Maybe Depressed Dog

[swazzie]

Back again with another question!

So Saturday was the day that Bru passed.

We included Chloe our other lab on the day, she got to sniff him and hang out with him until we buried him.

She knows where he's buried and has sat on his grave for a little while .

The lovely vet who came to the house, said to me as she was leaving to watch her as dogs that are very close can get very down.

The issue is she is already withdrawn, yesterday she was being a bit funny all day but we just have her lots of cuddles.

Today was the first day she was home alone , we got home and she sat with us for a little while and has now gone into bed and won't come out- not her normal behaviour .

She seems sad

Is there anything i could give her?

Or am I reading into it too much/stressing too early- be honest

Thanks for any advise

[Bundyburger]

Just leave her be, she is confused and grieving too, she needs find a new normal. Don't fuss or trwat her differently or she will play it up.

Sorry you lost your other dog.

[persephone]

poor Girl - naturally she will be grieving - her whole world is now different.

treat her as normal ..but give her extra walks/car rides/bones .

Don't fuss over her with cuddles/tears - she will pick up on that & it may make her feel worse .

perhaps when you get home ..take her for a walk , or do some training with her - using nice treats :)

[Rayhay]

Having just gone through a similar issue to you, we are one month along now without our other Rotti girl, our other remaining Rotti dog did appear to grieve for a few days, she actually destroyed our now passed on other dogs bedding, I take this as a sign of grief as well.

I think she is settling into the new routine now, although she is probably a little more bored through the day without our other Rotti dog, who was a big part of her life, she seems to be coping, we walk her often, do training, play games and try to be up beat with her to reassure her.

She does have the company of our other little cairn terrier x through the day, but he is old, deaf and not really that interested in playing or anything, but at least she has him for some comfort and company while we are at work.

Try and stay up beat, play, walk and do things to try and reassure her that all is ok. Try not to molly coddle, as this just confirms that something is wrong and she should be worried.

Ray

[Little Gifts]

I had an sbt who lost two playmates at different times and she'd stand for hours looking out the back door waiting for them to come inside. She couldn't be consoled. She was just one of those dogs that needed to be part of a pack and was lost on her own. I know getting another dog is not a solution for everybody but in both instances we ended up with another rescue dog who needed a home not long after both deaths and she took on mothering them and had a job to do again. Perhaps Chloe could use a new job or role in your house to distract her or re-focus her? Even with my pack here now I can't imagine one of our dogs (Tempeh) coping with being an only dog. She relies on the other two for so many things that she lacks.

[Teebs]

I found the more I felt sorry for my surviving dog the worse she got. I took her back to her exact same routine she was used to, no extra cuddles, no extra inside times etc and within 2 days she was back to normal

[RuralPug]

Give her time.

Try to keep the routine as normal as is possible. Dogs do grieve, but mostly they are creatures of the present moment so they accept the new order reasonably quickly as long as as too much is not changed at once.

[tdierikx]

I had a Rotti pair who were very close. When Blossom passed, Rastus sat on her grave in the back yard for 3 whole weeks! Rain, hail, or shine, he sat there - we even had to take food and water out to him... we were starting to get really worried, but one day he just got up and came back to join the rest of us as though all was fine again.

I rcently had to send my old girl to the Bridge... the other 3 were a bit unsettled for about 5 days as the routines all changed due to not having to accommodate the old wobbly girl any more.

I wouldn't fuss over Chloe any more than usual - just make sure she learns the new routines with as little fuss as possible, and she'll come around in her own time, OK?

T.

[Tassie]

They definitely do grieve, and are like people, in that some show it more than others. You have recognised it, but as others have said, you'll just have to play it by ear. Sticking with routine is good, but also maybe going to different places for walks occasionally can help. When my previous BC boy died suddenly at age 6, it was very hard on my BC girl, who was only 7 weeks younger than the boy. And watching their grief makes it harder for us.

I did get another pup within 3 months (he was just meant to be mine), but that was for me rather than specifically for her.

Some people find that something like Rescue Remedy, or one of the herbal remedies can help if a pet seems not to be coping, but I'd just see how she goes for a week or so.

Hope the humans are coping OK.

[White Shepherd mom]

Hi swazzie,

I'm so sorry you lost Bru, I knew his time was close but I was hoping you'd have some more time together. I hope you are coping alright.

My Casper was sad when Bella died but not as bad as Chloe sounds. I think half his sadness was because I couldn't stop crying. He was lost on his walks as he was used to following Bella around, now suddenly he had to be in charge of which tree he went to sniff next. Walks were his favourite thing so we went on a lot of them, including drives to further locations. He didn't get extra cuddles, but he did get extra one-on-one time, more treats and chats and grooming.

Get Chloe out and about, get her out of the house where all the memories and sadness are. It will do you good as well.

hugs.

[swazzie]

Thank you

I think I'm worried as Chloe was very much the follower( but mummy dog to my ds).

Bru while very quite was the boss dog and she just went where he did. She loves the attention of dogs and aside from her humans here who she'd happily cuddle with all day, would be happy in a field of dogs wrestling . Bru wasn't very fussed with other dogs, aside from Chloe, he was a people dog.

I will take on board all the comments and make sure we get her to the dog park regularly .

She just seems sad, but it has been only a few days

I guess in my heart I know she'd do well with another dog as she's very much the mum dog, it's just not something we can even think about now or forseeable future.

Too soon