Dog in mourning

It never occurred to me that a pet could grieve. Kai has been a really sad dog since Kona passed away. A normally vivacious and aggressively outgoing dog who would force you to pet her, she spent a lot of time, well moping around the garage. Eerily, she would lay on the spot where Kona had passed and would not get up from there and looked towards you as if saying "leave me alone please, my friend died here." Obviously we have been spending a lot more time with her and Melanie has been giving more treats. The dog loves apples and nibbles away like a human. If you hold the apple and rotate it as she eats, she will politley and with much mannerism eat an apple. Now this may not sound like much to many people but Kai was always the dog, whom when you gave her a treat, would come at you like a ravaged bear with her huge Rotweiller mouth open and then excitedly clamp down on the treat somewhere just short of your wrist. While you are trying to retrieve your hand from the depths of her gaping mandible she would begin to realize that maybe I shouldn't have done that then slowly releases your now slobber covered hand, add a few nicks and small punctures. So when Melanie told me this I was not entirely convinced about Kai's newfound table manners. Ironically, Melanie was feeding her an apple and had gotten to the core, then while turning to allow Kai to get one last nibble she caught Mel's finger and broke the skin. I have to admit it was really cute seeing this dog, who has since we got her when she was 4 weeks old, eat like it was her last or even her first meal in weeks, just plain gobbles without remorse. We have been saddened with the loss of Kona and now are healing with the help of our grieving dog who reminds us all we need to slow down and sniff a few butts for old times sake!