View Full Version : Do you think dogs know when another dog is dead?
So I lost one of my boys yesterday morning and my other dog who is my dogs brother and they've been together their whole life didn't seem to know that my other dog was dead? They're both pretty heavy sleepers so sometimes when they go to wake each other up they have to practically jump on each other. Even after I moved him out to the garage to keep him cold my other dog just didn't seem to know or if he did he just didn't care.
I think they know. Dogs are pretty smart
blacklabel
11-12-2012, 18:03
Yeah, I think they know.
Denial.. or you have a dumb dog.
Sorry for your loss.
Bailey Guns
11-12-2012, 18:45
I think they know on an instinctual level. I also think they're a lot more pragmatic about nature than people are. Then again, like people, they'll all handle it differently. Sorry about your dog.
Denial.. or you have a dumb dog.
Sorry for your loss.
He does run into walls quite often...
yes! my good friend had to lab, one passed earlier last week like a tuesday... they planned on putting him down but he passed on his own. both dogs have been together for 12+ years, he got the call from his parents that the other dog passed away friday night.
just like humans, they give up!
Sharpienads
11-12-2012, 19:06
yes! my good friend had to lab, one passed earlier last week like a tuesday... they planned on putting him down but he passed on his own. both dogs have been together for 12+ years, he got the call from his parents that the other dog passed away friday night.
just like humans, they give up!
Some might, but I don't think they give up as quickly. Dogs have a lot of faith in humans. More than we deserve.
I absolutely believe that dogs and other animals know. They know what death is, understand it, and accept it. They'll also grieve, perhaps in their own way, but they will grieve. I'm sorry for the loss of your dog, but trust me, his brother already knew about it and had accepted it.
Death, they understand. But abandonment, they don't. If you have two dogs that are close and one dies, please make sure the other one gets to see and smell the body, so he/she will know and understand what happened to their friend. It may sound morbid, but I believe in the same thing for their humans as well. If a dogs owner or their best friend just suddenly disappears and never comes home, they have no idea what happened to them and it can traumatize a dog terribly. A couple of sniffs and a goodbye kiss, and they'll be fine.
Our two Beagles are very close, but the youngest is more so with the oldest. When the oldest passes, the youngest will go nuts for awhile, but I know she'll accept it and move on. We'll get her another companion ASAP, of course. But if Annie just went away and never came back, Coco would positively lose her mind. I would never separate two animals that were close just because one of them died, they have to say goodbye too.
Trust me when I say he knows, I feel like they even have a Denial period followed by grieving. Just my opinion but all of the pups I have ever had (15+) have always acted in the same manner. Sorry for your loss man it never gets any easier.
argonstrom
11-12-2012, 20:03
Death, they understand. But abandonment, they don't. If you have two dogs that are close and one dies, please make sure the other one gets to see and smell the body, so he/she will know and understand what happened to their friend. It may sound morbid, but I believe in the same thing for their humans as well. If a dogs owner or their best friend just suddenly disappears and never comes home, they have no idea what happened to them and it can traumatize a dog terribly. A couple of sniffs and a goodbye kiss, and they'll be fine.
This man speaks the truth.
I remember my pup trying to wake up her older sister for a bit, then didn't seem to care after she realized she was gone.
:(
DSB OUTDOORS
11-12-2012, 20:26
First off I'm sorry for your loss!! Ya I think they know. When I lost my Terrier, my other girl was just so loving. She knew something was wrong because of what I was going through. And the lack of the other.
Big Wall
11-12-2012, 20:40
They definately know. Sorry for your loss.
HoneyBadger
11-12-2012, 21:45
Sorry to hear it man. Dogs are smart and have very good senses. My lab definitely knows Mrs. HoneyBadger is pregnant. He won't stop sniffing and licking her belly.
Sorry for your loss.
I think they know but as someone said earlier they are more pragmatic about the whole situation. On top of that I think a lot has to do with their rank within your pack. If the dominate dog was to die or leave for some reason I think that would have more impact than a subordinate. Our female lab has lost two companions in her life, 1 being the dog she was raised with (put down, she didn’t seem to notice much) and 2 being the dog that was slightly younger than her that we bred her to (rehomed, she actually seemed happy to see him go). Now if something was to happen to my wife or our kids I think she’d have a complete breakdown.
On the other hand I think cats develop much stronger bonds with each other than dogs do. Again I’m not talking about a dog with its human family. We’ve gone through a couple similar situations with our cats and they seem to be much more sensitive to losing (even for a short period) their companion.
Powered by vBulletin® Version 4.2.3 Copyright © 2025 vBulletin Solutions, Inc. All rights reserved.