My Brother Broke My Dog’s Heart When He Moved Away Last Summer

My sweet dog Eloise has very human-like traits. She is sweet and affectionate, sassy and mischievous, and knows how to play dumb when she's caught stealing socks. Eloise also develops deep emotional attachments to the humans in her world. Last summer, right after my brother Nicholas moved out of my place and into his own house in Massachusetts, the depth of Eloise's emotional attachment to Nicholas was painfully evident.

Every morning when Eloise finished her breakfast, she walked down the hallway to Nick's room and waited patiently at the door to say good morning. The patience wore away quickly and she pawed and whined at the door until I opened it for her. She then jumped on the bed, gave him some slobbery kisses, and found a comfy place to lounge while he woke up.

The morning after Nick moved away, Eloise got ready for her usual morning routine. It broke my heart to see how she reacted when she realized he wasn't there anymore.

Eloise still gets excited every time I tell her that "Her Nick" is coming to visit. Does your dog have a strong bond with someone in your family?