My dog lost his mate. Why is he suddenly whining, humping, and clingy?

I am so sorry to hear this! It is always sad to lose a 4 legged family members but it is also heart breaking to watch their house mates suffer the same grievance. I would make sure to give your dog plenty of extra TLC and spend extra time with him when you can. I would also consider put a calming collar on him like adaptil to help calm him while you are away. There are also calming chews you could try like composure or the prescription version composure pro. At the end of the day, it is going to take time for him to grieve just like us. Unfortunately, some do not completely heal until they have a new companion to be with. I hope this helps and please know you are in my thoughts.

If he is truly 17 years old then this could be due to cognitive disorder which is similar to dementia. There isn't much you can do about this but you could try to put him on anipryl which can sometimes help but the meds are expensive. If he is younger like it looks in the pictures, this could be from several things like a new anxiety (construction workers, storms, change in his owner(s) routine, etc), pain somewhere, and more. I would have your vet do a thorough exam on him. If everything looks normal, I would talk to him about anti-anxiety meds if needed. Some natural things to try is a calming collar like adaptil and calming chews like vetriscience composure or the stronger prescription version composure pro. I hope this helps!

I doubt that you being gone is causing the problem. He is now sexually mature and he probably is looking out for and smelling females in heat. If he is not to be a breeding dog I suggest you have him neutered. ( https://www.petcoach.co/article/5-great-reasons-to-spay-or-neuter-your-pet/ ) An Adaptil (pheromone) collar and/or diffuser or collar may help for now. ( https://www.adaptil.com/us ) ( https://www.allivet.com/search.aspx?SearchTerm=adaptil ) Hope this helps. Best wishes.

Poor Littlebit! Is there a scary or traumatic even that could have happened a few months ago that could have changed his behavior? Or a change in the household (new people, kids now crawling/walking, new pets, construction, etc) or household routines (you're home more or less than normal, change in work schedule, etc)? All of these things could cause a little anxiety or neediness. You could try to give her some Benadryl to see if this calms her. You could also do a pheromone calming collar like adaptil. If this does not help, I would talk to your vet about looking at her to ensure nothing else is going on and possbily starting her on an anti-anxiety medicine. I hope this helps and she starts to feel better really soon.!

Hello, and thank you for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach. Your description sounds most suspicious of generalized anxiety. There may have been something that spooked your dog recently to cause the behavior change, making him want to be near you all the time and causing him to seek reassurance. However, given his breed, it's also possible that he's just got too much pent-up energy - many high energy breeds can develop either anxiety or boredom if they aren't given an outlet for their energy and a way to tire themselves out. I recommend making sure your dog has a way to RUN his energy off daily. (with his breed and age, a walk probably won't cut it). You can take him running, or if he's ball motivated, throwing a ball is a great option to get him running. Fenced in dog parks are good options too. If tiring him out doesn't help reduce his clingy behaviors, I recommend consulting your vet and having them do a physical exam and likely some screening bloodwork. Sometimes panting, whining, and being generally clingy are the dog's way of telling us that something's not right, which can be the first sign of a disease or health problem. 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!

Poor Madge! I'm sorry to hear about your loss. Dogs can and do mourn much like people do, so it is likely that she is feeling a bit lost and afraid now that her friend is no longer there. There are a few things you can do to help with separation anxiety, including playing a soothing talk radio or TV show while you're gone, leaving a puzzle toy to distract her, going on a long walk to tire her out prior to your leaving, or having a T-shirt or blanket that smells like you or your passed away pup to cuddle with. Pheromone diffusing collars can also help by releasing a calming pheromone to help reduce stress and anxiety. If you can, coming home for breaks during the day to let her out and play with her may help reduce her anxiety. If the problems persist or do not improve, speaking with a trainer or behaviorist in your area may help. They may be able to formulate a training plan to help Madge feel a bit better and get comfortable in her new situation.