[Dailydrool] Dogs' Understanding of Death

[Sandi Wittenberg]

Having had WAAYYY too much experience with dogs going to the Bridge (from
newborn puppies to 13+ years old), I have seen a variety of reactions and
mourning.  Each death leaves a hole in my heart.  My heart now looks like
Swiss cheese.

 

Usually, when we lose a newborn puppy, the momma dog simply pushes it aside,
knowing the status.  Sometimes, she gets agitated and tries to take the
puppy from us when we remove it and for a short while (8 - 10 hours usually)
will look briefly for the puppy when she returns to the whelping box after a
potty break etc.  

 

We took one of our dogs to the vet's to sniff the body of his littermate.
Jesse died suddenly at age 5 after emergency surgery for a ruptured spleen.
He and his brother, Cash, had never been separated - even for a minute until
that day.  I knew Cash was simply not going to understand.  So we took him
to see Jesse.  When he walked into the vet and saw Jesse laying on the
floor, his tail started wagging --- until he got closer.  Then he sniffed
him, flipped the blanket off of him, checked out his incision, looked at me
with the most incredibly sad eyes, and walked away. The vets had never seen
this kind of reaction. He mourned for weeks.  It took over a month before he
began to eat well and return to his normal self.  He never looked for Jesse
- he knew.  After about 6 weeks, we adopted another basset who's breeder had
died.  He and Cash were cool to each other at first, but did become best
buddies for the next 6 years.

 

When I have had dogs that were ill and declining, the other dogs knew.  When
the time comes, they say good-bye in their own way.  The day Nick told me
that it was time, he went to each of the dogs (who were all in crates) and
went nose-to-nose with them, one last time.  Then he came to me and said -
it's time.  When Morey left us in January, the other dogs all went to him at
least twice during the day.  They were not just checking on him - you could
tell they were saying good-bye.  Then, first thing the next morning, Morie
told me he was tired and it was time.  

 

There will be jostling shortly before (in the case of a sick dog) or after a
death for position in the pack.  When Morie was in his last days, suddenly
Grady decided he didn't like Hoagie anymore, even though they have been
together for 8 years.  Grady is now the alpha (and has always wanted to be)
- and still doesn't like Hoagie, and Hoagie is the least alpha dog in our
pack, although he is 8 years old.   He certainly wasn't challenging anyone
for the alpha position - but Grady isn't taking any chances.  

 

Get those paw prints now.  You can also use an ink pad(s) to get paw prints.
It is easy and one of my most treasured mementos of King Nick, especially
since he "paw-

to-graphed" his books.

 

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