Is it possible that dogs mourn when another dog in the household passes away? Research says it’s possible.
The study found that around nine out of every ten surviving dogs showed signs of behavioural change after another canine passed away in the household, according to their owners.
For most humans, the effects of losing a loved one is well understood. Afterall, most of us have encountered it at some point in our lives. Our mood might change, our sleep patterns might become disoriented, and our appetite might disappear entirely.
Research has found that dogs also experience similar changes in behaviour when they lose their fellow canine companion.
Most animals are able to experience some sort of grief. Animals such as apes, elephants, and dolphins have all been observed mourning the death of another in the group and taking part in rituals.
Dogs are highly emotional animals with tight knit relationships with members of their group. If one of the group members passes away, they can become highly distressed.
But Dr Federica Pirrone and colleagues from the University of Milan found that dogs can have a similar response to the death of a close canine companion.
This is because dogs are highly emotional animals. They develop very tight knit relationships with members of their group.
Thus, if one of the group members passes away, they can become highly distressed. In this situation, it will be up to the dog owner to help the surviving dogs to cope with this distress.
Studying The Effects Of Losing A Dog
426 dog owners who recently lost one of their dogs, but had another dog in the household, were asked to complete a questionnaire to investigate if, and how, canines experienced grief. 86% of owners, or 5 out of every 6, said the dog that was still alive displayed changes in behaviour after another canine in the household passed away.
The owners reported that the surviving dogs ate and played less often. The amount of sleep they had increased and they also sought their owner’s attention much more.
Dogs who have a lost a member of their group were reported to eat less and play less often.
The dog’s behaviour does not seem to be affected by the level of attachment they had with their owner. The shift in behaviour wasn’t correlated with the length of time the dogs had spent together either.
To help explain the behaviour change, the researchers came up with a couple of theories.
Disruption of Shared Behaviours For Surviving Dogs
The researchers found that dogs that used to share their food with the deceased dog were more likely to reduce their level of activities and increase the amount of sleep after the loss.
The researchers also found that dogs that had a friendly relationship with the deceased had a greater behavioural change. Similarly, dogs that were the parent or offspring of the deceased showed greater changes in behaviour.
This is most likely because the surviving dog lost an attachment figure. They lost a figure that provided safety and security.
Dogs are social animals who develop deep emotional bonds. Thus, the loss of a companion in their group can be expected to cause changes in their behaviour.
Human Effects
The owner’s reaction after the loss of their dog also plays a role in changing the surviving dog’s behaviour.
Surviving dogs that showed an increased level of fear and reduced food consumption were correlated with owners that displayed greater psychological trauma and suffering in response to the death of their dog.
This means that there might potentially be a social transmission of fear. This is a common coping mechanism among social creatures in response to potentially dangerous situations.
Can Dogs Experience Grief?
Dogs are social animals who develop deep emotional bonds. Thus, the loss of a companion in their group can be expected to cause changes in their behaviour. While the changes can be interpreted as ‘grief’, scientists aren’t sure if the changes are due to the ‘loss’ of a close member, or their ‘death’.
You can read the full scientific paper by clicking here.
