Find food that fits your pet’s needs
Your relationship with your dog is incredibly special. Your pet brings you joy, comfort and companionship and somehow always knows when youre feeling sad or sick. As a loving dog parent, you want to bring that same intuition, safety and comfort to your beloved pet. Thats why its so heart-wrenching when your dog looks up at you, wide-eyed, with their head between their paws.
Many people find themselves debating whether its a perception, evolution, or whether a dog is actually sad. Desperate to bring joy into your dogs life, you may grow concerned that there are health issues at stake, or that this is an emotional response to a change in your home.
More importantly, you might be wondering if their sad look could it be a health issue or is it just an emotional response? Read on to dig into some answers.
Researchers have sought to understand what causes dogs to make the sad puppy eyes theyre known for. A study published by Scientific Reports found that dogs alter their facial expressions in response to human attention. Researchers observed 24 family dogs of various ages and breeds and their reactions to four different scenarios: human attention with food, human attention without food, no human attention with food and no human attention without food. While food didnt impact the dogs expressions, the researchers found that the dogs were more expressive when a human faced them. In these situations, dogs were more likely to raise the inner eyebrow, making them look sad and more childlike.
Additional research published by Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences dug deeper into what causes dogs different facial expressions. The authors of the study hypothesized that over their 33,000-year evolution from wolves to the lovable pets they are today, dogs developed strong eyebrow muscles that allow them to make sad puppy eyes. This, the studys authors claim, was in response to humans preference for the trait.
So if youre wondering why your dog looks sad it may bring you some comfort to learn that the sad, longing look in your dogs eyes may not be sadness at all. It may simply be that theyre trying to connect with you or get your attention.
Signs Your Dog May Be Depressed
Dogs can be depressed for a variety of reasons. “Dogs can be depressed if they lost a family member, a kid went off to college or another dog in the house passed away. I see depression a lot in dogs whose families have gone through a divorce,” says Dr. Sara Ochoa, DVM, a veterinarian at Whitehouse Veterinary Hospital in Whitehouse, Texas, and a contributor for Senior Tail Waggers.
Ochoa adds that dogs can get very attached to people and other pets, so when these relationships change, they can show signs of depression. If you think your dog is down in the dumps, here are the signs to look for and ways to help perk them back up.
“Most dogs that are depressed will lay around more and not really want to interact with other people in the house,” says Ochoa. It could be their age, but if its suddenly come on, or theyre sleeping way too often, then it might be depression.”
Have you recently changed your routine? Try to play with your dog using their favorite toy or take them for a walk. “Fresh air does a world of good for the brain,” says Conrad Rossouw, a certified dog trainer based in Scotland.
Sad and stressed dogs may also not want to eat or drink. “They may also stop eating their food, but will eat people food,” says Ochoa. So, look for any change from the normal diet and cravings. “Any change in appetite can be a sign of depression, but can also be a sign of something else,” adds Ochoa, so get your pooch to the vet for a checkup to rule out anything else.
They could also be gaining weight. “This usually goes hand in hand with a lack of exercise and stimulation. Try and take your dog for a walk,” says Rossouw. And look at their calorie intake. Are you feeding them too much? They might be getting too much food compared to the exercise theyre doing, which would be unrelated to stress and sadness.
If your pup is disappearing or withdrawing to odd places in the home, they could be feeling stressed or sad. “You may find them sleeping under the bed or in a closet. This is a common sign seen with depressed dogs,” says Ochoa. Try playing a game or giving them more attention to make them feel happier and more relaxed.
When a dog is depressed they may lick their feet. Why? “This is a calming method for many dogs,” says Ochoa. Constant licking and grooming is a sign that your dog is trying to comfort themselves.
If your pup has been self-grooming a lot over a long period of time, it may be a sign of something else. “Doing it too much means it becomes a habit. If youve ruled out any medical issues, then Id recommend getting your dog back into a routine, and playing games with them to stimulate their mind,” says Rossouw.
Why Acting Sad Occurs in Dogs
Some dogs are just not as excitable as others. However, if your dog is normally active and happy and he suddenly becomes sullen and sleepy, he may be sad or depressed for some reason. There are many reasons your dog may seem sad or depressed such as:
Illness
If your dog is not feeling well, he may seem sad or depressed. Just like humans, dogs tend to mope around when they are sick or injured. He may just lay on the floor and stare off into space or sleep more than he usually does. There may be other symptoms you may not have noticed that make more sense now if your dog is acting more sad than usual. Some of these symptoms may include:
Loss of Someone
If someone in the household is no longer there for any reason such as with a child who goes off to college or moves out. Also, your dog can be upset if you are not home as much as you used to be, as in the case of going to work after being home for a long time. Some of the other reasons your dog may feel loss include:
Addition to the Family
Change in the family is one of the biggest causes of sadness in your dog. If you get married or have a baby, or if you have a guest that is staying with you, this can cause your dog to think he is being replaced and he may become jealous and sad. This can also happen if you get another pet, whether it is another dog, cat, or even a hamster; if attention is being taken away from your dog he may become sad.
Moving to A New Home
Anytime you change your dog’s home life, he can get unsettled and anxious. However, some dogs can become very sad, especially if they have been in the home for a long time. Your dog may be confused and wonder why he has been taken away from his home. He may hide somewhere and not want to socialize. Most dogs will get used to the new place eventually with no problem but some dogs may need a little extra help.
Clinical Depression
Believe it or not, pets can have clinical depression just like humans. The cause of clinical depression is a chemical imbalance in the brain and can usually be treated with medication. Some of the medications that your veterinarian may choose for your dog are:
Your dog may have been abused before you got him and you may not know about it. Being abused in the past can cause depression years later, similar to what happens with humans. In humans, this is called post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and it can be extremely hard for your dog to process.