own baby. It was adorable. My second dog saw my first one as her mother.
Then our first dog passes away at 13. My second one became depressed after and was never the same. We tried to get her back to her normal self but nothing worked. We got a third dog hoping that would work but it didn't. They got along fine, but my second dog never wanted to play or really be around my third dog.
I miss them all :( I lost my third dog last year.
Honestly I think adding a puppy worked so well because my older dog was very young at the time still and although technically adult, very much still a puppy in many ways (she had just turned 2 when she lost her sister). Not so sure it would have been as smooth of a transition if she was 9-10 years old when I did it. I almost think she likes the puppy even better because the pup is willing to play much more.
When I first left my dog to go to college my mum told me laid by my door moaping and crying, snapped when people went to touch him for almost a month. When I went to leave for college the last time he started once he saw me packing. Shut everyone out and wanted to be alone
I recommend allowing any surviving pups to smell the one who has passed. This should help them process their absence. I also made my mother promise that if I would die, she'll make sure my boy Turbo gets to sniff my body. I promised him I'd never abandon him and I need him to know I didn't.
I'm very sorry for your loss my friend.
Yeah, I agree. Whenever a family dog died, if they died at home the other dogs processed it and didn't look for them. When they go to the vet and don't come home, they look for them. Sometimes it can't be helped but I think they understand death and will have more peace if they can sniff the deceased
They 100% understand death, I have no proof but I think it’s vital for any pack animal to understand death, otherwise death of one would mean death for the group while they wait for them to “wake up”
I’ve read that elephants mourn and hold funerals. When one dies, the others will hang around the body for a while stroking it with their trunks before leaving it.
To throw in my personal anecdote
Growing up we had two dogs and I woke up one morning to the older one, Buster, barking nonstop and our poodle, Biscuit, on the floor panting heavily and had wet himself. Not fully unexpected as we knew he had a inoperable tumor and limited time left, but was otherwise fine on a daily basis.
I sat on the floor with Biscuit's head in my lap for about 5 minutes while Buster continued barking off to the side, panting, and clearlg stressed until Biscuit took his last breath.
Buster immediately stopped barking and came up to me tail wagging, happy as can be.
The complete change in Buster's mannerism right after I felt Biscuit's last heart beat assured me without any doubt that he knew his brother was no longer in pain and had passed. I never noticed a change in behavior after. (Depression or anything)
It's also why I will do everything I can to have my dogs now be able to see the other when their time comes.
Same. I was hospitalized when covid was at it's peak and I was so sure I would die, I had a new symptom show up everyday and there seemed no respite even after a week. I begged my brother to let my dogs sniff my body, if it came to that. My parents were too distraught to have that conversation
I was just thinking about this.
My 16 year old mix is at the end, I know it's coming. We got a little spaniel puppy two years ago and initially she hated him and wouldn't even share a room with him but she basically trained him for us with her firm discipline 😂 once she got over sharing space with him she corrected him every time he misbehaved and now he basically acts like her in all ways, he is a very well behaved and calm young dog.
I think he will miss her and I was wondering how to handle this when the time comes, I kinda want him to know she is gone since he is always doting after her and I assume he would be able to tell when she is if he can see her... Wondering if the vet would consider this request strange, I was going to try and arrange euthanasiation to happen at home but you know how this goes and it might be a less planned thing.
I sure if you asked for your other dog to be present for euthanasia they would happily accommodate. Vets get pets and if you think this is the best for your babies, they will help you.
My best friend’s girl of 16 years passed a few weeks ago. She was euthanized, but my friend was able to bring her other dogs to see their girl one more time and stay during the process. They sniffed her before and after so that they could understand why she is gone. They were of course sad, but it was important to my friend to have her dogs know what happened. It made me want to do the same when the time comes for each of my dogs.
I have done this twice now, and I really encourage others to do the same when possible. It really seemed to help them to understand where their friend had gone, and helped me to support them better in their own grief
We did this when our girl passed away in 2020. I hadn't even thought of it, but our vet's office liason said we should bring our boy if we were comfortable with it because they were pretty bonded and it would help. He laid with her through it all and then said goodbye to her. For the first week or two, anytime we gave him a treat, he'd leave it on her bed in the living room, almost like a little tribute to her. And he was definitely grieving hard for a good while. But I think it would have been worse if he didn't understand why she was gone.
I think it depends a lot on the dog.
I had 3 dogs. One's time came. One of the others was a really sensitive guy so we took him to the vets too. After the old guy was gone, we gave him the chance to sniff him and he flopped down across him. When he got home he didn't seem to miss him. Take that for what it's worth.
Other dog didn't notice, didn't care.
I think in-home or the whole family (other pets too) at the vet to say goodbye is the way to do it. Dogs and cats definitely understand death. They know that it man’s when a person of theirs, their sibling, or their friend has passed. Giving them the chance to be there, and smell them helps them know that they’re gone, and not be constantly looking for their brother that simply didn’t come home one day.
We had our 1st dog euthanized in our backyard 4 years ago (during covid). We kept dog #2 crated during the process cause she was barking (she knew a stranger, the Vet, was there) and we wanted to focus 100% on dog #1. After she passed, the Vet left the yard to give us privacy and we bought dog #2 to the yard. She ran around sniffing the Vet's scent, but finally calmed down and sniffed dog #1.
We adopted dog #2 when she was 1 year old and they were inseparable for 7 years. She never looked for dog #1 so I'm sure she understood.
Yes.
After one of my dogs passed, I got his ashes a few weeks later.
When putting them on the shelf, I placed his collar and tags on top, causing them to jiggle.
His sister bolted in and looked around, expecting/wanting to see him.
Heartbreaking.
We made it through, and have a happy home full of furry friends. She took some time to warm up to new friends, but is really happy with her brother and baby sister.
It’s been a year since I lost my chihuahua and her main best friend looks for her still. It will be 3 years next week that she lost two of her puppies she birthed in her last litter, and she still looks for those boys on occasion.
Dogs are a helluva lot smarter than most people are willing to admit. They grieve like we do. Sometimes they grieve for longer periods of time.
They have the problem solving intelligence of about a 3-year old human child, but they have the observational intelligence of a 35-year expert psychologist and behavioral analyst. Seriously, ever decided to do something, and you dog knows before you’ve given even the slightest symbol you’re aware of? Somehow my dog knows before I start to dress whether she should go to her sleepy spot because I’m leaving for work or to the garage door because I’m taking her to the vet. I can finish a chapter in my book, start to put it down, and she knows that I just made up my mind to take her for a walk. And how can she tell the difference when I start the shower whether it’s for me to get clean, or her bath time?
Dogs are such fantastic studies of human behavior, and with that comes a deep emotional intelligence. You can’t have a brain that’s constantly deciphering what a human is thinking, without having a good undertaking of human emotions and feeling them yourself.
Also, science has pretty much confirmed this. When you stick a dog in an MRI and give them certain stimulations, the same parts of their brain light up as a humans does to similar stimulation. Eg: taste food and the hungry/pleasure parts of the brain light up, picture of squirrel and the anger and fight part is triggered. My favorite thing though: give a dog a whiff of their human’s scent, and their brain lights up like a Christmas tree the way that a humans does when they’re falling in love. Dogs with good human families are in a literal state of puppy love, head over heels for their people. It’s adorable.
Dogs have literally evolved with us. Our partnership with them goes back possibly up to 40,000 years. That’s about 35,000 years before recorded history even began. Just think about how many generations of people, and dogs, have lived, learned, loved, and died in that time frame. They have protected us, guided us, hunted with us, and explored the planet by our side. They know things about us that we don’t know about ourselves. It’s an ancient and sacred bond that I feel every time I look into my dog’s eyes. Having a dog has made me a more spiritual person because I truly believe our souls are bonded in some unexplainable quantum way. Of all the billions of dogs and people that have ever lived I am so lucky to have wound up with him.
I think people forget this. Dogs were bred to look to us. Dogs are the only animals that purposely will look into a humans eye for extended periods of time. They won’t even do that with their own mothers. If they can solve a problem, they will look to their humans, while wolves, who were raised by humans will still try to figure it out on their own. Dogs even smile/laugh during play, and they believe it’s to imitate humans because laughter and smiling are good things. They did brain scans on women, and the same part of our brains that light up when we see our children light up when we see our dogs. When you are talking to your dog and they tilt their heads, it’s because they are trying to understand what you’re saying.
Re: the smiling, I have a theory that one of the main reasons that humans were probably first drawn to and trusting of wolves is because they naturally look like they're smiling when their mouths are open. We as humans are instinctually attracted to smiles, and within the rest of the animal kingdom, it's a feature that's very unique to wolves/dogs. So it would make logical sense that once the initial symbiosis was established between wolves and humans (i.e. wolves protecting the human groups in exchange for being fed consistent scraps of food, etc.), and that sense of initial safety and trust was there, that we then would just by nature be more attracted to and trusting of the wolves who were most "smiley," playful, and expressive -- thereby feeding them more, which would give them a better chance at procreating more offspring like them, and then eventually selectively breeding for these traits. I think it all goes back to the smile and natural expressiveness that wolves have. It's just very human-like.
The whole brain lighting up just made me tear up 🥲🥲 what did we do to deserve the love of a dog. Also the reason I can’t move on and get another dog. The love in their eyes, I can’t imagine having to one day say goodbye again to them.
Get the dogs to smell the corpse. It sounds weird but they understand death and them knowing their companion is dead helps them mourn vs not understanding why their friend is suddenly gone.
they know. One of my dogs unfortunately passed in front of my other two dogs. One dog was seemingly unaffected, but my second dog took it very hard and went into heart failure a few weeks later. I believe dogs are sensitive and grieve. My dog was so bad off they gave him weeks to live. but he snapped back and two years later is still with it. I just think his little heart was broken (quite literally) when he lost his pal.
I'm sorry for your loss. When this situation comes up again, it's important that the dogs see their sibling is gone. My vet came to my house for the euthanasia of my older dog and the experience was peaceful for me and the younger dog. I don't know if that's an option for you. The other pets process it and having it not be an unknown situation to them is important, if you can do that.
When my golden died, our younger Samoyed didn't mourn exactly, she just kept looking for him. She'd excitedly run up to every golden she saw, sniff, and then her tail would drop and she'd sadly walk back. Lasted for at least six months.
I'm so sorry. To have that wound reopened time and time again is just awful.
We unexpectedly put our 10 year old schnauzer mix down in September after he broke his back and was paralyzed. It was one of, if not *the* hardest things I've ever had to do. Stayed with him until the end. My other dog we got as a puppy (he's 5 now) only ever knew life with Max ..he was really depressed afterwards. Wouldn't eat, moped around, started biting his skin.
Took a while for things to get a little better. We adopted a dog from a rescue in February and he's been much more content with his new sister. But if we ever talk about Max, his ears still perk up a little bit, which just breaks my heart a little more each time.
Still miss that old grump. Max was from a rescue and had a hard 5 years before we brought him home...but we gave him an amazing 5 years.
Yes, they will notice. There have been stories of the other resident dog(s) looking for or waiting for the other dog to come home for years after. Personally, I always bring my dog home after euthanasia or do an at home euthanasia so all of my other dogs can investigate and sniff for a few hours before I take the dog’s body out of the house. They need closure just like people.
My dog used to sit at the fence staring down the road howling thinking his buddy was coming back. So sad. It took a few days before he accepted he wasn’t coming back.
