This Is How Your Breakup Affects Your Pet: A Dog’s Point Of View

Break up And Loss | |
Dogs & breakups both deals with a lot of emotions. A breakup affects your pet.
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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.

That being said, your partner leaving you will automatically affect your dog. There is an effect of a breakup on pets.


They are very much acquainted with smells and that’s how they identify each human. Dogs are very much likely to miss that particular smell they are acquainted with.

Dogs are very sensitive and absence of a person will make them anxious. The symptoms are that they will stop eating or avoid walking outdoors.

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.

She doesn’t even smell like her anymore. Need some serious help here, guys.

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4. “Are you hurt, human?”

Where’s my walk? Where’s the fresh food? Why aren’t you looking at me, human? Has there been a calamity in human world? Can I help? Should I bring you my ball? I will bring you my ball. There. I helped. I am such a good boy.”

Related Reading: 5 Steps To Ensure Closure After Breakup

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?

Dogs & Breakups both are very emotional aspects in a man's life. A breakup affects your pet.
Dogs & Breakups both are very emotional aspects in a man’s life
Dogs are perceptive of our moods, habits, energies, smells and behaviours. They know their owners in a unique way that no one else can.
A breakup or the premonition of a breakup causes a number of changes in our usual habits which a dog can pick up on. They may not know what exactly is going on, but they can sense a change and the fact that things aren’t 100% right.
Here are a few changes in you that dogs can pick up on and sense a breakup:
  • Your energy levels are low. You aren’t your normal happy self and your dog notices that
  • You fight with your partner before the breakup. While dogs don’t understand many words that we speak, they are great at picking up our tone, body language and mood. So, if you and your ex were fighting a lot, your dog can probably sense a breakup coming
  • Your dog will notice a change in physical space. If you and your partner shared a living space, and your partner moves out with their stuff, a dog is bound to notice. They will obviously notice the absence of your partner. But, more importantly, they will notice all the shifting and shuffling around of stuff that goes on before. Pets tend to get jittery when things around them change so much
  • Dogs will sense missing furniture that they loved chewing on so much. You’re not the only one missing your dog after the breakup, they miss you too. Or at least all the stuff you came with 
  • They will also notice a change in your priorities. While before you both spent a good amount of time showering your dog with love, now you spend it either arguing or moping. Your dog probably does not approve of the lack of attention that they have to deal with these days 
Now, since it has been established that a dog can probably sense a breakup, do dogs get sad when their owners leave? Of course, yes! We know you probably didn’t consider your ex to be a co-owner of your pet, but they beg to differ. To them, you both were a team. In a way, they considered your partner to be co-master or at least, second in command. They grew attached to them and miss them too. You may be in no mood to interact with your ex but you find yourself wondering, “should I let my ex see my dog?”
Valid question! So,

Can You Share A Pet?

The simple answer is yes, of course. But should you? Well, that depends entirely on how your relationship ended.
If it ended on a cordial note and the sight of your ex does not make you seethe with rage, you can share your pet with them in the following ways:
  • 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 
However, if things aren’t so civil between you both, it changes things. Chances are, your ex might not even be capable of handling a pet. If this is the case, no matter how much they insist, don’t let them have your dog.
Even if they are responsible and you still don’t wish to share a pet with them, it’s alright. Sometimes it’s okay to put your interests first. Self love comes first and foremost. They might be the best at handling your pet but have caused you so much heartbreak you can’t bear to interact with them. In such a situation, it is detrimental for your mental health to share a pet with them. Your dog probably knows how much pain your ex caused you. They can sense it and will eventually understand.
 

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.

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