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View Poll Results: Does a domestic dog that it will die one day?
Dogs know fine well that they will die one day 10 16.13%
Dogs can't know that they will die one day 46 74.19%
Some dogs might figure it out 6 9.68%
Voters: 62. You may not vote on this poll - please see pinned thread in this section for details.



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Phil
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07-04-2009, 05:09 PM
Originally Posted by L-TRAYNOR View Post
I Would Lie To Ask If Anyone Has Experienced Their Dead Pet In There Home Afer It Has Died Because I Have And Still Do
I've experienced dead pets at home aafter bringing them home to bury if that's what you mean or are you talking about things that go bump in the night ??
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Luke
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07-04-2009, 05:16 PM
I don't think they know that one day their lives will end, but I think when grown sick or elderly they seem to "know" when they are not long of this world. Personally I've found dogs coming to their latter days act quite differently to their normal selves.
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JanieM
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07-04-2009, 05:19 PM
I think I'm on my own with this but I do think dogs know they will die. I'm not good at explaining things or why I think that but I just do.
Not with the same concept that we know we will die but I think natural instincts will allow them to know that life is a cycle.

See, told you I was rubbish at putting things into words!
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3dognight
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10-04-2009, 12:30 AM
dogs do not love , hate, envy,self recognition,they are creatures of desighn, shaped molded,but one thing we will never be able to do, is to , ask them !!!they have a scence of being , they do have ,emotion but worry is not one of them, they dont wake up and wonder if today is the day , they just wake up and hope that you are alive!!!!!im hungry
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baileybs1
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05-05-2010, 08:52 PM
Our Bassets have all given us some type of indication it was near their time. We are going through it now and trust me, shes not the same dog a week ago (Lucy - Age 15)
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Luz
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05-05-2010, 08:58 PM
I'm not so sure, Barney who had terminal cancer was attacked by gulls & crows on the beach a few weeks before he was put down. He was running out of life and I saw he lost the will to live and made the choice that it was kinder to let him go than let him suffer any longer.
He wasnt the same dog towards the end, some of you may remember his last picnic with his friends and family. He knew for sure.
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Luchi
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05-05-2010, 09:30 PM
Mmm, thinking about this, (and sorry, I have not read the other posts yet).

To me all creatures do everything they possibly can to survive, and to ensure that their genes are passed on. I do not think that dogs even consider their potential demise, they are positive, don't look at what ifs, such as, if I do this I might die, but they sure have a sense of what is safe and what is not. (well usually).

So, to answer the question, I do not think that Dogs "know" that some day they will cease to exist, they just live to the very best of their ability. avoiding things that do not bring reward, or are perceived as dangerous.

We are the same, if it hurts, avoid it. If you were the only person on the planet, and had not experienced death, had no books, internet or what not, would you know that one day you would die? I think they definitely experience loss though, I am just not so sure that they have a perception of their own self in terms of mortality.

The other side of it is, that dogs (read as wolves) kill to survive, death is as natural to them as opening a can of beans.

It is an interesting topic though, will definitely read through all of the other posts.
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Helena54
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06-05-2010, 11:21 AM
Surely they must do, otherwise, why do they have the fight or flight fear instilled into them??

Another thing that tells me they do, is when the last vet came to my house for the dreaded time for Cassie, and as she turned the corner of the stairs and looked at my Cassie lying underneath in her bed, Cassie let out the most awful growl I have ever heard in my entire life, and she would never growl at anyone, so she knew something alright!

Yes, for me, I'm sure they do, their behaviour to protect themselves makes me think that.
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Pilgrim
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06-05-2010, 12:14 PM
I don't think dogs know of their own mortality as we do. BUT they do know when it is their time, which is different.

We all know we are going to grow old and die as humans but I don't believe dogs have the same thought process. They don't look at an elderly or sick dog and think 'they are going to die soon' but they may know something is wrong with them.

An old dog knows it is time to go but I don't believe they have spent their whole life worring about the inevitable.
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Helena54
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06-05-2010, 12:19 PM
Originally Posted by Pilgrim View Post
I don't think dogs know of their own mortality as we do. BUT they do know when it is their time, which is different.
We all know we are going to grow old and die as humans but I don't believe dogs have the same thought process. They don't look at an elderly or sick dog and think 'they are going to die soon' but they may know something is wrong with them.

An old dog knows it is time to go but I don't believe they have spent their whole life worring about the inevitable.
Now that one's got me thinking, I wonder if they know more than we do then???? We would never know when it's "our time" would we, I don't think?
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