How to Know If My Dog Is Sad?

Just like people, dogs can feel sad for various reasons, and even become depressed. Detecting these episodes of sadness lets us act as soon as possible to reverse the situation.

There are several signs dogs will show when they're sad, but before thinking of a psychological issue, we should always see a vet to rule out a physical cause. Below, we explain the most common symptoms. Let's begin!

Signs Your Dog Is Sad

The truth is sadness in dogs causes quite a few nonspecific symptoms. This means they're common across multiple conditions, which delays and complicates diagnosis and treatment. Also, it's not always easy to identify this pattern, especially if we've just adopted the dog and aren't familiar with its routines yet.

As a general rule, we can say any unusual sign that persists over time or worsens is reason for a vet visit. Sadness in dogs will show through both physical and psychological symptoms. We highlight the following:

• Loss of or reduced appetite.
• Apathy — the dog seems unmotivated and doesn't follow its usual routines, or reduces its activity.
• Lethargy — the affected dog will spend the day lying down.
• A sad dog stops playing.
• It doesn't react to stimuli in its surroundings.
• Interaction with us and the rest of the family decreases.
• Sleep hours increase.
• It makes sounds like whimpering, crying, or even howling.
• It becomes fearful, anxious, stressed, and so on.
• It may spend a good part of the day hiding.
• It develops stereotypies, meaning repetitive behaviors performed outside the context where they'd naturally occur.

Causes of Sadness in Dogs

Sadness in dogs can appear in many different situations. But there are some circumstances we should pay special attention to, since we can consider them triggers for sadness. The most common are the following:

• Phantom pregnancy or pseudo-pregnancy: in short, this is a hormonal disorder that makes the female's body act as if she's pregnant, even though no fertilization actually occurred. It happens in unspayed females. Spaying resolves it.
• Puppies separated from their family: taking a few-month-old dog out of its family group and moving it to a new environment causes considerable stress, especially during the first few days. Proper adjustment is important.
• Abandoned dogs or major changes in the family: just like puppies recently separated from their litter, a dog, regardless of age, can become completely disoriented from being separated from its family, or if major changes happen within it. A death, a birth, or a move all pose a risk.
• Insufficient stimulation: a dog that spends the day alone, tied up, locked up, without exercise, and so on, day after day, will be far from meeting basic canine wellbeing standards.
• Trauma: a mistreated or abandoned dog, or one that's lived through an extremely negative experience, can easily develop behavioral problems, sadness, or depression. This is manageable by following the guidance of an ethologist or canine behavior specialist.
• Cognitive dysfunction syndrome: similar to Alzheimer's in humans. It affects elderly dogs and causes symptoms that might make us think the dog is sad — for example, hiding or avoiding interaction. It's degenerative, but the dog's quality of life can be improved with guidance and medication.

Strategies for Addressing Sadness in Dogs

Only after a complete vet checkup confirms the dog is healthy can we consider a psychological issue. It's treatable, but except in the most obvious cases, it requires a thorough review of the dog's history and life circumstances.

Afterward, changes to its routine will need to be made. Vets specialized in canine behavior or ethologists can help with this task. In some cases, medication may be needed, always after professional assessment and with a vet's prescription.

Prevention and Treatment of Sadness in Dogs

Besides the guidelines professionals give for dogs diagnosed with sadness or depression, there are some important measures to consider both to help a sad dog and to prevent this condition. These are:

• Watch your dog to learn to recognize its communicative signals. This way, you'll anticipate its needs and avoid misunderstandings.
• Whenever possible, don't put it through situations you know are stressful for it.
• If you know it likes something, offer it as often as you can. For example, take it for a walk to its favorite spot, give it a massage if it seeks that contact, or offer treats it enjoys. These kinds of positive actions strengthen your bond and improve its mood.
• Don't leave it alone all day — it's a social animal that needs company. If you can't avoid it, at least find a boarding facility, a dog walker, or, if possible, another pet.
• Dedicate a few minutes every day to it, whether to play, brush, or pet it.
• Make sure it gets all the physical activity it needs based on its characteristics. No dog should go outside fewer than twice a day.
• Similarly, mental stimulation is essential. Give it challenges, have it search for objects using its sense of smell, give it interactive toys, and so on.
• Train it. It's not just tricks. Teaching it to sit, walk by your side, or come when called are activities that facilitate dog-human communication and give it calm, since it manages to understand what's happening.

Bibliography Carlson and Giffin. 2002. Dog Owner's Home Veterinary Handbook. Madrid: Editorial el Drac.