Can Another Pet Dying Cause Anxiety in Dogs? Vet Explains

• Dogs can show anxiety and grief-like behavioral changes after another pet in the household dies.

• Reported changes include increased fearfulness, attention seeking and vocalization, alongside reduced appetite, activity and play.

• Research suggests that the quality of the relationship between the animals matters more than simply how long they lived together.

• Changes to household routines and the emotional state of human family members may also affect a surviving dog.

• Not every dog reacts visibly to another pet's death, and an apparently normal response does not mean the relationship was unimportant.

• Maintaining predictable routines, companionship and familiar activities can help a dog adjust.

• Persistent anxiety, appetite changes or major behavioral changes deserve veterinary attention because illness and pain can look very similar to grief.

This is a surprisingly difficult question to answer scientifically.

We cannot ask a dog what they understand about death, and we should be cautious about projecting the human experience of bereavement onto another species. But we can observe what dogs do after losing an animal with whom they had a close social relationship.

One of the most useful studies so far was published in Scientific Reports in 2022. Researchers surveyed 426 people who had owned at least two dogs, one of whom had died while the other was still alive.

The behavioral changes reported in the surviving dogs were striking. Sixty-seven percent became more attention-seeking, 57% played less, 46% became less active, 35% slept more, 35% became more fearful, 32% ate less and 30% vocalized more.

Importantly, the researchers didn't conclude that this proves dogs experience human-like grief. Their findings were consistent with grief-related behavior and separation stress following the loss of a social companion.

That distinction matters.

We don't need to know whether a dog is thinking, "My friend has died and will never return," to recognize that the disappearance of a bonded companion can have a genuine emotional and behavioral effect.

Think about how much of a dog's world is built around predictability.

Breakfast happens around a particular time. Someone picks up the leash and a walk follows. Another dog sleeps in the basket nearby, waits at the door, joins in games or patrols the garden.

Then one day, one piece of that familiar world disappears.

Dogs may not understand why the other animal has gone, but they certainly experience the consequences.

The most obvious explanation is the loss of the relationship itself.

Dogs are social animals capable of developing close relationships with both people and other animals. In the 2022 study, dogs described as having friendly or parent-like relationships with the deceased dog showed stronger behavioral changes after the loss.

Interestingly, simply having lived together for a long time wasn't the strongest predictor.

That's an important practical point. Two dogs could live under the same roof for ten years while largely doing their own thing, while another pair might form an intense bond within a much shorter period.

Relationship quality appears to matter more than the calendar.

The death of another pet can remove dozens of tiny cues from your dog's day.

Perhaps they always went outside together. Maybe one dog initiated play. Perhaps they slept together or waited beside each other for dinner.

The surviving dog's environment is therefore not merely missing another animal. The rhythm of daily life has changed.

Predictability can be particularly valuable for anxious dogs, so disruption may increase uncertainty and stress.

Some surviving dogs appear to search for the missing animal.

You might see your dog checking favorite sleeping places, waiting near doors, sniffing rooms or repeatedly visiting places where the other pet spent time.

This doesn't necessarily tell us what the dog understands about death. From the dog's perspective, however, someone who was reliably present is suddenly absent.

That alone can be unsettling.

There is another layer that is easy to overlook.

When a beloved pet dies, people grieve too. We may sleep differently, cry, spend less time walking, change feeding routines or simply interact with our surviving animals differently.

The 2022 research found associations between aspects of the owner's emotional response and behavioral changes in surviving dogs. The researchers discussed several possible explanations, including dogs responding to changes in their owner's emotional state and behavior.

So your dog may be dealing with several changes simultaneously: their companion is gone, their routine is different and their human is behaving differently.

That's quite a lot of instability arriving at once.

There isn't one characteristic "grieving dog."

One dog may become almost glued to their owner, while another retreats to their bed. Some become restless and vocal. Others simply lose enthusiasm for activities they previously enjoyed.

Possible changes include:

• pacing, restlessness or difficulty settling

• increased following or attention seeking

• whining, barking or other increased vocalization

• searching for the missing pet

• reduced appetite

• sleeping more or less than usual

• reduced interest in play

• reluctance to be left alone

• increased fearfulness or startle responses

• becoming quieter or socially withdrawn

• changes in toileting habits

From a veterinary behavioral perspective, anxiety refers to the anticipation of possible danger or something unpleasant happening. It can involve increased vigilance, physical tension, autonomic arousal and increased movement.

That means grief-related behavioral changes and anxiety can overlap considerably.

A dog who has lost their companion may not have developed an anxiety disorder, but they may temporarily feel less secure and behave more anxiously.

Unfortunately, there isn't a neat veterinary timetable.

In the 2022 study, among dogs whose behavior changed, approximately 29% showed changes for less than two months, 32% for two to six months and around 25% for more than six months. About 13% of owners reported no behavioral changes at all.

Those numbers should not be interpreted as a countdown clock for an individual dog.

Adjustment depends on the relationship between the animals, the surviving dog's temperament, other changes within the household and the support available to them.

The direction of change is often more useful than the precise number of days.

A dog who is gradually eating better, playing again and becoming more settled is reassuring, even if they aren't completely back to normal yet.

A dog whose anxiety is escalating rather than improving deserves closer attention.

