Human beings and dogs grieve in different ways. For a dog, there is a brief period of mourning and then a prompt push back toward a more balanced state. For a person, the grieving process can take months, sometimes years. For a person with a pack of more than one dog, it is important to remember that your emotions will have an effect on your surviving dogs. Always allow yourself time to grieve, but remember that your dogs rely upon your stability to maintain a healthy state of mind.
For people with only one dog, there is the question of how soon to think about bringing a new dog into the house. There is no standardized time to grieve, but a person should take his or her time bringing themselves back to a positive energy level. A dog who is adopted into a household where people and animals are still in mourning will instantly pick up on the weak energy that grief projects. In such cases, the new dog can develop one or many of the "issues" that I discussed in a previous blog entry.
Remember that all dogs are unique, special beings, so never enter an adoption with preconceived notions about the new dog as a "replacement" for the dog you have lost. In short, be honest with yourself, and don't enter into a commitment to a new dog until you are certain you are ready to move forward, out of your grief.
Keep an eye out for my next blog entry, about fostering a new dog. For now, I'll leave you with this helpful dog tip: dog psychology is not human psychology.
80 Comments
Post Your Comment
You must sign in to post a comment