Dog Grieving Dog?

Question

My chihuahua recently lost her companion. Theyve been together 5 years. They ate together, played together, slept together, did everything together. She is very sad and just seems as if she wants to sleep alot now. She witnessed the death of her mate and now everytime I take her outside, she runs to the spot in the street where he died and literally inhales the ground. She also always runs to the area where he was layed before we burried him. She is eating and drinking and normally, but Im still very worried about her. Ive read that even when a dog is eating a drinking normally, they can still be grieving heavily. In some cases the dogs actually grieve themselves to DEATH. :( I dont feel its the right time to add another dog to the family because I dont want to replace our recently lost baby. I feel that adding another dog may only stress out our remaining chihuahua even more and cause her to be in more pain inside. I need help. Any suggestions?

Answer 1

When my chihuahua/minpin mix lost his very bestest friend whom he had lived with hiw whole life -- he went into severe depression. (He also witnessed the death) He stopped doing things he had always done in the past -- like jumping on the couch, playing, etc. We even briefly thought that he must have incurred an spinal injury because he just wasn't right -- but it was just depression. About a month after the death of his friend, we added another dog to the family -- not to replace the previous dog, but to share the love we have for animals. This was exactly what he needed. He became the alpha male and enjoyed his new position as lead dog in the pack. He returned to his former self and lived many more years with us. You may want to think about adopting another dog -- maybe your dog could have a few 'play dates' with a few dogs and see how she does. Best of luck to you!

Answer 2

Yes, Our best friend "the Canine" grieves even deeper then us...

Have you heard a true story about a boy wich lived in an apartment and played with his dog everyday together, when 1 day the kid fell over the swimming pool and died by suffocation, a week after the dog jump into the pool and killed him/herself...

Well, i don't think that your dog will killed her self since however, she still got You, but let her grieve a little more, and you can give her a new companion later...

I would suggest a male pups... not the grown-up one...
another Chihuahua was a good idea...


Did you know that dog also grieves when they're about to die, they're not grieving about the dying, but because they will never meet their master anymore... My Dog did...



Hope this help
Bless You

Answer 3

I understand it can be around 8 weeks before they start to behave normally again. Any longer than that and maybe a vet visit would be in order. I know what you mean though. I had two Pomeranians. A mother and son pair. When Tina passed away, I'm pretty sure Buddy never really got over losing his mother... they were 15 and 12 years, respectively.
Buddy had his own serious health issues, and after Tina was gone, he went downhill very fast. He just wasn't ever the same again. He also witnessed his mother's passing. It was natural and quietly, not accidental, but still I knew he was depressed. Just a month after, Buddy also passed away.
Wait a little while before introducing another dog, especially a rowdy puppy. But eventually, she will need to have some stimulation to bring her back to the family. Lots of cuddles, special treats, and loving attention will make both of you feel better.

Answer 4

Our 3 year old mastiff died suddenly after Christmas and our other mastiff grieved for weeks. It's only been probably the last few weeks that she has really seemed back to her old self. The vet we use is wonderful and encouraged us to give our remaining mastiff lots of love and attention. She, our dog, has since moved into our daughter's room (I know that sounds weird but it is on the other side of the house from where she used to sleep) and has found a new friend in the next door neighbor's puppy.
Just give you dog some time to work through this traumatic event and lots of love.

Answer 5

Crazy as it sounds, we had a cat who grieved our dog's death. It was very sad. The cat and dog slept together, groomed each other, and played together. They were together for 6 years. After our dog's death, the cat kept going to the dog's spot in the house, sniffing, looking for her buddy who was gone. It took a while, we gave the cat some extra love & attention, and in about a month, the cat seemed better. We have yet to replace the dog. I dog-sit often for my brother, but our cat hates that dog. I don't think any dog can replace our beloved Sasha.

Answer 6

she should be ok....u didn't say how long this has been....
if its only been a few days to a week..then its normal....it normalfor her to even lay on his grave and where she saw him last...most pets take about a month to get over the lost of a companion...

i would not get another pet until u are ready and she is ready...if u bring a new dog in to a greiving family it could cause problems....but i would watch her and not let her go on the street?..... if she's eatting she'll be fine...but i would get another friend for her in time..

good luck and i'm sorry for ur loss...

Answer 7

Our dog recently lost her companion. She grieved. She would normally chase rabbits but without him she gave up all interest. My 11 year old daughter put a picture of the dog that had died in her doghouse. I know it seems strange, but it helped.

Answer 8

Yeah, animals grieve just like we do. Poor, poor baby. Just keep her with you and it's good that her appetite hasn't suffered. The most important thing you can do is to just give her all your love. I'm sure you already do but double it.

Good luck. I hope she makes a good recovery. As humans we all grieve differently and it's the same for animals. : )

Answer 9

aw, that's soo sad! You should pet her and talk to ur dog to comfort her. Eventually she will get better. Good Luck!