How to help a dog that is grieving

[kimw30]

Hey I have a rat terrier dog that is 4 years old and her name is Prissy and she has been crying and being very whiney. My Dad died February 27th and she was very attached to my dad, she would set in his lap for hours, she really loved him. Now she sets at his chair looking up and cries, she sees his shoes and clothes and she cries, sometimes she will get so upset that she has diarrhea really bad and sometimes she will not eat. Any suggestions on what I can do to help her.

[ginger899]

To remove your Dad's things is a good idea. So she won't keep getting the scent of him. And clean thoroughly.
I have seen this with my dog when a good friend of ours passed away. I was given his car. It smelled of him. She would always be depressed and uneasy getting in the car. I cleaned it out thoroughly, and the effect was like magic! Once I had done that she was happy to get in the car and no more sorrow from her.
I kept his hat up on a shelf. One day I was cleaning and the hat fell to the ground. She sniffed it and immediately went very depressed and sad. I took her out to distract her and she was much better then. I made sure she never smelled the hat again.

[BluCrystal]

Remove everything that smells like your dad.  This is the only way she will get past his not being around: she doesn't understand why she can smell him and he's not there.  Blessings - Blu

[Ellen038]

I'm sorry to hear about your loss. Rat terriers can be so expressive of their feelings, we have two of them. You could try putting his things in a safe place out of your dogs sight to see if it helps. The only other thing I can recommend Is to go online and search for pet loss counselors. Some places have a chat session that is free. I think the name of the website im thinking of is LA pet loss partners. on that site they mention about them volunteering there time on a chat board. They will know how to help you and your dog. Dogs go thru a grieving process and like humans there isn't a set time they should stop grieving, it's different for everyone. I hope that your dog finds peace soon.