IF I WERE IN THE WILDERNESS WITH MY DOGS… AND I DIED, WOULD THEY EVENTUALLY EAT ME!!! :dubious:
Yes.
Omg.
The CW goes that they would stand guard over your body until they themselves succumbed (starvation, wildlife). Seen in several films that I can recall.
Hopefully.
Please don’t shout.
Hawk gave a staff response to a similar question, and indicated that both cats and dogs will eat their deceased owners, if the death occurs in an apartment and there’s no other food available: Will cats eat their owners?. Dogs apparently will hold off for a few days, but cats … not so much.
How that would translate inthe wilderness, where there may be other food available for the dog, is another question.
oh, and ever323 - welcome to the Straight Dope, but please don’t shout at us.
Nevermind.
Not if you shouted like that. They’d probably be too afraid, even after you died.
I’d want my dog to eat me. People are welcome too, in the event of a tragic remote plane crash or something. What use do I have of this mortal coil after death? It would make for good protein.
I’ve seen it one time. The man had been dead about a week, and his three dogs had eaten one hand where his arm draped off of the bed.
That was an ugly scene, and the smell was absolutely unbelievable.
Outside? Likely not.
God was my copilot, but we crashed in the mountains and I had to eat him.
I’m sure he forgave you…as long as you had some wine to go with him.
Ref post 13 here Emergency vehicle gets stopped by a train. What happens? - Factual Questions - Straight Dope Message Board random pet dogs have no problem eating random humans. I’d bet your pet dog will eat you eventually if necessary for its survival.
“Hungry eyes that could not speak
Said ‘Even little doggies got to eat.’
She was a winner
Who became a doggy’s dinner”
Nick Lowe, “Marie Provost”
Exactly that happened to a Uruguayan rugby team flying over the Andes mountains in 1972. The movie made about it is called Alive.
I read once (sorry, no cite) that a man and his dog took shelter in a basement in Pompeii during the eruption. His skeleton was found disarticulated but the dog’s was found complete. This leads to the assumption that the dog ate the man after his death.
priceless.
Dogs are smart. They realize once you’re dead you’re usefulness just got much simpler. Why shouldn’t they, meat bag?
In the wilderness though, I’d expect the dog would hang around a bit, say its goodbyes then move on. Dogs aren’t normally cannibalistic if they don’t have to be, and if you were nice to your dog, it probably considers you one of its own.
That’s the fiction version. It’s fairly compelling, but it’s not exactly true to the real story. There’s a new documentary about the incident, which features extremely faithful re-creations as well as interviews with the survivors (including their first visit back to the original site of the crash :eek: ), and it’s quite clear that the actual true story is even more astonishing than any fictionalized version could hope to be. I highly, highly recommend the documentary.
Just, y’know, for the record and stuff. 
The mortal coil is life, not your body