Don’t throw me in that briar patch Br’er Fox.
pet care after departure or, especially, death, is a serious issue. I got a small parrot many years ago, never considering our relative life spans. it could be close.
Imagine a parent with dementia and their dog dies. They go through the initial pain of losing a loved one but then they forget so they ask the other parent what happened to Fido only to go through it again and again and again. Never being able to go through the 7 stages of grief ending in acceptance.
Imagine what it’s like for the parent without dementia as well. It brings the pain back fresh over and over again too.
How can such a cycle be broken? I never considered such a scenario until I saw it happen.
I’ve known dogs that are a good deal more sensitive than a great many human beings.
We just can't "read" it until we've seen over-and-over again.
Dogs get very bonded with their people, they never forget and they do mourn when you’re no longer there. That’s why dumping them is so very cruel. If you can’t keep your dog, try very hard to ease the transition, find them a good loving home and take them for visits, slowly backing away as they form new attachments. Older dogs in particular might go into a tailspin, fall into depression and die if they’re just dumped.
The bratty college kids need to come home on weekends if not to see their parents but to care for Fido. But nooo, it’s all about them and how popular they are on FB to be concerned that those still at home miss them.
We had to put down our old dog about 10 days ago. It was time when she cried because she could no longer stand up. We were worried about the other furbabies wondering where she was but I think they understand. The cats understood she couldn’t see, hear and got confused where she was going so would lead her around especially in the past year. They would watch over her when she’d go outside and tell us when she needed back in. She’d wander into a corner and not be able to get out and they’d lead her out. Too many humans refuse to believe animals have feelings and understandings.
I’m dog-sitting my daughter’s pooch for a week while she is out of town. Finally after four days of coaxing, enticing, and cajoling I’ve gotten him to play a little. Mostly he just sits and mopes.
I’m definitely a poor replacement for her...
Dogs are not only very social and very secure as part of a “family”, long established modes of living become habits that spell security to them also, and when habits are forced to change dogs can have trouble adapting.
A case in point is seeing-eye dogs. Trained since they were pubs to work evey day as some human’s eyes, seeing-eye dogs do not all always do well in retirement. Some have a hard time adjusting. A blind friend of mine has eased that adjustment for some of his retired seeing-eye dogs by keeping them in the family as a pet.
Dogs who have had their “single-parent” owner of many years up and die on them, have been known to try to make their way back to their former owner’s house after they were adopted by someone else. One dog I read about made daily trips to sit near the grave of his former owner.