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I am still going to believe the myth. Why? A somewhat similar thing happened when my parents were still kids (a small Pennsylvania town). Man in the town saved a puppy from the Creek (pronounced Crik). That was done at the time with stray puppies and kitten. People would tie them up in a bag and throw them in that body of water. Anyways, man rescues puppy. Dog grows up and is constantly with his master. The man dies and the dog refuses to leave the graveyard. Back in those days, people were commonly “waked” in their homes. Then people would follow, on foot.. to the cemetery. From what was told to me, the dog was brought back to the family home several times. However, in the morning, he returned to the cemetery. They find the dog, deceased.. by the master’s grave.

Could the dog died due to old age? Sure. Could he have already been sick and died of disease? Sure. However, I choose to believe he died to be with his master.

Seaman, the Newfoundland dog that accompanied the Lewis and Clark expedition to the Pacific Coast and back is said to have stayed with Lewis after his untimely end. (It is still a question whether Lewis committed suice, or was killed in a bar fight.) The following is a quote from a dog collar displayed in Virginia:

Seaman's collar in an Alexandria museum in 1814- proof that he survived the expedition! But the entry gets better. Alden includes a note about the collar and its owner. It reads:
The foregoing was copied from the collar, in the Alexandria Museum, which the late gov. Lewis's dog wore after his return from the western coast of America. The fidelity and attachment of this animal were remarkable. After the melancholy exit of gov. Lewis, his dog would not depart for a moment from his lifeless remains; and when they were deposited in the earth no gentle means could draw him from the spot of interment. He refused to take every kind of food, which was offered him, and actually pined away and died with grief upon his master's grave!

I have several books on Greyfriars Bobby. He did indeed lie on his master’s grave in the daytime and sleep with neighbors at night. He was given one meal a day by the next door pub. The only “myth” is that Bobby was a total sweetheart. In fact, he was a scrappy little terrier who kept the graveyard free of cats and rats.

Both of my books are well-sourced and full of pictures of Bobby being held by his adopted folks. Some people just have to destroy everything we hold dear.

Emily Bronte’s dog, Keeper, also followed her to her grave and pined for her mistress. No at all unusual.