Comments on: The One Way All Dog Lovers Are The Same

By: Fetching! | The Daily Dog Tag

Fetching! | The Daily Dog Tag — Fri, 16 Aug 2013 20:16:29 +0000

[…] I found this post on Something Wagging Comes this Way to be especially true The One Way All Dog Lovers Are The Same […]

By: Jessica@YouDidWhatWithYourWeiner

Jessica@YouDidWhatWithYourWeiner — Tue, 13 Aug 2013 00:18:56 +0000

You make a very good point Pamela. Not having lost a dog as an adult (the couple as a child are somewhat hazy…probably because I was shielded from my parents) I don’t know what it is going to be like when Chester or Gretel have to go. I am learning more and more about grieving a pet from fellow bloggers though so I feel like I will be better prepared.

By: Kirsten

Kirsten — Mon, 12 Aug 2013 12:33:55 +0000

I don’t know if there are categorical differences between grieving for animals and humans, just that each death is wrenching in its own way. With animals, the relationship is so intimate–there are things you share with your dog that no one else knows. True of humans too, but I absolutely agree that that human-animal bond is vital and intense 🙂

By: Jan K

Jan K — Sun, 11 Aug 2013 23:01:22 +0000

So true!! I think a big part of it is the amount of time we spend with our animals compared to family members we don’t live with or close friends. We live with our dogs every day, but most of us don’t see our parents or our siblings on a daily basis. So when we lose them, it doesn’t necessarily change our daily lives that much. But losing a pet changes our daily lives completely and leaves a huge empty space where they were.
But I also agree that a big factor is the fact that humans often let us down. They are not always there when we need them, but our dogs are. If we want our dogs to do something with us….go for a ride, or a walk, they are always on board! They don’t have better things to do, and they don’t cancel out at the last minute either! 🙂

By: Human Rescues Dog

Human Rescues Dog — Sun, 11 Aug 2013 11:28:34 +0000

I usually feel an instant kinship with dog lovers . I’ve met some very lovely people who love dogs but I’ve also met some awful people who love dogs. But with the awful people, I always think “there’s GOT to be something good about them, if they love dogs!” ..I definitely give dog lovers more benefit of the doubt. With respect to mourning and grief, in some ways, I almost grieve the loss of other people’s dogs as though they were my own.

By: Greyhounds CAN Sit

Greyhounds CAN Sit — Sun, 11 Aug 2013 11:18:09 +0000

I can’t fathom people who aren’t into animals. I know a couple and like them anyway but don’t understand them. No doubt they don’t understand my love for my dogs either. I haven’t lost many people I love yet. For me distance apart makes a big difference. I have a small family and they are all in Australia. My dogs live with me and when I lose Frankie and Beryl I will feel that more than when I lose a family member. Is that bad of me? It doesn’t mean I don’t love my family. It could mean I love my dogs more, which sounds awful! I don’t think I will sleep tonight trying to work this one out.

By: Laura @ For the Love of Dogs

Laura @ For the Love of Dogs — Sun, 11 Aug 2013 02:44:14 +0000

What a wonderful post! As was yesterdays!

I think that non-dog people should read this post. Then maybe they would be a little more understanding. A dog-human connection is a powerful thing. It can never be replaced. You can love a new dog, but you can never replace a dog. They are too unique, full of love and personality.

Thanks again for sharing! You hit the nail on the head about the dog-human bond 🙂

By: houndstooth

houndstooth — Sat, 10 Aug 2013 19:34:05 +0000

Oh goodness, yes! I also think…when our dogs die, it’s a more private, personal thing. All four of my grandparents have passed away, and at their funerals, I was very aware of keeping my grief to myself. I felt really bad that I didn’t cry at my maternal grandfather’s funeral, but I just didn’t. And my maternal grandmother was the most important person in my life as a child. I honestly believe that I wouldn’t have survived childhood without her in my life. She just understood me, without a need for words to be spoken. I could enjoy being in her presence without needing to talk, although we had plenty of talks, too. I cried during her funeral, but it wasn’t like I cried over my dogs’ deaths. I still grieved her, but I’d been grieving her for a year while she battled cancer, and I also know she wouldn’t want me to sit around crying for her, because she said so. As much as we love our dogs and feel like we know each other, we never do get to hear them say those words. I didn’t have to share my dogs or my relationships with them like I did with my grandparents. I think that makes it a little different, too.

By: Callie, Shadow, and Ducky's Mom

Callie, Shadow, and Ducky's Mom — Sat, 10 Aug 2013 17:27:43 +0000

When my Kissy passed, I cried for four months — almost non-stop. She was my baby, the love of my life. When we first moved down here, she was my constant companion. Sam was working second shift back then so on top of getting used to a different house, a different town, a different state, and no place to walk safely, Kissy and I had to adjust to a screwed-up schedule. And we helped each other through it all. Our already-strong bond grew even stronger. I’d never had such a close, uncomplicated bond with anyone or anything in my life. Everyone else’s love was conditional. I grieved almost as much for the loss of the relationship as for Kissy herself. And it still tugs at my heart…I can feel the lump in my throat as I write this. When I had to put my Mom’s last dog down, I was upset. And at work, I had at least one of those ignorami try to tell me she was “just a dog”. She had been my dog for the last 10 years of her life, so she was far from “just a dog” to me. I gave one particular co-worker the cold shoulder for over a week. Our working relationship was never the same. Thankfully, the salesperson I was working with at the time knew well the pain I was feeling. So, yes, I definitely need the laugh and am looking forward to it.

By: Jackie Bouchard

Jackie Bouchard — Sat, 10 Aug 2013 15:36:38 +0000

I’ll admit I was way more depressed when my dog died than when my dad died. But my dad was old, and it was his time. He’d been sick for a long time. And he lived far away, so I only saw him maybe twice a year, sometimes only once. On the other hand, my dog was way too young. And she was a constant companion. I work from home, she loved to ride along in the car with me, so we were almost never apart. It’s so hard to lose that constant loving presence in your life.