This month’s health and lifestyle column from Corinne Yeadon, of the Being Better private therapy practice in Skipton

OUR beloved Greek rescue dog Ollie recently died and I was reminded of Rudyard Kipling’s The Power of the Dog poem and how he cautions about "giving your heart to a dog" because of the sorrow and pain attached to losing our canine companions.

Whether dogs are pets or working animals their absence is keenly felt. As well as the shock and the sadness, it’s the emptiness that’s hard. Not just in the house, but in hearts. In addition to the feelings of attachment, they are part of everyday routines and the adjustment is tough.

As with any grieving process it takes time, but the stages of loss remain the same. In the early stages it can be difficult to focus on the joy and companionship they have brought. It can be too painful to reflect on happier times and memories.

For my daughter with complex needs, her attachment to animals ranks higher than people, and managing loss is a bit trickier to navigate. There is no right way to grieve and managing the loss of a pet is an individual process. There are numerous ways to manage feelings of grief and commemorate a pet, some people opt for pet cremations to honour their pets as part of the family. Some choose to have a snippet of fur or paw prints of their four-legged friend.

It can help to have a focal point, it needn’t be anything imposing, a sprig of rosemary for remembrance in the garden or a pot on a windowsill is as worthy.

Clearing out a dog’s belongings can be a conflicting process, too difficult to donate or throw away, too painful to see. A memory box containing bits and bobs can bring comfort at some point in the future or until ready to let go. Photographs and videos are a nice reminder, but maybe not in the early days.

There can be a tendency to apologise when expressing grief for a pet for fear of lack of understanding or being dismissed. If emotional pain is felt, it is important to express it, this needn’t be verbally, it can be journaled or arts and crafts, whatever feels most comfortable.

I can’t bear the thought of not seeing Ollie’s lovely big goofy face and floppy lugs anymore and I will get a photo framed but I’m not at that stage yet.