do dogs know when another dog dies

Dogs likely do know when another dog is dying or has died, but their understanding is not like humans'. They can sense physical and chemical changes in the dying dog using their acute senses, especially smell, and pick up on signals of illness, weakness, and distress. Dogs are empathetic and may respond with behaviors that indicate concern, comfort, or stress when a canine companion is near death or has passed away. Dogs tend to stay close to a dying dog, often showing comforting behaviors like sniffing, licking, or staying near them. After the death, dogs can exhibit signs of mourning such as changes in appetite, sleep, activity, and social interactions. However, although dogs sense these changes and react emotionally, they do not understand death with the same concept of finality and irreversibility as humans do. Their responses are driven more by sensing loss and changes in the social environment than by a cognitive comprehension of death.