I sometimes get asked how people can help their dogs through the grieving process when one of their other dogs has passed away. This can be an incredibly difficult time, but we must do our best to ensure our living dogs do not sink into depression or unwanted behaviours.
The best thing to do is to carry on your dog's life as normal, and try not to overcompensate for the loss of your other dog by giving too much affection to the living dog.
I know this is very hard, but dogs who receive a lot more attention after the loss of another dog typically find it harder to move on.
As long as you carry on the living dog's routine as it was before, they should move on in their own time. This includes waking up same time, meal times and walks ect.
It is also important to understand that dogs pick up on our energy. If you and the family are extremely sad and grieving...your living dog will feel the same. Dogs are often mirrors of how their owners feel. I know its extremely hard, I've lost two dogs before myself ....but we have to try to get better in our grieving every day...for the sake of our living animals if nothing else
Some dogs will lose their appetite, and often people resort to hand feeding. I know it's hard, but please try not to do this. It is a habit that your dog may not get out of, and like I said, it is important to give your living dog the same life ( as close as possible ) as it had previously.
Giving a living dog special treatment in grieving is so easy for us to sink into, but in the long run it actually causes more damage to their mental health.
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