According To Research, The Loss Of Your Dog Can Be As Difficult As The Loss Of A Loved One

Dec 14, 2018

If you've ever known the love that is given by a dog, then you know that mourning the loss of a dog can be just as hard as mourning the death of a person.

Your dog is usually more like a part of the family than a pet. When that family member passes away, it can be hard for many people to deal with. Dogs provide unconditional love that many humans do not. They are loyal, and they provide emotional support. It doesn't matter whether your dog passes away suddenly from an accident or lives for over a decade and passes away from old age; the pain is still there and is often intense.

Sometimes, people will tell you to get over the death of your pet because it was just a dog. But your dog was much more to you than an animal, which is why the words that people say hurt.

There usually isn't anything that anyone can say to make losing a pet any easier. However, there is research that indicates that the grieving process after losing a pet is a real experience. There are indications that you could grieve more over your pet than you would if you lost a family member or a close friend because you spend so much more time with your pet and become attached in a way that only that animal knows.

You often bond with your pets the same way that you would make a bond with other people you meet. There are hormones released when you're around your pet and chemicals that are released in your brain that begin to make you feel love toward the dog. Soon, you begin to feel a connection with the dog that you might not feel with other people.

When you've spent months and years with a dog or another kind of pet, you begin to think of it as more than just an animal and as part of the family. Your dog is included in family events and outings. You make sure your dog is fed, happy, and has a warm place to sleep at night.

When your dog dies, there really isn't a right way to grieve. There isn't an acceptable way to honor the memory of your dog. When a family member dies, you can have a funeral and talk to people about the life of that person. There are also various outlets so that you can express your sadness. And not to mention, many companies allow a few days of paid leave for the death of a loved one.

But when you lose a pet, there are very few people to turn to who will truly understand, unless they've had a pet as well.

After your pet dies, it's acceptable to cry, but you're expected to pick up and carry on and get over the death like the animal was nothing at all. You can't take a few days off of work to mourn, and you can't really cancel events that you have planned because no one seems to understand. You have to go about acting as though you're okay when you're falling apart because you lost an important piece of your life.

Your immediate family will usually understand your pain, but your friends and family members who didn't know how your dog impacted your life won't get the meaning behind grieving. It's more than losing a pet that was always there. You've lost a companion and a member of your family that has given you unconditional love.

Your schedule will be made around your dog as you try to carry on without the feedings and taking him for a walk. You will probably associate a lot of actions with your dog, such as picking food up off the floor or hearing a noise.

It's okay to cry. It's okay to grieve. Understand that your dog was more than just an animal and that you gave that pet the love that it needed for their relatively short time on earth. You made an even bigger impact on their life than they did on yours.

What do you think? Let us know in the comments if you've experienced this. Maybe pass this along to someone you know who's going through the loss of a furry family member.