Can a dog feel emotions like sadness?

Question

My neighbor left to texas and left her dog in my house with a note Free dog please take care of him, now he seems sad theres a few sparkles of happines but then he goes back behind a couch in a little ball and just lays there he eats healthy and shits healthy hes two years neutered, can someone help me getting him out this state

Answer 1

What has happened is quite common.

Have you tried to walk around with some food in your pockets. The dog will probably take some interest, especially if you use hotdogs, lunch meat, etc. Carry a little bit with you at all times and it will probably get his attention. Have him come to you, smile and say "good boy" and give him a little. If he knows any tricks or sit or down, repeat and smile and say "good boy" any time he does what you ask. The lure of food will give him something else that is rewarding to focus on and will also give you two a chance to bond a bit.

If he enjoys playing with a toy, you can also present the toy and give a "good boy" with a little food for interacting with a toy with you.

Be creative with this and use it to go for a walk and reward along the way if he is being good. You might even teach him a new trick like touching his nose to your open hand when you say "target". It's easy to do, start by letting him see the open palm of your hand and lightly touch your hand to his nose and say good dog and give a little piece of meat. Do this several times and then just show your palm and see if he tries to bump it with his nose. Be patient, but give a bigger reward and a happy good dog when he does it on his own. Begin pairing the word "target" at the moment he touches your hand and say good target. Eventually he will know that he can come to you and get a treat for doing that and will want to try to interact with you more to get the goodies and not just be sad because he misses his owner.

Good luck.

Answer 2

Hopefully you are a much more considerate person than your neighbor, to just drop her dog off with no concerns for an animal that DEFINATELY has feelings! I don't know if they are exactly like humans, but they can tell when I am feeling bad and snuggle up to me, and they can run and hide when they are scared,or unsure of a new situation. It sounds like that is what is happening to you and your new pet. If you can try to spend as much time and speak kindly to your new friend, it will pay you back "big time", eventually. Just take your time , be gentle when you speak to this little guy, and try to think how you would feel if someone treated you like this dog has been. If he is eating normally that is a good sign. He will get used to your home and your kind ways and realize he can trust you in no time. When he is hiding behind the couch, just sit by him quietly, he will come to you on his own and allow you to pet him, just sit quietly and don't try to pick him up, remember dogs like to be with their owners and if your take your time, he will be happily following you everywhere in no time! Being patient and kind to him are the 2 best things you can do, until he is "feeling at home" again.

Answer 3

How well do you know the dog?

Give him plenty of love and attention he miss's his owner and cant understand why he's at your house and not at home with them.
He will grow 2 love you as his owner but it will take time to get his trust, let him come to you don't try pulling him out.

Call him and if he don't want to come leave him for a bit then try again.
If he comes out pet him or give him a treat and if he want's to take treat back behind the sofa let him.

Eventually he will stay out more and more and want 2 be with you.
You will then have a loving, faithfull and loyal best friend for the rest of his life.

Be carefull though because he has allready lost one owner you might find he's very clingy to you so don't leave him for long spell's at first as he could get very stressed and upset.

Thank god he's got you 2 look after him and not been dumped in the dog pound. Well done good on you :O))

Answer 4

Just give your dog time. Dogs can feel emotions, and this one is obviously missing his past owner. Let him adjust to his new home, and show him a lot of love, yet don't stop him from his sort of mourning for the loss of his owners. Buy him a treat every so often, work on teaching him a new trick, buy a new toy. If it gets too bad you can alway put the couch up against the wall, but I would just give Dog a little time. Good luck with your new pet!

Answer 5

If you truly want to assume the responsibility for a dog, this one seems to need a lot of love and attention. My own dogs certainly feel emotions. Guilt (at some transgression), happiness (any time you leave and come back), sadness ( when her "Papa" packs up and goes hunting) , compassion (when I'm sick or in pain), and Jole de Vivre (when she races madly through the house). But most of all Love!
Give your little guy plenty of affection and tasty treats. He will come around eventually.

Answer 6

You bet they can!! I foster dogs for a rescue and many of them come in sad. They have been abandoned much like yours has and they feel lost and scared. Give him time and lots of love and attention. With time and affection the sparkles of happiness will be more and more frequent. He needs you right now. As long as he is eating, and seems healthy, just give him all the love you can spare and he will come around.

Answer 7

Oh yes dogs experience sadness. It's so hard to watch, especially when they lose a close friend.... You just have to give him LOTS of time, love him, play with him, love him some more. Time heals all wounds and this seems most true for dogs, they appear better able to move on than we would with what happens to them. Some of them never forget though and will look for "something" the rest of their lives. It always amazes me how faithful these creatures are, and how cruel we are. If you ever speak to your neighbor again, tell her what she did.

Answer 8

I'm sure a dog can become depressed, I moved out of my house at 18 and had a cat, I left him at my parents to be with the other animals, I thought he would be depressed if he wasn't with them, he got depressed because I moved, they took him to the vet and the vet put him on anti depressants. I had to go home more often to help with him, since he was my cat. So I'm sure it's possible for dogs too. Take him to the vet, get him on anti depressants, and show him all the love and affection that he needs. Good luck.

Answer 9

How sad for him. Im glad you can be there for him and you are concerned about helping him.

LOTS of love will do wonders. Dogs absolutely have emotions and miss there families when they are gone. He knows he is been abandoned and in a strange place. Show him kindness and love and he will repay you 1000 times over. Be patient with him and over time he will trust you.

We adopted a dog last year who was treated poorly by her first family. We gave her lots of hugs and love and attention, even when she refused it. Now she is the best friend ever!

Good luck!

Answer 10

Dogs are pack animals and they submit to their pack leader, which in this case is you. So as for "attached", no, your dog is not emotionally attached to you because animals don't have emotions or the power of reasoning, that is reserved for humans. Animals have instincts and learned behaviours. Your dog has learned where its food and comforts come from and who is boss, that's all. So as far as that goes, you have done a great job with your pet. If you dropped dead and your dog was rehomed with someone who trained it properly, it would soon submit to the new pack leader. No room for sentimentality in the animal kingdom!