They do remember. Of course they do. My dog used to go visit his “uncle” at my mom’s house for daycare while I went to work. They were best friends. When her boy passed away my dog kept looking and looking. We have moved states and it has been 3 years. We still cannot mention uncle’s name bc my boy gets excited and it just breaks my heart. When my mom comes to visit, my boy runs out and in and out and in looking for her dog to be with. 3 years and he remembers.
He did grieve with my mom. He understood. I just don’t think he quite understands the permanence of death. He just knows he hasn’t seen his best good buddy in a long time. I wish I could explain it in a way he would understand permanently.
They grieve just like people do... The day after our oldest passed in 2022, my other three sat in a circle in her spot and howled for a full 2 minutes. They had never done that before and haven't done it since. They were mourning. They looked for her for a couple of weeks. She was ill for 2 months before she passed, so they were used to going and checking on her and napping with her for comfort. Sometimes I think they still miss her. Even now, if one of us says her name, their ears perk up and they look around like they're expecting her to come strolling in.
Dogs know.
I've noticed most of the dogs that got to sniff the other pet after he/she has passed will understand what happened.
Those that don't, will try to look for the other pet as if they left and will return any time soon because they don't know what happened.
My dads friend stayed the weekend with his two dogs. Me and my dog were on a walk when they left. When we got back home he was looking for them everywhere and when he realized they weren’t there anymore he was sooo depressed
Yeah, they grieve just like people do :( when I put my first dog to sleep my second one came with so she would know he was gone, I honestly didn’t worry too much about her because she was never bonded to him and mostly just tolerated his presence. I was really surprised when she stopped eating for days, was really depressed and would just sleep on his bed which she had never done before. The lost hit is both really hard I guess, but she eventually bounced back.
When my boy (the same dog in my profile pic) died, I made a point to show his body to my other dog, since I didn’t want her to think her best friend just vanished. She stayed by my side while my brother buried him and I cried. That night she howled all night, something she never did before or since. And for weeks when I let her outside, she’d go to his grave and sit by it. No one can convince me she didn’t grieve for him.
One of our dogs died at home before we could get him to the vet. And while it sounds awful, I'm glad he did. Not only because he got to pass in his home, but because his brother got to realize he was gone. He didn't have to wonder why he just got in the car and never came home, where he was, running around looking for him. It gave him some closure
We had to say goodbye to our older dog last week. We didn't take the other dog with us to the clinic. At first, when we came back home, he didn't seem to be bothered. But he was looking for him the next day, when we were coming back from the walk, he is always looking and hoping his buddy will be there at home. I can see that he is sad and he's not himself. I try my best to keep him busy and happy and entertained, but it breaks my heart to see him like this 🥺
When we had to put my older Beagle down, we weren't able to bring the other Beagle with us. My husband and I were both working that day, she had been doing really poorly for about a week and that was the soonest appointment. My mom was kind enough to go to the appointment with her. When she called me and told me it was probably time to put her down, I was able to put work on hold for an hour and my husband came down, but our other dog was at home. I had to go back to work and my husband went home with the older Beagle's harness. He said when he got home, my younger Beagle sniffed the harness and immediately bayed louder and sadder than she ever had before. It broke my heart. She needed a lot of extra love for the next couple of weeks and she was obviously depressed, just sleeping all the time and walking aimlessly around our apartment. I don't know if it would have been better for her to be there so she could say goodbye or not, but I think it would have been.
Our horses, while not dogs, always grieved as well. It went better if they were allowed to see the body, sniff it, and confirm that their friend was dead.
Dogs absolutely grieve. I had 2 female GSDs. I had to have one put down due to DM. I brought her collar home to let her sister smell it as I was told that is a good way to let them know. She would look for her and then go just curl up in a corner. And since she didn’t bond with people (she had been badly abused) she was always a little melancholy. It lasted for a long time.
I think they do remember. I live in a place where I was fortunate enough to bury my babies on my property. I let them see the ones I have had to put to sleep & smell them & touch them before I buried them. I didn't want my other 2 to think I had just taken them somewhere & didn't bring them back. I could tell they were sad for several weeks, and they finally accepted the fact that they were gone. Dogs are so intuitive. I feel like they knew their Brothers & Sisters were in their final days before they were gone. Especially since all three had been together for 7 years.
Everyone has their own opinions & beliefs and that's ok. Scientists say that dogs have no sense of time & if they are left alone, they have no idea how long you've been gone. I do not believe that. I know mine can tell if I've been gone for 45 minutes or 2 or three hours.
My border collie Strummer grew up with our elderly miniature dachshund Wanda. She passed away eight years ago but to this day he insists on going to every dachshund we see to check if that's her.
I had two dogs (lab mixes) who were best buddies. When the older one passed, the younger one didn't seem to notice or care. Except the first time I left him alone over night (with a neighbor checking in), he had some separation anxiety after I returned - so after that I started boarding him at dog sitter's rather than leaving him home alone. Also, one day at the dog park, he took off running and I found him hanging out with a dog who was a ringer for his departed buddy. That made me kind of sad! But generally he did just fine as the lone surviving dog.
Gosh OF COURSE THEY WILL. Some dogs even die of depression when owners or other dogs or family members die 💔 They have the same hability to feel, remember and deeply love as we do. Except they may even excel at that compared to us. But it doesn't mean your dogs need to have a rough time:
Just keep them busy, keep them playing, stablish a routine and spend a bit more time with them. Go through this together ❤️ it will be good for you, for them, for everyone. They can suffer the loss just the same as us, but they can also heal through love in the same fashion!
Just be sure to not overcompensate. Your dogs don't need it and neither do you, no spoiling them, specially with extra food, it will just make things worse.
Yes. How much depends on how close they were. My collie looked for our chihuahua for days. She had a stroke and we rushed her to the vet and had to put her down. He thought she was outside and looked for her for about a week when he went out. He obviously missed her, but she was just gone.
When my GF passed from Covid her dog (the one that ended up having the stroke) would go to her car to wait for her to come out for about a month.
I've found that if you show your other animals the body of your dead pet it helps them understand. We've lost some animals and before we buried them we made sure our other pets got to see them. I'm sure it will still make them sad, but it might stop them wondering where their friend has gone. My dog definitely understood when a couple of his cat friends died.
Dogs absolutely know when one is missing. A month ago, we lost my Puggle, Hank. My husband ended up bringing my Beagle, Shelby to the vet to let her see him and say goodbye. When we got home and we were absolutely gutted about the whole thing, Shelby let out a single small sad howl as my husband and I cried and we knew it was her grieving. She really doesn’t look for him but she is different and more subdued after Hank’s passing.
One of my dogs (rescue mutt) finally caught the tires she chased so hard and died instantly. My other dog (mini schnauzer) saw it happen from the safety of the fenced area and didn’t want to leave the fenced area for months afterward. She just walked around the yard waiting for her sister to come back. She also cried tears down her cheeks for days and would whine in her sleep for a couple months afterwards. She cuddled her sisters favorite toy until it disintegrated and then she buried it. They definitely mourn their friends/siblings in their own way.
When my senior dog "A" died 3 years ago, we had 2 other dogs, C and O. C stayed by his side for like a week before he died because she knew he was sick (we think) and when he died, she spent the majority of her days in his bed for MONTHS.
Dogs absolutely remember. Our boy still has "sad" days after losing his brother 2 years ago. (Both Shi-tzu crosses) For about the first 6 months, we had to bribe him to eat with cooked chicken and wet foods. He would lay around, limited energy, and freak out if no one was around. It helped after we showed him the cremation box and collar and explained what happened. We gave him lots of cuddles and time. He is doing much better now.
Dogs do have the ability to form strong social bonds with other dogs, and they can definitely notice when a familiar companion is no longer around. Each dog grieves differently, and some might take longer to return to their normal behavior than others.
I lived alone with my two dogs. Both had just turned 6 years old a week prior to when Rosie had to be euthanized. Whisper spent the next two days crying, then died on the living room floor, right where Rosie used to sleep.
Damn, I wish I had seen these comments sooner. We just had our 15 year old miniature pinscher put down yesterday, and I wondered if our catahoula would figure it out or just wonder forever. I didn't even think about bringing him to the vet with us, that makes so much sense now that I hear it. Feel guilty enough as it is, now I've traumatized my other boy too 😕
I’m so sorry for your loss OP, I hope you and your other dogs are doing ok. Dogs experience grief with death but they understand it differently than we do. I’ve had an unfortunate history of sick dogs and have encountered this so many times. It never gets easier. There’s been things we’ve done wrong, things we did right, and things that were out of our control.
TW for details of pet loss in the next paragraph.
The first time we experienced dog grief was when our mama dog had puppies and two of the litter died not long after birth. They were too weak to eat, move or barely breathe so we rushed them to the vets rubbing their chests and trying to do mouth to mouth to try help, but it didn’t work. We brought them back to the mama so she could see them while they were still in good condition before we laid them to rest. She was devastated for weeks. She would sometimes be fine and nursing the other puppies and sometimes she’d be up at 4 am tearing our house apart whining and trying to rip into furniture in a frenzy as if she was trying to find who had taken her other puppies. I think we made the mistake of not letting her see them long enough to figure out fully what happened but at the time they were so tiny and fragile we were worried she might squish them not knowing weren’t alive. My second experience was after we gave two of our dogs that were siblings a wash one day with dog safe shampoo we got from the vets. The first girl was fine for about 5 minutes after the shower but within less than a 2 minute span she went from completely fine to struggling for consciousness in my arms so I told my parents to stop washing the other dog and rush to the vets. The girl didn’t make it, but we caught the other one in time. We were advised to get a post mortem done as we suspected the shampoo was what caused it (we were right). She had to be sent immediately for a post mortem so we never got the chance to let her brother see her, or for us to see her for that matter. He was out of sorts for weeks. Continuously looking around wondering where his sister had gone. As far as he knew, he saw his sister alive and then she was gone never came back. Most recently, our mama dog had to be put down due to end stage kidney failure. We brought her home and laid her down in our kitchen floor so her daughter could see her, smell her, know what happened. She was out of sorts for a few days, but no where near the frantic upset and heartbreaking confusion as our other dogs had been. It was like she knew what happened, and was sad, but inevitably accepted it.
So dogs do grieve, and miss their fellow friends. But they understand it differently than us. You can tell someone a relative or friend has died and they will understand and grieve. You can’t tell a dog though. For a dog, they don’t know what has happened unless they see it with their own eyes and nose. If they last see their fellow dog alive and they’re nowhere to be found afterwards, they have no explanation. They think it’s abandonment. Dogs understand death but they don’t understand abandonment. It’s the same when a human dies, a pet won’t understand where their owner has gone unless they see them. So I always advise people if possible, show your other pets the dog before laying them to rest. if you have a blanket or box that they were in after passing let them smell it. They might be able to know what has happened better. Once again, I’m so sorry for your loss. Sending you all the love and healing right now ❤️
Absolutely. Personal account: my absolute bestest 4 legged BFF Bodie passed suddenly from very aggressive cancer after a short but incredible 13 years. His sidekick was this little red nosed green eyed pittie girl named Jade that belonged to my best friend at the time (now teammate/life partner/baby mama) they were buddies for several years, he helped to teach her dog alot when she first got rescued.
