I think our dog realizes that my husband is gone

[HAB's wife]

My husband always had, at least, one Rottweiler. We, currently, have an 18 month old male. He's somewhere between a puppy and an adult and lately, he's been behaving strangely. I don't go out often, but when I do he is usually very glad to see me and my children, when we return home. The past couple of times, we left and returned home, he watches my car pull in through the gate, with great suspicion. Once we're parked, he lets out this ferocious sound, a mix between a bark and a growl. After we exit the car, he comes to each of us, smelling and inspecting us. As we walk to the front door, he follows closely behind and waits for me to unlock the front door. When I get the door opened, he, for lack of a better word, "herds" us inside. Smelling, inspecting and nudging us with his nose. Once inside, he looks at me like "shut the door" and when I do, he presses his body against the door and lays guard until the door is opened again. He loved my husband SO much. That was his "daddy"! I think, in the last week, he's realized that something is wrong. He's still very sweet to the children and I, but he's "off" somehow. I was just wondering if anyone else, with pets, noticed them behaving strangely?

[AceBasin]

Dogs are very smart and perceptive. He does realize your husband is gone. He may especially notice changes in your and your children's emotions and be trying to protect and comfort you.

[cp9042]

My cat, Pearl, misses her Daddy very much.  She used to sit with him, especially towards the end, when he was home all the time. And she stays close to me now, to try to comfort her mommy.

[KMB]

I wouldn't know where I would be emotionally or mentally without our dog and cat. They have given me purpose and comfort. They miss their other pet parent and have gotten more clingy and follow me around, always within a few feet of me. They are getting elderly and I'm afraid of losing them too soon along with my husband.

[KayC]

When George died, our dog, Lucky started acting up, she'd never done that before.  It was my daughter that pointed out that she was grieving too, so I started giving her more attention.  I'd been wrapped up in my own grief and hadn't realized what was going on with her.

When my son went in the service Lucky did the same thing, laying next to his bedroom door, not eating.  She had no way of knowing he'd be back.  It's very hard on our pets.

[HHFaith]

Yes they do sense things. I've ssen My cat Billy just staring at the wall Or the closet door. Weird. And when my daughter moved away to college in August (billy is her baby), he would not step foot in her room and still doesn't. He slept with her every night and napped on her bed all day. Now it's just me and Billy so he sleeps with me every night now. He really is such a comfort but I don't like waking up with cat hairs in my mouth!  He really sheds bad!

[KMB]

HHFaith, For all of us who have pets, they are a comfort. Just having another breathing soul in the room helps. I've been told that when our pets stare at a wall, closet door, just staring at something you cannot see, it is our loved ones visiting and checking in. Animals have the ability to pick up these things as they are connected closely with Heaven. They come into our lives for a reason.

[KayC]

It's comforting to me to know that our pets are with George now and he is looking after them.  The ones I have I adopted after his death.  Even though he never knew Miss Mocha while he was alive, I believe he got to know her through watching over me and is caring for her too now.