The death of a dog can be devastating for families, but new evidence from Italy suggests that surviving dogs can also be profoundly affected by the loss, resulting in an assortment of behavioral changes that scientists say are consistent with grieving.
It may seem obvious to many dog owners that their dogs are capable of grieving. Dogs mourning the loss of a companion are common, but knowing the true emotional state of dogs is not easy, and we often run the risk of underestimating our pets.
The new research, published in Scientific Reports and authored by an international group of scientists, tests our instincts on this matter, finding that dogs do indeed exhibit behaviors consistent with mourning. The researchers admit that the question of whether this is actual grieving remains open.
The paper suggests that we need to be sensitive to the needs of mourning dogs, and that we should use effective strategies to comfort them as they adjust to the newly created void in their lives.
Researchers from the University of Milan and several other institutions in Italy asked dog owners to document changes in their dogs following the death of another dog in the same household. A whopping 86% of respondents reported negative changes in their dog, an array of altered behaviors that are at least partially symbolic of grief. Chimpanzees, elephants, birds, and killer whales are some of the animals that exhibit mourning-like behaviors.
All respondents had a dog that passed away while they owned at least one other dog, and more than half lost their dog at least one year prior to filling out the survey. The owners were asked to document changes in their dog's behavior after the death, and to also describe their relationship with the dog, as well as how they dealt with the death of their pet. Nearly 70% of owners described the relationship with their dogs as being friendly, but that is probably another story worth pursuing.
The scientists write that dog owners reported several statistically significant changes in the surviving dog after the death of the companion dog. One-quarter of owners said these changes lasted for at least half a year, while one-third said they lasted between two and six months. In terms of the altered behaviors, more than 70% of dogs became more attention-seeking, more than 50% played less, more than 34% slept less, and more than 30% ate less. The amount of time the dogs spent together had no effect on the results.
According to the paper, the surviving dog was more likely to play less and eat more after the death event. When a dog loses a parent or offspring, emotional eating is more likely to happen.
The process of getting these results was fairly simple, but the bigger challenge was interpreting the data. Is it true that these altered behaviors are signs of grief?
All the results came from self- reported surveys. It is possible that the owners are misconstruing the behaviors of their surviving dogs, and/or are projecting their own feelings onto their pets, as they themselves are still feeling the effects of the loss. The researchers think it's unlikely.
The owners vision of life, humanisation of pets and the view of animals and humans as being on the same continuum did not correlate.
I believe that the projection of grief should be accounted for. It is likely not the whole story, but certainly part of the conversation. A future study should look for more objective ways of collecting data. Some of the observed changes in the dogs could be the result of altered, and potentially negative, behaviors of grieving dog owners. Dogs are good at picking up on the emotional signals of humans, and they often feed off it, which can be detrimental to the human.
The sudden disruption of the dog's routine is a possible explanation for the altered behavior. The authors write that social animals have a tendency to co-operate and synchronise their behavior, and this happens in domestic dogs as well. The scientists say that strong bonds between dogs can result in integrated routines, which may explain the changes observed after the death event.
It is1-65561-65561-65561-65561-65561-65561-65561-65561-65561-65561-65561-65561-65561-65561-65561-65561-65561-65561-65561-65561-65561-65561-65561-65561-65561-65561-65561-65561-65561-65561-65561-65561-65561-65561-65561-65561-65561-65561-65561-65561-65561-65561-65561-65561-65561-65561-65561-65561-65561-65561-65561-65561-65561-65561-65561-6556 In other words, sadness. Separation stress after loss.
If that is the case, it means we have neglected a major welfare issue, as many dogs live with a companion canine. The researchers say it is important that we gain a better understanding of these behavioral patterns if we are to truly recognize the emotional needs of dogs.
Even if we know the results are important, we can't say it was grief.
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