Can Dogs Get Depressed? Grief, Illness, and the Dangerous Cost of Misreading a Silent Dog
- Maria Cecilia Martinez
- 7 days ago
- 12 min read
I have lived with dogs long enough to know that silence can tell us something—but not always what people want it to mean.
Today, almost every emotional change in a dog receives a human label.
A dog stops eating, and someone says he is depressed.
He sleeps more, and they say he is grieving.
He withdraws into a corner, and social media turns it into a sentimental story.
But can dogs get depressed, and is canine depression the same as depression in humans?
The honest answer is more complicated than either romanticizing dogs or denying their emotions.
Dogs can experience grief, distress, social loss, emotional withdrawal, and depression-like changes. Science supports that. But a dog who appears depressed may also be sick, injured, living with pain, losing his hearing or vision, developing cognitive dysfunction, or suffering from a disease that has not yet been diagnosed.
That distinction can save a dog’s life.
Can Dogs Get Depressed Like Humans?
Dogs can develop a sustained depression-like state, but science has not established that canine depression is identical to human major depressive disorder.
A human being can describe hopelessness, guilt, worthlessness, despair, suicidal thoughts, and the internal experience of losing pleasure. A dog cannot provide that verbal account.
Veterinarians must work with what can be observed and measured:
Changes in appetite
Reduced activity
Withdrawal from people or other animals
Loss of interest in play
Altered sleep
Reduced exploration
Slower responses
Decreased interest in previously valuable rewards
Changes in vocalization or social attachment
Researchers sometimes examine anhedonia-like behavior, meaning a diminished response to experiences that would normally be rewarding or pleasurable.
However, detecting reduced reward-seeking does not allow us to know everything occurring inside the dog’s mind.
The scientifically responsible language is therefore depression-like behavior or a depression-like emotional state—not an automatic diagnosis of human-style clinical depression.
Dogs are not emotionless machines. But they are not human beings covered in fur, either.
Dog Depression, Anxiety, and Grief Are Not the Same
These conditions can overlap, but they should not be treated as interchangeable.
What does anxiety look like in dogs?
Anxiety generally involves anticipation of danger or distress. A dog may:
Pace or remain hypervigilant
Pant without physical exertion
Tremble
Vocalize
Follow a person constantly
Attempt to escape
Destroy doors or objects
Become unable to rest
Refuse food while the stressor is present
Urinate or defecate during distress
What does depression-like behavior look like?
A depression-like state is more commonly associated with disengagement:
Reduced interest in play or interaction
Withdrawal from family members
Decreased exploration
Sleeping more
Remaining awake but motionless
Reduced appetite
Loss of enthusiasm for familiar activities
Appearing emotionally “flat”
What does grief look like in dogs?
After losing a closely bonded person or animal, a dog may:
Search rooms or familiar locations
Wait at doors or windows
Sleep in the missing companion’s place
Become more demanding of attention
Become unusually withdrawn
Eat less
Play less
Sleep more
Howl, whine, or vocalize differently
Show increased fearfulness or insecurity
A dog may grieve without developing a prolonged depression-like state. Anxiety, grief, physical illness, and depression-like behavior can also exist together.
The Story of Max and Rico
Many years ago, I had a German Shepherd named Maximus and a Chihuahua I had brought from Mexico named Rico.
But Rico did not seem to understand that he was a Chihuahua.
Max had practically raised him, and Rico lived as though he were a German Shepherd in a very small body. They played together, slept together, ate together, and moved around the farm as one social unit.
Max would sometimes carry Rico in his mouth. To a person who did not know them, the sight could have been alarming. I would calmly tell Max, “Drop him,” and he would place Rico back on the ground. Then they would continue playing as though nothing unusual had happened.
That was their relationship.
Eventually, I had to make the painful decision to put Max down. After Max was gone, Rico declined. Within two weeks, I woke one morning and found that Rico had died.
For years, that memory stayed with me.
Did Rico die from grief?
I cannot make that claim. Rico was aging. His appetite and activity had already begun to diminish, and he may have been carrying an undiagnosed disease. No scientifically responsible person can determine a cause of death from emotion alone—especially without a veterinary examination or necropsy.
But I can say this honestly:
Rico lost the dog who had represented companionship, security, routine, and almost his entire social world. His decline accelerated immediately after that loss.
The death of Max may have created severe stress that compounded an illness already developing inside Rico. It may also have been coincidental. We cannot know.
