The first thing many families notice isn’t dramatic. It’s quiet. The house feels “off,” even if you’re trying to keep everything normal. You still reach for the second leash out of habit. You still glance toward the spot where two dogs used to curl up together. And then you look down at the dog who’s still here—your surviving pet—and you realize they’re acting different, too.
If you’ve been wondering whether dogs grieve the loss of a person or another animal companion, you’re not imagining things. While dogs don’t mourn with words, they live inside routines, scents, sounds, and attachments. When one of those attachments disappears, it can ripple through their behavior in ways that look a lot like grief.
This guide will walk you through what we know from research and veterinary expertise, what grief can look like in dogs, how to tell the difference between mourning and illness, and how to support a dog who seems depressed after a loss. And because real life doesn’t pause for grief, we’ll also gently connect the emotional side to practical next steps families often face—like funeral planning, what to do with ashes, and choosing pet urns for ashes or keepsakes when you’re ready.
What the research suggests about canine grief
For years, people have shared the same story: “After she died, he stopped eating.” “He waited by the door.” “He searched the house like he thought his friend was hiding.” Those accounts are common enough that researchers have tried to measure them more systematically.
One widely cited peer-reviewed study in Scientific Reports examined owner-reported behavior changes in dogs after the death of a companion dog and found many surviving dogs showed noticeable shifts in eating, sleeping, play, and attention-seeking—patterns consistent with distress and social loss. You can read the paper here. Veterinary educators also acknowledge these patterns in plain language: VCA Animal Hospitals notes that a majority of dogs may show multiple behavioral changes after a household loss, including clinginess, reduced appetite, and altered routines.
None of this means dogs experience grief exactly as humans do. But it does support something many families already know in their bones: a dog can be emotionally affected by the absence of a bonded companion—whether that companion was another pet or a human.
How grief can look in a surviving dog
Grief in dogs often looks like a change in “normal dog-ness.” The dog is still the same dog—but the brightness is dimmed, the rhythm is disrupted, or the dog seems unsure where they belong now.
Families commonly describe signs like:
- Withdrawal or reduced interest in play and favorite activities
- Appetite changes (eating less, being pickier, or refusing meals)
- Sleep changes (restless nights, sleeping more during the day, pacing)
- Searching behavior (checking rooms, staring at doors, sniffing a specific bed)
- Increased clinginess or following you from room to room
- Vocalizing more than usual, or becoming unusually quiet
- Accidents in the house in a previously house-trained dog
These behaviors can be especially pronounced in multi-pet households where a surviving dog has lost a “social anchor”—the friend who initiated play, shared sleep spaces, or set the pace for the day.
If you’re reading this while grieving yourself, it can be unsettling to see your dog change at the same moment you’re trying to hold yourself together. But it can also be validating: your dog’s behavior may be reflecting a real bond, not just “bad behavior” or stubbornness.
Grief or illness? How to tell when it’s time to call the vet
One of the hardest parts is that grief and illness can overlap. A dog who is depressed may eat less. A dog with pain, infection, or an endocrine issue may also eat less. So the most loving thing you can do is treat behavior change as information—not as a diagnosis.
If your dog shows any of the following, it’s wise to call your veterinarian sooner rather than later:
- Not eating for more than a day (or significantly reduced intake for several days)
- Vomiting, diarrhea, coughing, or labored breathing
- Sudden weight loss
- Limping, obvious pain, or a dramatic change in mobility
- Drinking much more (or much less) than usual
- Confusion, disorientation, or new neurological symptoms
Even when grief is the likely trigger, stress can lower resilience. A checkup can rule out medical causes, address pain, and give you a clearer baseline. This is especially important for older dogs, dogs with chronic conditions, or dogs who were closely bonded to the companion who died.
The American Veterinary Medical Association also emphasizes that grief around pet loss is real—and that seeking support is normal for families. That includes support for the surviving pets who are part of that family system.
Supporting a mourning dog without overwhelming them
When a dog is grieving, families often swing between two impulses: “We should spoil them constantly” and “We should act normal so they don’t notice.” The middle path tends to work best: keep life predictable, add gentle connection, and watch for small improvements over time.
Keep the routine steady, even if your heart isn’t
Dogs rely on rhythm. Feeding times, walk times, and bedtime rituals help them feel safe. In grief, that structure becomes even more important. Try to keep walks and meals consistent, even if you shorten them or simplify them for a couple weeks.
If your dog is eating poorly, sometimes it helps to keep the schedule the same while adjusting the approach: smaller meals, warm water mixed into kibble to increase aroma, or a vet-approved topper. The goal isn’t to “bribe” them into being happy—it’s to support their body while their nervous system recalibrates.
Offer extra engagement, but follow their cues
Some dogs want closeness and reassurance. Others want space. Many want both, depending on the moment.
A few minutes of low-pressure engagement can help: a gentle sniff walk, a short training session with easy cues, a quiet toy on the floor nearby. If your dog turns away, you don’t have to force it—just stay present, keep offering opportunities, and celebrate small returns to interest.
Let scent and familiar objects do some of the work
Dogs live through scent. If your dog seems to search for the companion who died, familiar blankets or beds can be comforting—at least temporarily—because they carry continuity. Some dogs settle when a familiar object remains in place for a while. Others become more agitated. You can experiment gently, watching what brings calm versus what escalates searching.
