dog won't eat b/c of our baby!

[speedzilla]

need some help pretty quick so am also posting this in this forum as well as the general forum (sorry for the crosspost):

our 3 yr old male aussie who is very protective of mom and baby will not eat since we brought our newborn home. he acts fine and we've done everything we know how to acclimate him appropriately to this new addition to our family and pay lots of attention to him. in about 9 days he has eat what i would consider to be 2 normal days worth of food. he's been drinking water, not quite as much as normal. he will eat when i hand feed him. i had not wanted to do this. when he and i were downstairs he ate a full bowl, i guess because mom & baby were out of sight and he was hungry enough. usually this is where he eats the most, downstairs with just me and him but he would normally also eat upstairs in our master bedroom which is now where baby is too.

this morning he threw up bile, i guess due to nerves and hunger. we used to leave him outside during the day but he never at much out there... usually eats inside during the night.

any ideas? I guess i could start feeding him every day by hand until he gets used to this big change for him.

 

[anke]

Depressed Dog Need Help

Hi,
I'am having the same problem, but instead of a baby, its a puppy. I have had 2 dogs Peanut and Lacey (Yorkie/Jack Russell mix) for 3 years now. Lacey has always been the dominant one, Peanut was our first and spoiled rotten he was fine when we got Lacey. He has never been one to play with other dogs, he would rather play with his ball. Well recently we got another puppy, Sable (Chihuahua mix) 9 weeks old. Lacey and Sable play together all day. Peanut has become very depressed, we won't come out of the bathroom, stays by himself, won't eat, won't sleep on the bed with us, and won't even play with his ball. It is depressing for me to see him like this because he has always been so energetic and loving dog. My vet wants to put him on Valium or Xanax. Does anyone have any thoughts on what to do???????

 

[Jaimie L]

My recommendation to both of you is watch The Dog Whisperer. Check your listings, but I think it's on almost every day on National Geographic Channel. I've never seen anything like Cesar Millan. He's rehabilitated the most hopeless cases you can imagine. There was even a show about a Newfie who wouldn't eat. He's now a balanced dog with a healthy appetite.

 

[Doberluv]

If you want to know what the real dog behavior experts and scientists think about the Dog "Whisperer," read the last 3 posts on this link. I highly recommend it:

http://www.chazhound.com/forums/showthread.php?t=32466&page=7


My advice is to continue feeding the dog downstairs away from the others. Dogs don't have to eat every day, so don't worry if he skips a few days. In nature, they hunt, eat and maybe don't get so lucky on subsequent days...go without and then eat again. He has skipped quite a long time though. I would definitely get him checked by a vet. It probably is stress, but there could be something else medical going on, unrelated... and it's just a coincidence that it's showing up at the same time that he has reason to be stressed. I'd want to rule out anything health related first before behaviorally.

If it is due to stress of the change in the family, I think in time, he'll get more comfortable with all this. Don't make a big fuss over him and coddle him or reinforce behaviors which plunge him into that learned helplessness. He then learns to associate a good feeling (the attention) with the stressed feelings. It's kind of screwy, but he learns that being in that stressed state of mind brings him good things and is just what you want. Your attention is like a reward for getting himself worked up. And that becomes a default sort of behavior...a habit.

Just be confident, matter of fact, nothings horrible here and cheerful and "lets go downstairs and eat." (for a while.) Later you can try upstairs again. When he appears to feel more on the confident side, that's when you give him your approval, pats, a treat, extra attention. Give him a "job," obedience practice, tug of war, hide and seek, walks. I know you must be busy with a new baby, but the dog needs more than love and attention. He needs to stimulate and work his mind as well as his body. Get him plenty of hard exercise every day. He'll probably get a lot hungrier and feel better...feel more like eating. Love and affection is normal and needed, but not in exchange for those things. Dogs need jobs.

our 3 yr old male aussie who is very protective of mom and baby will not eat since we brought our newborn home. he acts fine and we've done everything we know how to acclimate him appropriately to this new addition to our family and pay lots of attention to him.

What does he do that is protective? When have you paid attention to him? What was he doing when you paid attention to him? How much extra (than usual) attention has he been getting? What kinds of behaviors do you react to and how? (down to the smallest nuances....looks, turning your head, words...)

 

[Doberluv]

It is depressing for me to see him like this because he has always been so energetic and loving dog. My vet wants to put him on Valium or Xanax. Does anyone have any thoughts on what to do???????

What do you try to do when he is won't come out of the bathroom, when he is all by himself looking depressed? What kinds of activities do you do with him during the day? Do you practice any obedience skills, walks or other games outside? Do you spend any one on one time with him away from the other dogs...away from your house?

 

[LizzieCollie]

This is a case where you need to show some tough love. Dont cater to his fits, it will only reinforce that bad behavior.

Try feeding him in a confined area, and place his food down for 20/25 minutes and go about your business. If he hasnt eaten in that time, take it away and place the bowl down again for his second meal. Repeat the process and he will soon learn to eat what he is given, and when he is given it.

You can try adding beef or chicken broth, a bit of baby food, cottage cheese or egg to his meal. I always add something to my puppy's meal so she has some variety and is more excited to eat

 

[Doberluv]

I don't consider this "bad" behavior. I interpret this as a stressed out dog due to a change in the family routine. And I would compromise with him a little as far as where he eats for now while he deals with the change to make him a little more comfortable so he CAN deal with the changes. Why add more to his stress? If he wants to eat downstairs away from the activity, why not? You can work him back into what you want later. I would however, be careful not to make a lot of fuss and cooing over him or in other words, reinforce his anxiety. Give him some extra jobs. Beef up the obedience work, fetch, walks and give him plenty of exercise. Get his mind on something else.

 

[anke]

I take him for walks, and this weekend he will go for a ride. This is one of his favorite things to do is go bye bye. I started him on a mild valium and so far he has not been as depressed, he is actually sniffing on the puppy. He's still not 100% but he is doing alot better. The vet said to give it to him for a couple weeks and then see how he does without it.

 

[Doberluv]

I take him for walks, and this weekend he will go for a ride. This is one of his favorite things to do is go bye bye. I started him on a mild valium and so far he has not been as depressed, he is actually sniffing on the puppy. He's still not 100% but he is doing alot better. The vet said to give it to him for a couple weeks and then see how he does without it.

I hope that helps get him in a better frame of mind.

What I was getting at when I asked you what you did when he wouldn't come out of the bathroom and when you see him acting all depressed, was...the same stuff in the post to Speedzilla. Read that one through. I just am cautioning you to try not to accidentally reinforce his insecure feelings by making an over abundance of sympathy toward him, fussing and hovering over him. That can really intensify their feelings of stress, helplessness or whatever and can intensify the behavior which goes along with it.

Giving him lots to do with his mind, like teaching him something, obedience skills or a few tricks, some good tiring exercise will also help IMO.....gets him busy thinking about other stuff a little. Good luck. Hope he improves.

Let us know how he does.