Life after losing my Puppy by the human

It has been really difficult without Penny. Not just for us humans but also for Lillia. The first few days were the worst for Lillia, like they were for us. The first night, when Penny died, Lillia didn’t really seem to notice but by the morning and after we buried her, you could tell she knew something was wrong. We spent a lot of time cuddling and talking to her, keeping her busy seemed to help but when she went to their bed, you could tell she missed her.

For a few days we tried not to leave her on her own but we had to eventually. We had no idea how she would cope. I spent a long time talking to her before we went out but when I came back I could tell she had not enjoyed the experience of being by herself. There was wee everywhere and she had opened as many kitchen cupboards as she could and emptied them. We put the mess down to the trauma of losing her best friend and being on her own. Lillia likes being with you and she has needed an awful lot of time spending with her, so I figured she just needed time to grieve and to feel safe again.

Penny helped to create a safe place and was such a big part of her environment, Lillia just needed time to get used to the change. In the meantime, I thought of all the things we could do to help her deal with her anxieties, when we were not at home.

Lillia gets really excited if someone comes to the door and they ring the doorbell but if we were not in I wondered whether this could turn into anxiety, so I turned the doorbell off when we went out. I also shut the kitchen door so she could hear less noises and before going out turned the radio on for company and within a few days Lillia was back to normal.

Its amazing how much a dog will see in their lifetime and what they will hear. They will see and be in so many memories. They never tell anyone what they hear and they must have the most amazing stories to tell.

Penny was a present to myself when my father was dying. She gave me a purpose to get up in the morning and she helped me through some of my most troubled days. They are never just Dogs. They are a part of the family and unfortunately, they just don’t live long enough. We will miss her dearly and now my life is all about Lillia, so she believes anyway!