I am wondering about another dynamic in the whole dog/pet owner grief scenario. Is it likely that a Rottweiler of a man who recently lost his mother is not eating because he is carrying the owner's grief? The dog has not eaten in about two weeks; he does drink water though. The vet says that he is physically fine. The dog did lick fish oil from my hands, and occassionally sniffs his food only to walk away. He has lost much weight, is lethargic, just lies around - occassionally getting up to change position.
What goes here? What are the answers? Is it a hopeless situation?

You know Cesar in his book has some wonderful insights on this on pages 264-267. I come to feel that the dogs act out our grief as they do so many of our other emotional states. I really saw the contrast, a dog that I helped to bring into this world, I lost my Thunderboy discovering he had a football size tumour in his chest that had been missed by earlier examinations. A few weeks later I had to make the decision to put him down. The grief and guilt I felt was unbearable. It was incredible to watch the dogs react. One year later, Foxie died but THIS one I got right! She was only given weeks after a diagnosis of insulinoma - and with naturalpathic treatments - she lived a quality of life that was wonderful for 4 and 1/2 years! I took her to the vet because something wasnt right. They ran blood tests and we went to breakfast waiting for the results. Her heart stopped. At the vets, when we were away.

I teach dog first aid including CPR. So my sidebar comment was that I feel so strongly she chose her time just like Thunder and Tanna let me know they were done, and needed to stop trying, and it was time for me to let them go by putting them down.

My point here is that with Foxie, I felt the sadness and loss, but also so good that I had made the right choices, that the difference in my house with the dogs was like night and day. The only difference is me/our reactions and how we felt about the deaths!

With Cesar's comments on this, I have been able to really transition from thinking about the past and the things I cannot change, to focusing on the future and what I can do better. We had a new rescue within two weeks of Foxie, another lost one who no one else would have!

In honor of Cesar - saving one dog at a time, because we can!
All hail Cesar!

I am wandering what to do with my new doberman puppy. I got her from an animal shelter 2 weeks ago and found out that she wasn't 6 weeks old like they said she was, and 3 days later the shelter called me and said that my pup may have parvo, that they believe the remaining pups from her litter are currently being tested and that we had the choice to bring her back or get her tested ourselves. which we took care of it ourselves... we have already started a relationship with her.
Her test came back negative but, she was dehydrated and has an blatter infection. The vetranarian office we use, kept her overnight....Giving her fluids and antibyotics..she is doing much better, but my guestion is, with her being taken away from her mother too early will there be reprucutions that we will need to look for in the training and guideness that she'll need to grow to a viverent adult dog? I am currently seeing that when she wants to be cuttled that she finds a shirt or a blanket to suckle on. How long will this go on and or is there something I shoould do or give to her to stop the suckling acts.

Animals do grieve, but not the way we do, nor for the length of time that humans sometimes do.
Cesar is right, dogs live in the moment and they react to the energy we are projecting.
So, an animal that is still grieving weeks, or months later they are reacting to the energy in their surroundings.

They don't have the concept of "death", they just know something is different and the energy they were accustomed to is no longer there and has been replaced with something negative.

BTW, Doggone, who's "jetman"?

I know that the little dog we had that past away last year would NOT eat a thing if we left her to go on a trip.
Thankfully, we were never gone more than a few days so she never actually starved herself to death!
I would never have guessed a dog could or would do that, I thought their natural instinct to survive would kick in?

"BTW, Doggone, who’s “jetman”?"

He left a very ugly, nasty, judgemental message that was deleted.

For those of you who have dogs that won't eat when you are away...try taking an old T-shirt and get it good and sweaty and tell the boarding kennel owner, or whoever is caring for you dogs to NOT WASH IT and keep it where the dog sleeps and eats.

A friend of mine did this years ago when she went on her 3 week honeymoon and her dog was just fine the whole time she was gone.

I think animals in general, both dogs and cats in particular, are very sensitive to the emotions we project, especially if we have a close bond to them. I have a cat who is my emotional sponge. I try not to stress out too much around him because he gets stressed and that leads to behavioral issues. We also have a rescue dog who, I think, has been around people who were either very ill or bedridden. The first time my sister got sick & needed bed rest, Eve -- our dog -- would not leave her side. She tried to get up on the bed with her, something she had not done before because the bed is quite high off the floor.

