What happened before life? There that's your answer

I think it'll be exactly the same as pre-conception.

I agree with him about one thing:

"What happens after you die?" "Lot's of things happen after you die - they just don't involve you"
Louis C.K.

I know what happens.....but it really bums me.out when I think about it happening to dogs so I tell myself they go to the happy hunting grounds with endless smells and slow squirrels even though it's completely irrational...just like I tell.myself my Chevy spark wins all the drag races at red lights even though the other cars don't know they're in a race and I don't go over the speed limit... sometimes sugar coating things just makes the day better even if deep down i know whats really going on

Aren't we all just electricity and carbon? We go back into the earth for sure!

The thought of life after death is an enticing one, to be sure. I would be lying if I said I didn't hope there was something in which we could continue after we die, but I don't think there is. What scares me the most is the thought of being on your death bed, knowing the end is near, and also knowing the lights are minutes away from shutting out forever.

But, it is a mystery we must all face. And there is at least comfort in knowing you won't be fearful after the fact.

Death is void. The only part of you (or in this case your dog) that stays behind is the happy memories you shared with the people around you, your children or in this case puppies that will carry on your DNA and photos taken. I find it the highgth of idolatry for humans to believe they are so important in the scheme of the universe that their lifetime is not enough, they need an extension in some form. We are born from the random matching of one of millions of sperm with one random egg. We spend whatever time we manage to survive on this earth and then at some random time, we die. End of story. Anything else is memories and fantasy for those who remain. And I actually find that comforting.

Ashes to ashes dust to dust.one thing the church has correct

We decompose - producing mostly nitrogenous -based forms which are recycled back to the various ecological systems.

I think your right ... but if you're looking for comfort ( and I don't mean to sound sarcastic), then you can turn to any number theories.
But I think we tend to go on only so long as the memories of others think us of intrest or significance.
Other than that our remains (unless cremated) return to the soil.
So I've found comfort in knowing that I, your dog, you, will end up in the soil that feeds the earth, which feeds the worms, which feeds the birds and other fauna, etc. etc.
Hence we go on!
On a humourous note I found this little gem

That is the biggest mystery in life, isn't it. what happens. well, according to physics energy can not be created or distroyed. so I think our biochemical energy goes back into the universe's pot. kind of like the symetry.

It's the greatest unknown, isn't it? I don't believe in cosmic justice or any such stuff. Which dials up the significance of doing the right thing to people while you are alive.

I will say, though, that I loved the film A Ghost Story - seriously, dude, it made me cry:

You "live on" as connections in the brains of people who have known you: They can still see you, hear you, smell you... But when their turn comes, that really is IT for you, as they take you to their graves!

I am new, so forgive me if say the wrong thing. Do chemical signals really end? Doesn't energy just transfer to a new form? I think you are probably right, that we aren't anything after death, me (or my chemical signals) are never going to be me again.

I'm very sorry about your loss. My family had two sweet black cats who passed away (the first one, when I was two, but she was 16; the second one, when I was ten, and he was 17), and we were crushed both times. Pets are family.

To answer your question, I believe that what happens to all of us after death is the same as what had happened to us before we were born. We can't personally recall events that had happened before our birth, and I just don't see any evidence for anything happening to us after death. I wish I'd be able to reunite with dead friends, relatives, and pets once it's my time to go, but I think there isn't any evidence of that happening.

HOWEVER, since this is the one life I know I have, I am more inspired than ever to live it to the fullest, obtain as much knowledge as possible, and be with friends, family, and pets as much as possible. If I ever have kids of my own, I'll make sure to spend as much time with them as possible, since I don't see myself eventually reuniting with them after our deaths.

Though, in a way, we do live on after death. We "live on" in the memories of friends, families, and anyone else whose life we've influenced. We ultimately come from stardust; and when we die, we become stardust once again.

I find this video, narrated by Stephen Fry, to be very comforting in regards to a secular viewpoint about death:

Your energy is released back into the world and reforms as another life be it plant or animal. Not reincarnation - simple physics.

Nothing after death. Believe in the heart and the feelings of love and memories live on in those who remain.. part of community.

Decomposition happens.

I've yet to hear or read any sound reason why any form of consciousness extends beyond the death of the mind that creates it that isn't simply playing the "what if" game.
Consciousness ends. It's that simple.

Common sense dictates that death would mimic the pre-zygote state: nothingness. Its comforting to dream about perhaps becoming part of a post life Borg-ish collective or a swirling energy somewhere in the Universe that could be tapped by those with sharpened awareness skills, but shortly after you die when your body and brain flame out, what would be generating that energy, especially since it would be for eternity? That's where that concept falls apart for me. Some of this philosophy may be driven by those unwilling to accept that their 'presence' will disappear from being except in the memory of the living via the survivors' recollections or some kind of media. At death our awareness will terminate...but we won't know it nor feel any pain.

There is no more an "after death" than there is a page after the end of a book.

The almighty ego wants to live forever. But once you are past your ego, so what? You won't be around to mourn the loss of your ego.

Like a lot of Atheist, I believe that it just ends. It is a sad thought and really makes me ask what's the point.

I try not to dwell on it, and just enjoy life as much as I can.

I definitly cherrish experiances much more than things since I "converted". Or would that be de-converted? I no longer sit around and wait for the "promissed heaven" and look for little slices of heaven here.

So far it is working out pretty good for me...

I'm pretty sure it's whatever it was like before you were born. Which is nothing.

They cart you off to the crematorium.