Dogs, known as the most loyal friend of mankind and beloved family pet, have been closely related to human life since ancient times. With the continuous improvement of social living standards, the team of dog owners continues to expand, and these lo...
Dogs, known as the most loyal friend of mankind and beloved family pet, have been closely related to human life since ancient times.
With the continuous improvement of social living standards, the team of dog owners continues to expand, and these loving "dog shovelers" groups are growing stronger around the world.
For everyone who cherishes pet dogs, the most unbearable thing is the disappearance or death of pets, especially after a long time of day and night, the relationship becomes deeper and deeper. Losing them is like losing a part of the family.
So how long does a dog usually live? Why do dogs run away from home and hide before they die? What are they afraid of? Let’s learn about this question together!
Chapter 1: Unveiling the veil of a dog's lifespan, "The chicken has no six years, and the dog has no eight years" In ancient rural areas, the saying "The chicken has no six years, and the dog has no eight years", means that the lifespan of a chicken does not exceed six years, and the lifespan limit of a dog is eight years. This proverb has a certain realistic basis in a specific period of history.
At that time, most of the Chinese pastoral dogs raised in rural areas were to guard their homes, and the living environment was relatively difficult. The dog's diet was often leftovers on people's dining tables, and their nutritional conditions were poor, so their lifespan was limited.
However, the situation is very different now. With the obvious improvement of living conditions, the lifespan of dogs has been greatly extended. Under normal circumstances, they can live for more than 10 years, and some breeds can even live for about 15 years, showing the side of dogs as long-lived animals. However, for rural local dogs, due to the still severe living environment, they may still be limited in lifespan due to the invasion of diseases, accidental ingestion of harmful substances and theft.
Chapter 2: Why do dogs choose to leave home before they die? What exactly do they fear? Many dog owners have similar experiences. When the elderly dog suddenly disappears on one day, they find it in an inconspicuous place and die.
Some people interpret this phenomenon poetically as "a good dog does not die at home", meaning that a smart dog will choose to run away from home silently when he senses the end of his life to avoid dying in front of his master, bringing endless sadness to his master. In addition, there is also a view that in order to avoid the trouble of cleaning the body of the owner after death, and to avoid the spread of parasites and bacteria on the body, the dog chose to leave home alone to face death.
However, the deeper reason why a dog runs away from home before death is its return to instinct. When the dog's ancestor wolf is old and sick, he will leave the wolf pack on his own and find a safe place to spend the rest of his life. Although dogs have been domesticated for thousands of years, this instinct derived from ancestors remains.
When dogs become weak and their defenses are reduced, they will look for a hidden place that is difficult to find to avoid potential threats and dangers due to their self-protection instinct. What's more, some peasant elders mentioned that these dogs who died will independently look for herbs and try to heal themselves. If they successfully recover, they will return to their owners, and vice versa, they will quietly end their lives in that hidden place.
Generally speaking, dogs show unactivity, loss of appetite, and tendency to hide in corners in their later years all stem from their deep perception of life and their sensitive response to their surroundings.
In this special period, we should minimize disturbances to them, give more care and peace, so that they can feel the warmth and love of their master in the last time.
