Is my dog depressed ?

Well here goes my story well on the 27th of Sept. i had to go get my labor induced for my baby to be born on the 29th and I didn't arrive home til the 2nd of October due to complications. Well it was hell for me in the hospital because of my beloved peke whom I adore had to be left home under my mothers care. First she stopped eating then she got extremely agressive towards the other dogs she would lay in her house all day wouldnt play with her toys tried to bite my mother,my husband, me and even visitors. Wouldnt keep her food down and refused to eat chicken, beef, her favorite snack (apples) ect. she is still this way only she started to eat a little bit. what should I do ? is this doggy depression ? :?:

 

Gosh, she sounds mad and jeolous that you were gone. Has she been introduced to your new baby at all.. I'm not certain about this. I would keep giving her attention make sure she gets some sort of nutrients through the day. Hope someone else can help.

 

well I introduced the baby and she seems to watch it and lay with it she likes his spit up she started to do her begging trick to get formula but she still tries to bite my mom and my husband and rarely me now. she is eating a little still but i am worried about her alot. she is my first baby and i dont know what to do with her, While I sleep if someone tries to cover me she will lunge to bite them and she stays all day in bed with me too she hates the other dogs and barks when she hears their names in the house and will try to bite them if they come inside. she is sorta scaring me.

 

Did she just start this behavior after you had the baby or did she do the lunging and try to bite before you left? It sounds to me like she has a very alpha behavior. Do you agree. My poodle has tried the same things. With an alpha dog you need to teach them to listen. Since she has permission to be on the bed, she feels it is her bed and no-one else is supposed to be there except you. She has excepted you. This sounds mean but when she acts out make her get off of the bed. She needs to be taught that she is not the boss. She is treating the reat of the family like she is higher ranked than them. A dog that does this may let a new comer into the home and not act out on them until she gets a sence of if they are higer ranked than herself. A dog like this needs to be put in her spot. Have everyone in the family in on this. They all have to go along with it. If she thinks the couch is hers and will try to bite anyone that wants to sit on it, have them shoo her off. Have whomevre feeds her to make her sit, lay do something for her food. She needs to start respecting the family and see where her place is in it. She has probably been babied and this happens often. They get very spoiled and start to think they own everything. Like I said make her get off of anything she thinks is hers(but is really yours) tell her to get down force her. Tell her go lay down . BUT don't ever get her to think that her bed is just a place for bad dogs. She needs to think of her bed as her safe haven or crate.

Tell me if you think I am right about the situation.
Did you get my P.M.?

 

Well ... she only started with this behavior after I left the house for almost a week ... she used to be the sweetest dog, and never showed this type of behavior before. She doesn't like it when people grab at her, she'll try to bite them. She is kinda getting better now, but she still has her issues.

However, I doubt she's an alpha ... we had an alpha teacup chihuahua male once, and it would attempt to murder anything that it didn't like. Once my husband pissed it off, and it couldn't bite him, so it bit my mom in the ass instead. When it finally managed to bite my husband on his arm through his thick robe, he had a cut and bruise for each fang. He never bruises and it took 2 weeks for them to go away.

 

It's sounds to me a lot more like aggression than depression!

You'll have to make her realize that she's NOT the boss of the house, and the aggressive behavior she's currently exhibiting will not be tolerated. NILIF (Nothing in life is free) is great for helping her understand that she's not the leader/boss/alpha. Basically, the whole idea of it (NILIF) is that your dog must work for ANYTHING and EVERYTHING they want. Wants someone to pet her, make her do something/a command first (e.g. sit, down, shake, etc.). Wants a treat, must successfully execute a command first. Wants to go outside, must comply with a command first. Wants her bowl of food, command first. And so on.

I wouldn't let her on the bed or any other furniture (couch, chairs, etc.) until the aggressive behavior ceases, and she realizes what her position is in the household!

When she's "out of control," time-outs are a wonderful tool! (Remember NILIF when you let her out of time-out, before you open the gate - sit, down, etc.)

The real key is not to let the aggressive behavior go uncorrected!!!!

Also be sure that she is receiving PLENTY of exercise!!! :y_the_best:

Her unusual aggressive behavior quite possibly could be the result of your extended absence and/or the new baby...either way, don't nurture the negative behavior b/c you feel bad, it must be firmly and calmly corrected!

Also, when you have visitors come to your home, it is best to advise them to COMPLETELY ignore her to prevent problems for the time being! If you are worried about her wondering off and harming people within the house, either confine her to a safe haven with toys (and a Kong to keep her busy), OR tether her to you.

Best wishes, keep us posted!

 

Could be that since there is a new baby in the house she feels unsure about her place in the home too. Since she was nice before. But a dog can change postitions from omega to alpha or at least give it a try. Since there was an alpha in the house that was scarey to her she did not want to confront the chi. She may be trying to assert herself and change postions. Doing what was said above is necessary to ensure that your baby does not get bit. keep a good eye on your dog while the baby is anywhere near. If she is doing guarding and things like that thats alpha behavior.

 

well she is going back to normal now my pup is returning back to her old self, thank God. She started to to do her begging tricks and comunicating quiet well to tell us when she needs the restroom and things like that the biting has stopped and she has been on a pertty good behaivior streak hopefully nothing changes and stays the same thanks for the advice. :mrgreen: :mrgreen: :mrgreen: :mrgreen:

 

That is great, I think she maybe was confussed as to what was going on and why there was this little new creature in the home. Since she has become a good girl again. She could have been upset at you for your dissapearance too. Glad she is alright now.