Am I not grieving properly?

[skarelo]

My mum and dad got a dog when I was little, and when they broke up, the dog went with my dad. I had not seen the dog or my dad for around 4 years, when I finally got back in contact with my dad. He told me that the dog had a high stage of leukaemia and lymphoma and probably wouldn’t make it to Christmas 2023, but he ended up making it. My mum told me that the dog had passed away last night and I was heartbroken, but I didn’t cry, I couldn’t cry.
I could feel the thing in your throat when you’re about to cry, but my tears wouldn’t come, and it made me think something was wrong with me.
I sometimes cry over silly things, like finding out the dark truth behind my favourite childhood TV show, but I didn’t cry to seeing my dog for the last time, when I knew he didn’t have much time left?
When I first got back in contact with my dad, and I saw my dog for the first time in 4 years, I did cry. And then when I found out he wasn’t doing too good, I met up with him again but didn’t cry, later that night I did though.
Is this normal?
I am a high school teenager still trying to figure out my problems, but my psychologist says it isn’t normal and she’s looking into it.

[Account]

Odds are that you will cry for it at a moment you won't expect it to happen for example when you see another dog that looks like the one you lost or when you randomly see his favorite toy and then you won't be able to hold yourself because it will catch you in an unprepared state.
You simply "blocked it".
I sometimes do it unintentionally and subconsciously as well. But you can't always keep that up. At some point either tomorrow or after a month or after many years, you will break and that is alright.

[DaisyM23]

i don't really cry a lot so i can't exactly help lol, but you said you DID cry when you went home after meeting your dog again, i think it is kind of normal? you hadn't seen the dog or your dad for 4 years as well, that's a massive gap where you move on and forget - there's no perfect way to grieve, you can cry, drink, try to forget etc, there are so many ways to grieve someone or something

[skarelo]

I cried because I found out he was dying, but now that he’s dead I’m not? My psychologist thinks it’s delayed emotional response, but this has never happened before

[DaisyM23]

maybe it is a delayed emotional response - finding out someone is dying to different when they're actually dead, it's obviously much more permanent and if you're not ready for it it can hit later on

[skarelo]

It probably will, it only took a few hours last time

[PeachyPie93]

It's a dog. You haven't seen it in 4 years, is it really that serious? lol
My cat I had died after I had him for 16 years best most loyal cat I ever owned I loved him and I cried for 2 days and got over it.

[katiesmuff]

Your 23 and in high school you have bigger problems than a dog you barely knew passing away!

[skarelo]

I’m 16, I got my age wrong and I’m currently waiting for it to be fixed. I knew this dog for the last 13 years of my life and the moment I see him again after years, I find out he’s battling against cancer. I am only trying to figure out why my emotions are so delayed now, and I know I have bigger problems, but I’m allowed to be upset.