why losing a dog can be harder than losing a relative or a friend?
Introduction
- dogs have had to adapt to living with humans over the past 10,000 years
- Scientific studies also indicate that dogs can understand human intentions, try to help their owners and even avoid people who don’t cooperate with their owners or treat them well
- It could mean the loss of a source of unconditional love, a primary companion who provides security and comfort, and maybe even a protégé that’s been mentored like a child
- The loss of a dog can also seriously disrupt an owner’s daily routine more profoundly than the loss of most friends and relatives
- This is most likely to happen shortly after the death of the pet, especially among owners who had very high levels of attachment to their pets
- Perhaps one reason our relationships with dogs can be even more satisfying than our human relationships is that dogs provide us with such unconditional, uncritical positive feedback
- While the death of a dog is horrible, dog owners have become so accustomed to the reassuring and nonjudgmental presence of their canine companions that, more often than not, they’ll eventually get a new one
- Changes in lifestyle and routine are some of the primary sources of stress
- The loss of a dog can also seriously disrupt an owner’s daily routine more profoundly than the loss of most friends and relatives
- It turns out that the name of the family dog also gets confused with human family members, indicating that the dog’s name is being pulled from the same cognitive pool that contains other members of the family
Task