Dog Depression: Fact Or Fiction?

Your dog is depressed that you are staring at it wondering if it is depressed.

when i first got my german shepherd (i took her in off the street after she had basically shown up on my doorstep) she destroyed my rice paper blinds very early on when i went out for a saturday night with friend. when i got home i was angry and went through this whole routine of not even wanting to look at her-she kept trying to grab my attention in various ways but i just kept turning away from her. i kept this up for about 10 minutes and, so far, she's never again torn up my window blinds in the 5 years i've had her. the kitchen garbage was a different story and it got to the point that she was expecting me to be mad at her when i came home from work because there was trash everywhere. the solution? a larger, heavier kitchen pail that is a lot more difficult to tip over.

since then she's actually lifted the lid a couple of times, taken stuff out & closed it again but no outright tipovers. i was given a second dog about 3 months ago and he actually prefers to be cooped up in the house all day. i have a doggy door so my 2 dogs & 2 cats can run in and out of the house all day long but pucci simply prefers to hang out on the couch the entire time.

How about not leaving the dog alone all day in a cramped apartment? How would you like it if you knew you had to hold your bladder for the next 9+ hours? Some situations don't lend themselves to owning a dog.

When we first rescued our dog from our local shelter he did show some seperation anxiety, chewed a couple of pairs of sneakers etc. But after he realized we were coming home to him at night all has been well. He is a good boy, and what a joy it is to be greated every night with that unconditional love!

We had a dog who benefited greatly from Prozac. Actually Elevil.

He suffered from low self esteem. And could never relax, in the house he was always pacing. He looked like he was totally consumed with worry. We thought it was worry global warming etc but we never really knew.

The drugs worked wonderfully. He could relax. And showed much greater self confidence. Although it was not a cure, it made it possible to live with him. And he had a much better self image and showed much better self esteem.

P.S. Half beagle if you are wondering.

I've always had two or three dogs, no problems. I'm not a great dog trainer, but they have been good at showing one another what to do and how to have fun. Jack Russells, especially, are good players, and get the other dogs moving.

Dogs are the only animals routinely expressive of joy. Some of them are so full of love they like their Republican owners. Astounding.

WHO CARES!,...if this recession gets any deeper pets are going to become protein sources as they already are in many other countries. Would you mind passing me the beetles please!

If I had to cage a dog up in a crate (i.e. jail) all day, I wouldn't have one.

We have two pomeranians...and I think that's the secret. Dogs are "pack" animals...I really feel they don't do well, facing long hours alone every day. Just simple companionship can keep them happy. Once a week, we take them to Doggie Day Care, just so they can really play with a lot of dogs. They come home tired, but happy.

I'll second the comment that said to do some reading and research. Most folks are just so ignorant of canine psychology that simply sitting them down for 20 minutes and having them take notes, then spending another short time together with them and their dog to show them a few simple techniques can make a very dramatic change. It's just that we are fed way too much pop psychology drivel, and folks project that onto their pets without understanding that dogs often react in the exact opposite way than humans to certain stimuli. The things that seem intuitive to us are usually the opposite of what a dog needs, psychologically. In other words, we try to please them the same way we would try to please or comfort a fellow human or a child, but they are not humans or children, they are dogs, and need to be respected and treated in a way the works for them.

When my husband was in graduate school in MN (before we were married) , he went back to Phoenix for a long-weekend t visit with his parents, and left his two dogs at home after a friend offered to come in and feed and play with them. When he returned, he saw immediately......how could he miss it?----that the dogs had ripped apart everything with his scent on it, including textbooks and a lot of notes for classes and for his thesis. They had even torn down the venetian blinds and stripped the couch down to its wooden frame. Even though this was not a furnished apartment, hIs landlord forced him to find another place.

People with dogs with separation anxiety have the wrong breed or bought a dog without any regard to how much time has to go into training.

