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How can I help my sad dog?

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Hi i am looking for some advise. My dog is sad. She is really missing Vike my husband who died recently. She is brighter when i am at home but when i go to work she is really sad (ears down droopy eyes etc). I always leave her the radio on, 1 day a week my neighbour walks her and 1 day a week she goes out with my Mum. I am out of my house for 8 hours a day which is a long time, but i walk her before i work and walk her again when i am home.

 

She is so used to having someone with her most days i think she is finding it hard to ajust.

 

I recently spoke to my local vet who suggested i get her a puppy, but i am not really keen on having another dog due to expense space etc.

 

Does anyone have any suggestions

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There are so many ways to combat things like this without getting another dog! It drives me mad when people say 'get the dog a friend'.

 

It will take her a while to get used to Vike not being around :( Dogs do adjust well though, and she will in her own time. They don't mourn quite like we do, but they do understand the loss of a companion/pack member. It's hard enough for them when another dog companion dies, but the humans are the leaders of their little pack and dogs do mourn the death of a pack leader.

 

Try giving her some interactive toys to play with... you can fill a kong toy and leave it with her so that she can work at getting it out, and maybe leave another one ready so a neighbour can pop in and swap them half way through the day. (You can now get kong dispensers that are on a timer to release another stuffed kong or other toy at certain points through the day to keep them interested but they're expensive).

However, many dogs won't touch the kongs and other interactive toys until their human pack members are home, so it may not work.

There are also balls that dispense treats as the dog rolls it around.

 

Believe it or not, it may not be helping her to have a neighbour walk her once a week. It may be fine, but dogs do adjust quicker if they have a very certain routine, and by seeing the neighbour once a week, it isn't helping to build one.

If you could get someone to pop in for half an hour and play with her every day it would be a different story, but until she is more comfortable with being left, I'm not sure I'd be disturbing her routine. Of course once she's happier being left alone all day, you can have people come in to take her out.

 

That's just my input, but I will ask some of my more knowledgable 'contacts' to try and find some answers to help you.

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thankyou for that

I was starting to think i was just being cruel not wanting another dog.

 

i guess because this is a transition for both of us things are more chaotic than normal, i am in and out more than i would normally be etc, will work now to look at a more settled routine and see how that goes.

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If you are stuck try this lady. Pet sitter highly recommended.......

 

Happy at Home

15, Stoneleigh Close, Dinnington, Sheffield, South Yorkshire S25 2RZ

Tel: 07840 716897

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Have you asked if one of your neighbours could pop in and talk to the dog or maybe look after her during the day. When I was at work ( now lady of leisure according to my husban I prefer taking a career break to raise a family ) my neighbour child minded and dog minded.

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