That quiet whimper when your furry best friend realizes you’ve left for work. The way they seem to curl up in smaller spaces after a family member moves out. The listless stare that follows the loss of another pet in the house. If you’ve ever wondered whether dogs truly experience heartbreak the way we do, you’re not alone in questioning the depth of your companion’s emotional world.
While we can never fully step inside a dog’s mind, decades of research and countless owner experiences paint a compelling picture. There are some things that have never been denied and that is the ability of both dogs and wolves to feel heartbreak when they lose a member of their clan. The emotional lives of our canine companions might be far richer than we once imagined. Let’s explore what both science and countless pet parents have discovered about dogs and their capacity for deep emotional pain.
The Science Behind Canine Emotions
By combining two different sources of sensory input these researchers, like pet owners, believe that dogs actually have the cognitive ability to recognize and understand positive and negative emotional states. Modern neuroscience has revealed fascinating insights into how dogs process emotions. Research published in a 2016 Science article also supports the idea that dogs have emotional responses similar to humans, with areas of their brains lighting up in ways that correspond to specific feelings.
Emotional contagion is a primitive form of empathy and does not need higher psychological functions such as theory-of-mind and perspective taking. This means dogs don’t need to understand complex concepts like death to experience profound loss. A dog’s cognitive capacity is similar to that of a 2-3 year old toddler who does not understand the permanence of death, although the pain remains very real for them.
When Dogs Mirror Human Emotions
These results suggest that emotional contagion from owner to dog can occur especially in females and the time sharing the same environment is the key factor in inducing the efficacy of emotional contagion. Research shows that the bond between dogs and their humans deepens over time, creating an almost supernatural connection. Recent research reveals that dogs don’t merely respond to our emotions – they mirror them.
If you are sad, they are affected by it and come close to nuzzle you. Your dog is comforting you while seeking comfort themselves. This emotional mirroring explains why many owners notice their dogs becoming withdrawn or anxious during times of family stress. The connection runs deeper than simple observation, creating a shared emotional experience between species.
Physical Signs Your Dog is Heartbroken
Your pooch will show little interest in food, and where they once play-bowed to get you to throw the ball, they lie on the floor with a sorrowful look. The physical manifestations of canine heartbreak are remarkably similar to human grief responses. Normally, the word walk would get a tail-wagging response, but since the changes around the house, your mournful pup has been whining and whimpering.
They may also chew or excessively lick their paws as an outlet for their pain. These self-soothing behaviors often intensify during periods of emotional distress. If they’re sad, you might notice your pup’s downtrodden gaze, or they may have less energy or interest in activities they usually enjoy. Some dogs even develop what veterinarians call Broken Heart Syndrome, a condition that can affect their physical health alongside their emotional well-being.
The Famous Stories of Canine Devotion
There are heartbroken dogs in history like Hachiko, an Akita who waited for over nine years at a Japanese train station for his deceased owner to return. These legendary tales of loyalty aren’t just heartwarming stories. They represent documented evidence of dogs’ capacity for profound, lasting emotional attachment that transcends simple conditioning or training.
Stories like this cut to the core of human sympathy and amazement. While Hachiko’s story is perhaps the most famous, countless pet owners have their own versions of dogs who refused to leave gravesites, who searched endlessly for missing family members, or who never quite recovered from significant losses. These behaviors suggest an emotional depth that science is only beginning to understand and validate.
How Dogs Respond to Human Crying
The experiment found that whether it was the owner or stranger who cried, the majority of the dogs exhibited what the researchers call “emotional contagion,” that is, behavior consistent with empathy, while the humming did not. Studies reveal that dogs don’t just approach their crying owners, they approach any crying human. If the dogs’ approaches during the crying condition were motivated by self-oriented comfort-seeking, they would be more likely to approach their usual source of comfort, their owner, rather than the stranger. No such preference was found. The dogs approached whoever was crying regardless of their identity.
Of the 15 dogs that approached a crying owner or stranger, 13 did so with submissive body language, such as tucked tails and bowed heads, another behavior consistent with empathy. This submissive posture suggests dogs understand they’re witnessing distress and respond with what appears to be genuine concern rather than excitement or curiosity.
When Dogs Lose Another Pet
While many dogs show some form of mourning after a loss, it’s not always the same signs or to the same extent. Like people, Dr. Gamm says pets grieve for varying lengths of time, and the ways individual dogs express grief can be different. The loss of a companion animal can trigger profound grief responses in dogs. Pets who’ve lost an animal companion may sometimes want to lie in their friend’s spot, she says. Dogs who’ve lost their human companion may even wander around the home looking for that person.
Pets surrendered to the shelter can go into a shut-down mode as they realize they have lost their secure home. This can lead to illness and in some cases death. The grieving process in dogs can be so intense that it affects their immune system and overall health, demonstrating the very real physical consequences of emotional pain.
Helping Dogs Through Heartbreak
Grieving is a process that takes time. Allow your dog the space to mourn – don’t try to rush them into activities they may not be interested in right now. Like humans, dogs need time to adjust to the loss and process their emotions. The healing process requires patience and understanding from caring owners. Dogs are creatures of habit and enjoy an everyday routine. If the home has recently witnessed an upset by someone’s passing or a divorce, your dog needs you, as much as the kids will, to survive this confusing time.
Familiar scents can bring comfort to a grieving dog. Consider keeping a blanket or toy that carries the scent of their lost companion. This may help ease their sense of loss and provide some reassurance. Simple gestures like maintaining routines, providing extra comfort, and allowing natural grieving behaviors can make a significant difference in a dog’s recovery process.
Conclusion
The evidence from both scientific research and countless owner experiences strongly suggests that dogs do indeed feel heartbreak. Studies show that dogs not only empathize with us – they physically and behaviorally reflect our emotional states, forming a unique bond of mutual emotional resonance. From the neurological evidence of emotional processing to the behavioral changes we witness during loss, dogs demonstrate a capacity for deep emotional pain that mirrors our own experiences.
Understanding this emotional depth changes how we care for our companions during difficult times. It reminds us that the grief we see in their eyes isn’t just projection or imagination but a genuine response to loss that deserves our patience, understanding, and support. Whether they’re mourning a departed friend, adjusting to family changes, or simply sensing our own sadness, dogs experience heartbreak as a very real part of their emotional lives.
What do you think about the emotional depth of dogs? Have you witnessed your own pet experiencing what seemed like genuine heartbreak? Share your thoughts and experiences with us.
Andrew Alpin from India is the Brand Manager of Doggo digest. Andrew is an experienced content specialist and social media manager with a passion for writing. His forte includes health and wellness, Travel, Animals, and Nature. A nature nomad, Andrew is obsessed with mountains and loves high-altitude trekking. He has been on several Himalayan treks in India including the Everest Base Camp in Nepal.
