My dog gets depressed when my ex leaves. What can I do to help?

Hi, thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! I am so sorry for the loss of your husband! I think animals mourn as well and they can pick up on our stress and anxiety. I would call your vet and ask for medications for Sophia. I would consider a long acting anti-anxiety medication like prozac and also a short acting medication to use in the beginning for when you leave her. I would hope with time you can wean her off these medications. I would provide something of your husbands for her to keep in her crate or bed that you can give her. If she doesn't have food allergies consider giving her a Kong filled with food (there are recipes online) and keep the radio or TV on for her. If she likes other dogs you can even sign her up for doggie day care and drop her off there for the day. I wish you all the best!

Hi there and thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! There is a possibility you may see a little depression in the dogs initially, but in my experience dogs tend to adapt and will probably bounce back quickly. If your parents are noticing depression in Rocky once he moves perhaps they could find a doggy day care where he could interact and play with other dogs occasionally. Best of lucky to Rocky on the move!

Hello, thank you for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach. Yes, sharing a dog between 2 households can be stressful/confusing to a dog. Many dogs handle it just fine but it sounds like this is not a good situation for Otis. It is best for you and your ex to talk between yourselves and make one home the primary home and the other person just visit or take the dog for day trips. I know that is not ideal and you both love him but you need to do what is best for him. Training is not likely something that will fix this issue as his environment will still be changing back and forth and your ex is not likely to do the exact same behaviors/commands as you and it will just be more confusing.

I am so sorry for all that you guys are going through! Such stress is hard on everyone, regardless of 2 legs or 4. However, the difference is, you KNOW why you're stressed and why you're moving and why everything is in upheaval, and all Matel knows is that every thing changed and her people seem upset. The most important thing is to make sure that her needs continue to be reliably met-- food offered at the same time, water always available, maybe a routine daily walk stays intact. Additionally, make time to do things she likes to do... play with her and her toys, try to get her playing, etc. This is good stress relief for everyone; if she sees you and your wife having fun and trying to engage her, that will reassure her that, "oh, its going to be ok. They are ok!" As things settle down, she will likely come around to her old self. There are medications that can be helpful for dogs, though usually dogs don't develop clinical depression the way that people do. These drugs in dogs tend to be more helpful for anxiety. However, if she's not coming around, talk to your vet about trying medication. Massage can also be helpful, soothing, and can promote good feelings and bonding. Here's a great video about canine massage. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Tghk42R0QHU&t=9s I'm so glad you guys are safe. Best wishes to you all! Thank you for asking PetCoach!

Hi there and thank you for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach to address your concern. This can certainly be a confusing situation for Pepper, which may explain why he was confused when he returned the last time. If Pepper is going to a bad environment, I would try and talk this over with his previous owner and ensure him that Pepper is much better off in the environment he has been in the longest. Unfortunately, if he gave you temporary care of his dog, technically Pepper still is his dog. You could also ask the man if you could adopt Pepper from him and pay him an "adoption fee" and make it so that if you adopt Pepper, he no longer has ownership and is no longer allowed to take Pepper for visitation. I hope this helps guide you in the right direction! Please let me know if you have any other questions or concerns and I would be more than happy to help you further.

Thank you for contacting Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach with your question. Breaking up is really hard to do, and it can be hard on pets. No, I wouldn't take him back, he's bonded to you. It just takes time to adjust to a new home, and if you want, you can get him a companion for your home. Just give him time. When my ex and I broke up, he didn't take the dog who was super bonded to him. She sat by the front door for a long time waiting for him to come home, but she got over it, and was happy and loving life with me. I just gave her extra love and attention during that transition time. It will be ok, trust me. I hope this helps!

Poor Bella Boo! She definitely could be depressed due to the change in the household. Dogs also can feel our stress. You can try to put a calming collar on her like adaptil. If this isn’t working or if she gets worse, I would have your vet look at her to be safe. Your vet will be able to ensure nothing else is wrong like pain or an infection somewhere. If everything checks out normal, your vet can prescribe her an anti-anxiety to help her adjust. I hope this helps!