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Recently, I was pet sitting for a friend who went on vacation. The first few days her dog was upbeat and very active. However, as the days went by Max, became moody and shy at times, then stopped eating and increased his barking to a point that my neighbors complained. When told not to bark he would sometimes become aggressive and show his teeth and growl.

I became worried that the dog was ill and with my friend on a cruise it would not be easy to get in touch with her, so I called her vet. He told me the dog was depressed.

Usually, vets hear more of this at a time when children go back to school and their pets are not getting as much attention as during the summer months. In Max's case, his master was away and he was feeling lost and alone in a different house.

Once I understood the problem, I gave Max more attention and active playtimes chasing a ball and longer walks outside in the snow. He perked up and started eating again and did much better until my friend returned home. And I was happy she returned to a healthy happy dog, instead of a depressed one.

I find that our dog gets depressed when we are not able to walk her at least twice a day. She also barks more at the slightest sound she hears. In order to make sure she is well adjusted we have taught everyone in our home how to walk our dog properly. This means that even if the primary person who exercises our chow is not at home other family members can pitch in to see to the needs of our dog.

Ah yes. Some dogs deal with sadness differently. My dog slept all day when I had gone to my sister's. My mom was taking care of her and she mentioned that Peanuts had gone to sleep for the duration of the day.

Good thing dogs aren't as complex as humans. Sometimes, all it takes is some one on one time with him/her and they'll gladly play with you and give you the companionship and affection they've given their original human.

Glad to hear Max feels a lot better that's he has found a new temporary buddy.

I live with my parents and back in January all 3 of us became extremely ill from the flu. Seriously, I've never been that sick in my life. I don't really even remember all of it because I was passed out in bed so much. Normally we all spend a lot of time playing with the dog and stuff but since we were all so sick all we could really manage to do was feed her and give her water. But other than that she got neglected for a few days. She got really depressed and just sat around and slept a lot. When I was well enough to start spending more time with her she seemed so surprised like she didn't know what to do. It broke my heart. But she perked right back up within a few hours and was back to her old self.

I usually work in the medical field and get flu shots through work but I wasn't working at the time so I hadn't gotten one but I swear I'm getting one this year. I'm still broke but I don't care if I have to rob a little old lady or something, I'm getting a flu shot! lol

It is hard for some people to understand that animals do have feeling and they can be hurt because dogs are very smart animals and they know when things are not the same. They can become sad if you leave or if they do not receive the same attention they once did with you so it is important that you always love them.