Is Jansen all right for the rest of the day after he`s eaten his breakfast?, if he is I`d say its as you say just waking up first thing.
If he`s not his usual self through the day though there may be something wrong, not necassarily depression (not sure dogs have it tbh) but it may be worth taking him to the vets for a check over if he bahaves the same way all day
It may just be a morning thing. Zonks is normally a loon during the day and talking up a storm but is the same as your boy in the morning . Really subdued, doesn't want to get out of bed and is really clingy or just quiet.
I have to coax him to his food bowl (imagine having to coax a Lab to eat and he just wants to wrap himself round me and get hugs. After he's had hugs and general fuss made of him he does a few doggie yoga stretches then saunters over to his food bowl it's only when he's half way through his breakfast that he perks up.
Some days he is just very quiet on his morning walk someday's he is his normal loopy self. I think it just depends on if he's tired or not. Either way I am NOT a morning person so I totally understand his 'pain'.
I think maybe they do, but not depression as we would know it, as their brains are that much simpler than ours.
The main reason being that in our experiencing these feelings, we internally verbalise them (ie have chats with ourselves in our heads 'Why am I so down? Whats the point? etc). Dogs don't do that, and experience fear, stress and anxiety in the the most straightforward way, with physical symptoms, over time making them lethargic and dull (please note I'm not saying Jansen has suffered any of these things!!! ).
I do believe that a dog can lose his spirit though. It is clear watching dogs working with their owners, which ones have had the spirit bashed out of them and which ones are wagging their tails and can't take their eyes off their owner, eager for the next job. Again, I'm not suggesting Jansen has been bashed, just a general observation about 'depression'.
As a flip side, I think dogs are lucky to experience joy in it's purest form, something that we never get to do.
When a dog is happy they don't have to question it, they don't have to worry when it might end, and there's no hidden agenda, they are just joyous.
It's what makes them so lovely to watch and makes each 'Welcome home Mum' so heart warming.
Getting back to Jansen, as Mary suggested if he seems dull all day, I would keep a close eye on him, as there may be something else going on.
Having said that, this warmer weather makes mine much more lethargic.
I think Jansen is a really dogs dog, the only thing that would have him constantly wagging that tail is when he is with another dog.
Dont get me wrong if we are playing at home he is waggy but if we are out at training for example there is nothing that can destract him from the other dogs..
From what you say Laura, sounds like Jansen is the way we were as kids "Mum makes me go to bed when I`m not tired, in the morning when I AM she makes me get up again"
He`s just taking his time to wake up properly it seems to me, but if your at all worried about him a visit to the vets for a check up wouldn`t hurt
You cannot post new topics in this forum You cannot reply to topics in this forum You cannot edit your posts in this forum You cannot delete your posts in this forum You cannot vote in polls in this forum You cannot attach files in this forum You cannot download files in this forum
and he just wants to wrap himself round me and get hugs. After he's had hugs and general fuss made of him he does a few doggie yoga stretches then saunters over to his food bowl it's only when he's half way through his breakfast that he perks up.
I totally understand his 'pain'.
