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Coping with the loss of a pet dog
Image by Sven Lachmann from Pixabay
Is your grief too much to cope with?
This is how you can start the healing process.
A dog is a person’s best friend is well established in all languages because it is a universal truth…
Dogs are an extraordinary animal that has become inextricably linked with humans for thousands of years. Without dogs, we wouldn’t have got to where we have, and in return, we have supplied dogs with safety and food.
It is difficult for none dog owners to understand that they aren’t just pets. They become an integral part of the family. There is no disrespect to hamsters or goldfish, but it is a lot easier to move on when they die. Whereas doggies could have given you unconditional love for 10-15 years, and therefore it is a lot harder to recover from the loss of a pet dog.
How to grieve
Unfortunately, in most cases, you will outlive the life of your dog, so at some point, you need to be prepared to grieve. Here are some tips on how best to do that:
- Do what feels right: Do not let anyone tell you how you should feel or how long you should feel sad. It would help if you took your time, acknowledge your feelings and emotions, then work through them. If you don’t, you may never fully recover, which could cause issues in other parts of your life.
- Don’t be scared to share: You might feel embarrassed about how much you are hurting because it is “just a dog.” But people must know how well or poorly you are coping. This includes family, friends, and work. This is a stressful time, and you will need support and help.
- Look after yourself: No matter how bad you are feeling, the world still keeps turning. It would help if you looked after yourself while you are grieving and maintaining your presence in everyday society. Therefore, make sure you eat well, get lots of sleep, and do activities that will help you mentally and physically. Be careful not to comfort eat and turn to alcohol.
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Honor the memory: Have a place or sanctuary where you have a permanent memory of your beloved pet, where you can spend time and think about all the joy you shared. This could be a memories box filled with photos and things that remind you of them, it could be a commissioned painting, it could be a plaque on a bench, or you could plant a tree, perhaps.
Pets grieve too
Suppose you have other dogs that are part of your pack. They will feel the loss too. So, it is essential that you do not neglect them. You need to be healthy and make sure their quality of life doesn’t suffer, even if it is just in the short term.
You need to maintain your usual routines and make sure they do not become stressed, anxious, and depressed. Keep feeding them the same food simultaneously, hold the exact playtimes, and maintain the same walking routes and times. Be mindful of how they are reacting and be patient with them. You may also need to make some adjustments. Maybe they were fine walking to heel with you and the other dog, but now they might struggle, in which case you may need to start using a dog leash, or you may even have to retrain them. Also, be careful of how they react to humans and other dogs while grieving, as they may be more likely to be aggressive or defensive.
What to do to make the grieving worthwhile
If losing a dog is soooo hard, then some people might think it is therefore not worthwhile having a dog in the first place because they are scared of how bad they will feel when they die.
In reality, the death of your doggie will be very hard, so you must make sure you enjoy every moment when they are alive. Here are some things to do when they are alive:
- Take lots of photos: Trust me, you can never take too many pictures. While you may not look at them very often when they are alive, you will want to look at them after passing. It will help with the grieving process when you can look back on all the fun times you had. If you want to take a picture of your dog in matching Christmas jumpers, do it, so what do your mates think it is sad!
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Take lots of videos: Photos are great but don’t forget to take videos too. Seeing your dog running around, playing tug, or opening their birthday present will bring you joy and contentment.
- Enjoy every moment: Having a dog is a blessing, so treasure every moment. Please give them the best life you can give them, so you have no regrets when they pass on. If you know you have given them a full and enriched life, then you will be able to recover from the grief a lot quicker than if you have regrets about what you did. This works if you have had the four-legged best friend from a puppy or if you had the heart to adopt a senior dog that only had a year or so left. Imagine knowing you took in a dog that had a tough life, but you gave it one fantastic year before it died. That should bring you tremendous joy, knowing you did such a remarkable thing.
Losing a dog is hard, and it will take time to recover, but you will recover, and you will start to feel like you would like another pet at some point.
Don’t think of it as replacing your old dog. Think of it as an opportunity to allow another dog to have a wonderful fun-filled, and exciting life.
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