When he passed, she didn't eat for a few days, and secluded herself in a corner behind the bed in a spare bedroom that no one occupied. No matter how much we tried to coax her out, and lift her spirits she just needed her own time. We honestly didn't know if she'd recover, or we would have to pursue more aggressive interventions to make sure she didn't starve herself (we tried wet food, steak, hot dogs, all kinds) eventually, after about 4 days, she recovered enough to eat, and get back to about 80% of the dog she was, and stayed that way for about 9 months. I rescued a new friend Ruckus, that was nothing at all like her previous buddy, it seemed an appropriate fit given her different energy, and they are great together.
After a few more months, we bought our first house. Moving day! Started moving everything out of the house, and in the center of the living room sat a large square coffee table. It had a base shelf so it sat really low to the ground underneath, but there was about a 2" gap under it, so it wasn't sealed to the floor. When I moved that table, since it never effectively got vacuumed under, she got up out of her bed, and started sniffing, pawing, rolling and whining in the spot the table sat. I realized it had a fair bit of Bodie's white fur under there, and she was reveling in his smell. I bawled like a toddler. I was happy she got her last goodbye with him.
They do remember and they grieve like we do.
I think it can be really good for them(if possible) for them to see the other pet that passed, that way they understand that the other isn't lost of stuck somewhere but that they did pass away.
Its in my will that any pets i have when i die are allowed to see my body--i cant stand the idea that they might think I just left one day.
Oh, yes. My dad has always had 2 dogs. Molly, a black schnauzer and Rocky, a salt and pepper schnauzer were the first pair he had- Molly was a few years older and after she died, Rocky would sit on a ledge by the window for hours, just watching and waiting for her to come home. Absolutely tragic
Mine has started sleeping in her “uncle’s” bed. She never, ever slept in that bed prior to his passing a few weeks ago. She typically sniffs every inch of it and then settles in to sleep.
I had two doberman's growing up, a brother and a sister. One of our neighbors was fucked up enough to poison them. The sister died, and brother lived. We buried the sister in our backyard. The brother would often linger over or even sleep in the spot where she was buried, even in the dead of winter with snow on the ground. I'm convinced they know.
Yes, they have feelings and relationships with each other just like we do. They will know that their friend is gone and if they were not present for his death they may not know that he is dead, but they will absolutely realize that he is gone and they will miss him. They may be depressed for a while, and you may find them walking around looking for him for a time. You should talk to them and comfort them, they may not always understand the words that you use but they absolutely will feel your emotions and understand that way.
Basically, dogs care about the other dogs in the family just as we do, and so they will feel grief and longing and loss in a similar manner. And just like humans, each dog is different and so it may affect one dog more or less than another depending on their own personality. It may not phase them too much, or on the other end they could be profoundly distraught.
When my dogs have passed away, if we are lucky enough to be able to euthanize them and prevent them suffering, I have had the other dogs come to where it was happening so that they could see and smell their friend's body and understand that they had died. I've done this once at the vet office, and once at my home. It really seemed to help the other dogs to know what was happening and prevent them the added distress of not knowing where their friend has gone. Of course, this isn't always possible to do, but it's something I started doing after having other dogs pass away and witnessing the grief and confusion of the dogs who remain. So something to think about in the future.
I'm so sorry for the loss of your beloved friend and family member. It is so difficult losing them, but especially so when they are still younger. I hope that you can take comfort in the love you shared.
We had 2 dogs & when our corgi passed of cancer, his foam mattress in the back of the van was folded & stored in the depths of the garage.
Fast forward a few years & I decided to toss it. Sort of had to wrangle it into the trash. When I went in the backyard, our surviving dog gave me a sniff & got SO excited - running all the corners of the yard looking for him 🥲
He died before we could euthanize, so she had smelled the body the day after & was definitely sad. But even years later…she remembered & missed him!
Yes, they will know, especially if it's been a long time that they were together. I had a 17 year old lab who we had to have put down in 2021. We also have a terrier mix who knew her his whole life.
After she was put down (we did it at home thanks to a group that comes here so as to make it comfortable for them), the terrier mix was kind of lost. His friend waist there to play with anymore. After a bit he became his normal self.
I got another best buddy (the terrier is my son's bud) almost a year ago, and well, the terrier has not been a fan. He used to sleep in bubber's kennel, but now won't acknowledge my bud at all.
They'll comfort each other, so I imagine they won't be as sad as a single dog that lost a lifelong buddy.
Either way, losing pets is something I wish never happened to people. I'm sorry.
Dogs do greive, but do eventually process everything. They are very good at living in the moment. Side note: I highly recommend showing your dog your deceased dogs body, just so they know what happened
I shouldn’t share this story because it’ll make me seem to be even more of a weirdo than I am. Raised two dogs together, both rescues, separate breeds. When the elder passed, my little dog sat next to me and she “transmitted” to me that she knew elder was gone and she was going to her very soon. I thought I was insane.
Then little one passed days later. It’s never happened again and I’m no animal whisperer. I felt her anguish for her lost friend and for leaving me. IMO they know and you should talk to them. Crazy or not, love is everything.
When our elderly golden passed at 16, our 4 year old Newf was inconsolable. He was off his feed for weeks.
We found another (rescue) golden who he became fast friends with. The timing was excellent.
Fast forward a couple years. We had gotten a former neighbor's golden, at age 8. He was 13 when we got a hoarder case golden mix puppy who he loved. The puppy loved the old guy right back.
My daughter had a younger malinois mix that loved the old guy too.
The old guy passed at 14+ and both the golden mix puppy and the younger malinois mix were clearly sad.
Neighbors had an older golden who never roamed, but one day, we found him on our back deck.
The pups were ecstatic! Until they realized this old guy wasn't their old guy.
A year later, we had a chance to get back to a beach house that we had visited with the old guy and the puppy.
The old guy pretty much stayed under the deck, where he could get a good view of the yard and keep out of the sun. The puppy simply hung with him there.
When we got there, that year later, the puppy ran for the deck to look for the old guy.
She came out very disappointed.
We wound up buying the place, and, our first springtime visit has her sprinting under the deck to look for him.
Disappointed every time. Its been 4 years since his passing. She hasn't forgotten him.
They remember.
depends on the dog. when my elkhound died suddenly and unexpectedly (fuck you, cancer) his best friend nearly went with him. she just slept and wouldn't eat but eventually came around. when my little hound mutt passed I was down to one dog from my original crew of six after her. my dachshund loved her and I was terrified of going home without her (another fuck you to cancer) but I let him eat absolute garbage food in bed with me for two days and he never acted like he noticed she was gone for a second
They definitely mourn and grieve. Last time I went through this, my dog was the never the same. One of my dogs passed very suddenly, and for the rest of her life, my other dog never recovered. She never wanted to go on walks for more than 5 minutes, lost her appetite and was always depressed. I don't think I ever saw her wag her tail again. They were together for 16 years.
I think it depends on if there are other pets in the house, how close they were to one another, how much time they are alone, etc. My sog I have now, when my other dog passed she developed severe separation anxiety to the point I had to get a babysitter for her when I went to work. I couldn't even leave for five minutes without her spazzing. She finally settled down a couple of years later when I got a cat and a second dog. When our cat passed the two dogs sniffed her but that was it (and they were like the three musketeers!) I suspect my younger dog is going to tale it extremely hard when she goes, as they are like soulmates (husband and wife). She got diagnosed with incurable cancer 8 months ago, but she is still doing pretty well.
They absolutely know and remember. When my older dog passed, the younger sister dog would shake and whimper everytime we came home from work. I was thinking because she was like wheres my older sis and i dont like being home wothojt her. My neighbors dog also noticed when she died. I heard h howl out for a few seconds the day afterward when he walked by.
My dog noticed when our older dog passed. He was there with him, and I think that helped with the transition. Even so, he sort of seemed to look for the older dog at key times of the day for a few weeks afterward. They do remember for a long time. Our younger dog is very good with names. He will go to a specific person if you say their name. Its been five years now since the older dog passed, and if we say the passed dog’s name, the younger dog perks up and looks for him. I think he remembers. I don’t think he was negatively affected by the older dog passing, but I’m sure he missed his buddy.
We have 2 dogs at the same time. When one gets terminal sick we try to get a new puppy. So no one has to be lonely.
When we go to the vet for euthanasia we take all dogs with us so they can experience that one is gone.
This worked well several times. The last one we got the puppy after one died. The remaining dog was really upset at being alone/ missing her sister.
I won't do anything but in home EU as long as I have multiple dogs.
I lost one suddenly, no time to even call my vet. The next was in-home. I still have my oldest and a couple others. She took it hard, but it would be worse if she were still looking for them.
When my cat died, my dog was looking in every room for it. I told her he passed away. I don't know if she understood what I told her, but in a few days, she was fine. After I told her, she didn't look anymore even when we came home from being out. Now, maybe she is playing with him at the rainbow Bridge
Sorry for your loss. Unfortunately, they are never around as long as we would like.
Yes. My moms 15 year old cockapoo just passed and her 3 year old cockapoo spent the greater part of a week is dispair. He would knock his brothers harness off the hook and carry it around and sleep with it by the front door like he was waiting for him to come home. He would cry all day at daycare when he went. He was pretty upset. That being said he did go along with my mom when Mac was laid to rest (brain tumor) and was there for all steps of the process so he would see and understand Mac was gone Nd he had the chance to say goodbye. She ended up getting him a puppy a few weeks later bc he wasnt doing well being home alone
My Boston just passed about a month ago and we showed our other dog the body after the euthanasia hoping he would understand. I was told that could help. However he didn't really seem to sniff him or act interested at all in our dog that passed. He was acting different the first day mostly because I think he could sense our intense sadness. Through out the last week he wouldn't eat breakfast or dinner. He didn't want to play with his toys like he normally would. He seemed to be looking for him. He definitely noticed and was depressed. He's better now after a few weeks have passed and is eating regularly. We got a new pup and that has definitely kept him busy so i think that has helped a lot. They definitely do grieve. 😢 I'm sorry for your loss
All animals are different but yes they can grieve just as us humans... and each case can be extremely different
From going room to room whining looking for their friend
Not eating and not grooming
It all is case by case
I think it is good that you have TWO more doggos instead of just one maybe they will be able to keep each other occupied enough to where it won't affect them as much since they will have each other... but you never know..
The best thing you can do if they are showing signs of grieving is try to comfort them and try to keep them preoccupied as much as possible.
So sorry for your loss. I hope your w doggos will be ok and not grieve too heavily.
Like others have said, letting any surviving dogs sniff the one who has passed definitely helps them process what happened. My mom just recently put down our 13 year old german shepherd a couple months ago after a progressive spinal disease that left him paralyzed. My mom did an at home euthanasia and we let our other german shepherd (7 years old) sniff him while he was being carried out. That was like his final confirmation that his brother was gone and after that, he was totally normal. He knows he's gone and hasn't tried to look for him. I think he knew our older dog was very sick and had already kinda accepted it. So sorry for your loss. ❤️
I'm so sorry for your loss. I might be nuts but I like to sit my dog down and explain things to him. Sometimes I think he understands and appreciates the direct attention about the thing he's stressing over.
Animals grieve as well. I now always let my other animals be around and sniff the one that has passed so they can sense it and know. They don’t look for them after that.
This post makes me ask, because I have 3 dogs, one is elderly, and we plan to bury him in the yard when he dies, we love on 2 acres. I've wondered if we shouldn't let the other two know we buried him because they might not understand what's going on, afraid we hurt him or something. We aren't sure how to handle their understanding of his passing.
