My dog looks sad

[prayerwarrior02]

Hi all, I found my now-dog on the street about 2 months ago. She was very visibly abandoned by someone. We took her to the vet just to check her health status, they told us that she is about 8-9 months old. Upon exiting the vet, 4 huge stray dogs attacked her, she ran away and we lost her. A few days later, we saw her with our neighbour who has already 3 adopted dogs, she was taking care of her just for a few days so we decided to adopt her.

Now we had her for 1,5 month, she was a very happy puppy, anytime she saw us in the morning or after coming back home she was so excited, she played gently with literally any dog. We left for a 2 week vacation and she stayed with our neighbour and her 3 dogs. Upon returning, the first day she cried a lot, vomited, had crazy diarrhea. Since then, she is scared of literally everything, is not her usual happy self when she sees us, just looks at us and nothing. She sits in corners of the home like a scared dog. What worries me is that she started biting other dogs when they play. But she is still very happy when she sees the 3 neighbour dogs. So i am wondering, what do you think is going on with her and what can we do to help? It's been more than a week since we came back.

 

[previouslyseeking]

@prayerwarrior02 It's possible that the change in environment and your absence during your vacation triggered separation anxiety. Dogs can become anxious when separated from their primary caregivers.The previous encounter with the stray dogs might have been very traumatic for her, leading to fear and stress. The subsequent changes in behavior could be related to this incident.

Reintroduce her to her normal routine, environment, and interactions with you and other dogs in a gradual manner. Make her feel safe and secure at home.Use positive reinforcement techniques like treats and praise to encourage her to return to her normal behavior and to build her confidence.Ensure that she has a safe and quiet space in your home where she can retreat to when she's feeling overwhelmed. https://soothedtails.com/

 

[secondstoryempires]

@prayerwarrior02 Assuming she has a clean bill of health, she is likely dealing with abandonment issues. From her perspective, she found trust and safety with you. Leaving for a two week vacation probably felt much longer for her and she is probably confused at having changed environments.

Take some time with her to build stability and trust again. Build a reliable routine in your home so that she can feel comfortable.

Right now she needs your patience, presence, love and stability. Some good treats probably wouldn’t hurt either

Rescues require more effort but it’s so worth it.