When a dog dies - Page 2

AArrrrr,

CaptMike that is almost the sadest thing I've ever heard.    It brought back memories of my horse Toby who also hung himself after we ate his companion chicken Thurgood.    We ate well that year.   Makes me all teary eyed  to think of ole Toby climbing into the loft and wrapping that hay rope around his neck.   The other chickens stopped laying for thirty days, and the cattle all got drunk.  

How the hell ya been mate?   

The whole damned Clinton families been here politicing and I think we should make our move while Chelsey's in town.

Aye!

Mine have not seen the their pack member dead. But on bringing home a euthanized dog(s) in my van, the next time the crew gets in it, nose to the spot. Might describe it as a vacuuming... I also have seen changes in the pack. Females usually trying to figure out rank. When my male passed ( dam I still miss him everyday) one female went to licking her feet until they swelled and she had never ever showed a sign of allergies before. When I finally got it under control, she never did it again. The other female who does have allergies went to itching all over. (both were spayed) I had switched to a raw diet at that time, my boy had a huge tumor so my way of fighting cancer, and by the end of the summer she finally quit with the itching.  I think they missed him the same as me.... but I didn't lick my feet or itch, just cried alot.....

When I had to put my old girl down I brought her and my male dog to the vet.  He stayed out in the waiting room until it was over.  I did bring him in the room once she was gone.  He sniffed her muzzle and licked her very lightly then we left.  He didn't spend days looking for her but he did seem to mope for a few days.  I will never put another dog down without letting the remaining dog(s) see them at the end.

I do believe that dogs greive to a certain extent, although I certainly cannot prove it. We know they have the emotions of joy and anger, so in order for those emotions to exist there must a capacity for the emotion of sadness as well.

I alway try to have all of the dogs present when an older one has to go away-perhaps moreso for my benefit. I do not think they really understand the passing of life but they are busy for many days later "looking" for the missing dog. I am sure it depends how much the dogs are bonded with each other. It is never easier for me-no matter how many years pass.

Regards,

Bob-O

I have my best friend that is getting ready to pass from old age. I would not have the other ones in as there has been pack issues lately. This is the hardest thing I have had to do - saying good bye.

Dogs do grieve and  I wouldnt have knowledge of that if the events of one of my females in Galveston had not proved it.. THe female died on Friday of  one month and she and her male companion , another  of my gsd,,,had been together for 8 years...He was 7 years old and in good health...THe day she died , he just changed his mood, his temperament , his eating habits declined and he was not the same for the first three weeks...After about a month , he was still moping around,, only went to potty and back inside with a long sad face. He didnt want to work nor go outside . He quit any kind of alertness.  THe owner had always thought that he was protecting her when they went to the schutzhund meetings, and  any time they were in vehicle together, he would bark at anyone that came near the car. After the females death , the male no longer barked at anyone coming near car or yard..It was obvious, the male was protecting his female companion,,,the dog.

This male  died  four months later of a horrible skin eating disease..His immune system gave way and he no longer cared about living..The vet had not seen a case like this ever. but had read of such cases on record in the vetininarian logs.

They had tried every thing they could to get his mind off of his friend and they even got another female who he wanted nothing to do with....Besides being a high drive male,,he had a lot of compassion and was the kind of gsd that loved to sit in the swing with you and go inside and lay at your feet.. He was very loving and showed his love by his wagging of tail and excitement when you would walk in a room or come home...He would beg to ride in the car and loved to go . I guess ,if we could get inside the mind of our pets , we might hear some great things.

I miss both of those kids and I have their daughter who is the same loving , very possessive and shows her love and excitement .and wants to be right under my feet all the time.  she is a very vocal dog also. and bounces everywhere ,does not walk.. I dont do  "goodbyes"  very well.

when nenz died i took spunky over to his body. she sniffed him and looked confused. after we took him out to be cremated, i noticed my cat ashes sleeping in his old spot as she used to when he was still there, since she liked his bed, i thought. after he was gone there was no bed there, just an empty spot, yet she still laid there where he used to be. since we got fluffy, she has a bed in the same spot but the cats don't lay down there with her. i wouldn't say spunky mourned, but she was looking for him for awhile. i got fluffy for my daughter partly because i felt so lost holding one leash instead of two, and spunky was used to having another dog around, she seemed pretty lonely. gsd and poodle are best buds now. i sincerely hope they both live to ripe old ages; there are too many goodbyes in my life lately.

My male cried for atleast a month and a half after my female passed away infront of him!

When my oldest female passed in her kennel while i was at work, My young male was beside her in a adjacent run all day i came home found her and went to the end of the yard spent a hour digging her hole and burried her with her favorite toy, collar and a full bowl of food. after she was burried I let out my youing male and he ran to the site sniffing and stood there for several minutes barking at the grave, to this day (2 years latter) he still takes a lap and goes to the spot and smells and seems to visit it on occasion.    

Aqua- Has your lovely old male passed? If so, my condolences to you & yours; he's very handsome, & sweet. Your other dogs are also quite beautiful. My best to you & your family, & thanks again for your help. jackie harris