Parental dog relationships were correlated with a decrease in activity, playing, and eating, and an increase in attention seeking, fearfulness, and vocalizing behaviors.
ZOE PARR-CORTES: Grief is defined as intense sorrow in response to loss. Many social species such as primates, whales, and elephants show behaviors attributed to grief following the death of a companion. But aside from the occasional report of wild wolves burying their dead cubs and dingoes carrying their dead pups for days, the response of canines to death is rarely observed.
Anecdotally, guardians have reported displays of “grief” in their dogs following the loss of a canine companion. But what are they experiencing, and is it really “grief?” Researchers asked 426 Italian dog guardians about the behavior changes their living dogs showed following the passing of a companion dog…
Behavioral changes in surviving dogs were reported by 87% of guardians. These changes included increases in attention seeking (67%), sleeping (35%), fearfulness (35%), and vocalization (30%). Decreases in play (57%), general activity (46%), and eating (32%) were also reported. The majority of changes were observed for less than six months (62%), but 25% of guardians reported changes that lasted longer than six months…
Parental dog relationships were correlated with a decrease in activity, playing, and eating, and an increase in attention seeking, fearfulness, and vocalizing behaviors… Interestingly, the duration of the relationship was not predictive of any behavioral changes, indicating it is the quality, and not the length, of the relationship that matters…
Guardians’ emotional responses to the loss of their companion were strongly associated with behavior changes in surviving dogs. Using a bereavement questionnaire, researchers found that high anger and grief scores were correlated with an increase in the surviving dog’s fearfulness…
There are multiple possible explanations for the behavior changes reported in this study. Firstly, dogs rely on cooperative relationships and cohesive social groups for survival. When a member of the group is lost, this social structure is disrupted, which can cause anxiety. Researchers found behavior changes were strongly associated with the quality of the dogs’ relationships with each other…
A second explanation relates to attachment bonds and separation. The attachment we form with our dogs is thought to explain the intense grief we feel at their loss. We know dogs experience intense distress when separated from an individual to which they have a strong attachment (human or animal)…
A third explanation is that dogs respond to changes in their guardian’s own emotions. The emotion of fear is thought to be subconsciously transmitted between individuals through sight, sound, and even smell. It’s possible that dogs respond to changes in their guardians instead of directly responding to the loss of their companions…
The results of this study indicate that dogs do respond to the loss of a canine companion and show changes in behavior associated with negative emotions. However, the reason for their distress is unclear. Although we cannot be certain whether dogs experience “grief” as we know it, these findings suggest that their wellbeing and welfare is negatively affected by the loss of a companion. SOURCE…
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