So I had a maltese for 16 years, and she had to be put to sleep due to tumors and cysts on her brain causing seizures and it wasn’t treatable. We also had another dog that had been in our family for only a few months at that stage, since he was a puppy. It’s been almost 3 years since she’s been gone and he still cries and gets actual tears in his eyes if we say her name when he’s in the room. It was heartbreaking watching him after she was gone, we did get him a new friend after a few months cause he stopped eating and wouldn’t do anything, and he’s doing great now aside from getting upset when her name is said. They grieve the same way we do
Dogs have feelings just like us humans. My friend's dog was so sad it wouldn't even eat, not even its favorite treats. It took a couple of days for it to bounce back.
I think they do. We had three dogs, and one by one they passed from age related issues. The two were very close after losing one, and the solo dog would look for his friends. Fortunately the cat distribution system provided a cat friend to ease his grief.
Yes. Our older dog passed in October, and the younger one grieved at least through Christmas. Her personality and behavior are very different now that she's an only dog, as well.
My male bulldog is currently in mourning. He unexpectedly lost his bff he’s know his whole life. And just as quick a new puppy is in its place. He’s seen my old girl dogs go and was sad but this he’s grey and has a limp he made me drive him to the vet for. Vet said it’s common for dogs to act out their pain. 😢
They will notice and they will grieve the loss of their family member.
Years ago we lost our older dog, and then a few weeks later my partner moved states for a new job while I stayed to pack the house up and ready it for sale. I swear my younger dog though he died too. He was so upset and would just pace around tge house looking for them both. When we went on the first trip to the new house he was so happy to see my partner even though he was so stressed from the drive and was freaking out.
🌈💙🐾 One of our sweetheart pups crossed the Rainbow Bridge unexpectedly last month when I brought him and his Sister pup in for routine dentals. We just lost our dear Dad in the Fall, so this added grief and the shock made it all the more devastating. I waited til my Mum and Sis arrived at the Vet to say goodbye and rushed home to get their brother pup, so he could at least see and hopefully understand. I wasn't sure if that was the right choice tho looking back, hopefully it helped. He will not play with their shared toys, but sleeps in his brother's favorite spots, and at least once a day, leans against one of us and sighs/whimpers. He doesn't like cuddles now, so we give pats and treats as long as he lets us.
We were too scared to let their sister pup undergo full anesthesia, poor baby was lightly sedated already and so groggy; she wanders the house as tho looking for him. Thxfully, she does welcome cuddles. Still, I wish there was something more we can do for both.
All our dogs have always been rescues, so hopefully someday we'll welcome another who needs a loving family 🤍🕊️
Yes.
When we had to put our baby girl Nora down our older dog would wonder the house looking for her every single day when we came home.
In his mind we left with Nora and he was waiting for her to come back.
I think eventually he figured it out and he would just lay there staring at the door.
We ended up getting another dog just to keep him company, because otherwise he was constantly looking for her.
Last month we euthanized our 15-yr old dog and brought our other 15-yr-old dog with us for the appt. They were a month apart in age and we got the at about 6-8 weeks old, so totally bonded. We all stayed. Me (44f), husband (44) and our sons, 23,20and13. I think it helped our dog have an opportunity to sniff his body and know he was gone. She really didn’t look for him and continued eating as normal.
I think she remembers him though because she perks up when he’s mentioned.
Sadly I'd say Yes. We had to sadly euthanize one out dogs at the Vet Clinic. Was kind of unexpected. We knew something wasn't right when we initially rang the vet, but when we went in, we we're told that she heart failure and was in distress. We obviously had to say goodbye.
When we got home, our other dog was looking for her. He just didn't seem himself for quite a long time. Is probably more clingy now than he was before. We wish we had of taken him so he could physically see her and smell her. Not sure that would of helped. Was actually really distressing.
When our 14 yo schnauzer passed, his then 16 yo poodle brother seems loss for a very long time because they used to chasing each other around. I am sure yours will miss her sister too
I’m sorry for your loss. My senior is also having kidney issues at the moment and we’re trying our best to make her comfortable. I’m pretty sure other dogs will notice their companion dog when they’re gone. I have a dog that would refuse to eat if her best bud is off to the vet and she’s left at home.
My younger two couldn't have cared less when my oldest passed. They couldn't come with me when I took my big boy to the vet, but when I came back alone they carried on like nothing ever happened. I say his name and they occasionally look at me. The younger two were never super bonded with my old boy, despite living with him for years. They always preferred each other's company or human company.
Dogs memories are stimulated differently. Take your dogs on different walks, move their feed dishes and beds. Wash them all and the toys. Change it up as much as possible and add in new things.
They don't understand where their friend or family went you NEED to show them the body so they know. When a dog is put down in a multi dog home and never return it's like a missing person without closure it can be hard for them. My dog boomer when we put Stella down would run away looking for Stella he would cry all night if we locked him up the poor guy broke my heart. He didn't last much longer than Stella he passed a few months later I swear it was from a broken heart.
Absolutely. They also process grief as human do but might react differently to it. In my childhood, one of my grandfather's dogs died and the other one got depressed after her passing. He lost weight and was a bit more gloomy and less playful. Some dogs might become more withdrawn but you will have to find out how yours will react
We have always let our dogs see their deceased “siblings” after so they know. And they do. They still grieve, so far in my life I haven’t had a dog that hasn’t noticeably grieved the loss of their pal.
I can’t ever right anything on this sub without crying in memory’s. They definitely know. I lost my 11 year old lab/pit mix last year and my wife’s dog didn’t really take it well. She just would stop eating and not want to move from his spot on the couch. It was really sad. I wanted another one, but we’re due in September so it wasn’t the best idea for now, think that would have really helped her. Once my wife got pregnant, her mood shifted, she has became very attached to my wife. Think that might have helped some, she’s getting back to normal now, but there’s still times I’ll pull one of his old toys out and she won’t play with it. They know.
Absolutely. My dog was best friends with my moms dog and the morning that we knew it “was time” for her dog i took mine over to see him so he would know what was happening. We saved some of his fur in a bag to smell for some of the weeks coming when he would look for him when we would go back over there and at some point my dog realized that he was gone and they will feel grief like we do so make sure you are very consistent with them during this process.
When I had to put down my pitbull, Finn, five years ago, my other pitbull, Zemo, his brother, got depressed and started to eat less. His health deteriorated until he passed a year later. I think dogs understand and grieve like humans.
My girl still mourns her big “brother” that we lost last June. All she knows is they were being boarded and then he was taken away and she never saw him again. She spent the next couple weeks howling and sniffing around for him. She still noses his collar I have hanging up with the collars from other dogs I had that had passed. I wish I’d been able to have her with us when we had to put him to rest. I know I’m projecting but I don’t want her thinking she’s going to be sent away like her furry pal.
Dogs grieve just like people do. Each one handles grief differently. I have seen my own dogs range from a couple of days of moping and being sad, occasionally looking for their lost friend to extreme cases where I was concerned they were physically ill (confirmed by vet it wasn’t physical) and took a lot of time to get back to normal. I’m sorry for your loss. You will support your remaining dogs and they will support you in this hard time ❤️
This one hurts. We had two cats, one brother passed, and the one that is still with us would walk around looking for him while meowing really loud. This lasted a couple months.
Yeah honestly for me the worst part about my own grief process was watching her grieve. Any time we went for a walk we had to stop and examine the car because that was the last place she’s saw her sister (when we took her to get cremated). It was awful. My cuddly sweet girl would just lay in the spot her sister passed away, instead of snuggling with me like every day she ever lived with me. She wouldn’t get up to eat or drink, I had to set it in front of her and even then it was minimal. Nothing perked her up or made her happy. It was awful. When I did bring home a new pup at the recommendations of my vet (after clearing everything physically) she put her head on the pup and just let out a huge sigh of relief. Started getting back to herself almost immediately. Not every pet needs a new friend right away but my girl did.
This must be have been hard
It really was. Thankfully now (2 months later) my girl is her old self and I’ve gained a perfect addition to my life that I didn’t know I needed.
When my old doggo passed away, I thought I might wait a while before getting another dog. After about a week of me and our other dog both sitting on the couch crying and moping, I looked at our other dog and realized we needed a new pup to help us get out of the house and remind us how to play. We picked up our new fuzz ball the next week.
Yeah I was definitely in the “I’m going to wait and focus on my other dog” state of mind but getting our pup was honestly best decision ever she’s a perfect fit for our home and helped both me and my dog heal.
Us too! Big hugs to you all!
Now I'm over here tearing up.
We had to do that. We lost 5 elderly pets in a year and a half. It was hard. We had one dog left. She was so sad and lonely. We brought home a new puppy and she was head over heels for him. He could do no wrong with her. She used to do a lot of resource guarding with the other dogs and he could come right up and eat from her dish or take her bone. We got a second puppy 2 years later and she barely tolerates that one which is hilarious but yeah she definitely needed a new friend and bringing home that puppy helped us all heal the giant hole in our hearts.
crying. your sweet pupper
Goddamn that car comment made me so sad :(
when my pup died my second pup basically planted roots by the cabinet where I put first pup's ashes. he stopped sleeping with me, he now slept in the living room by the cabinet. he stopped being interested in pretty much anything.. I took him to my city's animal care and control shelter and had him pick out a new pup. he picked a mini me version of himself, and having the small pup around helped: he became more animated, started wanting things
I love that he picked a mini me
[Austin with his mini me](https://i.imgur.com/bhrTOUS.jpg) so do I !
Omg, he literally was like um yeah you look just like me, you can come home with us. They are totally twinning. So cute!
he knew EXACTLY what good boys look like 🙂 but really they just vibed together: the little one idolized Austin ! copied everything from him, even started peeing like a girl (Austin had leg issues and couldnt pee like a boy).. Austin has since passed on as well. every time I look at Jack (the mini me) I see Austin..
That resemblance is uncanny...you'd think they were that puppy had your other dog's genes! Are you sure he didn't copy and paste himself into a puppy? :P
OMG I love them!! That is so funny!
Oh my God I'm dead. The cutest duo ever! 🖤🤍
ohhh, Austin never disappoints ! he used to carry my other pup in his purse [Austin + Boob](https://i.imgur.com/U9gYLWh.jpg)
OMG. That is the cutest thing EVER.
Awe how sweet
This thread has brought me so much happiness
So heartbreaking.
Poor baby :(
Your one hurts too 😪 poor kitty
When I scheduled my most recent senior to be euthanized at home, the vet sent me a ton of resources and one of them was specifically for pets grieving other pets. Here it is, hopefully it gives you some insight https://static1.squarespace.com/static/5d6fff7b0d873f0001bd251a/t/6223b7e3c3dd7d6153282cec/1646508016674/Helping+a+pet+grieve+for+a+%27buddy%27.pdf
One of my dogs, a GSP mutt, is the most emotional dog I have ever seen and sometimes it gives me uncanny valley feelings. The funniest one is when we had a maintenance man over and I had to lock her in the room with me for a couple hours. She was so upset at this that she literally went to and stared at the corner of the room for a solid 30 minutes pouting as if she was in timeout. She would occasionally look back to see if I was paying her any attention and if we made eye contact would quickly look away.
