1. Keep Your Routine

It's important that you stick to your schedule. Your dog will be dealing with a lot of changes, so you want to keep the rest of their life as consistent and familiar as possible.

2. Be Patient

Be patient as your pets are grieving. Try not to feed into the negative emotional process. It's possible that your dog is picking up on your emotions when you are trying to console them. So, try your best not to hover. If your dog isn't eating, you are potentially creating a picky eater by paying attention to them while they are by the bowl, but not eating.

3. Add More Play Time

If your dog is struggling to recover, feel free to add additional play time to their day. Similar to humans, playing and interacting can increase their serotonin levels, which can positively impact their mood.

4. Try Not to Introduce a New Pet Right Away

Although this may be a coping mechanism (perhaps even denial) for some people, it may simply prolong the grieving process. If we don't deal with our emotions, the other pets in the home may pick up on the negative energy associated with prolonged grieving. That being said, I am not one to tell others how to grieve, so I would take this piece of advice with a grain of salt.

5. Don’t Give Into Human Food

Many pet parents feel that they are "treating" their pets by giving them pieces of human food. However, you will be upsetting their stomach and potentially creating a picky eater.

6. Try to Keep Their Environment as Stress Free as Possible

If your pet is grieving, they might find house guests, changing of the furniture, construction, or gatherings stressful. Give them a few weeks before you go introducing any of these things into your home. If your dog is feeling stressed, it is less likely they will recover quickly from their mourning symptoms.

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If you are concerned about your pet or the length of their grieving, please speak with your

veterinarian.