Under the Weather

            Observing this week had me really frustrated. As much as I tried getting my dogs to do something exciting, they wouldn't. They were being really boring. Chica was the one who wasn't doing anything at all; she'd just lay next to me the whole day. Max seemed effected by Chica's lack of energy, which is very unusual because Max is ALWAYS the hyper one. They weren't even eating; who doesn't love food? What was going on? I couldn't help but worry myself. I didn't know what to do.
             When you're under the weather, all you want to is curl up in your blankets and sleep. This is exactly what my dogs were doing. The were very unsocial. It was kind of like they were sad. I couldn't stand seeing my best friends like this. I went online and searched "my dog seems sad" and the first thing that popped up was an article on dog depression. In this article, a guy named John Ciribassi says "Dogs will become withdrawn. They become inactive. Their eating and sleeping habits often change. They don’t participate in the things they once enjoyed.” As soon as I read this, I knew that Chica was somewhat depressed. I freaked out, I STILL didn't know what to do. Quite frankly, all I did was try and play with her, but that didn't work out. 
            One question I still had was "Why is Max sad?" I didn't know if he was depressed also or if it was just Chica's behavior effecting his. I know I get sad when one of my friends are upset. I tried finding anything on dogs being upset because of another dog, but nothing came up. All I could find is dogs mourning over a death of another dog; and I'm pretty positive Chica wasn't dying. As I kept reading this article about depression in dogs, I finally found a solution to the problem. I finally knew what to do! 
             I decided to try and cheer my buddies up. I started playing with them, I took them for a walk, I tried feeding them, and I cuddled with them. They seemed so much happier. They loved cuddling, especially in this cold, Fall weather. They seemed to be making a full recovery back to happiness. 
             I believe that dogs can take care of themselves. They can find a way to feed themselves, groom themselves, and survive on their own. But there's those times where they need love. Love is what keeps a dog going. They're filled with love. If dogs have no one to love them, they wouldn't know what to do; they'd be terrified of life. Which brings me to animal abuse. Dogs especially are abused. But why? What has a dog done that it's ok to hurt them? They're just looking for love. My dogs being depressed has made me realize that I shouldn't take advantage of THEIR love; because in the end, I'm only hurting myself. 

"Max Smiling" Photo taken by Wendy Davalos 10/31

Works Cited 

                     Eckstein, Sandy. "Depression in Dogs." Webmd. N.p. 27 Apr. 2012. Web. 01 Nov. 2014.