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Songs About Losing a Dog (and One Written for a Dog Who Waited)
When a dog dies, the house gets loud with small absences. The empty spot by the door. The bowl you keep almost filling. Most people reach for a song because a song can hold what words alone can't. Below are six well-known songs people play when they lose a dog, each one real and easy to find. And if you want something with your dog's actual name in it, Songbond writes an original song about your dog for $39.90, usually back to you in minutes.
Listen: "Good Boy, Rest Easy"
What makes a dog-loss song land
A song about losing a dog works when it stays small and specific. The grief of losing a pet is almost always made of tiny ordinary habits, not big speeches, so the songs that comfort people tend to name one true thing and sit with it. The best ones don't try to explain death. They just remember the dog: the way she waited, the sound of her tags, the spot on the rug that was hers. That is why a song written about your own dog often reaches people the famous ones can't quite touch. It knows the right details.
6 songs people play when they lose a dog
These are real, widely known songs. Where there's a documented story behind one, we've noted it; where there isn't, we've left it plain rather than invent one.
- "I Will Remember You" — Sarah McLachlan. The default choice for pet memorials, partly because McLachlan's voice on the ASPCA campaign tied her sound to animal grief for a whole generation. Best for: a quiet goodbye where you want gentle, not heavy.
- "Goodbye My Friend" — Linda Ronstadt. Written by Karla Bonoff and recorded by Ronstadt on her 1989 album, this is a plain, accepting farewell that never tips into drama. Best for: an older dog who lived a long life and left on good terms.
- "Shannon" — Henry Gross. A 1976 hit Gross wrote after learning that Beach Boy Carl Wilson's dog, Shannon, had been hit by a car; Gross had an Irish Setter named Shannon too. It's a soft pop song about a dog drifting out to sea. Best for: a sudden, too-soon loss.
- "Martha My Dear" — The Beatles. Paul McCartney named the song after his Old English Sheepdog, Martha, though he's said it plays like a love song to a person. Best for: celebrating a goofy, beloved companion rather than mourning.
- "Old Shep" — Elvis Presley (written by Red Foley). Foley wrote it about a dog from his own childhood, and a ten-year-old Elvis sang it at his first public performance. It's the old-fashioned story-song of a boy and his dog growing old together. Best for: a family that wants something classic and unhurried.
- "It's Just a Dog" — Mo Pitney. A modern country song that takes the phrase people use to brush off pet grief and turns it inside out. Best for: anyone who has been told their dog was "just a dog" and knows otherwise.
The lyrics
The lyrics
Five-fifteen, the driveway's bright Nobody's at the window tonight
You knew my engine from three streets out Ears up, tail drumming on the couch Muddy paws on the windowsill Nose-print smudges — they're up there still Thirteen years of five-fifteens You made coming home the best part of me
Read the whole song
The hardest part of any day Is the window with no face
Good boy, rest easy now No more waiting at the glass You did your job — you loved me loud From the first day to the last The door will hear me coming home And miss your thunder down the hall Good boy, rest easy You were the best part of it all
You stole a sandwich off the counter once Looked so proud I couldn't even fuss You guarded thunderstorms from underneath my bed We protected each other — that's what we never said Your muzzle grayed, your run became a sway But you still made the window every day
The hardest part of any day Is the window with no face
Good boy, rest easy now No more waiting at the glass You did your job — you loved me loud From the first day to the last The door will hear me coming home And miss your thunder down the hall Good boy, rest easy You were the best part of it all
Last week I came home quiet, late And for half a breath, I swear I heard Your tail against the windowpane Maybe some things stay where they were happiest Maybe you still hear the engine first
Good boy, rest easy now No more waiting at the glass You did your job — you loved me loud From the first day to the last I'll leave your smudges on the pane A little proof you knew my sound Good boy, rest easy The waiting's over now
Five-fifteen I still slow down on our street For you
Questions people ask
What is a good song to play at a dog's memorial?
Sarah McLachlan's "I Will Remember You" and Linda Ronstadt's "Goodbye My Friend" are the two most-played, because both are slow and gentle enough to sit under conversation or quiet. If a few people are gathered, pick something instrumental or soft so no one feels they have to stop and listen. If you want the song to be about your dog by name, that's where a custom song comes in.
Are there really songs written about a specific dog?
Yes, and the ones that last almost always started with a real animal. "Shannon" came from a dog hit by a car, "Old Shep" from Red Foley's childhood dog, and "Martha My Dear" from McCartney's sheepdog. The detail is what makes them stick. A custom song simply does this on purpose, for your dog.
How do I get a song made about my own dog?
You give a songwriter your dog's name, breed, and a handful of small habits, and they build an original song around them. At Songbond it's $39.90, usually ready in minutes, with unlimited revisions so the words actually fit. We hold a 4.7 rating on Trustpilot, mostly from people who wanted one specific thing remembered right.
A song with your dog's name in it
The six songs above are good company. But none of them know that your dog waited at the window every day at 5:15, or left nose-print smudges on the glass you still haven't wiped. A custom song about your dog does. You tell us the small true things, and we write one original song around them, back to you in a day or two for $39.90. It won't fix the quiet house. It will give you something to play that knows exactly who you're missing.
From the same series: Songs about losing a cat and Rainbow Bridge songs for a pet memorial.