Don’t rush to “replace” the bond
In multi-pet households, families sometimes consider adopting another pet quickly, hoping it will lift everyone. Sometimes that works. Often it adds stress. A new animal brings new smells, new rules, and a new social negotiation—right when your surviving dog may feel most fragile.
A helpful question is: is your dog seeking connection in general, or seeking that specific companion? If the latter, time may be the most respectful ingredient.
How long does grief last in dogs?
There isn’t a universal timeline. But research and clinical experience suggest that many dogs show the most intense changes in the early weeks, with gradual improvement over a few months—especially when routines stabilize and basic needs are supported. In the Scientific Reports companion-loss study, owners commonly reported noticeable behavioral changes, and in a subset of dogs, those changes persisted for months.
If your dog’s mood seems stuck—no interest returning, appetite continuing to decline, anxiety escalating, or new aggression appearing—consider help from a veterinarian and a qualified behavior professional. Grief can be real, and so can treatable anxiety or depression-like states.
When a pet’s death changes the family’s “funeral planning” questions
Grief has an emotional side and a practical side. After a pet dies, many families find themselves asking the same question they ask after any death: what now?
If your pet was cremated—or you’re considering cremation—you may be thinking about what to do with ashes, whether you’re comfortable keeping ashes at home, or what kind of memorial feels right for your family’s space and beliefs.
Cremation is increasingly common for families, in part because it offers flexibility for memorialization. According to the National Funeral Directors Association, the U.S. cremation rate is projected to be 63.4% in 2025, with burial projected at 31.6%. And while that statistic refers to human disposition trends, many families recognize the same desire for flexible memorial options when honoring pets.
If you’re navigating decisions for a pet, you’re not alone in wanting something tangible, comforting, and not overly complicated.
Choosing a pet urn when you’re emotionally exhausted
If you’re ready to browse options, it can help to start with a curated collection rather than a thousand open tabs. Funeral.com’s Pet Cremation Urns for Ashes collection gathers classic and modern styles in one place, which can make the decision feel less overwhelming.
Families often land in one of three “fit” categories:
- A primary memorial urn that stays at home
- Pet keepsake urns that hold a small portion for sharing or for a bedside space
- A highly personalized piece, like pet figurine cremation urns, that reflects breed, posture, or personality
If that second option speaks to you, Funeral.com has a dedicated collection of Pet Keepsake Cremation Urns for Ashes, designed for smaller portions—often chosen when multiple people want to keep their own tribute. If you want something that visually resembles your companion, Pet Figurine Cremation Urns for Ashes can feel like a gentler “hello” each time you pass the memorial spot.
And if you’re still in the earliest days and just need guidance, Funeral.com’s article Pet Urns for Ashes: A Complete Guide for Dog and Cat Owners walks through sizing, materials, and decision points without pressure.
Keepsakes and cremation jewelry for people who want closeness
Some families want a memorial that doesn’t live only on a shelf. That’s where cremation jewelry can be meaningful—especially when grief hits unexpectedly in ordinary places like the car, the grocery store, or bedtime.
If you’ve ever searched cremation necklaces or wondered whether they’re secure, Funeral.com’s Cremation Jewelry 101 is a gentle overview of what these pieces are and what they aren’t. You can also browse styles directly in the Cremation Necklaces collection.
Even though your article today is about surviving dogs, this is where many families discover an unexpected truth: when you create a calm, intentional memorial plan for the pet who died, it can reduce the “unresolved” energy in the home—and that can help the surviving dog, too. Your dog may not understand urns, but they do respond to your nervous system settling, your routines returning, and the house feeling less emotionally chaotic.
Keeping ashes at home, water burial, and other “what now” choices
If you’re considering keeping ashes at home, it’s normal to have practical questions: Where should the urn go? What about kids? What about other pets? What if we move? Funeral.com’s guide, Keeping Ashes at Home: How to Do It Safely, Respectfully, and Legally, answers those questions in a grounded way.
Other families feel drawn to nature-based memorials. If you’re exploring water burial through scattering or biodegradable vessels, Understanding What Happens During a Water Burial Ceremony explains what the process can look like and what families often find meaningful about it.
And if your grief is overlapping with broader funeral planning for a person in your family—something that happens more often than people talk about—cremation choices can also raise cost questions. Many families start by asking how much does cremation cost. Prices vary widely by location and services, but one consistent, consumer-protective truth is that you have a right to itemized prices and a General Price List under the FTC’s Funeral Rule.
If you’re in that planning space and you’re deciding between a primary urn and smaller items for sharing, Funeral.com’s collections for cremation urns for ashes, small cremation urns, and keepsake urns can help you visualize what “one central memorial” versus “shared memorials” might look like in real homes:
These topics can feel far from “Do dogs grieve?”—until you’re living them. Then they’re all part of the same story: love, loss, and the practical ways families try to keep going.
Helping your surviving dog as the household adjusts
As days pass, you may notice your dog having good hours and hard hours. That’s normal. Grief rarely moves in a straight line for humans, and it doesn’t for dogs either.
A gentle way to track progress is to look for small returns: a tail lift at the sound of the leash, a toy carried into the room again, a deeper nap, an appetite that comes back in pieces. If those signs don’t return—and especially if they move in the opposite direction—bring professionals into the circle. A vet can rule out illness and discuss short-term support. A credentialed trainer or behavior consultant can help you rebuild confidence and routine in a way that fits your dog’s temperament.
Most of all, try to release the pressure to “fix” grief quickly. Your dog isn’t failing. You aren’t failing. You’re adjusting to a new household shape.
