Standard Poodles -
Dealing with Pet Loss

Pet loss is a genuine loss whether it's from euthanasia or natural causes. It's the loss of a friend, a companion, a source of laughter, love, and those little aggravations that you once thought you could live without. We expect children to fall apart over the loss of a pet, but as adults, we sometimes question our own right to grieve.

Pets become a part of our human families, with the same needs as other members of the family. We walk them in the cold and rain and we feed them the best food possible. We also worry when they become sick. We look to them for love, devotion, and a valuable relationship that we can’t get from the human world--complete acceptance.

The fact of the matter is that nearly half of the adult pet owners in the world struggle just as much, if not more, with pet loss than children. Children have a great sense of loss that tends to be more short term. Adults can find themselves grieving for a pet even after the introduction of a new pet into the household and sometimes even years after the death. Some pets just develop a bond that transcends time, space, and even death. A grown man can find himself saddened by the loss of his pet ten years after the fact, and unfortunately, feels silly for doing so.

It is not uncommon for some humans to feel the loss of a pet with greater intensity than the loss of a human, which is compounded by feelings of guilt. Emotional reactions and the depth by which they are felt is not something that is within our control. Each individual feels the loss in a different way and there is no need to read into or analyze it unless it incapacitates our ability to function for a significant period of time.

The grieving process, as regards to pet loss, is not limited to dogs or cats. Any pet that can be humanized in any form is felt as a loss, and not all pet owners only appreciate one type of pet. The loss of a pet, whether furry, fuzzy, or feathered, is a significant loss and therefore should be treated with the respect of significant loss.

Dealing with pet loss is a frequently misunderstood process. Adults feel as though they should be strong and deal with the loss like a grown up rather than a child. Loss, regardless of the origin of that loss, is a process which unless thoroughly addressed, leaves a huge scar on the grieving human.

The first step in grieving for the loss of a pet is fairly basic. Admitting to the loss and admitting that it is painful helps those around you understand better. Often, adults do not admit to the feelings they have, believing they are childish or that their colleagues may not understand. By admitting to the pain, children in the family learn the value of openly communicating about feelings while colleagues have a better grasp on any temporary or subtle changes in your behavior.

Accepting the loss may take a little time. Some people believe that filling the empty space with another pet as soon as possible helps to ease the pain, while others feel that they can not bear falling in love with another pet until after a healing period has passed. Either way, accepting the loss and grieving as appropriate for each person is a vital part of healing.

Coping with a sense of loneliness is common and often kept quiet when grieving for a beloved pet. Pets often provide a sense of companionship, typically more so for single people than individuals with families, but not disregarding anyone. When the pet passes away, there is often a sudden burden of loneliness that can overcome the entire household. This feeling is not only normal, but in many cases expected. The sudden loss of companionship as well as the difficulty in adjusting without the love of the lost pet can lead to depression and loneliness. In our society, loneliness is viewed as some sort of convoluted weakness when in reality it is a natural human emotion. Many humans who experience this type of loneliness bring home a new pet before they have grieved appropriately and then have difficulty bonding with the new pet.

Finally, there is an obvious sadness that goes along with the loss of a beloved pet. It is important to keep in mind that the definition of depression is “prolonged sadness.” It is normal to go through a mild depression after losing a pet, especially since it is not so common to speak about the depth of our emotions which surround losing a pet. However, sometimes the loss of a pet can trigger more serious depressions for those who have experienced a great deal of loss or are under a particularly heavy stress load at the time of the loss. If a mild depression due to the loss of a pet becomes a more serious depression, professional help is strongly recommended.

Despite the fact that a great many humans go through great effort to keep their grief over the loss of a pet a secret affair, these emotions are normal, and nearly everyone who loses a pet experiences them to varying degrees.

It's never easy losing that special Poodle in your life, but remembering the fun times you had together, or funny things that your Poodle did can make it a lot easier. Tell us about your Angel Poodle!

Click below to see contributions from other visitors to this page...

Melmar’s Rusty Ryder, April 10, 1994 – December 6, 2007 
Rusty became part of our family in June of 1994. Before we were married, Sherry and I had both had one or more poodles so we already had a love for the ...

Shadow 
I rescued my little Shadow in 1994 and he's been with me all but a few months of the time I've been in this house. I had grown up with a 5 lb. white poodle ...

FOREVER KING OF MY HEARTHARPO B. RAYMOND 
Harpo B. Raymond
Oct 21, 1994 - Dec 1, 2007

My Harpo was a apricot poodle who had the essence of a human being. Harpo was so intelligent and extremely ...

My Baby Chloe 
I put my Chloe down today. I feel horrible and have this horrible empty feeling inside because I know I won't see her again until it's my time to pass ...

The Unexpected  Not rated yet
My little dog was only a year old. He had a seisure on Friday and I took him to the vet. You've got to think there was nothing wrong with him, since before ...

Rosie  Not rated yet
Rosie was the most wonderful first dog I had ever owned. She was sweet to everyone. There use to be this couple that walked by our fence, and Rosie would ...

Our Beauregard  Not rated yet
Beau had Atypical Addison's disease and lived 2 years with it. He was a small, 50 pound, white Standard Poodle. Our kids and grandkids loved him. He seemed ...

My first dog Spot the Poodle  Not rated yet
My earliest childhood memories consist of the want for a companion in the form of a dog. I had no idea what poodles were until the day I was told I could ...

Remembering Anni  Not rated yet
Anni was my first very own dog and my third Standard Poodle. I had her euthanized at age fifteen a year and a half ago. She was my left arm, always with ...

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