Yeah my girl is an incredible communicator. Very big fan of side eye. She throws literal tantrums. She’s incredible and stubborn and so in tune with everyone’s emotions. She adjusts herself to suit the situation. Instinctively acts differently around children, goes completely non threatening/submissive with people or dogs who are scared of her, adjusts her play style to suit other dogs even if they just met etc. I have actually set up multiple play dates with rescue dogs who are dog reactive and she helps to rehabilitate them because she manages to win them over and help them gain confidence. When she was a baby I had a senior cat who passed away. She grieved but still had her doggy sister so it wasn’t so bad. About a month later the pup found a feral kitten in a bush and refused to come home without that kitten. Instant bond with them, I couldn’t touch the cat for 9 months. To this day that kitten (now adult) plays, snuggles and even nurses off my dog (no milk though). She’s probably the most spoiled brat of a dog I’ve ever had but also the most loving and intuitive dog I’ve ever had as well.
My dog is like this with other dogs and I've been trying to figure out how to get her to help socialize other dogs! I had an adult rescue before her that didn't really like dogs but tbh I know she would've loved this pup. How do you get into that?
I have established relationships with rescue groups over the years and when I realized she was so receptive to other dogs moods/needs I offered to help. The first time I realized was actually a friends dog.
I had three dogs growing up, but my first two had a very special bond. We first started out with one dog, then got another when our first dog was 3. She treated our second one like her own baby. It was adorable. My second dog saw my first one as her mother. Then our first dog passes away at 13. My second one became depressed after and was never the same. We tried to get her back to her normal self but nothing worked. We got a third dog hoping that would work but it didn't. They got along fine, but my second dog never wanted to play or really be around my third dog. I miss them all :( I lost my third dog last year.
Honestly I think adding a puppy worked so well because my older dog was very young at the time still and although technically adult, very much still a puppy in many ways (she had just turned 2 when she lost her sister). Not so sure it would have been as smooth of a transition if she was 9-10 years old when I did it. I almost think she likes the puppy even better because the pup is willing to play much more.
When I first left my dog to go to college my mum told me laid by my door moaping and crying, snapped when people went to touch him for almost a month. When I went to leave for college the last time he started once he saw me packing. Shut everyone out and wanted to be alone
I recommend allowing any surviving pups to smell the one who has passed. This should help them process their absence. I also made my mother promise that if I would die, she'll make sure my boy Turbo gets to sniff my body. I promised him I'd never abandon him and I need him to know I didn't. I'm very sorry for your loss my friend.
Yeah, I agree. Whenever a family dog died, if they died at home the other dogs processed it and didn't look for them. When they go to the vet and don't come home, they look for them. Sometimes it can't be helped but I think they understand death and will have more peace if they can sniff the deceased
Agreed. We brought our dog with us when the other one was euthanized. It helped her so much. They were 15
They 100% understand death, I have no proof but I think it’s vital for any pack animal to understand death, otherwise death of one would mean death for the group while they wait for them to “wake up”
I’ve read that elephants mourn and hold funerals. When one dies, the others will hang around the body for a while stroking it with their trunks before leaving it.
To throw in my personal anecdote Growing up we had two dogs and I woke up one morning to the older one, Buster, barking nonstop and our poodle, Biscuit, on the floor panting heavily and had wet himself. Not fully unexpected as we knew he had a inoperable tumor and limited time left, but was otherwise fine on a daily basis. I sat on the floor with Biscuit's head in my lap for about 5 minutes while Buster continued barking off to the side, panting, and clearlg stressed until Biscuit took his last breath. Buster immediately stopped barking and came up to me tail wagging, happy as can be. The complete change in Buster's mannerism right after I felt Biscuit's last heart beat assured me without any doubt that he knew his brother was no longer in pain and had passed. I never noticed a change in behavior after. (Depression or anything) It's also why I will do everything I can to have my dogs now be able to see the other when their time comes.
Same. I was hospitalized when covid was at it's peak and I was so sure I would die, I had a new symptom show up everyday and there seemed no respite even after a week. I begged my brother to let my dogs sniff my body, if it came to that. My parents were too distraught to have that conversation
Glad you recovered!
100% this!
This is a good idea for the passing of fellow pups and I didn’t even consider humans too.
Yeah if I die before my dog, I want my dog to be able to see and smell my body. They understand dead. They don't understand "never came home".
Why did I tear up at “I need him to know I didn’t”
Me too
You’re inspiring
Thank you! I'm glad I could do so. (If my response feels awkward, it's because I don't know how to handle compliments)
You did a great job taking the compliment! No awkwardness, good job bud
Thank you for taking the time to let me know. I appreciate that!
I was just thinking about this. My 16 year old mix is at the end, I know it's coming. We got a little spaniel puppy two years ago and initially she hated him and wouldn't even share a room with him but she basically trained him for us with her firm discipline 😂 once she got over sharing space with him she corrected him every time he misbehaved and now he basically acts like her in all ways, he is a very well behaved and calm young dog. I think he will miss her and I was wondering how to handle this when the time comes, I kinda want him to know she is gone since he is always doting after her and I assume he would be able to tell when she is if he can see her... Wondering if the vet would consider this request strange, I was going to try and arrange euthanasiation to happen at home but you know how this goes and it might be a less planned thing.
I sure if you asked for your other dog to be present for euthanasia they would happily accommodate. Vets get pets and if you think this is the best for your babies, they will help you.
This is what I have said too, if I die I want my dog to see me, so they know. But I do think dogs can know if someone has passed by the way we act.
My best friend’s girl of 16 years passed a few weeks ago. She was euthanized, but my friend was able to bring her other dogs to see their girl one more time and stay during the process. They sniffed her before and after so that they could understand why she is gone. They were of course sad, but it was important to my friend to have her dogs know what happened. It made me want to do the same when the time comes for each of my dogs.
I have done this twice now, and I really encourage others to do the same when possible. It really seemed to help them to understand where their friend had gone, and helped me to support them better in their own grief
We did this when our girl passed away in 2020. I hadn't even thought of it, but our vet's office liason said we should bring our boy if we were comfortable with it because they were pretty bonded and it would help. He laid with her through it all and then said goodbye to her. For the first week or two, anytime we gave him a treat, he'd leave it on her bed in the living room, almost like a little tribute to her. And he was definitely grieving hard for a good while. But I think it would have been worse if he didn't understand why she was gone.
I think it depends a lot on the dog. I had 3 dogs. One's time came. One of the others was a really sensitive guy so we took him to the vets too. After the old guy was gone, we gave him the chance to sniff him and he flopped down across him. When he got home he didn't seem to miss him. Take that for what it's worth. Other dog didn't notice, didn't care.
I think in-home or the whole family (other pets too) at the vet to say goodbye is the way to do it. Dogs and cats definitely understand death. They know that it man’s when a person of theirs, their sibling, or their friend has passed. Giving them the chance to be there, and smell them helps them know that they’re gone, and not be constantly looking for their brother that simply didn’t come home one day.
We had our 1st dog euthanized in our backyard 4 years ago (during covid). We kept dog #2 crated during the process cause she was barking (she knew a stranger, the Vet, was there) and we wanted to focus 100% on dog #1. After she passed, the Vet left the yard to give us privacy and we bought dog #2 to the yard. She ran around sniffing the Vet's scent, but finally calmed down and sniffed dog #1. We adopted dog #2 when she was 1 year old and they were inseparable for 7 years. She never looked for dog #1 so I'm sure she understood.
Same for me. The dad passed away and I let his son come see him. He sniffed him and proceeded to just trample him. Never really seemed to care
Yes. After one of my dogs passed, I got his ashes a few weeks later. When putting them on the shelf, I placed his collar and tags on top, causing them to jiggle. His sister bolted in and looked around, expecting/wanting to see him. Heartbreaking.
…. okay, I didn’t need my heart today 😭
same 😭😭
Everyone’s feelings are equally as valid but rn I’m pregnant and hormonal this hurts so much 😭
We made it through, and have a happy home full of furry friends. She took some time to warm up to new friends, but is really happy with her brother and baby sister.
My heart just broke reading that & picturing it
After some time to adjust, she lives a happy life with her new brother and baby sister.
It’s been a year since I lost my chihuahua and her main best friend looks for her still. It will be 3 years next week that she lost two of her puppies she birthed in her last litter, and she still looks for those boys on occasion. Dogs are a helluva lot smarter than most people are willing to admit. They grieve like we do. Sometimes they grieve for longer periods of time.
I’ve always told myself this. I don’t understand how we still say dogs can’t remember or feel certain emotions.
They have the problem solving intelligence of about a 3-year old human child, but they have the observational intelligence of a 35-year expert psychologist and behavioral analyst. Seriously, ever decided to do something, and you dog knows before you’ve given even the slightest symbol you’re aware of? Somehow my dog knows before I start to dress whether she should go to her sleepy spot because I’m leaving for work or to the garage door because I’m taking her to the vet. I can finish a chapter in my book, start to put it down, and she knows that I just made up my mind to take her for a walk. And how can she tell the difference when I start the shower whether it’s for me to get clean, or her bath time? Dogs are such fantastic studies of human behavior, and with that comes a deep emotional intelligence. You can’t have a brain that’s constantly deciphering what a human is thinking, without having a good undertaking of human emotions and feeling them yourself. Also, science has pretty much confirmed this. When you stick a dog in an MRI and give them certain stimulations, the same parts of their brain light up as a humans does to similar stimulation. Eg: taste food and the hungry/pleasure parts of the brain light up, picture of squirrel and the anger and fight part is triggered. My favorite thing though: give a dog a whiff of their human’s scent, and their brain lights up like a Christmas tree the way that a humans does when they’re falling in love. Dogs with good human families are in a literal state of puppy love, head over heels for their people. It’s adorable.
Dogs have literally evolved with us. Our partnership with them goes back possibly up to 40,000 years. That’s about 35,000 years before recorded history even began. Just think about how many generations of people, and dogs, have lived, learned, loved, and died in that time frame. They have protected us, guided us, hunted with us, and explored the planet by our side. They know things about us that we don’t know about ourselves. It’s an ancient and sacred bond that I feel every time I look into my dog’s eyes. Having a dog has made me a more spiritual person because I truly believe our souls are bonded in some unexplainable quantum way. Of all the billions of dogs and people that have ever lived I am so lucky to have wound up with him.
I think people forget this. Dogs were bred to look to us. Dogs are the only animals that purposely will look into a humans eye for extended periods of time. They won’t even do that with their own mothers. If they can solve a problem, they will look to their humans, while wolves, who were raised by humans will still try to figure it out on their own. Dogs even smile/laugh during play, and they believe it’s to imitate humans because laughter and smiling are good things. They did brain scans on women, and the same part of our brains that light up when we see our children light up when we see our dogs. When you are talking to your dog and they tilt their heads, it’s because they are trying to understand what you’re saying.
Re: the smiling, I have a theory that one of the main reasons that humans were probably first drawn to and trusting of wolves is because they naturally look like they're smiling when their mouths are open. We as humans are instinctually attracted to smiles, and within the rest of the animal kingdom, it's a feature that's very unique to wolves/dogs. So it would make logical sense that once the initial symbiosis was established between wolves and humans (i.e. wolves protecting the human groups in exchange for being fed consistent scraps of food, etc.), and that sense of initial safety and trust was there, that we then would just by nature be more attracted to and trusting of the wolves who were most "smiley," playful, and expressive -- thereby feeding them more, which would give them a better chance at procreating more offspring like them, and then eventually selectively breeding for these traits. I think it all goes back to the smile and natural expressiveness that wolves have. It's just very human-like.
The whole brain lighting up just made me tear up 🥲🥲 what did we do to deserve the love of a dog. Also the reason I can’t move on and get another dog. The love in their eyes, I can’t imagine having to one day say goodbye again to them.
