Hi got a staffy dog yesterday, he is five years old but wont sleep and wont eat/drink. I am assuming that it is home sick but just wanted a few views, like if there were anything i could do to make him feel more like at home. Any help will be appreciated. I know it was the first night so maybe he will be better 2night, anyways i will keep you updated:d

I think you are quite right ,he is proberly feeling a little home sick ,& frightened ,give him loads of comfort &love & he should soon realize where he`s well off ,its hard sometimes when a dog is like this but please try to be patient the rewards will be worth it . good luck .

Thanx for your advice, he seems a little more happier than he did yesterday,so hopefully he should be ok in a few days.,

Have you tried hand feeding him, and taking his water bowl to him, he sounds nervous, am sure you will see a different dog today, it will take time :)

Try offering a bit of sliced chicken:hihi: Can't think of many dog's who'd refuse this! New environment etc, it's going to take a little while for him to settle...aw bless

he will eat our food (sometimes) just not his own, lol yeah might try the chiken:d he also seems to like pizza:huh::confused: lol, will keep you informed on how he goes:thumbsup:

What you do then, is leave his bowl of food down ( if dry) and don't give any treats/ scraps till he starts eating his own:hihi:
He may be just trying it on with his big puppy dog eye's, don't fall for it babe!

hang on, don't start mollycoddling a new dog, or you'll be making a rod for your own back, and ensuring your dog knows how to push your buttons

dogs don't starve themselves to death (new puppies not eating are of concern though)

Ignore him beyond providing the basics of food (put it down at dinnertime and pick it up if he doesn't eat it - give him about ten mins), bed (not yours!), and walks (under control - don't let him off until he knows he's your's)

Too many people get off on the wrong foot with a new dog, and wind up giving their dog problems he/she didn't have before - just by trying too hard to be nice!

Well Strix, YOU said it in one! Who's the pack leader here? You or the dog?
:hihi: At this stage in his life, as part of the family, he WILL be trying every trick in the book...so no way do you fall for it, unless you need/ want additional problems.
Assert your dominance as pack leader, don't take any S****.:hihi: He eat's AFTER the family, he get's NO privaliges, and get's totally ignored if he show's off and pushed away if he step's out of line....come on lass get with it! A resonsible dog owner, always has happy dog's if you follow a few simple rules.
Same rule applies with horses, but they are a lot bigger...you need to be ALPHA bitch!

Do you realise that the Alpha Bitch is simply the only bitch in a pack of related wolves that breeds??

Is Blossom supposed to have puppies to assert herself in this role or what?

The dog's in a situation he hasn't been in before, he's probably scared, doesn't know where he stands and what the rules are in this new place and probably feels very alone.

It isn't natural for dogs to just slot into a new family, they get to know their family and losing them and living with a new family can be scary.

There's a big difference between laying down the ground rules, showing the dog what he is allowed and providing appropriate consequences for the wrong behaviour to making him eat after the family which doesn't do anything other than teach him that he eats after you - it doesn't make you look like an authority figure and if your dinner time varies, it's damned unfair on the dog imo, and giving no privaleges?? What's that about? GIVING the dog privaleges is a fantastic way of providing consequences for the wrong behaviour - 'woops you got that wrong, now you're not allowed this for a while'.

Add to that, the fact that dogs aren't wolves anyway and treating them like such would just seem like a complete waste of time, would it not?
If only people like Jan Fennel could be stopped from book writing :rolleyes:

Good luck with him Blossom, try not to fuss around him too much as he won't really want it anyway but will learn from it, but be there if he needs a cuddle and make sure you start as you mean to go on :)

well I wouldn't put it so harshly puddinburner, but yep

give him a couple of days to suss you're nice enough to feed him and keep him warm, then build your relationship with him from there - slowly and within boundaries :thumbsup:

No lotti! My Alpha bitch type thing, is only to assert RESPECT! I have been known to nibble ears to show who's boss...lol
All dogs have to have the basic pack....pecking order, LOL I have no intention in having any more kids! YIKES:hihi: I've been speyed, so no prob's there..lol
Anyway, with any new dog in the pack, they have to be treated firmly but fairly, as with most human's I suspect. No softly, softly malarchy, or she'll end up with mega prob's later on, then I suspect, it'll be yet another dog ending up with the RSPCA, which we don't want, or worse ending up on street's. Evaluate and educate, no-ones here to pull anyone down..lol

All pet's are for life not just for xmas, so let's just hang fire and educate!
A dog brought up with respect, will be a damn good, loyal dog with no problems, for a good twelve years.
We just don't want this one ending up with the RSPCA due to lack of knowledge....Hang fire for a sec and try to educate, not pull down.
We need this dog to be accepted into "the pack" before it's too late.

please don't go off on a tangent or this whole thread could disappear, which won't do anybody any good ;)

:hihi: you lot keep calm! :suspect:

I seem to have a lot of new dogs staying here and personally I go middle of the road of all advice given depending on the dog, I would expect a new dog to pine a bit for his old life and owners probably 3 days or more where he won't eat and cries at night/looks miserable etc... which is essentially because he is feeling miserable, after that he will slowly come round.

I wouldn't try to force him to eat by treats, just let him be offer food and leave it for a while then take it away, he will eat when he's ready, he will not starve himself, you know how your tummy is tight and churns when your upset that is how he feels, and forcing him will make him more anxious, he will settle when he is used to everything.

