# China dog refuses to leave dead master's grave. **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [November 22, 2011, 7:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/china-dog-refuses-to-leave-dead-masters-grave/603730 "2011-11-22T07:07:11Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Indian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/c0e974/32.png) [@Indian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Indian)\ **Post date:** [November 22, 2011, 7:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/china-dog-refuses-to-leave-dead-masters-grave/603730/1 "2011-11-22T07:07:11Z")
\*A dog in China who was the only companion to a single local resident has refused to leave him even after his death. Lao Pan, 68, died earlier this month in the village of Panjiatun. His dog was found later at his grave, refusing to leave even after seven days without food\* [Video](http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-china-15825892) from BBC. ---
**Author:** ![robert\_columbia](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e79b87/32.png) [@robert\_columbia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/robert_columbia)\ **Post date:** [November 22, 2011, 1:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/china-dog-refuses-to-leave-dead-masters-grave/603730/2 "2011-11-22T13:28:45Z")
> **[The Royal Readers](https://books.google.com/books?id=RjwWAAAAYAAJ&pg=PA114&lpg=PA114&dq=%22the%2Bdog%2Bat%2Bhis%2Bmaster%27s%2Bgrave%22%2Breader&source=bl&ots=nkzsQa-LeR&sig=ecUqP2W6sQhta1i1sm9fD7gPci0&hl=en&ei=_KLLTuGJJOmssALW4Oz9Dg&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=7&ved=0CDsQ6AEwBg#v=onepage&q&f=false)** (SFW) ---
**Author:** ![Ludovic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/7ab992/32.png) [@Ludovic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ludovic)\ **Post date:** [November 22, 2011, 1:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/china-dog-refuses-to-leave-dead-masters-grave/603730/3 "2011-11-22T13:38:53Z")
At least it wasn’t a Thai Dog. ---
**Author:** ![Tom\_Tildrum](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/e95f7d/32.png) [@Tom\_Tildrum](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tom_Tildrum)\ **Post date:** [November 23, 2011, 4:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/china-dog-refuses-to-leave-dead-masters-grave/603730/4 "2011-11-23T04:00:30Z")
My mother has a china dog that has refused to leave her fireplace mantel for years now. ---
**Author:** ![lavenderviolet](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/cdc98d/32.png) [@lavenderviolet](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lavenderviolet)\ **Post date:** [November 23, 2011, 4:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/china-dog-refuses-to-leave-dead-masters-grave/603730/5 "2011-11-23T04:30:58Z")
That’s very sad. I have heard of other stories like this about loyal dogs. I am reminded of a similar story about a Brazilian dog staying by the grave of its owner who died in a landslide: [http://blog.chron.com/apetschronicle/2011/01/loyal-dog-sits-by-grave-of-landslide-victim-in-brazil/](http://blog.chron.com/apetschronicle/2011/01/loyal-dog-sits-by-grave-of-landslide-victim-in-brazil/) This kind of thing is why I am a dog person. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Siam\_Sam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/d78d45/32.png) [@Siam\_Sam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Siam_Sam)\ **Post date:** [November 24, 2011, 3:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/china-dog-refuses-to-leave-dead-masters-grave/603730/6 "2011-11-24T03:48:31Z")
I present to you [Hachiko](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hachik%C5%8D), a dog that waited faithfully at the train station for his dead master every day for nine years until he himself died. They even have a little statue of Hachiko outside the train station to this day, an annual ceremony honoring him is held, and his story inspired the Richard Gere film [Hachiko: A Dog’s Story](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hachiko:_A_Dog%27s_Story), which was very good. ---
**Author:** ![China\_Guy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/779978/32.png) [@China\_Guy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/China_Guy)\ **Post date:** [November 24, 2011, 3:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/china-dog-refuses-to-leave-dead-masters-grave/603730/7 "2011-11-24T03:55:51Z")
NOt only that, Hachiko is THE meeting place (at least in the pre-cell phone age when dinosaurs still roamed the earth). As in “Where we gonna meet?” “Hachiko” “You’re on” although, I wouldn’t touch one of these wacky Chinese news stories with a 10 foot chopstick with the underlying belief that it \*might \*be true. ---