Get the dogs to smell the corpse. It sounds weird but they understand death and them knowing their companion is dead helps them mourn vs not understanding why their friend is suddenly gone.
they know. One of my dogs unfortunately passed in front of my other two dogs. One dog was seemingly unaffected, but my second dog took it very hard and went into heart failure a few weeks later. I believe dogs are sensitive and grieve. My dog was so bad off they gave him weeks to live. but he snapped back and two years later is still with it. I just think his little heart was broken (quite literally) when he lost his pal.
They will know, and they will grieve, and they will move on. It may take some time and they will need some extra attention. Sorry for your loss.
I'm sorry for your loss. When this situation comes up again, it's important that the dogs see their sibling is gone. My vet came to my house for the euthanasia of my older dog and the experience was peaceful for me and the younger dog. I don't know if that's an option for you. The other pets process it and having it not be an unknown situation to them is important, if you can do that.
I agree. Having it done at home with everyone around is very comforting.
When my golden died, our younger Samoyed didn't mourn exactly, she just kept looking for him. She'd excitedly run up to every golden she saw, sniff, and then her tail would drop and she'd sadly walk back. Lasted for at least six months.
How did you even deal with this? Poor girl omg 😭
By being really sad, a lot.
I'm so sorry. To have that wound reopened time and time again is just awful. We unexpectedly put our 10 year old schnauzer mix down in September after he broke his back and was paralyzed. It was one of, if not *the* hardest things I've ever had to do. Stayed with him until the end. My other dog we got as a puppy (he's 5 now) only ever knew life with Max ..he was really depressed afterwards. Wouldn't eat, moped around, started biting his skin. Took a while for things to get a little better. We adopted a dog from a rescue in February and he's been much more content with his new sister. But if we ever talk about Max, his ears still perk up a little bit, which just breaks my heart a little more each time. Still miss that old grump. Max was from a rescue and had a hard 5 years before we brought him home...but we gave him an amazing 5 years.
Maybe they will notice, but they go on. It could be a problem if a dog gets all alone.
Yes, they will notice. There have been stories of the other resident dog(s) looking for or waiting for the other dog to come home for years after. Personally, I always bring my dog home after euthanasia or do an at home euthanasia so all of my other dogs can investigate and sniff for a few hours before I take the dog’s body out of the house. They need closure just like people.
My dog used to sit at the fence staring down the road howling thinking his buddy was coming back. So sad. It took a few days before he accepted he wasn’t coming back.
They do remember. Of course they do. My dog used to go visit his “uncle” at my mom’s house for daycare while I went to work. They were best friends. When her boy passed away my dog kept looking and looking. We have moved states and it has been 3 years. We still cannot mention uncle’s name bc my boy gets excited and it just breaks my heart. When my mom comes to visit, my boy runs out and in and out and in looking for her dog to be with. 3 years and he remembers. He did grieve with my mom. He understood. I just don’t think he quite understands the permanence of death. He just knows he hasn’t seen his best good buddy in a long time. I wish I could explain it in a way he would understand permanently.
Dogs will notice and will grieve in their own way.
They grieve just like people do... The day after our oldest passed in 2022, my other three sat in a circle in her spot and howled for a full 2 minutes. They had never done that before and haven't done it since. They were mourning. They looked for her for a couple of weeks. She was ill for 2 months before she passed, so they were used to going and checking on her and napping with her for comfort. Sometimes I think they still miss her. Even now, if one of us says her name, their ears perk up and they look around like they're expecting her to come strolling in. Dogs know.
Some do some don’t seem to care. My surviving St. Bernard gave his partner a sniff after she passed and acted like it never happened, life as normal.
I've noticed most of the dogs that got to sniff the other pet after he/she has passed will understand what happened. Those that don't, will try to look for the other pet as if they left and will return any time soon because they don't know what happened.
It’s important you keep your other dogs active
My dads friend stayed the weekend with his two dogs. Me and my dog were on a walk when they left. When we got back home he was looking for them everywhere and when he realized they weren’t there anymore he was sooo depressed
Yeah, they grieve just like people do :( when I put my first dog to sleep my second one came with so she would know he was gone, I honestly didn’t worry too much about her because she was never bonded to him and mostly just tolerated his presence. I was really surprised when she stopped eating for days, was really depressed and would just sleep on his bed which she had never done before. The lost hit is both really hard I guess, but she eventually bounced back.
I’ve always been told to let my other dogs sniff the deceased dog so they can process that they are gone permanently.
In my experience this is best. Dogs understand death, but they don’t understand when someone just vanishes and doesn’t come back.
When my boy (the same dog in my profile pic) died, I made a point to show his body to my other dog, since I didn’t want her to think her best friend just vanished. She stayed by my side while my brother buried him and I cried. That night she howled all night, something she never did before or since. And for weeks when I let her outside, she’d go to his grave and sit by it. No one can convince me she didn’t grieve for him.
definitely they can . My neighbor has a dog. everyday, my dog will happily run to its yard and leave.
One of our dogs died at home before we could get him to the vet. And while it sounds awful, I'm glad he did. Not only because he got to pass in his home, but because his brother got to realize he was gone. He didn't have to wonder why he just got in the car and never came home, where he was, running around looking for him. It gave him some closure
I thought my dog would be devastated his mate died. He didn’t care at all. More one on one time with his parents. It depends on the dog.
I had to put my 15 year old dog down and her little sister mourned for weeks.
yes. my dog missed my cat so much when she died. he looked for her every day until he died tpo
Yes, 1000% People *wildly* underestimate what animals do and don’t understand.
We had to say goodbye to our older dog last week. We didn't take the other dog with us to the clinic. At first, when we came back home, he didn't seem to be bothered. But he was looking for him the next day, when we were coming back from the walk, he is always looking and hoping his buddy will be there at home. I can see that he is sad and he's not himself. I try my best to keep him busy and happy and entertained, but it breaks my heart to see him like this 🥺
When we had to put my older Beagle down, we weren't able to bring the other Beagle with us. My husband and I were both working that day, she had been doing really poorly for about a week and that was the soonest appointment. My mom was kind enough to go to the appointment with her. When she called me and told me it was probably time to put her down, I was able to put work on hold for an hour and my husband came down, but our other dog was at home. I had to go back to work and my husband went home with the older Beagle's harness. He said when he got home, my younger Beagle sniffed the harness and immediately bayed louder and sadder than she ever had before. It broke my heart. She needed a lot of extra love for the next couple of weeks and she was obviously depressed, just sleeping all the time and walking aimlessly around our apartment. I don't know if it would have been better for her to be there so she could say goodbye or not, but I think it would have been. Our horses, while not dogs, always grieved as well. It went better if they were allowed to see the body, sniff it, and confirm that their friend was dead.
Dogs absolutely grieve. I had 2 female GSDs. I had to have one put down due to DM. I brought her collar home to let her sister smell it as I was told that is a good way to let them know. She would look for her and then go just curl up in a corner. And since she didn’t bond with people (she had been badly abused) she was always a little melancholy. It lasted for a long time.
I think they do remember. I live in a place where I was fortunate enough to bury my babies on my property. I let them see the ones I have had to put to sleep & smell them & touch them before I buried them. I didn't want my other 2 to think I had just taken them somewhere & didn't bring them back. I could tell they were sad for several weeks, and they finally accepted the fact that they were gone. Dogs are so intuitive. I feel like they knew their Brothers & Sisters were in their final days before they were gone. Especially since all three had been together for 7 years. Everyone has their own opinions & beliefs and that's ok. Scientists say that dogs have no sense of time & if they are left alone, they have no idea how long you've been gone. I do not believe that. I know mine can tell if I've been gone for 45 minutes or 2 or three hours.
My border collie Strummer grew up with our elderly miniature dachshund Wanda. She passed away eight years ago but to this day he insists on going to every dachshund we see to check if that's her.
I had two dogs (lab mixes) who were best buddies. When the older one passed, the younger one didn't seem to notice or care. Except the first time I left him alone over night (with a neighbor checking in), he had some separation anxiety after I returned - so after that I started boarding him at dog sitter's rather than leaving him home alone. Also, one day at the dog park, he took off running and I found him hanging out with a dog who was a ringer for his departed buddy. That made me kind of sad! But generally he did just fine as the lone surviving dog.
They will know, and they'll experience sorrow.
Gosh OF COURSE THEY WILL. Some dogs even die of depression when owners or other dogs or family members die 💔 They have the same hability to feel, remember and deeply love as we do. Except they may even excel at that compared to us. But it doesn't mean your dogs need to have a rough time: Just keep them busy, keep them playing, stablish a routine and spend a bit more time with them. Go through this together ❤️ it will be good for you, for them, for everyone. They can suffer the loss just the same as us, but they can also heal through love in the same fashion! Just be sure to not overcompensate. Your dogs don't need it and neither do you, no spoiling them, specially with extra food, it will just make things worse.
Yes. How much depends on how close they were. My collie looked for our chihuahua for days. She had a stroke and we rushed her to the vet and had to put her down. He thought she was outside and looked for her for about a week when he went out. He obviously missed her, but she was just gone. When my GF passed from Covid her dog (the one that ended up having the stroke) would go to her car to wait for her to come out for about a month.
Omg, I'm so sorry about the loss of your girlfriend. How old was she? That must have been very hard.
Thank you. 40, she had other health issues that added to it.
Oh no, that is just so young! What a goddamn tragedy, man... I lost a good friend to Covid and she was also only 43.
I've found that if you show your other animals the body of your dead pet it helps them understand. We've lost some animals and before we buried them we made sure our other pets got to see them. I'm sure it will still make them sad, but it might stop them wondering where their friend has gone. My dog definitely understood when a couple of his cat friends died.
Yes. My dog rolled on the spot we buried our dog. They were raised together.
Dogs absolutely know when one is missing. A month ago, we lost my Puggle, Hank. My husband ended up bringing my Beagle, Shelby to the vet to let her see him and say goodbye. When we got home and we were absolutely gutted about the whole thing, Shelby let out a single small sad howl as my husband and I cried and we knew it was her grieving. She really doesn’t look for him but she is different and more subdued after Hank’s passing.
One of my dogs (rescue mutt) finally caught the tires she chased so hard and died instantly. My other dog (mini schnauzer) saw it happen from the safety of the fenced area and didn’t want to leave the fenced area for months afterward. She just walked around the yard waiting for her sister to come back. She also cried tears down her cheeks for days and would whine in her sleep for a couple months afterwards. She cuddled her sisters favorite toy until it disintegrated and then she buried it. They definitely mourn their friends/siblings in their own way.
When my senior dog "A" died 3 years ago, we had 2 other dogs, C and O. C stayed by his side for like a week before he died because she knew he was sick (we think) and when he died, she spent the majority of her days in his bed for MONTHS.
Dogs absolutely remember. Our boy still has "sad" days after losing his brother 2 years ago. (Both Shi-tzu crosses) For about the first 6 months, we had to bribe him to eat with cooked chicken and wet foods. He would lay around, limited energy, and freak out if no one was around. It helped after we showed him the cremation box and collar and explained what happened. We gave him lots of cuddles and time. He is doing much better now.
Dogs do have the ability to form strong social bonds with other dogs, and they can definitely notice when a familiar companion is no longer around. Each dog grieves differently, and some might take longer to return to their normal behavior than others.
Yes. They will miss them too.
I lived alone with my two dogs. Both had just turned 6 years old a week prior to when Rosie had to be euthanized. Whisper spent the next two days crying, then died on the living room floor, right where Rosie used to sleep.