If you have a nervous dog you will make him even more so by being extra loving to him and paying him lots of attention, I know that sounds wrong but believe me I know what I am talking about on this one.

Just be kind and gentle with him, but do not feel sorry for him and let him do things or behave in ways that you won't want to allow later, be firm but do it in a gently assertive no nonsense way rather than smacking or shouting (not that I am suggesting that you would) once he comes out of his shell he will then push your boundries, which is easier for you if there actually are some boundries in place, otherwise he will be unbearable and make his own.

Is Blossom supposed to have puppies to assert herself in this role or what?



I know this wasn't meant to be funny but :hihi::hihi:

DITTO!!!! What with terminator and his frisky ferts, all this talk of babies is making me broody....but alas been speyed so can't do:hihi::hihi:

I need birds!!!! Pleanty of rescue birds, anyone got any they feel they no longer can care for.:hihi:

I really do hope Blossom makes a go of this, Just give him time babe, he'll get over it, I sure!

Do you realise that the Alpha Bitch is simply the only bitch in a pack of related wolves that breeds??

I guess that makes ME the alpha bitch in our family then :hihi:

I guess that makes ME the alpha bitch in our family then :hihi:

hahahaha yup would seem so! :lol:

Well i have read all your comments and i have to agree leaving his food down and not giving any treats is working! he keeps having a nibble every 30mins or so , hopefully in the next few days he will be eating all his dinner/tea in one. thanx for your advice. x and also he is drinking fine too:D:thumbsup:

thanx ppl.

Well i have read all your comments and i have to agree leaving his food down and not giving any treats is working! he keeps having a nibble every 30mins or so , hopefully in the next few days he will be eating all his dinner/tea in one. thanx for your advice. x and also he is drinking fine too:D:thumbsup:

thanx ppl.

Sounds like he is perking up already so you must be doing ok, just wondered as well...are you feeding the same food as he was used to at home? wondering if he just doesn't like it.

Be careful not to allow him to graze though Blossom.

You're best off putting it down and removing it after 20 minutes otherwise he'll not learn to eat it all at the same time, he'll learn it stays there until the next time he fancies it.

Not a problem until you want to go out somewhere or want to tidy up and he won't eat his food :lol: (also makes toilet times more regular hehe)

[QUOTE=Lotti;4131285]

The dog's in a situation he hasn't been in before, he's probably scared, doesn't know where he stands and what the rules are in this new place and probably feels very alone.

It isn't natural for dogs to just slot into a new family, they get to know their family and losing them and living with a new family can be scary.


I have 2 agree here, this was what i thought it's like a child going to a different city/house with a new family, new rules ect... i suppose it will take time for him to adjust to us!

Sounds like he is perking up already so you must be doing ok, just wondered as well...are you feeding the same food as he was used to at home? wondering if he just doesn't like it.

The previous owner gave us nearly a full bag of some dried food he has been eating, so i think he is just feeling a little bit home sick, he seems to have perked up a bit since this morning tho.:)

Be careful not to allow him to graze though Blossom.

You're best off putting it down and removing it after 20 minutes otherwise he'll not learn to eat it all at the same time, he'll learn it stays there until the next time he fancies it.

Not a problem until you want to go out somewhere or want to tidy up and he won't eat his food :lol: (also makes toilet times more regular hehe)

I agree, will try that. cheers for advice ( sorry i seem a bit stupid but my mum n dad have always been the ones looking after dogs lol when i lived at home, so it's all kind of new to me) :roll: we'll manage though:D

Don't be daft, you have to start somewhere!

Are you thinking of changing his food when this bag is finished? If so, make sure you buy the new food about a week before the bag is finished so that you can mix the two, avoiding a dodgy tummy when you change him over!

Don't be daft, you have to start somewhere!

Are you thinking of changing his food when this bag is finished? If so, make sure you buy the new food about a week before the bag is finished so that you can mix the two, avoiding a dodgy tummy when you change him over!

Well there is loads of food probably enough to last a few more weeks, so yeah i will do that as i don't know what dry food it was ( he gave it me in a normal plane black bag).

If your dog still isn't eating I would think its 1 of 2 things

Either - the food that is non-named is just like cardboard - most of us wouldn't touch half of the **** that our poor dogs end up being 'starved' until they are forced to eat it - so, if the little chappie will eat a scrambled egg, or piece of chicken, or even a slice of bread or a buscuit - then he is eating - just doesn't like the black bag stuff. Some dogs will only eat meat/tinned/cooked food - we have had them in that literally LOVE pizza and crisps, probably cos thats all they have ever had. He may just be sad and lost - but staffy's are often brought round by their tummies.

If he isn't even eating a bit of scrambled egg, or cooked chicken - i would get his temperature checked asap as he may also be coming down with something. If you can't do it yourself - pop him to the vets - they can harbour things and its only shown by not eating.

Good luck - hope he's ok - why was he given up by the way? Could there be anything in that?

Hi, apparently the council wouldn't let him keep the dog, personally i don't think that was the only reason, ( don't know why) But he is such a lovely loving dog, even though he is a bit big and rough he is very loving lol and great with my 16 month old son.

I am going to make an appointment at the vets today and get him checked over. thanx x

make sure you get him chipped too - or have his current chip updated if he has one

reuniting staffies with owners if they wander off can be a bit difficult as there are so many turn up at the council pound!