Does the dog realize the death of another pet

Most of us remember the touching story of Leo Tolstoy “The Lion and the Dog”. The author described the relationship between the king of animals and mongrels. It was supposed to be like cats and dogs, but something went wrong. Specialists-kinologists answer a question that is often asked by those who have more than one pet at home.

In a home with multiple dogs, the loss of one pet can seriously alter the mood and behavior of another pet. Many owners believe that dogs can miss their friend. But how do pets actually perceive death? Do all animals necessarily grieve? How can you help your dog survive the loss?

“The dog does not understand death in the human philosophical sense as something irreversible and irreplaceable, but is uniquely capable of reacting to the loss of a friend. Perhaps the best definition of this moment came from Mark Beckoff, professor emeritus of ecology and evolutionary biology at the University of Colorado: “A dog does not necessarily know that another animal has died, but knows that a relative is no longer around.” At the same time, it is impossible to compare whether the pet yearns less or worse than us, since the nature of the dog is completely different, and it is not necessary to humanize its world, said Vladimir Golubev, President of the Russian Canine Federation.

Scientific evidence

Science has repeatedly wondered whether a dog can grieve. There is no direct measurement of the brain at the time of loss. The existing large-scale study, published in Scientific Reports in 2022, relies on quantitative evidence. 86-90% of owners who had at least two dogs and one died reported negative behavioral changes.

Among the main changes are increased attention to the host, loss of interest in games, decreased activity, increased sleep, fearfulness, decreased appetite, increased vocalization. Moreover, the symptoms, according to various sources, persisted from 2 to 6 months or even more. One of the characteristic changes in behavior is also the search for a familiar dog, add cynologists.

The host factor

Such results are certainly important, but not quite representative for the reason that it is impossible to exclude the human factor. First, the owner may tend to notice any changes in the dog’s behavior and immediately write them off as melancholy. Secondly, dogs are very good at reading the human condition. If the owner misses, cries, then the behavior of the pet can also change. And here comes the methodological difficulty of whether the dog really reacts to the death of a relative or to the mood of a person.

What if there's no reaction?

It's also a variant of the norm. Grief is not a universal scenario. Some animals may look even more cheerful after the death of a companion, for example, if the relationship between them was tense. That is, all cases are still very individual.

How do you help a pet?

But if the behavior of the dog after the loss of a friend really changes, do not devalue this condition. Especially dangerous stories, when the dog becomes apathetic, begins to eat worse. Such manifestations of stress can negatively affect health. The main help is to maintain routine. Predictability and a familiar regimen of the day help the dog best cope with anxiety.

By the way, many veterinarians recommend giving your dog a sniff of the body of a deceased companion if possible – this reduces or eliminates search behavior. But to get a new pet soon, cynologists do not advise. Against the background of stress, an old-timer can react to a beginner unpredictably.

And remember: if after all changes in behavior last for weeks, accompanied by refusal to eat, you need to consult a veterinarian to eliminate medical problems.