Friday, 27 July, 2007

Twice now I've added the keywords "Depression in Dogs" to my website advertising.  In the short while that I kept the keywords active, the number of hits to my website soared.  Unfortunately whenever anyone clicks on my ad I have to pay... and with the volume of folks clicking on Depression in Dogs, well unfortunately I couldn't afford to keep this ad active.  But it certainly showed me that there are a lot of depressed dogs in the United States.

And this is troubling.

Over the years I've read a number of articles about dogs and the 'old days'.   I was born and raised as an American in Germany, and my family did not live rurally, so it was different for me, but from what I understand, it used to be that Mom and Dad woke up in the morning, let Rover out, and that was it.  Rover made the rounds, checking in on his various dog friends, perusing the country side, chasing squirrels, maybe getting into some trash, napping in the shade and then meeting Timmy at the school bus.

Now, with more cars and people around, things are different.  Rover has to stay home.  

And now Mom is often out in the work force too.  So not only does Rover have to stay at home, but he is home alone.

This has significantly changed life for our dogs.

Dogs are social animals.  That's one reason we get along so well with them.  But social animals need social contact.  Staying alone for hours on end does not provide the social contact dogs need to thrive.

Also, dogs are living beings, and as living beings, well, they need a life. They need things to do, things to look forward to (yes, I think dogs can look forward to things, but that's just me), and things to be excited about.  They need quality of life, like the rest of us.

Behavior is complex, I know.  Dogs become depressed for many reasons; it's not only the lack of social contact and lack of "a life" that causes depression.  Sickness, the loss of a loved one in the family - either human or non-human, divorce, kids moving out, living with someone the dog does not like or trust, or simply change of one sort or another - all these can result in behavior that makes a dog appear to be depressed.  

Sometimes too much attention from a human can affect dogs in a negative way, creating signs of depression (or aggression or anxiety), as the dog is suffocated with good intentions or an overly controlling owner.  Too much attention can be placed on the dog by excesses in affection, training, fussing and care, activities, or demands.  Dogs need quiet comfortable  down time to relax and just be themselves as well as fun times in which they can experience the simple joy of being alive. 

What follows is a foundation to help move a dog away from depression and toward happiness.

1.  Provide him with walks and exercise.  Back in Germany when I was a kid it was standard knowledge that a dog needs to go for a walk for an hour a day, at least.  On this walk the dog must be able to smell and explore and be himself without the fear of being snapped into attention.  I suggest using a Sense-ation Harness -  www.softouchconcepts.com  - if your dog pulls on leash so that walks don't turn into exercises in getting the dog to stop pulling (which is stressful on the dog and you).  Walks provide your dog with exercise and he also gets to use his doggie senses.  Walks are also important because they keep your dog in touch with the world around him so that he does not develop fear of the unknown.  And we all know that exercise makes you feel better.  So get into the car and drive somewhere new, and take your dog for a walk!  Remember that the type and amount of exercise your dog needs is based on his breed, age, his individual personality, and his past experience.

2.  Provide your dog with variety.  Just like the same ol' same ol' gets old for us, it's like that for dogs too.  A physically and behaviorally healthy dog usually has a strong sense of curiosity, so let him explore and explore with him!

4.  Introduce him to water.  Doggie swimming pools (small round children's pools for around $10 work great for this), streams, lakes, a calm ocean and a long deserted beach are sources of joy to many dogs.  Throw a stick into the water, play with him, make it fun! 

3.  Take him for car rides.  When it's too hot outside or you are just not feeling like a walk, take your dog for a doggie tv cruise.  Also, weather permitting, take your dog along when you run your errands.

4.  Play with your dog.  Puppies love to play! Take advantage of this time to teach your dog to love to play.  Play is social interaction, it is mentally engaging, provides exercise, and is just fun. Play fetch, play tug of war, play hide and seek (of both you and objects), get out the squeak toy (and so what if he shreds it!).  Just last night I brought all five dogs into my office, closed the door and hid pieces of dog biscuits all around the house.  They love this game!  "Where's the cookies!"  I sing gleefully (dogs don't care about grammar) and they all go running around sniffing, tails wagging, ever so excited and happy. 

5.  Training tricks.  Most dogs have a grand time with this, and they love making you laugh!  Keep it light and fun.

6.  Stuff Kongs with different fun foods.  Kongs keep an otherwise listless mind focused on something delicious, and knowing that a stuffed Kong will come your dog's way every day, or a few times a week, will improve the overall quality of his life.  Try feeding your dog his dinner out of a Buster Cube.

7.  Vacation time!  Look on the Internet and find pet-friendly motels.  They abound, especially now since many hotels/motel have started charging extra for dogs.  The down side is that now most all motels seem to charge, but the upside is that there are many more motels that do accept dogs.  Now we can bring our dogs along with us on vacations or weekend get-aways.  Never leave your dog alone in a motel room, though.  We could think that this might ruin it for everyone else if your dog is "bad", but the reality is that your dog will be stressed and upset when alone in an unfamiliar environment.  This is what usually leads to the bad behavior.  

8.  Know your dog, and understand and accept what your dog likes and does not like.  For example, many dogs find dog parks to be a stressful experience.  Even if YOU love the dog park, don't take your dog there if he doesn't really like it!  If your dog isn't a tennis ball lover, and fetch means that you end up fetching the ball, then see what your dog does like to do.  A game of tug maybe, or hide and seek?  If your dog doesn't really seem to like your favorite dog related activity, well, find one that he does like.  Too often we try to fit a square peg into a round hole with our dogs, creating either stressful situations for him, or a void, because then he is dropped altogether.  Understand and accept your dog for who he is, rather than trying to make him into something he is not.

9.  Educate yourself on dog behavior, dog body language, and human to dog interaction.  So often we humans interact with our dogs with the best of intentions, but in ways that cause stress or discomfort to the dog.  I recommend reading Patricia McConnell's book The Other End of the Leash to learn about behavior that we do that presents a problem to our dogs.  Also excellent is the video by Turid Rugaas called 'Calming Signals'.  In this video Turid shows many examples of dog body language.  In becoming sensitive to these signals you can understand when your dog is uncomfortable, and so adjust his surroundings.

10.  Last but not least, see that your dog is getting a nutritionally adequate diet.  If your dog is listless and seemingly depressed, perhaps he is not getting the optimal diet for him, as an individual.  The Whole Dog Journal is an excellent source to learn about nutritious dog food (and pick up good dog training tips too).   Also, if your dog does not seem to like his food, consider trying another food that he may like.

 

And here's to a country full of happy dogs!