Depressed Dog?

Dogs, like people, get trapped emotions. I do emotion healing on animals and people. Its easy to find out what are the trapped emotions are, write me back if you want to know more or schedule a session with me. You will definately see a difference very soon.

She is depressed. Poor thing. Imaging have the mentality of a two old and being moved around from home to home. She is scared, nervous and insecure.

And, you are doing exactly the right things with her. Just continue to love on her, be near her, talk to her - it is important that she hear your voice - and explore her likes and dislikes. It normally takes a week or three for new pets to settle into our home. (90% of ours are "adult" adoptions).

For the not eating - if the food you are feeding her is different from the foster home's, you may want to purchase what she is used to eating - even if it is the doggie equivalent of junk food, and then begin mixing the new food in a little at a time until the new food replaces the old.

If she is not drinking water, you may want to run her to the vets though. I also have been known to "bribe" new dogs, or sick dogs with a plain scrambled egg....don't understand it - but they love it. And, yes, my vet has said that is okay every once in a while.

Ask the foster home if she had a favorite blankie or toy at their house that you can come pick up for her (offer to replace it with a new) - sometimes a familiar object helps with the transition. We adopted an older cat who had suddenly and irrevocable lost her human and had been shuffled around for a months to various relatives. When she came to us she had a towel and a stuffed toy that were her life lines...she slept on the towel and carried the toy with her. I knew she had finally adjusted when I found the toy "abandoned" in a corner.

Your new doggie needs to get used to you, your habits, the smells and sounds in your house, oh, so many things. Be patient, give her love, and she will adjust. Animals are resilient creatures. She will come to recognize your love and understand that your home is a safe and permanent home for her.

Good Luck
God Bless

She could be depressed form the different surroundings, loss of the prior owner, or she could be sick, it could also be arthritis. If she is listless, not eating, drinking, stays in one spot, constantly sleepy, I would take her to the vet. At 8 years old she is considered a senior pet, and will get worn out much quicker, so I would take her to a vet for a senior check up anyways. I worked at a vet and animal hospital, and this is my experience with senior pets.

Some great info here on how you can hep her:
http://pets.webmd.com/dogs/features/depression-in-dogs

aw, the poor little thing :( it's so tough on them to go through home changes, even though this is what needed to happen, clearly, if she was in a foster home. do what you can to give her all the care and attention she is needing to feel secure - when you do leave her alone for the first time, don't be gone long. let her become secure in knowing that you are ALWAYS going to come back. as far as the eating, are you still feeding her whatever she was being fed at her last home? past about the age of 2, my dogs never played with toys - so i wouldn't be too concerned about that. it's an adjustment period, don't feel guilty, just feel compassion for her and the stress she's going through - it sounds like she got an awesome family!

It might take her a little bit to get adjusted to her new life and new surroundings. I volunteer at a rescue, and have also adopted 2 dogs from a rescue... Sometimes it's a bit overwhelming for them to be moved around a few times..
My dog was the same way, he was super happy when I met him and once we brought him home, he wouldn't eat and was being quiet.. Within 4-5 days, he was 100% back to himself...
Give her a few more days, she'll be okay :0)
Congrats and thank you for "rescuing" your forever friend~

This can actually a good sign. It means she will become bonded to you, she just needs to adjust and she probably does miss her foster home. Just show her love talk to her and maybe a few shorter walks throughout the day instead of one longer walk. She may be tired too if she's not used to that activity. Make sure she is drinking water and going potty like she should though. Just incase there is a medical reason. Don't feel guilty! You have a great opportunity to show her this is an awesome home and that you'll love her even when she's sad. Just as she will do for you!

As another "adoptive mom" to several pound puppies over the years, I totally agree with Lesley B.

You've gotten some great advice here. A couple of points I'd add:
- re: not eating. I have a 6 yo female boxer/shephard mix who is such a princess when it comes to eating, it isn't even funny. Most days, she'll pick at her breakfast for a bit, then leave it for awhile. Sometimes, she comes back and eats it. Some days, I just pick it up. She'll be more interested if our beagle/basset shows any sign of going near her dish, though! We've tried different foods and, unless it's topped with people food or a little wet dog food, she's just a picky girl. As she's healthy and her weight is stable, we don't sweat it much. Maybe your new addition is just a bit particular and needs a little time to settle in.
- if you suspect arthritis, try adding some omega-3 or fish oil capsules to her food regularly. We've found it to be very helpful.
- exercise is good but, like with people, dogs have to work into a regular exercise habit. Start with short walks or ball-chasing sessions & build up.
- time is your best friend. Give her a chance to settle in.
- even if you think she's healthy, take her to your vet for a "get acquainted" physical. My vet greatly appreciated it when we brought a new animal in while they were well. It gave us a chance to set up any updates for shots and regular care. Also, then when the dogs had any issues the vet already had some familiarity with them and baseline temps, weight, etc.

Good for you for adopting a mature pound pupster! In our experience (and we've done this 4 times over the last 14 or so years), they make the very best pets.

Good luck with your new family member!

Oh the poot thing.
She misses her other mommy.
She will get used to you and will adjust.
Keeo doing what you have been.
Introduce exercise little by little, she is an old dog and not as spritely as a puppy. Go easy on her.

If she's 8 and out of shape she could be sore. Dogs get arthritis etc. I would take the exercise slow. Also if she seems to be like this a lot she might need a prescription pain Med from the vet. As far as her mood if she's a little down it will pass. Just make sure she feels secure and she'll be fine in a few weeks.