It is such a painful experience when we lose a pet. We often wonder “How long will my sadness last after losing my dog?” Sometimes it seems as though the grief will not go away.
I have raised many dogs, and it seems such a short time that they are with us, doesn’t it? When we first bring home our new puppy, to have them for ten-plus years seems like a long time away, but, oh!… how quickly those years pass.
Would You Like to Learn Some Training Tips for Your Dog?
For Your Three FREE Training Videos Use This Link.
I don’t know about you, but I always seem to be in the position where I have to make the sad decision to let them go, rather than watch them being so uncomfortable as their aging bodies start to break down.
Sometimes I hope that they pass peacefully during the night so that they can still be with me in our home environment rather than taking them to the vet for the inevitable to take place. It is amazing too, as they seem to sense what is happening the minute we arrive at the vet’s, they seem to suddenly get a new lease on life.
Then I feel a flicker of hope that, just maybe, we can delay the procedure for a few more weeks yet. Then I need to remind myself, that every day I have watched their difficulties and whilst I want to keep them longer with me, I have decided that it is kinder to let them have their ‘wings’ as the saying goes!
So, “How long will my sadness last after losing my dog?”
If you are anything like me, your grief and sadness will not disappear overnight. I need to nurture myself during the grief stage. I always tell folk that you are best not to talk to me for at least a month after losing my best mate, or one of my mates! I find it so hard to contain my grief, but grief needs to take place because that is how we are made. We grieve for a period and as each day passes, we slowly regain our composure.
Our bodies have an amazing way of working through the grief stage and it is helpful to our metabolism not to curb our grief, we need to grieve to be able to move on.
As we start to gain our composure, we need to focus that there may be other dogs that need our assistance or other members of our family that need us too. We cannot dodge our family responsibilities; our families need us too!
Many a time, I have cooked the dinner for my family, hiding my back to them, as tears streamed down my face, knowing that my family needed my support and presence as well.
I am sure my family knew that I was crying but chose not to mention it!
I had a friend once, send me a poem about when you lose a dog, not to say that you would never get another one. Why was this? Because there is always another dog that needs your love and companionship and if we do not make room in our hearts to love another dog, that dog may lose out, and the last thing we would want is for that dog to spend time in a rescue enclosure where their enjoyment of life may be hindered.
Therefore, I have always tried to keep this in mind, that yes, there is always another dog out there who needs to know the love and companionship of a loving home and if I do not provide this offer, then someone else may not offer this either, and the dog who clearly needs to have a loving home is the loser, and, by the way, so are we!
It is certainly not an easy time to navigate, I can only say that the question “How long will my sadness last after losing a dog”, may be days, weeks or even months. I still shed tears over different dogs’ years down the track when I remember something I cherished about them. They will always have a place in my heart!
Would You Like to Learn Some Training Tips for Your Dog?
For Your Three FREE Training Videos Use This Link.
Until next time…
With Love, Success and Inspiration,
Robin Oliver
Robin Oliver Pet Dog Training
Professional Dog Trainer
www.robinoliveronline.com/blog
