Some wise person once said that a breakup is rarely clean. It’s messy, often noisy and involves a lot of ice-cream and wine. Romantic songs make your ears bleed and Valentine’s Day makes you cringe. You are suddenly stuck in your own personal hell and wake up with tear-stains on your pillow and your face. But while you’re busy snotty crying and calling your ex and then blaming it on alcohol, there is often another very confused soul wondering what suddenly went wrong. Have you ever thought how a breakup affects your pet as well? Often you don’t even realize that because you are so busy with your own grief. But dogs do get depressed after a breakup and could end up missing your ex more than you.
What goes on in your pet’s head
No matter what disaster strikes or sweeps you off your feet, your four-legged friend is ever there to pick you up and get you back on your feet again. Surely something goes through their precious heads every time we are busy mourning the loss of our lover and perhaps not all of it is a concern. While we often wonder what our furry babies would tell us if they could actually talk, here are some guesses as to what they might actually be thinking during the time. Here’s how your breakup affects your pet:
1.“Where is the other stinky human?”
In case you were living in with your ex-partner and owned a pet of your own, it means that the pet is likely to have a close bonding with both of you. You might be thinking who gets the dog in a breakup and the poor dog is thinking why his life collapsed suddenly. Dogs do have huge abandonment issues and studies have shown that they do get depressed.
2. “I get your obsession with sad songs.”
I mean, hearing “Tadap tadap” the first 100 times was tolerable. But now am getting so down that I have even stopped dry-humping the teddy. You are depressing to me.
Can dogs sense broken hearts? Yes, they can. Just don’t drum it in like this. Dogs can get very depressed after a breakup and miss your partner as much you miss them.
3. “Why has her smell changed?”
Any of you have advice on how to potty train my hooman? She has not been washing her clothes for so long that even I cannot go near her anymore. Bath training is also long due.
5. “Food?”
“Hello, is this my human’s ex-lover? Could you please babysit her? I kinda have a date.”
“Please go out, human. I never thought I will say this but I am kinda getting tired of your company. I need space. No, don’t burst into tears again. I did not mean to quote him. God.”
“Yeah okay, but food?”
There is a strong reason why they call dogs a human’s best friend. It is because dogs are perceptive and they understand human emotions to a huge extent. They not only understand our emotions but might also mirror them at times. Your energy affects your dog’s energy. So, if they can understand us so well, it brings us to the question
Can Dogs Sense a Breakup?
Can You Share A Pet?
- Let them walk your pet
- Schedule play dates for your ex and your pet when you aren’t around
- Let your ex dog-sit when you have a prior commitment
- You can allow your ex to buy your pet their favourite treats and toys
- Let your ex take your pet for a routine visit to the vet
How does a breakup affect a dog? In a number of ways. Our furry friends would be sad, yes, but, like every single true friend in our lives they would try their level best to cheer us up and that’s one thing you can always depend on. Maybe, that is a sign for us too.
No matter how messy the breakup, someone or the other loves us still, and life goes on. Maybe, it is time we turn off the sad songs and stop silently contemplating what we could have done and work on rearranging the wardrobe. Our furry friends won’t judge us for being sad just like they did not judge us through the days when we were sad in the relationship.
So, even if we do not get better and out into the dating pool immediately, we should go out and meet our non-furry friends because, maybe, they love us too. That is proof enough that love has not deserted you. So go out with your dog, see the sunsets, and feel the breeze brush through the world and you will know that not a lot has changed.
