I believe I raised this question years ago on CD having noted that one my girls used to visit the place where we had buried her puppy who died soon after birth. My question today is whether others have experienced the behaviour of my 8 year old GR Freya. Just before Xmas we had to say goodbye to my beloved BC Paddy. He was the last of many collies we had over the years and I was heartbroken but did my best to be ' normal ' around the two girls ( other is cocker spaniel Mabel) and also because all my adult children and grandchildren would be around at Xmas. But Freya really seems so sad. She has taken to lying on the corner of the stairs where Paddy always slept. She cries in her sleep and really sounds distressed at times. All my dogs would 'talk'and grumble in their sleep,Paddy and Freya especially so. But she seems so sad around the house although more lively outside. She is eating well and seems okay physically. Any thoughts?

Yes, dogs definitely grieve for the loss of their housemates, and the change in the household dynamic and routine distresses them very much. It can take several weeks - even months - for them to start to accept the new status quo. Some will always seem a little quieter, especially if they're now the only dog, whereas others come to relish it and the extra individual attention they get.

Yes, definitely so.  Whenever we've lost one, the others are very quiet and don't act as they normally do.  Lots of TLC and reassurance given.  Like us, I'm sure they'll never forget their friends/relatives

There is a saluki near us who always liked to play with whispa gsd and would stop to see if he was there

He still pauses and looks through the gate when going past although sadly we lost whispa a few years ago. Don't know if that's mourning but certainly hasn't forgotten his friend
Meanwhile brooke who had always been in a multi dog household seemed to flourish in her own as did one of our Burmese cats

With mine, when we had our small pack, the comings and goings were really seemingly taken without much reaction.  When we lost Harmony (Minnie) nobody would lie in her place by the fire for quite some months until eventually they did but that was about all.

The biggest and understandable reaction we had was with Mannie when we had to let his sister Elsa go.  Not only was he obviously very reliant on her being there to ward off 'trouble', he'd never lived as an only hound until her loss so it was to be expected.  I always 'hoped' he'd go before her, anticipating this because of the nature of the two, but it wasn't to be.  I knew we had to find another companion but it took 4 months before Teazel arrived, by which time he'd actually settled into his solo existence, and for sure, we took him everywhere with us.  If he couldn't come, we didn't go, or only one of us went so somebody was with him pretty much 24/7.   I'm not sure he enjoyed his life after Elsa (I know I didn't)  but he tolerated it.  I don't think he especially liked Teazel and certainly would head for his chair when she had the zoomies.  She didn't miss him when we had to let him go (oral cancer) either. 

After Frankie had come and gone, Teazel seemed ok but again we made sure she wasn't left alone very often. 

Then came Mo and Teazel accepted him much as she was very vocal when he first arrived.  After Teazel went, I watched Mo carefully to make sure he was going to be ok on his own (getting another wasn't really on the agenda).  He'd come from a kennel set-up with a load of companions.  Thankfully he's been fine as the only hound with us so no sign of him being lost on his own.  He can be 'clingy' but that's all.

I think it depends a lot on the vibes coming from the owners plus how close the relationship was between the one that dies, and the one left.