Dog Community

Lonely puppy

Posted : 5/9/2006 8:37:37 PM

I'm not sure if this is the right place to post this, but I figured it was somewhere to start. Dexter is a malte-poo, just over a year old. I just started a new job and I am gone for about 10 hours a day. It has only been one week, but he is not handling this well at all. He is very depressed and pouts all the time. He sits by the door and cries when I leave. I feel terrible. He won't eat while I'm gone and spends all day sleeping in my laundry basket. I have a roomate, so he is only alone for about 7 hours, which is what he has known all his life. I also have my mom stopping in everyday around lunch time to take him out for an hour to go for a walk and play, but he's not even interested in playing. He just pouts. I feel terrible, and I'm not really sure what to do with him.

What are the chances he will adjust with a little more time? It has only been 1 week, and I'm hoping that he will get used to this new schedule and be ok with it. Should I think about getting him a companion? I was considering trying to find him a cat (he looooves kitties) to keep him company during the day so he is not completely alone.

Can anyone offer any suggestions?? We are going to see the vet tomorrow afternoon and I am going to ask her what she suggests as well.

Thank you for any advice!

loveukaykay

Posted : 5/10/2006 1:23:15 AM

How old is this puppy and where did you get him from? I would think its something he will grow out of, they are pretty good at adapting to our lifestyles.

Patt

Posted : 5/10/2006 2:10:39 AM

You said your roommate and your mom check on him so I think he needs a little more time to adjust to your schedule. Do you exercise him in the mornings before work? A good walk will help to brighten his day. When you arrive home or shortly thereafter another walk would be good. This gives him lots of exercise and should take away the depression. Be careful this behavior doesn't develop into separation anxiety. Good luck and please mention this to your vet.

hollie LaTour

Posted : 5/10/2006 5:33:04 AM

hi dextersmom,

Oh i feel for you on this subject! We have two husky puppies who react exactly the same when we leave for work, luckily both of us work in a nightclub most nights so they can sleep in our absence, but they pine terribly when we leave- to the point where they will hardly let us out of the door.

We've had them for 5 months now with pretty much the same routine and although they still pine, they no longer pout when we get home and we just get frantic excitement instead which helps the guilt factor! They did adjust and accept the routine fairly quickly, so i'm sure your little one will do the same [

]

Hollie

Suzi

Posted : 5/10/2006 6:58:48 AM

Is it seperation anxiety?
Would it make a difference to him if your wearing outdoor clothing and home clothing?
Does he cries even if your in another room then him?
Do you make a big deal when leaving?

Xerxes

Posted : 5/10/2006 11:27:45 AM

Your pup should grow out of it. It will take a few weeks for him to get used to your new schedule. In the meantime you need to be as consistent as you can be with wake up times, feeding times, play times and the like. Dogs usually do better on a schedule.

Nicole Crouch

Posted : 5/10/2006 12:21:33 PM

Thank you all for the support. The vet also said she thinks he just needs some more adjustment time.

He is fine when I go to another room, and often leaves me hahaha. He loves to sit on the couch with me or play, but he is content wandering the apartment and playing by himself, and goes into the bedroom when he wants to sleep and
leaves me in the living room. He's not clingy or attached in an unhealthy way, at least I don't think so. We don't go for a walk in the morning before work, because I leave at 6am. We get up the same time everyday and have the same routine. I do take him for a walk as soon as I get home, and my mom takes him at 11am. He is a little guy (10 pounds) and we each walk him a mile and half each walk, so he is getting enough exercise.

He is over a year old, but just one of those critters that does not like change apparently. Yesterday for the first time since I started this job, I came home to a happy puppy, not a pouty one. He ran to the door to greet me and we played and went for our walk. [

]

Thank you again for all your support!!