This is one of the questions owners often ask around euthanasia.

There's a widespread idea that allowing the surviving dog to sniff or see the body provides "closure." At present, we don't have convincing evidence that this is necessary.

In the 2022 study, whether the surviving dog had seen the deceased dog's body was not associated with the duration of subsequent behavioral changes.

That doesn't mean allowing a calm dog to investigate is necessarily harmful. Some dogs may sniff briefly and walk away. Others may show very little interest.

But owners shouldn't feel guilty if circumstances mean their dog cannot see the body. We simply don't have evidence that viewing the deceased companion prevents grief or anxiety.

Most of the strongest dog-specific research concerns dogs losing another dog, so we have less direct evidence about a dog losing a cat, rabbit or another species.

Behaviorally, however, it is reasonable to consider the relationship rather than simply the species.

Animals living together can develop stable social relationships and shared routines. Supporting evidence also comes from research in cats. A 2024 study examined cats following the death of either a cat or dog companion and found behavioral changes including altered eating, playing, sleeping, attention seeking and fearfulness. Closer relationships with the deceased animal were associated with stronger changes.

So if your Labrador spent every afternoon sleeping beside your cat, I wouldn't dismiss the cat's death as irrelevant simply because they weren't the same species.

The important question is: what role did that animal play in your dog's life?

The goal isn't to force your dog to "move on." It is to make their world predictable and secure while they adapt to a major change.

Try to maintain normal feeding, walking, sleeping and play schedules.

This doesn't mean every day has to run with military precision. It simply gives your dog familiar landmarks while another part of their life has changed.

Cornell University's College of Veterinary Medicine similarly recommends maintaining a consistent routine and providing calm reassurance to surviving pets following the death of another animal.

If your dog seeks you out more frequently, it's fine to comfort them.

You won't "reward grief" by sitting beside your dog or giving them affection.

At the same time, try not to transform every moment of uncertainty into a major emotional event. Calm companionship is often more useful than frantic reassurance.

Walks, sniffing, food puzzles, gentle training and play can provide both enrichment and predictability.

For some dogs, sniff-heavy walks are particularly useful because they allow the dog to explore at their own pace rather than demanding constant interaction.

Don't force play if your dog isn't interested. Offer opportunities and let enthusiasm return gradually.

It can be tempting to think, "He's lonely, so he needs another dog."

Maybe eventually. But another animal isn't a direct replacement for the one who died.

Introducing a new pet creates another major environmental and social change. Some dogs may enjoy new companionship, while others find an unfamiliar animal stressful, particularly while they're already unsettled.

Make that decision based on whether another pet genuinely suits your household and your surviving dog's temperament, rather than treating it as a cure for grief.

One of the biggest mistakes we can make is assuming every change after a bereavement must be grief.

A dog who stops eating after their companion dies might be distressed.

They might also have dental disease, gastrointestinal illness, pain, kidney disease or any number of unrelated medical problems.

This is particularly important because companion animals in the same household are often of similar ages. If an older dog dies, the surviving dog may also be entering an age when medical conditions become more common.

Cornell specifically advises that persistent behavioral changes following the death of another pet warrant veterinary assessment rather than automatically being attributed to grief.

Contact your veterinarian promptly if your dog stops eating or drinking, develops vomiting or diarrhea, seems painful, becomes unusually lethargic or shows other physical signs.

I'd also recommend veterinary advice if anxiety is severe, worsening, interfering with normal life or simply not beginning to improve.

Your veterinarian can first rule out physical causes and, when necessary, help develop a behavioral treatment plan or refer you to a qualified veterinary behavior professional.

These categories can overlap, which is why labels aren't always particularly useful in the first few days after a loss.

A previously confident dog who becomes temporarily unsettled after their lifelong companion dies may be experiencing an understandable response to a major social and environmental change.

That's different from automatically diagnosing a chronic anxiety disorder.

However, loss can sometimes expose or exacerbate an existing vulnerability. A dog who always relied heavily on the other dog may suddenly struggle when left alone, for example.

If separation-related behavior develops, video can be extremely useful. Veterinary behavioral guidance recommends recording dogs when they are alone because pacing, vocalization, vigilance and other signs can help distinguish separation distress from other causes of problem behavior.

The important question becomes not simply, "Is my dog grieving?" but "How is this change affecting my dog's welfare, and are they adapting?"

So, can another pet dying cause anxiety in dogs? Absolutely, it can contribute to anxiety and other grief-like behavioral changes.

Dogs form social relationships, and losing an animal who was woven into everyday life can change their world dramatically. Research has documented increased fearfulness, vocalization and attention seeking alongside reductions in appetite, activity and play after the death of a canine companion. The strength of the relationship appears particularly important.

At the same time, we should resist the temptation to explain every change as grief. Pain and illness can produce remarkably similar signs, particularly in older dogs.

For most dogs, the best starting point is wonderfully uncomplicated: keep life predictable, stay available, maintain enjoyable routines and give them time to adjust.

And remember that dogs don't all respond to loss in the same way. One may search the house and become your shadow. Another may seem almost completely unchanged.

Neither reaction tells you how important the relationship was.

It simply tells you that, just like us, dogs have their own ways of responding when their world changes.