Gizmo Is Changing After Loss Of His Friend

[Aladyami]

Hello everyone,
I have a Jack Russell Terrier named Gizmo that will be 12 yrs old next week.
He is a very good boy 99% of the time. He does everything he is told to do.
Here is what has happened.

On Aug 24/09, my other JRT, Yoda, age 15 and a half died of old age. Gizmo of course misses her very much, as we all do. Gizmo always was what would be called "my dog" but after Yoda died, he became my "shadow". Well, that wasn't a problem. I am retired, so I am home with him alot, and most places I go, I can take him with me. But if I go shopping, of course he cannot go.

If I leave him with the run of the house, he would poop on the floor. Like he was saying....leave me home will ya.....well there ya go...have a present!!!! So, I started putting him in his Big wire cage (that he has been going into since he was a baby) whenever I couldn't take him with me.

Well, the last few times I have put him in there, he has pooped in the cage on his blankets!!!! Even if he is only in there for one or two hours!!! And I always make sure he goes outside before I leave.

Is he getting mad at me?? WHY would he soil in his own house!!!!!! I don't understand!!!
Any help or thoughts you can send me will be muchly appreciated.

A Frustrated Aladyami

[MargeeTx]

Hello Aladyami...

It sounds like Gizmo is grieving the loss of Yoda, and his acting out is the only way he knows how to express the loss. I am a firm believer that our pets do have 'feelings'..I am sure the experts may not agree, but all of my pets have certainly expressed 'feelings and emotions.' We recently loss our chocolate lab, Samson...2 weeks ago, to cancer. In November, we loss our 16 year old cocker, Poochka, to congestive heart failure and old age. Well, Parker, the 7 year old mini schnauzer, has never been without a dogfriend. The day after Samson died, Parker would go outside and do his business, and then just sit down and look around...as if...'what now?' Even though Mike and I did not feel like getting a new dog quickly, we did. Cooper, a 10 week old Bichon came into our lives one week ago. Parker immediately took the new puppy under his wing, and is his old self...running, playing, having a ball....yet, being so gentle with the puppy that it is amazing. It is as if he is telling Cooper...'ok, my new little buddy...hurry up and grow fast so we can run, jump, keep the squirrels up in the trees, and bring Mom the ball every time she throws it'.

We still miss Samson and Poochka so much. But, Cooper is helping us,too. We all handle loss in such different ways...no one grieves the same, or in the same amount of time, or with the same coping skills. I was a Hospice nurse for over 10 years, and us humans handle loss differently....some immediately can move forward, and others are not able to even manage to change their loved ones belongings for years. I have a friend who lost her son...his bedroom is the same as it was the day he died...8 years ago. Another friend cleaned out all of her husbands' clothes, personal items, and pictures of him 3 days after the funeral. Both are OKAY. Whatever works for you is the right thing to do.

So, think about what you want to do. Gizmo does KNOW that Yoda is gone. He just doesn't understand why. Oh, and we also have three cats...they seemed sad, too, that Samson was gone. And, they have all accepted Cooper as part of the family also!

MargeeTx

[jude09]

hello i'm moving this topic to a more suitable location, hope you don't mind...

[rbw60]

This is a great Post, I hope there are more like it on here. I believe as you do and attribute a lot of intelligence and feelings to my little buddy, Toy Poodle name of Gizmo also.

[karmapug]

I had to have one of my pugs put to sleep after he started having cluster seizures and developed brain damage. The doggy neurologist couldn't find medications to control the seizures. It has been a month now that Bogie has been gone and my other pug, Holly, is definitely changing, too. So far she is not acting out, thank goodness. But I fear she is lonely. She has started following me around more, when it was always my male pugs who followed me from room to room and Holly kept to herself. Also, she just stops and whines or cries for a short time, once in a while. I've even had her to the vet to try and make sure she is in no physical pain. (None that we can find.) She outlived my older pug (Cagney) and I got Bogie soon after Cagney died. But I'm not ready for another dog, even if Holly is. She used to use the other dogs as a pillow, so I got her a pillow and she is actually using it. But I know that's probably not what she really wants. I do think, too, that dogs have a lot of feelings and intelligence and I fear she is really missing Bogie. I wish I could make her understand that I'm just not ready. Maybe she'll see that advantages of being "an only dog."

[Sarah]

You don't have to be ready for another dog. But what you have to realize is that Bogie was Holly's companion, and now that Bogie is gone she is looking at you for companionship. This is why she follows you from room to room. It is up to you, to fulfill that void that Holly is showing she has, from missing Bogie. Reassure her when she cries or whimpers that things are ok. Play with her more, walk her more. Take her to a dog part, if that's possible. GO someplace with her, where there are other dogs and let her play.