If you've been reading this blog...
...for any length of time, you know that I have a dog, two cats and countless fish. I adore my animals and they adore me. I sleep with all of them in my room with the door shut because I don't want one of them to leave and have another one shut the door which has happened before.
Anyway, my dog is pretty much my best friend after my kids and my father. I know I spoil him but I don't care. He's my dog and he's a doll. He is actually a very sensitive dog, I don't know how he got that way but he is. He's also the man of this house and before I left for the judge show, Payton would bark at anyone who even got close to my house. I trained him to do that because I was afraid to be in the house alone. I needed a watch dog (or a man...call me crazy but I chose the dog.)
He was a great watch dog. He never barked for stupid stuff, just when it was appropriate to bark. Whenever I leave the house, I try to take him with me. If I were to go someplace that I couldn't take him, he would be waiting for me at the door when I got home. Then he would jump all over me and show me how happy he was that I was home.
When I got back from the airport, I didn't hear him barking before I walked up. Then, when I walked in, he took a minute to recognize me and then he DID jump up and down for me. After I got my stuff in and settled down, I went straight to the computer and while I was typing away, I realized that Payton hadn't made a sound nor had he walked past me at all. That's when it occurred to me that he was acting completely different. I thought that he might be sick but he's been sick before and he STILL barked at people walking near my house.
Yesterday, I tried to get him to bark for me and after a while, he seemed to have gotten my message...I wanted him to bark. It was like he realized that it was OK and he started barking again. He still hasn't barked like he used to, but I think he's getting back to normal.
I'm telling you this because I want to know what would make a dog change like that inside of ONE WEEK!? How can a dog who has always barked all of a sudden stop barking? What would someone have to do to a dog to make him change like that?
A friend of mine said that he thinks someone else took over his role of the alpha male in my house. The only person that it could be is my roommate's boyfriend. My friend said that if someone else was acting like HE was in charge...Payton might have just stopped trying. But my son spends a lot of time here and Payton never changed for him.
He doesn't have any bruises or cuts on him but the guy could have hurt him in a way that didn't leave any marks. Payton lost so much weight while I was gone that his skin was slightly loose. The dog food was gone as though he had been fed, but maybe he didn't eat. The cats are fine but they could run and hide a whole lot quicker than a 110 pound dog could.
Payton's entire personality has changed from a happy dog who loves to play into a quiet dog who just lays there for hours on end.
Do any of you know what would cause a dog to act like that? If you do, please let me know. He never barked at the roommate or the boyfriend but when I told the guy he had to leave, Payton DID growl at him until he left. What do you guys think?
...for any length of time, you know that I have a dog, two cats and countless fish. I adore my animals and they adore me. I sleep with all of them in my room with the door shut because I don't want one of them to leave and have another one shut the door which has happened before.
Anyway, my dog is pretty much my best friend after my kids and my father. I know I spoil him but I don't care. He's my dog and he's a doll. He is actually a very sensitive dog, I don't know how he got that way but he is. He's also the man of this house and before I left for the judge show, Payton would bark at anyone who even got close to my house. I trained him to do that because I was afraid to be in the house alone. I needed a watch dog (or a man...call me crazy but I chose the dog.)
He was a great watch dog. He never barked for stupid stuff, just when it was appropriate to bark. Whenever I leave the house, I try to take him with me. If I were to go someplace that I couldn't take him, he would be waiting for me at the door when I got home. Then he would jump all over me and show me how happy he was that I was home.
When I got back from the airport, I didn't hear him barking before I walked up. Then, when I walked in, he took a minute to recognize me and then he DID jump up and down for me. After I got my stuff in and settled down, I went straight to the computer and while I was typing away, I realized that Payton hadn't made a sound nor had he walked past me at all. That's when it occurred to me that he was acting completely different. I thought that he might be sick but he's been sick before and he STILL barked at people walking near my house.
Yesterday, I tried to get him to bark for me and after a while, he seemed to have gotten my message...I wanted him to bark. It was like he realized that it was OK and he started barking again. He still hasn't barked like he used to, but I think he's getting back to normal.
I'm telling you this because I want to know what would make a dog change like that inside of ONE WEEK!? How can a dog who has always barked all of a sudden stop barking? What would someone have to do to a dog to make him change like that?
A friend of mine said that he thinks someone else took over his role of the alpha male in my house. The only person that it could be is my roommate's boyfriend. My friend said that if someone else was acting like HE was in charge...Payton might have just stopped trying. But my son spends a lot of time here and Payton never changed for him.
He doesn't have any bruises or cuts on him but the guy could have hurt him in a way that didn't leave any marks. Payton lost so much weight while I was gone that his skin was slightly loose. The dog food was gone as though he had been fed, but maybe he didn't eat. The cats are fine but they could run and hide a whole lot quicker than a 110 pound dog could.
Payton's entire personality has changed from a happy dog who loves to play into a quiet dog who just lays there for hours on end.
Do any of you know what would cause a dog to act like that? If you do, please let me know. He never barked at the roommate or the boyfriend but when I told the guy he had to leave, Payton DID growl at him until he left. What do you guys think?
posted by Meg Kelso | 7:04 AM
6 Comments:
Meg -
You know I'm a big ole dog person.
He could be mad at you, or he could have just missed you and need mommy time, or someone could have disciplined him, or he could have eaten some bad food, etc.
Nose wet? Cold? ears? Bowel movements? Food habits? eating?
You know, we do know someone who was a vet tech...
That's the first thing I thought. He's as affectionate as ever and he's eating a LOT! Nose was warm and dry but now is cool and wet. I don't attend his bowel movements but he doesn't go out anymore than usual. Actually, right now it's raining so that big chicken won't go out at all. He barked at one person earlier...but only twice, not his usual GET AWAY FROM MY HOUSE NOW bark.
I hope he bounces back. Have any of you ever had a dog do this? I've left before, remember 2 months in Florida and then the funeral? I've had him for 3 1/2 years and he's never acted like this when I left.
I am going nuts trying to figure it out.
:(
Oh I know how that feels- extra big hugs to you Meg! I wonder if he's having a worse reaction to your leaving because of the extended time you were gone last time. This time he knows what that is like perhaps and started grieving right away? But please borrow the money (forget the food:)lol, and get him to a vet for blood work. How old is he?
Also, the skeevy guy could have scared him and bullied him which doesn't leave any visible marks now does it!
Maybe, with two people setting up house while you were gone he thought you weren't coming back?
Poor guy- don't ya wish they could just talk?
Absolutely. I keep asking him as though he'll answer me. He's such a doll. He's barked at the last two people who came by so maybe whatever it is, he's done with it. If he doesn't get any better soon, I WILL call the vet and give them a post dated check.
Thanks girlie!
:)
I'm betting on the weird dude-the roommate's "boyfriend." I left my normal, fun-loving cat for about a week when I went to visit some friends. I asked a neighbor to take care of the cat who is strictly an indoor cat.
I came home to a cat who had been totally traumatized by the jerk neighbors-oh, and some of my stuff including a favorite blouse-gone. It's amazingly disgusting what some people consider "fun."
TW
When I eventually kicked them out, the dog stood next to me and barked like a mad dog. It was cool.
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