Is Your Dog Depressed? Daycare May Help.
Posted on: 16 December 2019
Dogs are usually happy, energetic creatures, especially when their people are around. If you've noticed that your dog seems to be depressed and you're away from home a lot, even if it's just for daily work, it's possible that the two things are connected. Here's what you need to know about your dog's depression and how you can manage it.
Signs Your Dog Is Depressed
Dogs that are depressed lose interest in the things that they typically love. Since this article is about your dog being depressed due to you being away from home, they may perk up when you're around. However, you may notice that they seem particularly needy when you come home or may start barking or crying at the door whenever you leave home.
Dogs that are depressed may also show less interest in food. If you've noticed that you don't have to put down food as often, this may be a bad sign.
Why Your Dog Is Depressed
Dogs are essentially pack animals. They thrive within a group of other dogs, or in this case, with their loyal human. When they're left completely alone for hours on time, they grow anxious and depressed. Remember that your dog doesn't understand why you're gone every day. They may think that they've done something wrong, or just feel abandoned. This can also lead to other behavioral problems, like your dog ripping up your furniture or peeing where they shouldn't. In essence, they're doing this to comfort themselves while they're lonely.
How Dog Daycare Helps
Dog daycare is a great solution for dogs that are depressed. It gets them out of the house whenever you're away and gives them a human that's eager and able to play with them, walk them, and generally keep them company. But most importantly, they also get to spend time playing with other dogs.
Dog daycare is typically available on a drop-in basis, so if you need to go away without much notice, it can be accommodated. You can rest easy knowing that your dog is having a great time and probably isn't missing you nearly as much as if they were left completely alone at home.
There's no doubt that good pet owners can have depressed pets. It's not your fault; the average human simply has to leave their house for several hours every day in order to earn a living. However, that doesn't mean that your dog should suffer for it. Take the time to get them to a dog daycare so that they can have fun while you're away from home.
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