Bonded dogs - if one has to be pts?

MrsElle

MrsElle

Well-Known Member
Joined
21 November 2008
Messages
6,183
Location
Back Where My Heart Is :)
Visit site
How does the dog left behind manage if the pair are so bonded that the one who will be left gets distressed if she even loses sight of the other? Even the vet has expressed concerns about the remaining dog.

Does a dog left behind cope after?

NB, this is a hypothetical question at the moment, one our dogs isn't too well but should be ok. We are concerned about her friend who gets extremely distressed if separated for even two minutes, and do worry that when the time comes, hopefully in years and not months, the remaining dog won't be able to cope.
 
I would work to try and break the bond, I would separate them in different rooms, walk separately, feed separately until they are comfortable enough to sleep separately. Just do it for a few minutes at a time to start off with and build it up and by the time one has to be pts it will have ceased to be a problem.
 
I have been told in the past that it is better for the other dog to be present when another one is put down but not sure how true that is and they deal with it better
 
My first two were super bonded, cuddled up together constantly. When one was PTS, I was terrified the other would fade. He did not give two hoots weirdly, although they had never been apart in 7 years bar vet visits. You might be surprised and see that the remaining dog is actually OK.
 
My dogs were incredibly close, never, ever separated for anything. The terrier had been taken from her mother at 4 weeks and left in a box to die when she was rescued. My other dog, a collie X lab fostered her and she idolised him.

When he died 8 years later, I thought the terrier would die too but she in fact blossomed into a grown up (having always been like a toddler when Finn was alive).

She amazed us with her happy but sensible attitude. 4 months later we brought a border terrier pup home and she loved him too right from the start.

Far from her going into a decline after the death of her beloved friend, it was a new beginning. That was 5 years ago and she's now 13.
 
My older dog did not bat an eyelid when he was separated from his sister, to whom he was closely bonded, it was a bit of a surprise actually. I don't actually think it did them any favours as individual dogs, keeping them together, they seemed to stifle each other in one way or another.
 
MrsElle said:
How does the dog left behind manage if the pair are so bonded that the one who will be left gets distressed if she even loses sight of the other? Even the vet has expressed concerns about the remaining dog.

Does a dog left behind cope after?

.......
Click to expand...

If your second dog really is so dependant upon the other, then as another has said, make a start on breaking that dependence. It's twice the work, but the dog which leans upon the other needs to see you as its support.

cinnamontoast said:
My first two were super bonded, cuddled up together constantly. When one was PTS, I was terrified the other would fade. He did not give two hoots weirdly, although they had never been apart in 7 years bar vet visits. You might be surprised and see that the remaining dog is actually OK.
Click to expand...

Odd that, but as they're dogs, it all so often happens as C_T has described, almost as though its with an indifference. I'm sure that we often worry about things which pass over our dogs, without notice!

Alec.
 
as above - id start breaking them up now...


our 2 dogs cant be separated.... if one leaves the room the other follows - and if the younger cant follow the elder he howls... (older one couldnt give a damn tho lol)



so vet visits for 1 dog = both dogs go.

everything means them both going... which is fine a they are very well behaved but it is a pain if one leaves the room
 
When Bosworth was PTS i made sure Poppy was with me when it happened so she saw him die, I then let her sniff his body. she seemed indifferent at the time, but then became clingy with me. I kept her with me night and day, she came with me on driving lessons, and slept in my room, 5 days later I bought flodden, my pup. and figured, loathe him or love him she would have to show something, she did. She loathed him for a week, but at least it gave her something to focus on. Then she started to realise he could be fun and then he became her friend. So don't worry too much, plan and get another dog, preferably of the opposite sex.
 
Thank you all for putting my mind at rest.

We will probably not have to face the issue for a long long time yet, but it has been something that has been bothering me.

We have three dogs, two live outside, Elsie is in. Elsie and the potential remaining outside dog really do not get on at all - we have to keep a close eye on them when they are all out together, and luckily they do, in the main, avoid each other like the plague! Perhaps when the little un has gone they might get on better, but I won't hold my breath!
 
We always worried about this, as had mother and daughter together (Labradors). The daughter was extremely clingy to mum, you could take the daughter out and leave the mum behind and all would be fine but the other way round the daughter would panic if left on her own.

In the end we actually ended up loosing the daughter first quite suddenly at the age of 10 to kidney failure. The remaining dog didn't seem to fussed at first but then it became clear that she had relied a lot on her daughter for things as by this point her eyesight and hearing were not great. We went through a rough patch with mum and thought we were going to loose her as well just 3mths after her daughter died but she pulled through and his still going 2 yrs later - in fact today is her 16th birthday :D:D

She has however become very attached to mum (I no longer live at home) and will follow her every where, lies at the bottom of the stairs squeaking if mum goes upstairs and sulks if she goes away!!
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top