(We Chinese in America Media Editor Tang Zhao, March 5, 2022) Studies have shown that dogs exhibit similar 'mourning behavior' after a friend dies. The picture is a schematic diagram. (Photo taken from The Paper)

A study by an Italian team showed that domestic dogs experience a variety of "mourning"-like behaviors, most often for up to six months, after another dog in the same household dies.

According to the study, 86% of the subjects said that after the death of one dog in the same family, the other dog will experience many negative changes, such as loss of appetite, becoming less playful, and starting to seek owner’s more attention; in addition, if the deceased dog was a relative of the surviving dog, or in a relationship that grew up together, the level of grief increases, because the surviving dog feels that he has lost an "intimate partner who can provide a sense of security" ".

Dr. Federica Pirrone of the University of Milan, who participated in the study, said that dogs are highly emotional animals and can establish very close bonds with familiar group members, and familiar spaces and smells in the space will bring memories, so the dog will feel very painful when it encounters the eternal separation between its “partner” and “owner”.

The results of the study showed that about 25% of the owners who were part of the study said that such abnormal behavior would last for up to 6 months. The team recommends that if the dog at home dies and the other dog cannot get rid of the pain, additional intimate interactions can be given, and these abnormal behaviors should not be stopped.

In addition, Dr. Pirrone also said that if the owner's sadness is obvious, it can easily infect the dogs who live together, so the owner's reaction is also an important key to affecting the dog's feelings about the death of a partner.

At the end of the study, Dr. Pirone said that it is impossible to fully identify these behaviors as "mourning", but because dogs' emotions are quite complex, when a serious event such as the death of a partner occurs in a simple life, it can cause great sadness. Therefore, these abnormal behaviors may also be caused by emotions, and the possibility of "active mourning" needs to be continuously observed.

(Source: United News Network)

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