@bernadette My doodle seemed to have some slight personality disorders this spring as well. I didn't consider that it was related to getting back to normal after Covid. I do think it may have been related to the typical mating season. Now that the season has passed and all of the canine hormones have settled down, doodle has as well. I'll keep an eye out to see if the behavior pattern repeats this fall.
Just wondering - do dogs leave home to die?
-
I'm thinking about this because of my friends dog that got hit by the car and returned home after several hours. I've talked to her since then and she said she thought that after he got hit, he probably wandered off to die somewhere, and then fell asleep for a while before waking up and limping home. Apparently he has a lot more bruises/scrapes than they originally thought and he has some tissue necrosis (death) which they are trying to take care of before resorting to surgery. I'm really hoping he pulls through this!
Anyway, I have heard that cats will leave home and die away from their homes… wondering if dogs are known to do the same thing? What is the purpose of this behavior anyway?
-
I've wondered the same thing. Why do they go off away from the home to die? I know that an animal never wants to appear weak even when injured in a hurd - it's like a death sentence by the others - I think because they get rid of the weak to keep the hurds strong for survival.
-
I know our family dog growing up made several attempts to go off as the end grew near.
It was very sad. But I think there is something to that survival of the fittest thing- that animals accept their fate easier (and dare I saw with more pride) than we as humans do. I don't think they see death as this "terrible ending"…
