I lost my "soul mate" on the 20 May this year and when I collected his ashes, lead and collar I put the lead, collar, favourite toys and pictures in a memory box without really looking at them at the time as it was just too devastating.

Today, over 4 months later, I have opened the memory box and found that his lead and collar are a bit smelly/smelt of him. I took them out to clean them with saddle soap as I didn't want them rotting (they were hand made for us 10 yrs ago by a saddlery) and my bitch, who was extremely close to him, recoiled when I carried the items out for cleaning. I thought that she would recognise the smell of him but she found them repugnant. The expression on her face was horror.

I stupidly don't understand why she has reacted in the way that she has. I don't know what I was expecting as I didn't really think about her smelling his lead and collar as I was cleaning them. Must say that when we lost him, she was very badly affected. She didn't eat and went into a depression for around 6 weeks after we lost him :-( :-( She literally went into mourning. On the day that we had to say goodbye I took her with me as I knew that she would need to know what had happened and afterwards she sniffed, pawed and nudged him trying to rouse him, of course, she couldn't understand why he wouldn't wake up and although this was gut wrenchingly difficult, I felt that she had to know that he wasn't here anymore. How else do you explain something like this to a dog.

We now have pup who keeps her young and although she hated him for the first 6 weeks, we couldn't even let them together as she was so aggressive, they are ok now. Although she isn't anywhere near as close to him as she was to Murfee, she accepts that he is here to stay. She is nearly 9 yrs old but still young for her age.

I would appreciate your views please as I have a few theories but nothing that helps me to understand. My overwhelming feeling is that dogs live in the moment and don't like dwelling on hurtful/bad experiences of the past?? Olfactory senses are one of the strongest in a dog and can rouse all sorts of memories, past and present, I think.

sorry cant help but that was so sad just reading that.

I thought that she would recognise the smell of him but she found them repugnant. The expression on her face was horror.

I've seen a cat do the horror face, but not a dog as of yet. :-D

You may well get other theories, but mine is..........

I doubt it was anything to do with a recoil of the scent of Murfee, but just a very strong scent, you thought the collar and lead smelled a bit whiffy after being shut in a box for 4 months a dogs nose will have increased that scent especially if the collar and lead are leather, which can be very overpowering for us, never mind a dog. :-)

And hey, dogs might recognise by scent, but it doesn't necessarily mean they like it. :-D

Very sad reading this and cannot provide any answers. October 14 is the anniversary of the death on the road of our beloved Merlin. We have a little shrine by our front door with a plaque, his ashes and his favourite toy and a photo of him ' running free'. Can't say that there is any reaction to his memories by the dogs here who knew him. But, a few years ago a lovely boy puppy out of our Liffey came back to us at 10 weeks of age to die from a very complicated neurological condition. He was 'nursed' by mum until the end was very close  and  then gently sent to Rainbow Bridge by our vet. We brought him back here and buried him in our woods. Liffey for many weeks following this would go down there to sit on the grave. She would just ask to go out of the garden and trot down to the woods and sit there. .
After a while , she stopped doing this but I have noticed that this grave is 'respected' by my dogs. They do not dig or linger there.

That is a very poignant story Jan and we can only but guess as to what they understand and the way in which, if any outward signs, that they show it. I suppose like people, some are far more sensitive than others. But she also shuns his bed even though I have washed it and put it down for her afterwards...yet she always used to tease him by sleeping on it when he wanted to go to bed last thing at night...only now can I have the memories and laugh...

>. She would just ask to go out of the garden and trot down to the woods and sit there. .

Oh that is so emotive.  I have quite welled up at the thought.  We could be here a hundred years and never know everything about canines.

^^^ we have bred them to be our emotional shadows,  over thousands of years, it doesn't surprise me.

when my beagle lost her big sister she came back home before burial and the beagle would not even go near her.  She was distraught about being left alone and suffered from terrible SA but I never really knew why she was so violently against going to say goodbye to her friend who had been there her whole life.  Again, no explaination for your girls behaviour but I guess they all have different needs