Dogs express their emotions and distress in many different ways just like humans do. It up to the owner to be able to identify the ways in which their dogs tend to communicate to them that they are in discomfort. Below we highlight some of the common signs that can help you tell if your dog is sad.
Ways to Tell if Your Dog is Sad
1. Destructive behavior
This is one simplest way that a dog can start acting out showing you that it is sad. A well-trained dog would rather act sad than start destroying things around the house including toys, clothes, and furniture. This destructive nature may be caused by the simplest or little things such as using a different softener to clean its things such as rugs or even change in the environment. Another cause could be boredom and you have to find out what will keep your dog busy the entire day. Maybe use toys or decide to take walks or spend some time playing with them.
2. Aggression
When your dog turns from a calm sweet dog to an aggressive dog then there is surely something wrong. If it starts snapping at you or even picking fights with its friends, both dogs and people, then you need to take some time to observe its behavior since it can turn to be dangerous for even children to be around with it. Make sure to take some time to observe what it might be going through. It could be a bad tooth or something is wrong with its diet and maybe it just needs time to adjust.
3. Body language
This may be seen when you observe that your dog no longer react to different sounds around him and even act not being interested in anything happening around him. Your dog might also show signs such as drooped ears more than normal. Your dog may also curl up on one corner and just act sad begging for attention.
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4. Change in behavior
Change in behavior either in routine may be a cause of alarm for you to finally consider that something is probably not right. This may be caused when probably you have moved into a new apartment, its favorite toy is missing, change in diet, or medical problems. You should probably take time and observe what might be causing a change in behavior for your dog.
5. Eating habit change
Dogs act more like human beings when depressed – they tend o eat a lot. It is quite important for you to check your dog’s bowl and see if it has eaten less or more. They may start being too demanding for food and if the problem is not sorted out quickly then they may increase in weight rapidly. If you also notice that your dog is eating too much grass, more than the usual, then it might be something to be concerned about.
6. Pacing
Pacing can be a sign of discomfort for a dog especially if you are not used to them doing that. For instance, if your dog is pacing around its bowl after eating or the bowl is full or pacing around the door after you let it out to play, then you need to be concerned. It can be caused mostly by boredom, pain, or injury. Unundiagnosed medical conditions can cause your dog to pace frequently since they can’t find a comfortable place for it to lie.
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7. Sleeping pattern change
Both humans and animals tend to have the same sleep patterns. They are often active during the day and go to sleep at night. So if you find that your dog is sleeping during the day and can’t seem to find sleep at night, that should be a red flag for you. You should start paying attention and try finding out what is wrong.
8. Excessive paw licking
Licking paws for animals is a way of cleaning even for dogs. But excessive paw licking may be a sign of nervousness or something is totally wrong with its paw. So you should be keen enough to know if they are doing it excessively and check its paw.
9. Extra shedding
Most furry animals have periods in between the year when they shed some fur but you have to be on the lookout for those building spots. Extra shedding might be a sign of physical stress, change in weather, or sickness. So if you see this make sure to see a vet check if everything is good. The remedy for this is to keep your dog entertained at all times and if its depression does not seem to end then there are medicines that can help with that.
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10. Passive stance
Depending on the breed, dogs have a different iconic passive stance. The most common one is one that has its tail in between its legs and heads down low showing its guilt, scared, or it’s in trouble. Also, it can be a sign that your dog might be sick and needs to see a vet.
These are the most common ways to tell if your dog is sad. Be on the lookout to spot any of these signs and take the right measures to help. Do not be ignorant because something more serious could be wrong with your lovely pet.