How do dogs grieve?

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As some of you know we have always had two dogs.
In April Annie, our 14-year-old labrador-mix passed away. She had cancer and nobody knew.
We were so sad that I can`t decribe it with words especially not in English.
Since then I often wonder if Vito is grieving at all. The dogs were living together for about three years and though they were so different not just as far as their ages were concerned there was a deep love between the two. You could just see it and feel it. And Annie didn`t like too many other creatures actually, but she did love Vito and he loved her.
Since April I never had the impression that he was missing her somehow.
Is it maybe just that he felt she had to go?
Maybe she somehow told him that her end was near...who knows?
How do your dogs grieve for other pets who have gone?

[Pat]

Hi Christine,
Before my current boy, Ray, R/White, I had two Rough Collies. These two boys were not litter brothers but were from the same breeder who had two litters and they were born a day apart. They were put together at 4 weeks old and they came home with me when they were 8 weeks old. They were the greatest of pals and spent all their lives together with never a cross word (and both boys were entire). They use to playfight and run together, eat their food from separate dishes but next to each other, sleep together and I trained them together.
Tarquin, the deep rich golden boy, was suddenly taken ill when he was about 12 1/2 years old and it was as though he had a stroke - his brain did not seem to connect to his body and limbs. We took him to our Vet but after four days of massive kidney failure and his other organs closing down he passed away in my arms. Bracken, the shaded sable boy, wandered the whole house and garden looking for his companion. When he didn't find him he then became my shadow and his eyes were the eyes of a lost dog. Two weeks after Tarquin passed away Bracken had massive convultions one evening and the Vet kindly gave him his final sleep whilst he was in my arms. He had pined away after losing his lifetime companion. The Vet investigated further on Bracken and he had cancer of the small intestine.
Pat

[Pat]

Dear Christine,
Thank you. Yes, I'm sure they're together again and running free over the rainbow bridge.
We never forget our faithful companions no matter how many years pass by.
Pat

[Ilona & Gina]

Hi Christine,

I am not an expert, just a loving dog mum, but I am sure dogs grieve. Maybe Vito has changed in subtle ways. For example, does he want to be closer to you than ever?
Has he become slower?

I know of a bulldog who lost his sibling months ago and he grieved a lot. He has become slower, more lethargic and doesn't seem to have much fun in playing with other dogs. His head hangs down when you see him walking. However, after some months he is slowly perking up.

And here is a totally different story: Recently I saw a dead bird in the park, surrounded by his mates. It looked like a ceremony. They stood around him in a circle, looked at him and were very quiet. I was stunned. I couldn't help but stop and watch them (fortunately Gina wasn't with me!) Maybe I interpret too much into it, but I am sure that animals grieve. Sometimes I think we humans are too focused on our intellectual brains to notice any other emotional expression around us...it doesn't have to be words.


So you may be right: Vito felt that it was time to part and yet he may grieve. One doesn't exclude the other...

I am sure you are still grieving, too. It will take time - I lost my beloved cat almost 10 years ago and she is still in my heart.

Take care.

Ilona

[ursula wilby]

Here I am, being as unsentimental as ever...sorry about that...

I have not had 2 dogs only, so I suppose that with me having at least 3 dogs, things did not change that much. My old dogs have mainly been put to sleep in the kitchen, with their flock around them. And there has never been any reaction from the others.
I dont want to take an old dog to the vet and feel that being put to sleep in your own basket or on your settee must be the kindest way.
Afterwards I have taken the other ones for a walk and I have noticed no change whatsoever.

But I can well imagine that if you have two dogs only, that they will grow very dependent on each other, and will miss each others company.
Or if you have two dogs of almost the same age.
Mine have always been spaced at least three years apart and also I spend a lot of time with the dogs seperatly when I train or compete and I do try to make them independent of each other.
So perhaps that is the reson for mine to just carry on as normal.

[ursula wilby]

I do think it is us most of the time, Susan.

Dogs do seem to take death in their stride.
At least all of mine have done so.
We on the other hand dont, and are then perhaps too quick to read things in to the dogs behaviour when they in their turn are just reacting to us.

[ursula wilby]

I dont know about "star-signs" Christine :-), but as far as I have observed my dogs over the (almost 50) years, they dont seem to bother much if one of the flock goes.
Other than the order of certain things changing.
I have allways fed the oldest dog first and so on...so the youngest one will be the last to get the foodbowl. So they just move up one step...

I do feel that dogs live a day to day life...they dont sit there worrying about getting old or if they are going to be put down eventually.
They are happy if all is fine in their lives to-day...never mind tomorrow.

Or could it be that I have managed to end up with the most incensitive dogs in this universe? Somehow I dont think so..:-)

Ursula
(pieces)

[ursula wilby]

9th of march is pieces...Fisch :-)

[ursula wilby]

Thank you Susan!
I did think it looked like (bits and) pieces...:-)
Cant win them all!

[Laura Kolbach]

I don't know as I never had a dog leaving us yet, while another staying.
But what I know is that when Odin stays with my parents for some days ("holidays"), Danka becomes lethargic. Danka is the happiest and silliest dog ever otherwise but yes, so much dependent on Odin it seems. I don't want to imagine what will happen when Odin leaves us. By then I will have a third dog (Danka's daughter) and just hope that she will be a reason enough not to lose her joy of life.

[Jo Ottinger]

I have had two experience with my girl Lady that have been interesting. I lost her mother Coffee four years ago she started having seizures and passed Lady was with her at the time and she would not let our other girl Tiz near Coffee after she passed. When we had to let Scout go Lady crawled up onto him. I had to carry her out of the room after. My vet said she had never seen a dog do that before in all her years. Lady is such a gentle soul I do not know what I will do when I loose her.

[Marion]

We recently lost our English Setter who had been with our Irish Setter since they left their mothers (Irish 6 weeks older than English). We had the vet and nurse come to our home and put Rosie to sleep as she lay on the couch with us and Ruby beside her. My sister and niece were also present, we then took Rosie to the pet cemetery to have her cremated and brought her home with us. It was all done in 4 hours. Since that day Ruby stresses out when we have visitors, she paces, barks and yaps. She's even worse if it's my sister or niece that visit. I think she associates this with Rosie leaving us as they were very close and snuggled up together in their beds etc etc. They'd been constant companions for 10 years and she misses Rosie terribly even though we have other dogs.

I look in her eyes and she's not the same anymore, she looks sad, I'm hoping she'll eventually get over it but Rosie was her bestest sweetest friend and we are all lost without her. xx

[Jo Ottinger]

I am so sorry Marion for your loss. It has been a year since Scout passed I do not think I will ever be over losing him. I think being with Scout when he passed did help my girls they were very close with him constantley cleaning and sleeping each other. Not all vets will come to your home here I have been lucky that mine did it is so much better then going to the vets and not coming back with them. The girls are not as close to Hawk they do not lay with him or clean him like they did Scout. They do look out for him if another dog is giving him a bad time at the park.