Daughter coping with Mothers Death

Question
I had to have Hayes, my 10 year old female lab/mix, put to sleep yesterday. (I think my eyes will be swollen for awhile ... she will always be my baby girl. Of course, I am crying a lot.) Jasper, her daughter, began looking for her yesterday. Today, she will not do much of anything; I can tell she is sad. I am staying close by (and going in the other room to cry). I am paying a lot of extra attention to Jasper and trying to keep her attention on other things. I can only belive this can help both of us. What else can I do? How can I help her? Any advice would be appreciated.

Answer
I'm very sorry for your loss; I know only too well how hard it is to make that decision, having just put my 16 year old Whippet down.

Jasper is experiencing the normal response to the loss of another member of her 'pack', whether animal or human.  She has to grieve and adjust in much the same way as you do.  Her depression should lessen within a couple of weeks.  Keep reassuring her (after all, Hayes just disappeared as far as she's concerned) as you are doing without rewarding her state of mind with over solicitation.  Taking her outdoors on walks, engaging her in a daily game of fetch, buying her a few stuffie toys, all of these things will help her to feel more secure in your 'pack'.  You might also begin a regimen of positive reinforcement training, starting with one simple behavior.  This will engage her intellect, promote you into the spot Hayes most likely held in her regard, and teach her some problem solving skills.