You bet they do!
I recently overheard two dog owners in the park this week discussing whether or not dogs grieve when a family member or another pet dies.
One lady said "Dogs don't really give a toss, as long as they get food, walks, treats and the occasional cuddle." The other lady said that she had definitely seen evidence that dogs do grieve at the passing of a human or animal family member.
In my many years of involvement with dogs, I can categorically say that they DO have emotions. And yes, they do grieve the loss of someone close. This heart breaking video is proof enough that a dog can be distraught at losing its owner. This is just one of hundreds of video clips on the Internet showing dogs grieving for dead owners. Others show them trying to revive their doggy friends who have died either through natural causes or in a road accident.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0p69V7d5C-Q
Dogs that have lost a doggy companion will show clear signs of emotional distress with a lack of appetite, aloof behaviour or by demanding an unusually high amount of cuddles and contact with you. They will lie on the floor, head in paws, just looking unbelievably sad. You would have to be a block of wood not to pick up the distress and feelings of sadness.
We forget that when a living animal relates to another for a long time, they develop a close friendship, create habits together, routines that they share and a confidence, trust and familiarity as a duo. They may have started out hating each other but at the end they are as close as can be.
With the death of a companion, whether human or animal, its like having to get over an addiction of sorts, an ingrained habit that becomes very hard to break.
Dogs can't vocalise just how they feel but an intuitive, tuned in owner can many times pick up from the body language at just how much mental anguish the animal is going through.
Is there anything you can do to minimize and overcome the sadness for your dog? It may not always be possible to make things right for them but for a few weeks after the passing of a person or dog, its good to lavish extra cuddles on them, plenty of chats, long walks and games that will break the cycle of gloom and eventually help them to focus on you and getting on with life. Make grooming every day a part of the new routine as this helps them bond with you - and you with your dog - making the sadness become a thing of the past.
“If a dog will not come to you after having looked you in the face,
you should go home and examine your conscience.”
― Woodrow Wilson
And now for something less gloomy, here are two pitch perfect canine musicians playing The Flea Waltz
http://www.viralviralvideos.com/2012/03/12/dogs-with-perfect-pitch-play-flea-waltz/
That's it for this week. Have an enjoyable one!
Dawn ("")