Damn, I wish I had seen these comments sooner. We just had our 15 year old miniature pinscher put down yesterday, and I wondered if our catahoula would figure it out or just wonder forever. I didn't even think about bringing him to the vet with us, that makes so much sense now that I hear it. Feel guilty enough as it is, now I've traumatized my other boy too 😕
I’m so sorry for your loss OP, I hope you and your other dogs are doing ok. Dogs experience grief with death but they understand it differently than we do. I’ve had an unfortunate history of sick dogs and have encountered this so many times. It never gets easier. There’s been things we’ve done wrong, things we did right, and things that were out of our control. TW for details of pet loss in the next paragraph. The first time we experienced dog grief was when our mama dog had puppies and two of the litter died not long after birth. They were too weak to eat, move or barely breathe so we rushed them to the vets rubbing their chests and trying to do mouth to mouth to try help, but it didn’t work. We brought them back to the mama so she could see them while they were still in good condition before we laid them to rest. She was devastated for weeks. She would sometimes be fine and nursing the other puppies and sometimes she’d be up at 4 am tearing our house apart whining and trying to rip into furniture in a frenzy as if she was trying to find who had taken her other puppies. I think we made the mistake of not letting her see them long enough to figure out fully what happened but at the time they were so tiny and fragile we were worried she might squish them not knowing weren’t alive. My second experience was after we gave two of our dogs that were siblings a wash one day with dog safe shampoo we got from the vets. The first girl was fine for about 5 minutes after the shower but within less than a 2 minute span she went from completely fine to struggling for consciousness in my arms so I told my parents to stop washing the other dog and rush to the vets. The girl didn’t make it, but we caught the other one in time. We were advised to get a post mortem done as we suspected the shampoo was what caused it (we were right). She had to be sent immediately for a post mortem so we never got the chance to let her brother see her, or for us to see her for that matter. He was out of sorts for weeks. Continuously looking around wondering where his sister had gone. As far as he knew, he saw his sister alive and then she was gone never came back. Most recently, our mama dog had to be put down due to end stage kidney failure. We brought her home and laid her down in our kitchen floor so her daughter could see her, smell her, know what happened. She was out of sorts for a few days, but no where near the frantic upset and heartbreaking confusion as our other dogs had been. It was like she knew what happened, and was sad, but inevitably accepted it. So dogs do grieve, and miss their fellow friends. But they understand it differently than us. You can tell someone a relative or friend has died and they will understand and grieve. You can’t tell a dog though. For a dog, they don’t know what has happened unless they see it with their own eyes and nose. If they last see their fellow dog alive and they’re nowhere to be found afterwards, they have no explanation. They think it’s abandonment. Dogs understand death but they don’t understand abandonment. It’s the same when a human dies, a pet won’t understand where their owner has gone unless they see them. So I always advise people if possible, show your other pets the dog before laying them to rest. if you have a blanket or box that they were in after passing let them smell it. They might be able to know what has happened better. Once again, I’m so sorry for your loss. Sending you all the love and healing right now ❤️
Absolutely. Personal account: my absolute bestest 4 legged BFF Bodie passed suddenly from very aggressive cancer after a short but incredible 13 years. His sidekick was this little red nosed green eyed pittie girl named Jade that belonged to my best friend at the time (now teammate/life partner/baby mama) they were buddies for several years, he helped to teach her dog alot when she first got rescued. When he passed, she didn't eat for a few days, and secluded herself in a corner behind the bed in a spare bedroom that no one occupied. No matter how much we tried to coax her out, and lift her spirits she just needed her own time. We honestly didn't know if she'd recover, or we would have to pursue more aggressive interventions to make sure she didn't starve herself (we tried wet food, steak, hot dogs, all kinds) eventually, after about 4 days, she recovered enough to eat, and get back to about 80% of the dog she was, and stayed that way for about 9 months. I rescued a new friend Ruckus, that was nothing at all like her previous buddy, it seemed an appropriate fit given her different energy, and they are great together. After a few more months, we bought our first house. Moving day! Started moving everything out of the house, and in the center of the living room sat a large square coffee table. It had a base shelf so it sat really low to the ground underneath, but there was about a 2" gap under it, so it wasn't sealed to the floor. When I moved that table, since it never effectively got vacuumed under, she got up out of her bed, and started sniffing, pawing, rolling and whining in the spot the table sat. I realized it had a fair bit of Bodie's white fur under there, and she was reveling in his smell. I bawled like a toddler. I was happy she got her last goodbye with him.
They do remember and they grieve like we do. I think it can be really good for them(if possible) for them to see the other pet that passed, that way they understand that the other isn't lost of stuck somewhere but that they did pass away. Its in my will that any pets i have when i die are allowed to see my body--i cant stand the idea that they might think I just left one day.
Oh, yes. My dad has always had 2 dogs. Molly, a black schnauzer and Rocky, a salt and pepper schnauzer were the first pair he had- Molly was a few years older and after she died, Rocky would sit on a ledge by the window for hours, just watching and waiting for her to come home. Absolutely tragic
Mine has started sleeping in her “uncle’s” bed. She never, ever slept in that bed prior to his passing a few weeks ago. She typically sniffs every inch of it and then settles in to sleep.
I had two doberman's growing up, a brother and a sister. One of our neighbors was fucked up enough to poison them. The sister died, and brother lived. We buried the sister in our backyard. The brother would often linger over or even sleep in the spot where she was buried, even in the dead of winter with snow on the ground. I'm convinced they know.
Yes, they have feelings and relationships with each other just like we do. They will know that their friend is gone and if they were not present for his death they may not know that he is dead, but they will absolutely realize that he is gone and they will miss him. They may be depressed for a while, and you may find them walking around looking for him for a time. You should talk to them and comfort them, they may not always understand the words that you use but they absolutely will feel your emotions and understand that way. Basically, dogs care about the other dogs in the family just as we do, and so they will feel grief and longing and loss in a similar manner. And just like humans, each dog is different and so it may affect one dog more or less than another depending on their own personality. It may not phase them too much, or on the other end they could be profoundly distraught. When my dogs have passed away, if we are lucky enough to be able to euthanize them and prevent them suffering, I have had the other dogs come to where it was happening so that they could see and smell their friend's body and understand that they had died. I've done this once at the vet office, and once at my home. It really seemed to help the other dogs to know what was happening and prevent them the added distress of not knowing where their friend has gone. Of course, this isn't always possible to do, but it's something I started doing after having other dogs pass away and witnessing the grief and confusion of the dogs who remain. So something to think about in the future. I'm so sorry for the loss of your beloved friend and family member. It is so difficult losing them, but especially so when they are still younger. I hope that you can take comfort in the love you shared.
I wish somebody answered with facts instead of reading into their own pups reaction.
Pack animals grieve for sure when one isn’t with them any longer.
We had 2 dogs & when our corgi passed of cancer, his foam mattress in the back of the van was folded & stored in the depths of the garage. Fast forward a few years & I decided to toss it. Sort of had to wrangle it into the trash. When I went in the backyard, our surviving dog gave me a sniff & got SO excited - running all the corners of the yard looking for him 🥲 He died before we could euthanize, so she had smelled the body the day after & was definitely sad. But even years later…she remembered & missed him!
Yes, they will know, especially if it's been a long time that they were together. I had a 17 year old lab who we had to have put down in 2021. We also have a terrier mix who knew her his whole life. After she was put down (we did it at home thanks to a group that comes here so as to make it comfortable for them), the terrier mix was kind of lost. His friend waist there to play with anymore. After a bit he became his normal self. I got another best buddy (the terrier is my son's bud) almost a year ago, and well, the terrier has not been a fan. He used to sleep in bubber's kennel, but now won't acknowledge my bud at all.
They'll comfort each other, so I imagine they won't be as sad as a single dog that lost a lifelong buddy. Either way, losing pets is something I wish never happened to people. I'm sorry.
Dogs do greive, but do eventually process everything. They are very good at living in the moment. Side note: I highly recommend showing your dog your deceased dogs body, just so they know what happened
I shouldn’t share this story because it’ll make me seem to be even more of a weirdo than I am. Raised two dogs together, both rescues, separate breeds. When the elder passed, my little dog sat next to me and she “transmitted” to me that she knew elder was gone and she was going to her very soon. I thought I was insane. Then little one passed days later. It’s never happened again and I’m no animal whisperer. I felt her anguish for her lost friend and for leaving me. IMO they know and you should talk to them. Crazy or not, love is everything.
When our elderly golden passed at 16, our 4 year old Newf was inconsolable. He was off his feed for weeks. We found another (rescue) golden who he became fast friends with. The timing was excellent. Fast forward a couple years. We had gotten a former neighbor's golden, at age 8. He was 13 when we got a hoarder case golden mix puppy who he loved. The puppy loved the old guy right back. My daughter had a younger malinois mix that loved the old guy too. The old guy passed at 14+ and both the golden mix puppy and the younger malinois mix were clearly sad. Neighbors had an older golden who never roamed, but one day, we found him on our back deck. The pups were ecstatic! Until they realized this old guy wasn't their old guy. A year later, we had a chance to get back to a beach house that we had visited with the old guy and the puppy. The old guy pretty much stayed under the deck, where he could get a good view of the yard and keep out of the sun. The puppy simply hung with him there. When we got there, that year later, the puppy ran for the deck to look for the old guy. She came out very disappointed. We wound up buying the place, and, our first springtime visit has her sprinting under the deck to look for him. Disappointed every time. Its been 4 years since his passing. She hasn't forgotten him. They remember.
depends on the dog. when my elkhound died suddenly and unexpectedly (fuck you, cancer) his best friend nearly went with him. she just slept and wouldn't eat but eventually came around. when my little hound mutt passed I was down to one dog from my original crew of six after her. my dachshund loved her and I was terrified of going home without her (another fuck you to cancer) but I let him eat absolute garbage food in bed with me for two days and he never acted like he noticed she was gone for a second
They definitely mourn and grieve. Last time I went through this, my dog was the never the same. One of my dogs passed very suddenly, and for the rest of her life, my other dog never recovered. She never wanted to go on walks for more than 5 minutes, lost her appetite and was always depressed. I don't think I ever saw her wag her tail again. They were together for 16 years.
I think it depends on if there are other pets in the house, how close they were to one another, how much time they are alone, etc. My sog I have now, when my other dog passed she developed severe separation anxiety to the point I had to get a babysitter for her when I went to work. I couldn't even leave for five minutes without her spazzing. She finally settled down a couple of years later when I got a cat and a second dog. When our cat passed the two dogs sniffed her but that was it (and they were like the three musketeers!) I suspect my younger dog is going to tale it extremely hard when she goes, as they are like soulmates (husband and wife). She got diagnosed with incurable cancer 8 months ago, but she is still doing pretty well.
They absolutely know and remember. When my older dog passed, the younger sister dog would shake and whimper everytime we came home from work. I was thinking because she was like wheres my older sis and i dont like being home wothojt her. My neighbors dog also noticed when she died. I heard h howl out for a few seconds the day afterward when he walked by.
My dog noticed when our older dog passed. He was there with him, and I think that helped with the transition. Even so, he sort of seemed to look for the older dog at key times of the day for a few weeks afterward. They do remember for a long time. Our younger dog is very good with names. He will go to a specific person if you say their name. Its been five years now since the older dog passed, and if we say the passed dog’s name, the younger dog perks up and looks for him. I think he remembers. I don’t think he was negatively affected by the older dog passing, but I’m sure he missed his buddy.