**Author:** ![Stauderhorse](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ce7236/32.png) [@Stauderhorse](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Stauderhorse)\ **Post date:** [November 24, 2011, 3:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/china-dog-refuses-to-leave-dead-masters-grave/603730/8 "2011-11-24T15:22:09Z")
> [@Siam\_Sam](#): > > I present to you [Hachiko](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hachik%C5%8D), a dog that waited faithfully at the train station for his dead master every day for nine years until he himself died. They even have a little statue of Hachiko outside the train station to this day, an annual ceremony honoring him is held, and his story inspired the Richard Gere film [Hachiko: A Dog’s Story](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hachiko:_A_Dog%27s_Story), which was very good. I actually just watched that yesterday and cried BUCKETS. When my boyfriend asked what was wrong, all I could get out through my sobs were “dog…waited…” I kept on imagining “I will wait for you” (the song from the Futurama episode “Jurassic Bark”) playing over the scenes and that made it so much worse. ---
**Author:** ![Boulter\_s\_Canary](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/e79b87/32.png) [@Boulter\_s\_Canary](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Boulter_s_Canary)\ **Post date:** [November 24, 2011, 7:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/china-dog-refuses-to-leave-dead-masters-grave/603730/9 "2011-11-24T19:09:57Z")
It was years and years ago. There was this ole bloke in Ankh who snuffed it, and he belonged to one of them religions where they bury you after you’re dead, an’, they did, and he had this ole dog-’ ‘-called Gaspode-?’ ‘Yeah, and this ole dog had been his only companion and after they buried the man he lay down on his grave and howled and howled for a couple of weeks. Growled at everybody who came near. An’ then died.’ Victor paused in the act of throwing the stick again. ‘That’s very sad,’ he said. He threw. Laddie tore along underneath it, and disappeared into a stand of scrubby trees on the hillside. ‘Yeah. Everyone says it demonstrates a dog’s innocent and undyin’ love for ‘is master,’ said Gaspode, spitting the words out as if they were ashes. ‘You don’t believe that, then?’ ‘Not really. I b’lieve any bloody dog will stay still an’ howl when you’ve just lowered the gravestone on his tail,’ said Gaspode. - **Terry Pratchett, _'Moving Pictures’_** ---
**Author:** ![Malleus\_Incus\_Stapes](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/malleus_incus_stapes/32/3293_2.png) [@Malleus\_Incus\_Stapes](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Malleus_Incus_Stapes)\ **Post date:** [November 24, 2011, 10:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/china-dog-refuses-to-leave-dead-masters-grave/603730/10 "2011-11-24T22:17:16Z")
^Exactly what I was thinking of. ---
**Author:** ![Khadaji](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/9e8a1a/32.png) [@Khadaji](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Khadaji)\ **Post date:** [November 25, 2011, 12:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/china-dog-refuses-to-leave-dead-masters-grave/603730/11 "2011-11-25T12:32:00Z")
My mom sent me this story. When I visit her and go out with my friends I leave my dog with her. Because my dog paces and stares at the door while I’m gone, occasionally going to the bay window to put her little doggie paws up so she can look out, Mom swears that my girl would sit by my grave waiting for me. I’m pretty sure she would easily be lured away by someone who had treats. ---
**Author:** ![Sailboat](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sailboat/32/461_2.png) [@Sailboat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sailboat)\ **Post date:** [November 25, 2011, 2:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/china-dog-refuses-to-leave-dead-masters-grave/603730/12 "2011-11-25T14:18:09Z")
My Simone does this when I wash the dishes, let alone if I were to die. She’ll lie in the kitchen doorway facing me with a look of almost unbearable sadness at having to wait. I’ve read about things like this before, and I admit, it’s moving. But most dogs can transfer their loyalty to a new pack leader who is patient enough to put in some time. I always wonder if, instead of shaking our heads at canine loyalty and feeling sad about the dog’s plight, one of us went and sat with the dog in question for a few hours and fed him treats, maybe these stories wouldn’t end with the dog pining away. ---
**Author:** ![LurkerInNJ](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/ed655f/32.png) [@LurkerInNJ](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LurkerInNJ)\ **Post date:** [November 27, 2011, 12:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/china-dog-refuses-to-leave-dead-masters-grave/603730/13 "2011-11-27T00:40:34Z")
> [@Siam\_Sam](#): > > I present to you [Hachiko](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hachik%C5%8D), a dog that waited faithfully at the train station for his dead master every day for nine years until he himself died. They even have a little statue of Hachiko outside the train station to this day, an annual ceremony honoring him is held, and his story inspired the Richard Gere film [Hachiko: A Dog’s Story](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hachiko:_A_Dog%27s_Story), which was very good. I cried and cried while watching that movie. ---
