By Dr Duncan Houston
When you are preparing to say goodbye to a dog, it is natural to worry about the companion they will leave behind.
Will your other dog wonder where their friend has gone? Should they be there when it happens? Could seeing the body help them understand, or might it upset them?
These are compassionate questions. There is no single arrangement that suits every dog or family, but there are ways to make the experience gentle and support your surviving dog afterwards.
Quick answer
You can offer your other dog a calm, supervised opportunity to see and sniff their companion’s body after euthanasia, provided your vet says it is appropriate. Let them choose whether to approach and when to leave. Seeing the body is optional: research has not shown that it reliably prevents grief or changes subsequent behaviour, so you should not feel guilty if it is not possible.
Does seeing the body help a dog understand death?
We cannot know exactly what a dog understands about death or whether they grasp its permanence in the way people do.
Seeing and sniffing a companion who is no longer responding gives them an opportunity to investigate. That may be meaningful to an individual dog, but we should be careful about promising that it provides “closure”.
A 2022 study of dogs and a 2016 study involving dogs and cats found no significant difference in owners’ reports of later behavioural changes according to whether the surviving animal had seen the body. Both relied on owner questionnaires, so they cannot prove that a visit helps or does not help every individual animal.
The practical approach is to offer the opportunity when it is safe and manageable, without treating it as something your dog must do.
Should my other dog be present during euthanasia?
They do not need to watch the procedure.
The priority is keeping the dog being euthanised comfortable and allowing the veterinary team to care for them safely. Another dog may settle quietly nearby, but they may also become restless, bark, or try to investigate the equipment.
A practical arrangement is for a trusted person to stay with your other dog outside the room, then bring them in after the vet has confirmed death. PDSA recommends that other pets generally wait outside during euthanasia and visit afterwards.
Discuss this before the appointment if possible. Ask whether the clinic has space for a quiet visit and whether a second adult should come with you. If euthanasia is happening at home, agree on where your surviving dog will wait.
Do not delay relief from suffering to arrange a visit. Your surviving dog can still receive thoughtful care even if there is no opportunity to see the body.
How to offer a gentle, supervised visit
Think of this as an invitation. Your dog does not have to respond in a particular way.
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Let the vet prepare the space. Wait until they have confirmed death and made the area safe. Follow their advice about where the body should rest and whether close contact is suitable.
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Keep the room quiet. A familiar person can accompany your dog while other people give them space.
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Allow a voluntary approach. Use a loose lead if needed for safety, while allowing your dog to move away. Never drag them towards the body or hold their face against it.
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Watch their response. Give them time to investigate if they appear comfortable. End the visit if they become increasingly distressed.
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Let them leave. A brief sniff followed by walking away is enough. There is no required number of minutes or need to bring them back repeatedly.
It can help to decide beforehand who will look after your surviving dog. You may want uninterrupted time with the dog you have lost, and managing both needs can be difficult in an emotional moment.
What reactions might I see?
Responses can be surprisingly different. A dog may sniff, nudge their companion, vocalise, avoid the body, or appear uninterested. Veterinary bereavement guidance recognises that these reactions are unpredictable and should not be interpreted as disrespect.
| What your dog does | How you can respond |
|---|---|
| Sniffs briefly, then walks away | Allow them to leave. Do not bring them back to encourage a bigger reaction. |
| Watches from a distance or avoids approaching | Give them space and accept their choice. |
| Nudges, paws gently, or whines | Stay nearby and observe. Calmly interrupt if they become increasingly agitated or handle the body roughly. |
| Trembles, retreats, or becomes frantic | End the visit and move to a quiet, familiar place. |
| Stiffens, growls, or guards the body | Keep people and other animals back and ask the veterinary team to help manage the situation safely. |
A short visit does not mean the relationship was unimportant. A strong reaction does not prove that your dog understands what has happened.
Try to observe what they need in the moment rather than looking for a particular expression of grief.
Are there reasons not to allow a visit?
Sometimes a visit is unsuitable. Ask your vet first if there is a possible infectious disease, contamination, significant injury to the body, or a concern about aggression or guarding.
Supervision also matters after euthanasia because the drugs used can remain in body tissues and cause poisoning if another animal ingests them. A supervised sniff is different from chewing or eating remains. Prevent chewing and licking of wounds, injection sites, or fluids, and follow your vet’s instructions. Do not leave another animal alone with the body.
