We’ve all heard of pets grieving their owners after they’ve died.
There was Figo, the K-9 cop, who was spotted paying his condolences at his deceased partner’s burial in 2013.
After his owner was slain earlier this year, a dog waited two weeks for his owner to return. But how much do they comprehend the situation?
Will The Dog Know If The Owner Dies?
Yes, the dog can sense when the owner dies. When their owners die, two-thirds of dogs display signs of separation anxiety, including whining, lack of appetite, and sadness, according to an ASPCA research.
Although there isn’t much evidence to back this, veterinarian Michael W. Fox stated dogs do grieve and that some even recognize their person is gone before the hospital informs the family.
It’s not so much about dogs grieving as it is about them not understanding why you’re no longer there, according to animal behavior expert Sarah Wilson.
It’s a mourning process, but we don’t know how much of the scenario dogs comprehend. This is primarily due to the fact that dogs express their emotions differently than humans do, and animal behavior research has yet to find out how to understand this.
1. More evidence to show
Humans aren’t the only ones affected. There have been reports of dogs lamenting the deaths of other canines. In 2009, Psychology Today writer Steven Kotler told the incident of his dog Willi attempting to cover his canine pal Joey’s torso with a blanket.
Last year, writer Andrea Belli posted a picture of her dog Boris lying on the graves of their two elder dogs who had just died on Facebook.
“It’s actually rather lovely in its own way. Animals have a higher level of ‘humanity’ than most people don’t. That humanity is also evident in how they cope with illness.
Some studies believe that when their masters are ill or dying, dogs pick up on specific odors and body language and respond with comfort.
One of the reasons why more rest homes and hospices employ live-in dogs is because they pick up on indications that physicians and nurses may miss.
According to Bonnie Beaver, a lecturer at Texas A&M University, “a lot of resident dogs recognize those folks and sense something is wrong, whether the fragrance changes or they’re moving less
.” We may not know if dogs are aware of our deaths, but their love, devotion, and loyalty to us endure long after we are gone.
Humans’ best buddies have always been dogs. They’re loyal and affectionate, and their acute sense of smell makes them ideal companions for a variety of tasks, from narcotics detection to medical alerts.
It’s no surprise that dogs are employed to calm the dying in hospice care.
They seem to have a “sixth instinct” for when someone is going to die. If you’re a dog lover, you’ve definitely heard stories of dogs sitting by someone’s side as they die away, providing them companionship.
2. How Do Dogs Recognize When Someone Is Dying?
There are various theories on how dogs may sense when someone is dying. We all know how strong a dog’s nose can be.
Their noses may vary from excellent to remarkable depending on the breed, but they all have one thing in common: they can smell considerably more than humans can.
Dogs’ keen sense of smell makes them ideal for a wide range of settings. They may assist us in doing our tasks or staying as safe as possible.
Dogs assist police officers and provide medical warnings, and they may track down animals during a hunt or save a life during a search-and-rescue attempt.
Dogs have 300 million olfactory sensors in their noses, compared to humans’ 6 million. They also have a greater region of the brain devoted to comprehending various odors.
A dying person smells different from a healthy one, and dogs are likely to detect this difference, even if they don’t know what it implies.
3. Body Messages
Dogs communicate with one another and comprehend their favorite people through body language rather than words.
Even if they don’t have the most remarkable noses, their ability to read body language alerts them when anything is awry.
They can tell whether you’re having a rough day and need a hug or if you’re unwell. It’s the same when someone is dying.
Even unintentional changes in body language, such as bent shoulders or shaking hands, can cause your dog to respond immediately.
4. The 6th Sense of Dog
Although the strength of your dog’s nose may explain the capacity to smell death, many people think the answer is as simple as a “sixth sense.
” It’s almost as if your dog can sense when your soul is about to go. Because there’s no way to know what your dog is thinking while they remain with someone on their deathbed, this sixth sense hypothesis may sound a bit far-fetched. This notion has a long history.
Dogs were utilized as guards of the deceased by ancient societies such as the Egyptians, Persians, and Greeks. Dogs were said to protect the souls of Grecians while the jackal-headed Anubis guarded Egyptian graves.
In reality, a dog was often kept beside a dying person in Persia to guard their freshly liberated soul against bad spirits.
5. What Are Dogs’ Reactions to Death?
Your dog’s reaction to death will vary depending on his personality and breed. Some dogs may sniff curiously, while others will respond in a more evident way. Some examples are:
- Barking
- Whimpering or whining
- Howling
- Pacing
- Ears lowered
- Keeping a watchful eye on the situation
6. When someone dies, do dogs understand?
Although dogs may respond to death in a variety of ways, it’s impossible to say if they actually comprehend it.
It’s more probable that they stay near because they’re curious about a new fragrance than because they realize why someone’s scent has changed.
Final words
For generations, dogs have been humans’ best pals. We depend on them for so many things, from pleasant company to jobs and even our health, that they may not know it.
With all of their other abilities, it’s no surprise that they also can sense death. We’ll leave it up to you to determine if dogs can feel death due to their sixth sense, remarkable body language reading abilities, or strong noses. But there is one thing we can all agree on: dogs are amazing.