**Author:** ![j666](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/9de0a6/32.png) [@j666](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/j666)\ **Post date:** [November 27, 2011, 1:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/china-dog-refuses-to-leave-dead-masters-grave/603730/14 "2011-11-27T01:55:09Z")
> [@Tom\_Tildrum](#): > > My mother has a china dog that has refused to leave her fireplace mantel for years now. Exactly what I was expecting. ---
**Author:** ![Pawsrent](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/e9a140/32.png) [@Pawsrent](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Pawsrent)\ **Post date:** [November 27, 2011, 5:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/china-dog-refuses-to-leave-dead-masters-grave/603730/15 "2011-11-27T05:35:37Z")
Awww. I’m glad that they’re supplying it with food and water. ---
**Author:** ![Siam\_Sam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/d78d45/32.png) [@Siam\_Sam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Siam_Sam)\ **Post date:** [April 20, 2013, 8:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/china-dog-refuses-to-leave-dead-masters-grave/603730/16 "2013-04-20T08:12:19Z")
> [@Siam\_Sam](#): > > I present to you [Hachiko](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hachik%C5%8D), a dog that waited faithfully at the train station for his dead master every day for nine years until he himself died. They even have a little statue of Hachiko outside the train station to this day, an annual ceremony honoring him is held, and his story inspired the Richard Gere film [Hachiko: A Dog’s Story](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hachiko:_A_Dog%27s_Story), which was very good. > [@Stauderhorse](#): > > I actually just watched that yesterday and cried BUCKETS. When my boyfriend asked what was wrong, all I could get out through my sobs were “dog…waited…” > I kept on imagining “I will wait for you” (the song from the Futurama episode “Jurassic Bark”) playing over the scenes and that made it so much worse. > [@LurkerInNJ](#): > > I cried and cried while watching that movie. The wife and I looked up Hachiko’s statue in Tokyo last week. It’s just outside of Shibuya Station, which I believe was the station used by his master. You will be glad to know the statue seems to be enormously popular. We saw Japanese and foreigners alike having their pictures taken next to it. We heard the statue is a common meeting point if you’re hooking up with friends in the area and that Hachiko has become a byword for loyalty in Japan. ---
**Author:** ![Cicero](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cicero/32/3594_2.png) [@Cicero](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cicero)\ **Post date:** [April 20, 2013, 10:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/china-dog-refuses-to-leave-dead-masters-grave/603730/17 "2013-04-20T10:52:37Z")
[Greyfriars Bobby.](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Greyfriars_Bobby) ---
**Author:** ![DiggitCamara](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/df788c/32.png) [@DiggitCamara](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DiggitCamara)\ **Post date:** [April 20, 2013, 7:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/china-dog-refuses-to-leave-dead-masters-grave/603730/18 "2013-04-20T19:17:14Z")
> [@LurkerInNJ](#): > > I cried and cried while watching that movie. I went with my wife and my mother on Mother’s Day without knowing anything about the movie. Excellent movie. Worst Mother’s Day movie ever. ---
**Author:** ![Siam\_Sam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/d78d45/32.png) [@Siam\_Sam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Siam_Sam)\ **Post date:** [April 21, 2013, 3:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/china-dog-refuses-to-leave-dead-masters-grave/603730/19 "2013-04-21T03:12:14Z")
> [@Siam\_Sam](#): > > The wife and I looked up Hachiko’s statue in Tokyo last week. It’s just outside of Shibuya Station, which I believe was the station used by his master. You will be glad to know the statue seems to be enormously popular. We saw Japanese and foreigners alike having their pictures taken next to it. We heard the statue is a common meeting point if you’re hooking up with friends in the area and that Hachiko has become a byword for loyalty in Japan. Oh, and the Shibuya Station entrance closest to the statue is formally called the Hachi entrance. So here we have a dog, dead for almost a century now, who has a statue that people flock to, and a subway/train station entrance is officially named after him. And outside the entrance is a mural depicting lots of little Hachi puppies. ---
**Author:** ![Indian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/c0e974/32.png) [@Indian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Indian)\ **Post date:** [April 21, 2013, 4:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/china-dog-refuses-to-leave-dead-masters-grave/603730/20 "2013-04-21T04:24:21Z")
This thread still going?🙂 The dog which attends mass everyday at the church [where funeral was held.](http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2263390/Loyal-dog-attends-mass-day-church-owners-funeral-held.html) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/china-dog-refuses-to-leave-dead-masters-grave/603730.md?page=2)