Grief · 7 min read
How to Deal With Losing a Dog
There is no shortcut through this grief. But there is a path through it, and you don’t have to find it alone.
By the Paw & Ever editorial team · Published 2026-05-12
The first morning is the hardest. The house is the same. The routine is the same. The only thing that has changed is that the sound of nails on the floor is gone, and you will hear that absence louder than anything you have ever heard.
Grief for a dog is often quietly dismissed by the world around you. People who haven’t lived with one don’t understand that you have lost a family member who slept on your feet for over a decade. Give yourself permission to treat it that way.
Don’t rush to clean everything away. Leave the collar where it is for a while. Leave the bed. The objects that hold them become anchors, and anchors are how we begin to move.