The tv ads about depression and whom it affects include the household pet. So, yes, I think that not only might animals grieve on their own, they also feel our grief to an extent we may not yet realize!

Ireally appreciated the section on grieving tonight. Cesar's wisdom in reminding us that death is a part of the natural cycle, and the little boy's wisdom in noting that the animal is in a better place, were just what I needed, having recently had to put a pet to sleep. Thanks for a wonderful show, Cesar and National Geo!

I would like the name of the humane society that Virgina Madsen's new dog came from as I would like to donate-something about dogs from Mexico? Looked on this website for perhaps a mention of it but to no avail-

Today, 11/3/06, I viewed the "Dog Whisperer" episode (on the National Geographic channel) that featured Virginia Madsen and her son adopting a new puppy after the loss of their older dog. We just lost our wonderful 14-year-old dalmatian the first part of October 2006. We don't have children and our dog's death is still very fresh to us. It gets easier to deal with each new day. But, it is still very difficult and painful. We will never forget her; she taught us so much.

The lessons taught in this particular episode of "The Dog Whisperer" were a big help to me. I, too, couldn't help but feel the way Ms. Madsen stated....like I had "killed" my dear dog, even though I knew in my heart it was the right thing to do....it was time to let her "go." But, seeing someone else go through those emotions was reassuring that I am not unique in my feelings of misplaced guilt. Ms. Madsen's son's words of wisdom rang true....our departed dog companions are now in a better place. Cesar's advice to "grieve, but then move on," is good advice. The show helped to reassure me that we made the right decision, and that we are taking the right steps in trying to move forward. After the episode, I felt consoled, encouraged, and inspired. Cesar's comments on the website, are also helpful. SUGGESTION: I think a full-hour episode of "The Dog Whisperer" on the subject of dog-grieving would help many people.

Thank you, Cesar and your team, and the National Geographic Channel, for all you do. This show is great. It has wonderful entertainment value, but more than that, it teaches us all how to live more peacefully with not only our canine friends, but our human friends as well. I look forward to each new episode.

On this episode they talked about an organization that rescues dogs from Tijuana. Does any one remember the name of that shelter? I have been looking for it online and haven't been able to find it. Any info would be appreciated.

I looked for the name of the rescue organization as well. I believe it is St. Nicholas hope for dogs. I found it when I put that string of words into google. It seems like their main page isnt' working, but a page called "Mexico Tragedy" came up. There is a request to not put weblinks on this blog. But hopefully it is not objectionable for me to say the website is st nicholas hope org. If I had money to donate, I would send it to them. I am very touched by the work they are doing.

"I objected to it being filmed, since this was a “grieving” episode"

I think you've completely missed the point of the show. It was NOT a "grieving" episode...it was a "now that the grieving is OVER" show. They said that in the show, several times...that Cesar advised them to give themselves AND their remaining dog time to grieve and not make the decision to get another dog, or which other dog, until they felt the grieving process had run it's course and they were ALL ready to welcome another dog.

At that point it becomes, not a "grieving" episode, but a "how to best help you and your child to choose the right new dog" episode"...and a very good one it was, too.

I think you may be thinking too hard about YOUR reactions to the situation and not paying enough attention to the wonderful insight and maturity of the child involved. He had a better "feel" for what was going on and how it involved him, his mother AND his existing dog than your description would leave one to realize.

We addopted a 2- 3 year old lab this past December and he is a a very good dog for me, although when my husband goes to pet him or play with him at all he seems to pee. We have never hit him, we do not belive in that kind of punishment. We tell him no and put him outside. Nothing seems to work and I was hoping for some advise on this. We have assumed that whoever previously owned him may have hurt him and this is why he seems to be doing it. He has never done this with me while I am playing with him or calling him. He listens very well to me. Please help if you can by giving me advise so he will not pee in the house anymore when my husband loves on him or plays with him and they can learn to bond as well as me an my dog buddy do.
Thanks.

Does anyone know the name of the organization in Mexico that rescued dogs from being electricuted? It was was featured in this episode.
Thanks!