Death

I have never been around a lot of death in my life, I think I have lost 2 relatives, a friend from school, and a couple of family pets... My boyfriend on the other hand has been surrounded by death. He's lost many friends, and a handfull of relatives in the last year. Just recently, he has recieved word that one of his older dogs has cancer and she probably has just a few months left on earth. And you have to understand, he's had this dog since he was a little boy, he's now 22, it's pretty hard to let go. When he loses someone, it is truly an emotional process for him, depression, walls are built and you don't hear from him in a while. He hurts. I really think there is something wrong with me. When I am around death, I don't treat it as anything special. I think it is just a process that everyone goes through in their own time. Everything happens for a reason, I believe. Sure, I get sad, but the mourning process isn't grave. I take it in, I may cry for the most 30 minutes and then I move on. Could it be that I haven't lost anything that dear to me or am I just cold when it comes to death?
Drew is completely torn about the news, his puppy is sick and she might not be here as long as he had hoped. I constantly remind him "she's not dead yet. Stop moping around, she'll notice something is wrong". But do you think that would shake him? No, he begins the blame game, "It's our old vets fault, they didn't see it when it began." How were they to know? And how do you know if this isn't new. She is 12 years old (that's 74 in dog years), things like this happen to animals; no matter how well you take care of your pets. I dunno. I'm going to try my best to be there for him, but only if he wants me there.
How do you cope with the dying/the dead?