No matter how intensely you love, love love your dog, it's O.K. You're probably not weird or obsessed. In fact, it's all pretty normal. And it's also quite "normal" to intensely grieve the loss of that dog or other pet that you loved so much, so says a recent article in U.S. News & World Report.
Photo of Parental Unit and me by Rachel Lauren Photography
Although we definitely agree with these findings, the article presents lots of research and a common sense understanding of that research to back up those claims. One of several professors quoted in the article explains it this way: "And so for at least 14,000 years, we have been ... creating an animal which understands our communications and we understand its communications and they have a bond with us." And when we lose that bond, we can feel even worse and grieve even more deeply than for the loss of a human companion. Another researcher says that because our relationships with other humans can be complicated and sometimes fraught with strife, we might grieve the loss of the uncomplicated, unconditional love from a dog even more.
Some even call it 'true love", not just puppy love. What say you? Do you think it's possible to love a dog more than your closest human companions or even relatives? Let us know!
Photo of Parental Unit and me by Rachel Lauren Photography
Although we definitely agree with these findings, the article presents lots of research and a common sense understanding of that research to back up those claims. One of several professors quoted in the article explains it this way: "And so for at least 14,000 years, we have been ... creating an animal which understands our communications and we understand its communications and they have a bond with us." And when we lose that bond, we can feel even worse and grieve even more deeply than for the loss of a human companion. Another researcher says that because our relationships with other humans can be complicated and sometimes fraught with strife, we might grieve the loss of the uncomplicated, unconditional love from a dog even more.
Some even call it 'true love", not just puppy love. What say you? Do you think it's possible to love a dog more than your closest human companions or even relatives? Let us know!