Science does not give us permission to turn Rico’s death into a mystical story. But neither does it require us to dismiss the importance of the bond he lost.
Do Dogs Grieve When Another Dog Dies?
Yes. Scientific evidence supports grief-related behavioral and emotional changes in dogs following the death of a canine companion.
A 2022 peer-reviewed study involving 426 multi-dog households reported changes in surviving dogs after another household dog died. Owners observed changes in play, activity, sleep, eating, attention-seeking, fearfulness, and vocalization.
Importantly, the reported changes were associated more strongly with the quality of the relationship between the dogs than simply with the number of years they had lived together.
That matters.
Two dogs can occupy the same house without being deeply bonded. Another pair may share rest, movement, play, security, and daily communication so completely that the disappearance of one changes the survivor’s entire emotional environment.
However, the study had limitations. It relied on owners reporting their dogs’ behavior, and a grieving owner’s perceptions can influence what is observed or emphasized. The findings support canine grief-related changes, but they do not prove that dogs understand death exactly as humans do.
That is the line between evidence and assumption.
Can Grief Make a Dog Physically Sick?
Severe or prolonged stress can affect more than behavior. It can influence:
Appetite and digestion
Sleep
activity levels
Immune function
Stress-hormone regulation
Social engagement
Recovery from illness
The ability to cope with pain or age-related changes
This does not mean grief should automatically be listed as the cause of a dog’s illness or death. It means emotional stress and physical health cannot always be separated into two neat boxes.
A dog who stops eating after a loss may be grieving. He may also have kidney disease, dental pain, gastrointestinal illness, cancer, infection, endocrine disease, or another medical condition.
Both may be true at the same time.
Is My Dog Depressed—or Is My Dog Sick?
This is the most important question in this article.
Veterinary medicine often uses the word depressed to describe an animal who is dull, lethargic, or less responsive. In that context, it may describe the dog’s level of alertness—not diagnose an emotional disorder.
Many medical problems can resemble dog depression:
Acute or chronic pain
Fever or infection
Gastrointestinal disease
Dental disease
Heart or respiratory disease
Kidney or liver disease
Anemia
Hormonal or endocrine disorders
Neurological disease
Cancer
Medication side effects
Hearing or vision loss
Canine cognitive dysfunction
Reduced mobility or arthritis
Dogs do not always announce pain by crying.
I often hear that dogs have a “high tolerance for pain.” That phrase can be misleading.
A more accurate explanation is that dogs frequently express pain subtly, and those signs differ according to the individual dog, age, temperament, physical condition, and type of pain.
A hurting dog may simply:
Hesitate before standing
Stop jumping onto furniture
Walk more slowly
Avoid stairs
Become irritable when touched
Separate himself from the family
Sleep differently
Lose interest in food or play
Stop doing something he previously enjoyed
That quiet dog may not be emotionally depressed. He may be trying to function while his body is failing him.
When Is a “Depressed” Dog a Veterinary Emergency?
Contact a veterinarian promptly when a behavioral change is sudden, severe, unexplained, or accompanied by physical symptoms.
Urgent warning signs include:
Refusing food, particularly with other symptoms
Repeated vomiting or diarrhea
Difficulty breathing
Collapse or marked weakness
Pale, blue, gray, or yellow gums
A painful or swollen abdomen
Inability to urinate
Severe disorientation
Seizures
Suspected toxin exposure
Sudden inability to stand or walk
Extreme lethargy or unresponsiveness
Puppies, elderly dogs, very small dogs, and dogs with known medical conditions may deteriorate faster. Do not wait several days merely because a recent loss appears to explain the change.
Grief is not protection against disease.
Why Owners Sometimes Misread Their Dogs
Human beings naturally interpret animals through human emotions. That is understandable—but it can become dangerous.
When we are grieving, we may watch the surviving dog closely and see our own sorrow reflected in every movement. The dog’s behavior may genuinely have changed, but our emotional state can influence how we interpret that change.
I have experienced this myself.
When a dog here refuses food, cries, or howls after another dog leaves or dies, I suffer while imagining what that dog must be feeling. Sometimes my own sadness becomes greater because I am carrying both my grief and the grief I believe I see in the dog.
That does not mean the dog feels nothing. It means responsible observation requires us to separate three things:
What the dog is objectively doing
What we believe the dog may be feeling
What we ourselves are feeling while watching him
Love makes us attentive. It can also make us assume.
