A docile four-legged friend, who guards bravely and goes to get help in case of emergency. We know that from movies, such as Snuf de hond, but also in real life, like Sunday in Deurne. A man becomes unwell, crashes into a tree and dies. His dog eventually hides near his owner under the car. Why is that and what is going on in the head of such a dog?
“That’s real love! Can people learn something from it”, it says the Facebook message written about the accident. “Hopefully someone will take care of that poor dog,” the comments continue. “Beeske is much more sensitive than we are and therefore experiences this drama much more intensely than we do. Poor animal.”
Sometimes you get the feeling that people care more about the fate of a dog than about the fate of people involved. According to dog behavior therapist Marieke van der Burgt, this sympathy for four-legged friends mainly has to do with the innocence of the animals.
“The fact that dogs then go for help is a bit of a Disney idea.”
Just like with children, we recognize a kind of helplessness in dogs. “They are more vulnerable. I think that’s why people are more committed to the animals and want to care for them,” she adds.
So people feel a kind of responsibility to take care of needy creatures. “I just don’t think the dog escaped from the car to actually get help, as some people tend to think,” says the behavioral therapist. “It seems to me more that he ran away because of the fright. That dogs go for help is a bit of a Disney idea.”
According to her, the animal was very shocked by the accident and initially fled from the danger. The fact that the dog then sat under the car with his owner is probably also out of fear. “He went looking for safety, but also felt scared and stressed. You can tell by the low tail and the ears that are back.”
“Some dogs get very depressed when they lose their owner.”
According to behavioral expert Sam Smits, nothing beats the love of the dog. The bond between the dog and its owner was good, otherwise the animal would not return to its owner. “They smell everything that is wrong with an owner. Whether you are sick, stressed, or even pregnant.”
That is why it is important that a dog, when it loses its owner, also has the space to mourn. And then they are actually just people, says Smits. “Some dogs become very depressed when they lose their owner, others go on with everyday life a bit faster. Above all, they need a lot of safety, security and comfort.”
In any case, she insists that the animal really needs to go to the vet to have the physical or psychological blow examined.
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