If you think your dog has swallowed potentially contaminated material, contact a vet immediately. Do not induce vomiting unless a vet tells you to.
You also do not have to bring the body home solely for your other dog to see it. If the arrangements would be distressing, impractical, or unsafe, focus on supporting them at home.
What if my dog never gets to see the body?
Perhaps euthanasia happened unexpectedly, your other dog could not come to the clinic, or you only thought about this afterwards.
You have not failed your surviving dog.
Current research does not establish that seeing the body is necessary for adjustment. There is no reason to assume that missing this opportunity means your dog will never understand the absence or recover from it.
The care you provide over the following days and weeks remains valuable. You can offer familiarity, companionship, and help if their behaviour or health changes.
How to support your dog after losing their companion
Dogs may eat less, become quieter, seek more attention, search familiar places, or struggle with being alone after another pet dies. These changes can reflect the loss itself, changes in the household, or illness.
Keep the day predictable
Maintain familiar feeding times, walks, toilet breaks, and sleeping arrangements where practical. Offer gentle contact if your dog seeks it and a quiet place to rest if they prefer space.
Keep activities manageable. A familiar sniffing walk or an easy activity they usually enjoy may suit them better than a busy outing. Avoid forcing play or trying to exhaust them into settling.
Familiar bedding may be comforting, but watch your dog’s response. There is no requirement to preserve every item or remove everything immediately.
Notice how they cope alone
A dog who always had another dog nearby may find an empty house unfamiliar.
Where possible, make the first absences brief and observe their response. A pet camera can help you notice pacing, vocalising, or an inability to settle. If they are distressed, arrange support and speak to your vet about a plan instead of repeatedly leaving them to struggle.
Comfortable time alone may need to be rebuilt gradually. Punishing crying or destructive behaviour will not address the reason it is happening.
Keep a simple daily record
Note appetite, sleep, activity, toileting, and whether your dog can relax. This gives your vet useful information if something changes and makes gradual improvement easier to recognise.
You do not need to monitor every movement. A short daily note is enough.
Allow room for your own grief
You do not have to hide every tear to care well for your dog.
Pet loss can affect the whole household. If maintaining walks or meals feels overwhelming, ask someone you trust to help. Support for you is part of making daily life manageable for your surviving dog, too.
When should I contact a vet?
Do not automatically label new symptoms as grief. A persistent behaviour change warrants a veterinary assessment, particularly if eating, drinking, urination, or bowel movements change.
Contact your vet promptly if your dog is losing weight, appears painful, has repeated vomiting or diarrhoea, or becomes increasingly anxious and unable to settle.
If they are approaching 24 hours without eating, seek veterinary advice rather than waiting for hunger to overcome it. Contact your vet sooner for puppies, frail dogs, dogs with conditions such as diabetes, or any dog with additional symptoms.
Breathing difficulty, collapse, or severe weakness requires urgent veterinary attention.
There is no fixed timetable for adjustment. Base decisions about seeking help on your dog’s comfort, physical health, and ability to function, rather than assuming they should recover by a particular date.
Frequently asked questions
Will seeing the body stop my dog searching for their friend?
There is no guarantee. A dog may still check familiar resting places or react to changes in daily routines. Seeing the body should not be presented as a proven way to prevent searching or distress.
How long should I let my dog stay?
Follow their behaviour and the veterinary team’s guidance. There is no evidence-based minimum visit length. Let them leave when they choose, and end the visit if they become distressed.
What if my dog seems completely normal afterwards?
You do not need to create a grieving process for them. Continue normal care and observe their wellbeing. An apparently unchanged routine does not tell us how important their companion was to them.
Should I get another dog straight away?
A new dog is not a guaranteed treatment for grief. Consider your surviving dog’s temperament, health, and enjoyment of other dogs, as well as your own readiness.
If you later decide to add a companion, choose for compatibility and introduce them gradually. There is no obligation to make that decision immediately.
Saying goodbye to one dog while worrying about another is a heavy responsibility. You can offer a gentle visit if it suits your dogs and circumstances, then focus on helping your surviving dog feel secure in the days ahead. If you are unsure about their response or notice changes in their health, ASK A VET™ can help you work through the next steps with your treating veterinarian.
The ASK A VET™ Tracker logs live location and activity trends, so a change in routine never goes unnoticed.
Every ASK A VET article is written and reviewed by qualified veterinarians.
