Silly dog question

[LostArra]

This sounds stupid to ask but do dogs mourn the loss of another dog?

We had to put our 7 year old alpha female mixed breed pound dog down and now our 2 year old male Anatolian Shepherd is in a total funk. The female was a high energy full time security guard on our 20 acres and the 125 pound Anatolian always followed her lead. Both active all day but the female was obsessed with any animal trespassers. She would chase deer to the fence and every day those same deer would always come back. It was like a game for the dog and the deer.

Now the Anatolian seems totally lost. Doesn't eat. Doesn't leave the porch. Not interested in our usual morning walks or going with me on my 3D course which is very strange.
We can't decide if he is sick or just sad. I know it sounds ridiculous and I'll ignore it if just takes time but I don't want to ignore it if he is actually sick.

(In the Bird section because that's where the most dog people are)

 

[CKillmer]

I have not seen it personally, but I would not doubt it. How long has it been going on? Has your dog had a chance to be around any other dogs since?

 

[Richieber]

Interesting question. I had 2 minpins which I got about a year apart. They were together 14 years and my male minpin passed. My female went through a 2 week period where she wouldn't eat or really move much. She would even walk lame to the point I thought she was sick and would have to be put down. Slowly she came back to herself and mostly recovered. We still have here at 17yrs old so I do believe they mourn loss.

 

[kpk]

I would say yes. A coworker has the exact same thing going on with a couple of his labs.

 

[Hoghead]

Yes I have seen it with my hog dogs. I had to put my American bulldog down at 12years old. my other dog would barely eat and seemed sad for about a month.

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[MJB]

Yep seen it with my Jagds...... buried one of my females and the other dogs just laid down next to the grave, very sad to watch. Give it a couple weeks.

Sorry for your loss

 

[KurtR]

Had to put my lab down on christmas eve and my other one stood at the door of his kennel out side and would not go in his house waiting for winston to come home. Had to bring him in so he didnt get frost bite as it was cold. Took him a week or so to not just stand at the door and wait, They were together for 7 years.

 

[LostArra]

It's been two weeks. No other dogs around.

Anatolians do a lot of watching anyway and he spends most of his time watching Dottie's old security routes or waiting on the back porch.

I was encouraged yesterday when he took off after some coyotes yapping by a creek at sunset. Coyotes always drove Dottie nuts so he probably thought she was down there.

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[Antares]

Yes, absolutely. Your dog looks young, but this kind of thing will prematurely age older dogs too. They'll just get in a funk, become less active, gain weight...

Maybe not what you want to hear, but you're dog needs a dog. If they've always been in a "pack", they're used to that security and they miss it.

 

[Mosby]

I had two Vizsla's that grew up together. One died from cancer last year and the other changed her daily behavior after loosing her. She clearly missed the other Vizsla. I bought a started GSP in the fall. It took a while but now they play together, take naps etc., Our Vizsla has lost weight from being more active again and she is clearly happier to have another dog around.

 

[tgoode]

I believe that dogs are social creatures and would tend to think that when a fellow member is no longer around that it could cause them to get depressed.

 

[Mike Islander]

Owners know it, and several studies have demonstrated it over the past few years. I don't believe they understand the concept of death, but they miss owners, family members, and other animals when they are gone for whatever reason.

 

[Trapperkid]

Absolutely I may be dead wrong but I completely agree that they will mourn the loss of other dogs especially if they we close to each other as in been around each other for a very long time

 

[FLAK]

We have a Chocolate Lab that has always needed therapy.
Just plain weird.

 

[Oregon]

Nothing silly about that question. My answer is I have no clue.
I do know, everyone is happier with more dogs. Including dogs. I have 5

 

[EastHumboldt]

When my female Aussie Cece died a few years ago our 5 year old border collie Wally very obviously missed her. He would run to the door thinking she had come back and then he would look very disappointed. They are smarter than we know, and they obviously have feelings so why wouldn’t they mourn. Then we took in a near feral cocker meerkat mix Tigger (stands on his hind legs and looks around all the time) and after awhile Wally has accepted him and they are now great friends. When Wally goes Tigger is gonna be sad for sure... and me too. Wally’s my BOY.

Nothing silly about that question. My answer is I have no clue.
I do know, everyone is happier with more dogs. Including dogs. I have 5

 

[Squirrel Sniper]

Yes they absolutely mourn. We had a dog that was pretty attached to a cat of ours. After a fox got the cat, for a couple weeks our dog would wander around whining looking for that cat.

 

[Fendrick]

I have seen it every time one of our labs went. The remaining lab was not right for a couple weeks at best. The last one did better, but two weeks in, we already had a new 4 month old pup as the breeder we normally use had one that didn’t sell right away. Steep discount and they hit it off almost immediately. It is amazing to see how much they can miss the other. If we have to take one to the vet the other is constantly looking for the other. When the youngest got fixed, the vet called us to pick him up early because he wouldn’t stop whining. As soon as he got home and saw his “brother” he calmed down and rested like he needed to.

 

[Kevin Bogert]

I haven't seen it personally either. But I've heard about it from a lot of people.. if that doesn't tug at your heart strings you don't have one.