Understanding dog behaviour

How to Know if Your Dog is Sad

Max. D Gray
By Max. D Gray. Updated: January 16, 2017
How to Know if Your Dog is Sad

Dogs are animals that love to play, run and they've got a cheerful attitude. Dogs make us happy every day with their cheerful nature and it is not common to see them sad or depressed. However, dogs are intelligent animals that can sense when we're sad, happy or angry and in the same way, we should also get to know the emotional state of our dogs. Usually, a dog is sad because of changes in their environment, for example be the death of a person or the arrival of someone new. Dogs are one of the family and so they also feel affected by certain changes within the home environment. Nobody likes it when their dog is sad or depressed. In answer to this issue, OneHowTo investigates how to know if your dog is sad, so you know how to detect the mood of your dog and you can make them happy again.

You may also be interested in: How to Know If Your Dog Is Happy: 7 Signs

Steps to follow:

1

Dogs get used to a routine and being surrounded by people who think are a part of your family, those with whom they live. When there are changes in their environment produced by their owners' behaviors or changes such as moving house, the death of a person, the arrival of a new pet to the family etc., our dogs may begin to struck down with sadness.

How to Know if Your Dog is Sad - Step 1
2

Sometimes the problem may be that we are doing something wrong with our dog. Some of these problems can be rooted in the lack of affection if you do not take time to give our dog your love or time. Similarly, if we do not meet the dog's needs, like playing with the dog, taking them out for walks, not doing necessary exercise or do not letting them interact with other dogs, it can influence the behavior of the dog.

How to Know if Your Dog is Sad - Step 2
3

Other factors that can make your dog sad are changes you see in your environment, which may not be bad, but your dog needs time to adapt to these changes. These changes may result from the absence of a person, the arrival of a baby in the family, a change in their environment due to moving house, etc. If you want to learn how to tell if your dog is sad, read on.

How to Know if Your Dog is Sad - Step 3
4

Everyone knows or should know what the attitude of their dog is like. Some may have a calmer nature and they may be far less active, so it can sometimes be difficult to know whether the dog is sad or confused or if the dog is simply bored or tired out. However, the signals that will help you know if your dog is sad are:

  • A less active character than usual. If we see our dog is not so friendly, it may be an indication that the dog is sad.
  • A dog without an appetite. If you have a dog, we're sure you know how they like to eat. In fact, sometimes you might think they would want to eat all day long if they could. A dog without an appetite may be a sign that something is wrong.
  • Your dog does not interact to other dogs. The dogs are very sociable and they love to play with other dogs. If your dog is used to interacting easily with other dogs and now you find that your dog is not very receptive, you may suspect that something has happened.
  • Unusual behaviour. If you find that our dog cries and moans for no reason, it may be because something has happened.
  • Your dog is less loving. The dogs are usually very loving and they like to show their love for people. Therefore, another sign that could indicate that your dog is sad is when they show little affectionate towards their masters.
How to Know if Your Dog is Sad - Step 4
5

Now that you have read this article about sad dogs, if you have detected this state in your dog, you may want to try and help your dog deal with and get over the sadness. Therefore, here are some tips for you to see your happy dog again.

  • The first step you should do is take your dog to the vet. You wonder why, and the answer is that it could be that the dog is sad because of physical damage that you've missed.
  • When the dog is sad because of a move, let them get to know your new home. Play with your and put the dog's bed in a place that is comfortable. These steps may help. You will need to walk your dog to let them get to know your new area. Eventually the dog must adjust to this change.
  • In the event that your dog does not relate to other dogs or if they lack a canine companion, it may be more effective to have a doggy play date with other dogs. Another option is to add another dog to the family.

In any case, it is important to spend time with your dog, if you notice that your furry friend is sad. A good option would be to arrange a tour or go out and play at the park.

If you want to read similar articles to How to Know if Your Dog is Sad, we recommend you visit our Pets category.

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Pejama
I figured my dog was sad and depressed, I have been very ill with depression myself. We lost our home and all of our cats which i know hurt my dog as much as it did me. I've thought of getting him a companion doggy or possibly a kitty or two, idk? I knew he was depressed this confirmed it for me.
One behaviour I have been puzzled by was him always moving away from me. It has gotten top the point where he slept behind the couch one night.
We used to walk every night or 6 out of 7 nights for at least 1 hour if not longer. I have a hard time walking due to severe back pain and i do not like the neighborhood where we now live. So those are the reasons i enjoyed this article. Thank you!
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How to Know if Your Dog is Sad