The Southernwind S.I.L.E.N.T. Dog Assessment Framework™
When a dog becomes unusually quiet, withdrawn, or disengaged, use the S.I.L.E.N.T. framework before calling the behavior depression.
S — Screen for urgency
Look for vomiting, diarrhea, breathing difficulty, collapse, pain, abnormal gums, neurological changes, abdominal swelling, inability to urinate, toxin exposure, or profound lethargy.
I — Investigate physical health
Arrange a veterinary examination. Depending on the dog’s age and symptoms, the veterinarian may recommend bloodwork, urinalysis, imaging, pain assessment, dental evaluation, endocrine testing, or neurological examination.
L — Log objective changes
Write down what has changed:
How much is the dog eating and drinking?
Is body weight changing?
How many hours is he sleeping?
Is he still interested in walks, play, treats, or affection?
Is elimination normal?
When did the behavior begin?
What happened immediately beforehand?
Specific observations are more useful than saying, “He seems sad.”
E — Examine loss and environmental change
Consider recent events:
Death or departure of a companion
Rehoming or surrender
Boarding
A new household member
Loss of a familiar caregiver
Change in work schedule
Confinement
Reduced exercise
Painful physical limitations
Loss of hearing or vision
N — Normalize security and meaningful routine
Maintain predictable meals, rest, outdoor time, gentle activity, and social contact. Offer opportunities without forcing interaction.
Do not overwhelm the dog with constant emotional attention. Some dogs need companionship; others also need quiet, predictability, and time.
T — Treat the dog in front of you
If medical causes are found, treat them. If emotional or behavioral changes persist after medical evaluation, seek guidance from a qualified veterinarian or board-certified veterinary behaviorist.
Treatment must match the dog—not the story we have created around him.
How to Help a Grieving or Depression-Like Dog
Once urgent and underlying medical problems have been addressed, supportive care may include:
Keep the routine predictable
Regular meals, walks, rest, and household rhythms restore a sense of stability.
Encourage activity without forcing it
Gentle walks, sniffing opportunities, familiar games, and manageable enrichment may help restore engagement. A dog should be invited—not dragged into an emotional performance for the owner.
Preserve social contact
Allow the dog to remain near trusted people or familiar animals if that provides comfort. Avoid suddenly isolating a socially dependent dog.
Offer meaningful choices
Let the dog choose between resting places, toys, walking directions, or quiet interaction. Appropriate control over small parts of life can support welfare.
Monitor food, water, and body weight
Do not simply say, “He will eat when he is hungry,” particularly with an elderly, ill, very young, or rapidly declining dog.
Avoid immediately replacing the lost dog
Another dog is not a replacement part. A new companion may eventually help some dogs, but it can also create more stress. Consider the survivor’s age, temperament, health, sociability, and actual relationship needs.
Seek qualified behavioral care
Persistent withdrawal, severe separation distress, self-injury, prolonged appetite changes, or major loss of function deserves professional evaluation. Behavioral medication may be appropriate in some cases, but it should be prescribed and monitored by a veterinarian as part of a complete treatment plan.
What Not to Do When a Dog Appears Depressed
Do not assume every change is emotional.
Do not delay veterinary care because the dog recently suffered a loss.
Do not force play, affection, or social interaction.
Do not punish withdrawal, accidents, vocalization, or changes caused by distress.
Do not give human antidepressants or sedatives without veterinary direction.
Do not create a dramatic explanation before collecting medical and behavioral evidence.
Do not assume a silent dog is a calm dog.
A dog who has stopped protesting is not necessarily a dog who has recovered.
Can Rehoming or Surrender Cause Depression-Like Behavior?
Yes. A dog surrendered after years with a family may experience an enormous disruption.
The dog loses familiar:
People
Smells
Sleeping locations
Daily rhythms
Freedom
Social expectations
Sources of security
Communication patterns
I have seen dogs return to a kennel they technically “knew” because they were born there. But leaving at eight weeks old and returning years later does not make that kennel home.
The place may be familiar to the breeder. It is not necessarily familiar to the adult dog.
A dog moving from family life into a kennel may become withdrawn, stop eating temporarily, vocalize, search, or remain unusually still.
Those changes deserve compassion and careful monitoring—but they still do not eliminate the need for a medical evaluation when symptoms persist or worsen.