When my husband and I worked fulltime, we had a retired racing greyhound... a cat in a dogs body. We spent a few weeks training him and he was a perfect pet right to his last day. Our next dog was a pomeranian. We chose him because I was pining for another child and wanted something to baby. I was home fulltime and could devote the time needed for training. He was just what I needed and it broke my heart 2 years later when he died of a seizure disorder.

Currently, we have a standard poodle - golden retriever mix (doodle). We did a lot of research before getting her because our lifestyle had changed. We crate and obedience trained her. (which was easy because she's smart and eager to please) In the 4 years we've had her, she's never given us a problem. She's so perfect, we'll probably stick with this breed forever.

If everyone did the research to find out what breed or mix matches their lifestyle and put in two weeks of consistent training, pounds would go out of business.

I think every dog should be crate trained. Our dog loves her crate (cave) and chooses to sleep there during the day. She likes the door to be closed so when she gets in, she paws until it closes behind

We had a problem with separation anxiety in our dog, a Rhodesian Ridgeback. What I found was this. It wasn't us leaving which was the problem, it was that our abrupt departure without her foreknowledge scared her. Now I tell her ahead of time that we're going to be leaving and she has to stay to guard the house. I remind her while we're getting ready that she has to guard the house. I give her a small treat and praise her before we leave. That solved our problem.

I have never had a dog with depression, but I've read of many, many instances of dogs suffering depression or grief for a variety of reasons. Just recently there was a story of a dog in Japan (an Akita?) whose master died. The dog met the late master's train every day for years. My heart goes out to dog--and all creatures--who suffer depression. May their lives be made brighter by alert and compassionate human companions.

Yes dogs and other higher functioning animals feel loss in regards to the death of a close human or another playmate.
Do canines stay depressed a long time - only if their humans project that on them. Dogs move on.
If you leave your pet unfulfilled and locked up there will be behiavor issues. Is depression part of that. Sure. Add on anxiety, frustration and a host of other side affects of not having your needs taken care of. Food, water and hugs are NOT enough.
Understand your dog's NEEDS. Do you have the appropriate amount of time, resources and physical space (inside & out).
Take your dog to obedience class. Train it and yourself. Check out your local Kennel Club!
Read some books on animal behavior.
And remember "Exercise, discipline and affection... in that order!" * Cesar Millan ("The Dogwhisper" on the National Geographic channel).

My husband very recently passed away and I can assure you my dog is depressed. I am spending as much time as I can comforting his dog as his dog is comforting me. She is my dog now and I will continue to do all the things he did with her so I can help her in our journey together.

The best companions for dogs are retirees and pre-school children because they have the time and need for each other's companionship.

Some dogs do get depressed, we had a spaniel that was depressed along with the rest of us when my father (her favorite person) died. And my brother had a lab-collie mix that got so nervous about so many things so that when she got older she was put on an anti-anxiety medication. But mostly I think what we think of as depression or anxiety in dogs is rather readily fixed by human actions --training your dog, making sure they get lots of exercise, crate training --cures many behavior problems seen when dog is left alone, and lots of love when you are around. Don't know if they have a doggie equivalent, but I use Feliway when I go away for a few days and have to leave my cat. The product releases calming pheromones into the air and she is much less anxious during my absence.

these are all good comments.

you should always investigate the breed and make sure its compatable with you and your circumstances.

bottom line is if you cant give the dog the time and love it deserves(YOU are responsible to do that), then dont bring it into your home.
its just not being fair.

They are not humans, so they don't think to themselves "Poor me", but certainly they get depressed.
Depression is not the same as separation anxiety.
I agree with CSE's comments.
A large dog crate is a good idea, too.
Once again, dogs are not humans and they don't speak English.
You have to train them.

Get two dogs - much less anxiety - they are after all pack animals ane one dog doth a pack not make.

Glad I could help - what do I win?

This story describes separation anxiety, which is a very serious problem. It's the leading cause of death for pets (i.e. pets are frequently euthanized because of this behavior). Your vet can help you deal with this...

Here's one solution that includes both medical and behavioral modifications.
http://www.reconcile.com/bond-training/

Another solution:
http://www.clomicalm.novartis.us/