They Don’t Learn About Their Environment
Dogs are naturally curious and want to explore. They cant do that if theyre stuck in your house all the time, and after a while, exploring their own yard might get a bit boring. Walking around allows your dog to see, smell, and hear new things, and gives them a chance to learn about their environment. Animal Foundation says, “Your dog is dependent on you to take them out to explore the sights, smells, and sounds of the world, and its recommended to vary the places you take your pet as much as possible.”
They Get Bored, Which Leads To Bad Behavior
One of the best things about taking your dog on a walk is that it keeps them entertained. Dogs can easily get bored, and their boredom doesnt just result in them laying around being lazy — it often results in bad behavior. Found Animals says, “Any unwanted behavior that your dog exhibits is often borne of frustration and boredom. A bored dog with energy to burn will find things to do to amuse herself. These things will most likely not amuse you.” If your dog chews everything, digs up holes, or just gets into annoying situations, they might need to get their energy out on a walk.
Top signs your dog is feeling depressed
We like to think of dogs as happy-go-lucky creatures that are quick to show joy, but sometimes we notice an expression of sadness or a change in their normal dog behavior that has us wondering: Do dogs cry? Do they develop dog anxiety? Do they develop dog depression? While your pup does experience a range of emotions, including sadness, it doesn’t experience depression the same way humans do, says Linda Simon, DVM, a licensed veterinarian and veterinary consultant for The Pets.
Your dog isn’t staying up at night worrying about the economy or climate change. Still, the things that make your dog sad are often the same types of things that make you sad, like physical pain, loneliness, loss of a loved one, abuse, and neglect, Dr. Simon says. While most canine sadness is brief, sometimes dogs can experience very deep and long-lasting sadness that may turn into dog depression. There are plenty of dog stories that highlight such deep doggy emotions, like the one about the loyal pup who guarded his deceased owner’s grave for three years.
Your dog may also seem depressed if you are depressed, Dr. Simon adds. Dogs are very perceptive of their humans’ feelings, and when you’re sad, your pup may express sadness as well, even if it doesn’t understand why you are upset. Dogs have unique ways of expressing their sadness, so to help you understand your fur buddy better, we asked experts to share the top dog depression symptoms.
Like humans, dogs are complex creatures. And like humans, they can become sad for a number of reasons. When considering whether your pup has canine depression, ask yourself if your pet is dealing with any of the following scenarios.