The Truth Between Two Extremes
There are two easy mistakes.
The first is to dismiss canine emotion completely—as if dogs form no meaningful attachments and suffer no emotional consequences when those attachments disappear.
The second is to give dogs mystical powers, translate every behavior into a human story, and call every quiet moment depression or grief.
Neither position respects the dog.
Real respect means accepting that dogs possess emotional lives while acknowledging the limits of what we can prove. It means observing carefully, ruling out disease, understanding relationships, and responding to the individual animal rather than the label.
Not every silent dog is depressed. Some are grieving. Some are frightened. Some are shutting down. And some are quietly asking for medical help.
After more than five decades with dogs, I have learned not to ignore that silence—but I have also learned never to romanticize it.
Frequently Asked Questions About Depression in Dogs
Can dogs really become depressed?
Dogs can show sustained depression-like changes, including withdrawal, decreased activity, altered sleep, reduced appetite, and diminished interest in rewarding activities. Science cannot confirm that their internal experience is identical to human clinical depression.
How can I tell whether my dog is depressed or sick?
You cannot safely determine that from appearance alone. Pain and many medical conditions can produce the same signs. A veterinary examination should come before assuming an emotional diagnosis.
Do dogs understand when another dog dies?
Research supports behavioral changes following the death of a bonded companion, but it has not established that dogs understand the concept and permanence of death exactly as humans do.
How long do dogs grieve another dog?
There is no universal timetable. Duration and severity may depend on the relationship, health, age, environment, household changes, and individual temperament. Persistent or worsening symptoms require veterinary evaluation.
Should a dog see the body of a deceased companion?
There is not enough strong evidence to promise that viewing or smelling the body will prevent searching or grief. If circumstances permit, some owners choose to allow calm access, but it should never be presented as a scientifically guaranteed requirement.
Can a dog stop eating because of grief?
Yes, appetite may decrease after social loss or environmental disruption. But appetite loss is also a common sign of disease and pain. Prolonged refusal, weight loss, vomiting, weakness, or other symptoms require prompt veterinary attention.
Should I get another dog immediately?
Usually, no immediate decision is necessary. A new dog may help some socially compatible dogs but overwhelm others. Evaluate the surviving dog’s health, age, temperament, and needs rather than attempting to replace the lost relationship.
Can veterinarians prescribe antidepressants for dogs?
Veterinarians may prescribe behavioral medications for diagnosed anxiety and other behavior disorders. Medication should follow a medical and behavioral assessment and is generally most effective as part of a broader treatment plan.
Owner Continuation: What to Record Before the Veterinary Visit
Prepare a simple seven-day record containing:
Food and water intake
Body weight, if possible
Sleep and activity
Urination and bowel movements
Interest in treats, toys, walks, and affection
Mobility changes
Vocalization
Recent losses or environmental changes
Medications and supplements
Short videos of unusual behavior
This turns “My dog looks depressed” into evidence a veterinarian can evaluate.
Related Reading From The Southernwind Canine Knowledge Library™
About the Author
Maria Cecilia Martinez is the founder of Southernwind Kennels LLC and has worked with German Shepherd Dogs, canine development, breeding, training, and temperament for more than 50 years. Her background includes service as an AKC and FCI judge, an FCI temperament-test judge, and more than two decades working with the Puerto Rico Mounted Police. Her writing combines lived experience with current veterinary and behavioral science to help owners distinguish what they wish to believe from what the dog in front of them actually needs.
Scientific and Veterinary References
Uccheddu S, et al. “Domestic dogs (Canis familiaris) grieve over the loss of a conspecific.” Scientific Reports. 2022. Read the peer-reviewed study
Harvey ND, et al. “Could Greater Time Spent Displaying Waking Inactivity in the Home Environment Be a Marker for a Depression-Like State in the Domestic Dog?” Animals. 2019. Read the peer-reviewed study
Gruen ME, et al. “2022 AAHA Pain Management Guidelines for Dogs and Cats.” Journal of the American Animal Hospital Association. Read the AAHA guidelines
Merck Veterinary Manual. “Behavior Problems of Dogs.” Read the veterinary reference
VCA Animal Hospitals. “Do Dogs Mourn?” Read the veterinary overview
Veterinary disclaimer: This article provides general educational information and is not a diagnosis or substitute for veterinary examination and treatment. Sudden, severe, or persistent behavioral and physical changes require professional veterinary attention.
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