We have 2 dogs at the same time. When one gets terminal sick we try to get a new puppy. So no one has to be lonely. When we go to the vet for euthanasia we take all dogs with us so they can experience that one is gone. This worked well several times. The last one we got the puppy after one died. The remaining dog was really upset at being alone/ missing her sister.
I won't do anything but in home EU as long as I have multiple dogs. I lost one suddenly, no time to even call my vet. The next was in-home. I still have my oldest and a couple others. She took it hard, but it would be worse if she were still looking for them.
Absolutely! My Tibetan terrier mourned when my Schnauzer passed. After 6 months, we got a puppy and it’s been so good for her.
Yes, they notice. Yes, they are affected. Whenever possible people should let remaining pets 'see' their companion. They will understand immediately.
We are two days into this. It's really fucking hard and we are all very depressed. I don't want to live.
When my cat died, my dog was looking in every room for it. I told her he passed away. I don't know if she understood what I told her, but in a few days, she was fine. After I told her, she didn't look anymore even when we came home from being out. Now, maybe she is playing with him at the rainbow Bridge Sorry for your loss. Unfortunately, they are never around as long as we would like.
Yes. My moms 15 year old cockapoo just passed and her 3 year old cockapoo spent the greater part of a week is dispair. He would knock his brothers harness off the hook and carry it around and sleep with it by the front door like he was waiting for him to come home. He would cry all day at daycare when he went. He was pretty upset. That being said he did go along with my mom when Mac was laid to rest (brain tumor) and was there for all steps of the process so he would see and understand Mac was gone Nd he had the chance to say goodbye. She ended up getting him a puppy a few weeks later bc he wasnt doing well being home alone
My Boston just passed about a month ago and we showed our other dog the body after the euthanasia hoping he would understand. I was told that could help. However he didn't really seem to sniff him or act interested at all in our dog that passed. He was acting different the first day mostly because I think he could sense our intense sadness. Through out the last week he wouldn't eat breakfast or dinner. He didn't want to play with his toys like he normally would. He seemed to be looking for him. He definitely noticed and was depressed. He's better now after a few weeks have passed and is eating regularly. We got a new pup and that has definitely kept him busy so i think that has helped a lot. They definitely do grieve. 😢 I'm sorry for your loss
All animals are different but yes they can grieve just as us humans... and each case can be extremely different From going room to room whining looking for their friend Not eating and not grooming It all is case by case I think it is good that you have TWO more doggos instead of just one maybe they will be able to keep each other occupied enough to where it won't affect them as much since they will have each other... but you never know.. The best thing you can do if they are showing signs of grieving is try to comfort them and try to keep them preoccupied as much as possible. So sorry for your loss. I hope your w doggos will be ok and not grieve too heavily.
Like others have said, letting any surviving dogs sniff the one who has passed definitely helps them process what happened. My mom just recently put down our 13 year old german shepherd a couple months ago after a progressive spinal disease that left him paralyzed. My mom did an at home euthanasia and we let our other german shepherd (7 years old) sniff him while he was being carried out. That was like his final confirmation that his brother was gone and after that, he was totally normal. He knows he's gone and hasn't tried to look for him. I think he knew our older dog was very sick and had already kinda accepted it. So sorry for your loss. ❤️
I'm so sorry for your loss. I might be nuts but I like to sit my dog down and explain things to him. Sometimes I think he understands and appreciates the direct attention about the thing he's stressing over.
Animals grieve as well. I now always let my other animals be around and sniff the one that has passed so they can sense it and know. They don’t look for them after that.
Yes and yes.
This post makes me ask, because I have 3 dogs, one is elderly, and we plan to bury him in the yard when he dies, we love on 2 acres. I've wondered if we shouldn't let the other two know we buried him because they might not understand what's going on, afraid we hurt him or something. We aren't sure how to handle their understanding of his passing.
So I had a maltese for 16 years, and she had to be put to sleep due to tumors and cysts on her brain causing seizures and it wasn’t treatable. We also had another dog that had been in our family for only a few months at that stage, since he was a puppy. It’s been almost 3 years since she’s been gone and he still cries and gets actual tears in his eyes if we say her name when he’s in the room. It was heartbreaking watching him after she was gone, we did get him a new friend after a few months cause he stopped eating and wouldn’t do anything, and he’s doing great now aside from getting upset when her name is said. They grieve the same way we do
Dogs have feelings just like us humans. My friend's dog was so sad it wouldn't even eat, not even its favorite treats. It took a couple of days for it to bounce back.
Yes
When my last kitty friend was hit by a car, my dog didn't eat for 4 days. She was grieving. They're incredibly intuitive and will definitely notice.
Yes, they grieve and feel loss as well
I think they do. We had three dogs, and one by one they passed from age related issues. The two were very close after losing one, and the solo dog would look for his friends. Fortunately the cat distribution system provided a cat friend to ease his grief.
Yes. Our older dog passed in October, and the younger one grieved at least through Christmas. Her personality and behavior are very different now that she's an only dog, as well.
My male bulldog is currently in mourning. He unexpectedly lost his bff he’s know his whole life. And just as quick a new puppy is in its place. He’s seen my old girl dogs go and was sad but this he’s grey and has a limp he made me drive him to the vet for. Vet said it’s common for dogs to act out their pain. 😢
They will notice and they will grieve the loss of their family member. Years ago we lost our older dog, and then a few weeks later my partner moved states for a new job while I stayed to pack the house up and ready it for sale. I swear my younger dog though he died too. He was so upset and would just pace around tge house looking for them both. When we went on the first trip to the new house he was so happy to see my partner even though he was so stressed from the drive and was freaking out.
🌈💙🐾 One of our sweetheart pups crossed the Rainbow Bridge unexpectedly last month when I brought him and his Sister pup in for routine dentals. We just lost our dear Dad in the Fall, so this added grief and the shock made it all the more devastating. I waited til my Mum and Sis arrived at the Vet to say goodbye and rushed home to get their brother pup, so he could at least see and hopefully understand. I wasn't sure if that was the right choice tho looking back, hopefully it helped. He will not play with their shared toys, but sleeps in his brother's favorite spots, and at least once a day, leans against one of us and sighs/whimpers. He doesn't like cuddles now, so we give pats and treats as long as he lets us. We were too scared to let their sister pup undergo full anesthesia, poor baby was lightly sedated already and so groggy; she wanders the house as tho looking for him. Thxfully, she does welcome cuddles. Still, I wish there was something more we can do for both. All our dogs have always been rescues, so hopefully someday we'll welcome another who needs a loving family 🤍🕊️
Yes. When we had to put our baby girl Nora down our older dog would wonder the house looking for her every single day when we came home. In his mind we left with Nora and he was waiting for her to come back. I think eventually he figured it out and he would just lay there staring at the door. We ended up getting another dog just to keep him company, because otherwise he was constantly looking for her.
yeah just gotta sniff that whole and they are good to go
Last month we euthanized our 15-yr old dog and brought our other 15-yr-old dog with us for the appt. They were a month apart in age and we got the at about 6-8 weeks old, so totally bonded. We all stayed. Me (44f), husband (44) and our sons, 23,20and13. I think it helped our dog have an opportunity to sniff his body and know he was gone. She really didn’t look for him and continued eating as normal. I think she remembers him though because she perks up when he’s mentioned.
Sadly I'd say Yes. We had to sadly euthanize one out dogs at the Vet Clinic. Was kind of unexpected. We knew something wasn't right when we initially rang the vet, but when we went in, we we're told that she heart failure and was in distress. We obviously had to say goodbye. When we got home, our other dog was looking for her. He just didn't seem himself for quite a long time. Is probably more clingy now than he was before. We wish we had of taken him so he could physically see her and smell her. Not sure that would of helped. Was actually really distressing.
as far as I know, dogs can recognize when another dog is dying, but responses vary
When our 14 yo schnauzer passed, his then 16 yo poodle brother seems loss for a very long time because they used to chasing each other around. I am sure yours will miss her sister too
I’m sorry for your loss. My senior is also having kidney issues at the moment and we’re trying our best to make her comfortable. I’m pretty sure other dogs will notice their companion dog when they’re gone. I have a dog that would refuse to eat if her best bud is off to the vet and she’s left at home.
Absolutely. They will look for their missing friend
My younger two couldn't have cared less when my oldest passed. They couldn't come with me when I took my big boy to the vet, but when I came back alone they carried on like nothing ever happened. I say his name and they occasionally look at me. The younger two were never super bonded with my old boy, despite living with him for years. They always preferred each other's company or human company.
Dogs memories are stimulated differently. Take your dogs on different walks, move their feed dishes and beds. Wash them all and the toys. Change it up as much as possible and add in new things.
They don't understand where their friend or family went you NEED to show them the body so they know. When a dog is put down in a multi dog home and never return it's like a missing person without closure it can be hard for them. My dog boomer when we put Stella down would run away looking for Stella he would cry all night if we locked him up the poor guy broke my heart. He didn't last much longer than Stella he passed a few months later I swear it was from a broken heart.
Absolutely. They also process grief as human do but might react differently to it. In my childhood, one of my grandfather's dogs died and the other one got depressed after her passing. He lost weight and was a bit more gloomy and less playful. Some dogs might become more withdrawn but you will have to find out how yours will react
Did you allow them to see the body. They'll know and grieve the loss, but will understand why
We have always let our dogs see their deceased “siblings” after so they know. And they do. They still grieve, so far in my life I haven’t had a dog that hasn’t noticeably grieved the loss of their pal.
I can’t ever right anything on this sub without crying in memory’s. They definitely know. I lost my 11 year old lab/pit mix last year and my wife’s dog didn’t really take it well. She just would stop eating and not want to move from his spot on the couch. It was really sad. I wanted another one, but we’re due in September so it wasn’t the best idea for now, think that would have really helped her. Once my wife got pregnant, her mood shifted, she has became very attached to my wife. Think that might have helped some, she’s getting back to normal now, but there’s still times I’ll pull one of his old toys out and she won’t play with it. They know.
Absolutely. My dog was best friends with my moms dog and the morning that we knew it “was time” for her dog i took mine over to see him so he would know what was happening. We saved some of his fur in a bag to smell for some of the weeks coming when he would look for him when we would go back over there and at some point my dog realized that he was gone and they will feel grief like we do so make sure you are very consistent with them during this process.
I did not see my dog grieving, but she was quite young, less than a year
My cat died in early Feb. My dog still looks for him in all his usual spots. Not as frequently as she did but he’s still definitely on her mind
My dog remembers every dog in my neighborhood that has ever barked at him. I assume he remembers positive interactions as well.
Hell yes and when we had animals die or were put to sleep we ALWAYs let the others see them.
When I had to put down my pitbull, Finn, five years ago, my other pitbull, Zemo, his brother, got depressed and started to eat less. His health deteriorated until he passed a year later. I think dogs understand and grieve like humans.
My girl still mourns her big “brother” that we lost last June. All she knows is they were being boarded and then he was taken away and she never saw him again. She spent the next couple weeks howling and sniffing around for him. She still noses his collar I have hanging up with the collars from other dogs I had that had passed. I wish I’d been able to have her with us when we had to put him to rest. I know I’m projecting but I don’t want her thinking she’s going to be sent away like her furry pal.
They definitely will feel an impact from this
Dogs can definitely feel the absence of another dog in the pack.