Dog started aggressively sniffing an old jacket — then realized whose it was and began to ‘cry’

When someone in the family passes away, their pets, too, experience the grief, just like everybody else. Of course, they might not express themselves like other people, but the loss of a precious companion shatters them beyond repair. On a related note, Jodie Priddey, a pet parent (@jodiepriddey on TikTok), experienced this profound truth about animals experiencing grief when she realized her late boyfriend's dog, Ted, still misses him, even years after his demise.

Priddey explained that she had kept some of her boyfriend's dressing gowns, after he passed away, which, perhaps, made her feel better anytime his absence became too much for her to tolerate. Once, Priddey decided to wear one of her late boyfriend's dressing gowns, which led her to an emotional realization about their dog, Ted. "So, when we got back in and went to bed, I just took Jack's [her boyfriend] dressing gown off and put it on the bottom of my bed," Priddey spoke as she shared how Ted, who's usually excited about bedtime snuggles with her, did something completely different that day. The woman explained that Ted got on the bed and snuggled straight into Jack's dressing gown, possibly feeling his presence. 

Seeing this, when Priddey, who could no longer hold her tears, went near Ted, she was surprised to see the dog crying. "His eyes were wet, and he was sighing and deep breathing and shaking a little bit like he was crying or just emotional. I felt all these emotions coming off him. I know that sounds crazy because he is a dog, but dogs have emotions too," she said. After spending a brief moment smelling Jack's old dressing gown, Ted came to Priddey asking for a quick cuddle, only to go back moments later and sleep on the gown for the entire night.

"It literally broke my heart because I am grieving, and I miss him so much, but his dog, like Ted, knew him longer than I did, and he doesn't understand where he's gone," the woman said, explaining how it's difficult for the dog to understand why he could no longer see Jack physically. Just like Ted, most pet dogs experience tormenting pain after losing their owners. Talking about it, Russell Hartstein, a certified behaviorist and dog trainer based in Los Angeles shared, "When an owner passes away before her pet, it can be a confusing, sad, and difficult period, even if arrangements have been made for the animal to be taken care of by someone else."

Meanwhile, the bittersweet story, emphasizing how a dog grieves the loss of his beloved owner, resonated with many on social media. For instance, a user who goes by @muffles_adventures2 on TikTok revealed, "My dog cried when Dad died. We brought him to see his body as it was an accident; he wasn't sick. He went around to everyone in the room, gave them his paw, and then collapsed beside the coffin." Likewise, another user @abbie_asdfghjkl shared, "They do grieve...and it's hard. My dog (was my mum's) would sniff her chair, lie on her clothes, stop eating, wait by the door for her to return, and lie on her chair. It hurt so much!"

On the other hand, @keefinnit commented, "The dog feels your grief too, and in some sort of comforting way, he’s going to be there for you as much as you are for him. Wishing you and Ted love, and I hope that in time you can feel happiness again."

You can follow Jodie Priddey (@jodiepriddey) on TikTok for more such dog-related content.