Several years ago we took in/rescued my partner's father's dogs. They were… not being cared for, to say the least, so they had a lot of baggage that we had to work through to give them happier, stable lives. One was a large mutt (9M), the other a tiny shih tzu type dog (14?F).
About a month ago, the larger dog passed away.
Since then, when we are away, the little dog barks and howls. She'll do it for hours at a time until her tiny little voice is hoarse.
This is not something she did before. Prior to the larger dog's death she would be fine for an hour or two without him. She doesn't seem super stressed when we're leaving, either.
We've tried upping her walks (within her limits), trying to keep her engaged, giving her things of his to help her grieve etc. She's shown little interest in most of what we've tried.
We live in an apartment complex and our neighbors can hear her. We don't want her to be straining her voice or for this to become a long-term issue.
What can we do to try to help her?
submitted by /u/CryFrosty1213
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