Science is catching up to what many pet owners already suspect—dogs can experience emotional lows, anxiety, and periods of depression, but we’re often blind to them.
While depression symptoms like withdrawal or disinterest don’t automatically mean a dog is clinically depressed, one study found that 18% of dogs show depression-like behaviors on a weekly basis.
But when do these small signs reflect something deeper—something like clinical depression?
What are The Causes of Depression in Dogs?
Canine depression is hard to spot for pet owners because dogs are already very emotional, and a few periods of boredom or sadness don’t necessarily mean your dog is depressed.
Because it’s so tricky to spot depression in comparison to sadness or boredom in dogs, you’re more likely to find an answer by investigating whether or not any of the causes of canine depression are present in your home.
Let’s look at the key causes, and see whether or not they could apply to your dog.
1. Significant Life Changes, Acute Stress
Substantial changes to a dog’s life can cause them to enter long periods of stress, even entering a dissociated state, often referred to as “Awake But Motionless”.
Changes like:
- Sudden rehoming
- Long periods of confinement
- Loss of predictability in life
- or Loss of a primary caregiver
Can induce a fundamental stress into a dog’s life that doesn’t go away for a period of weeks or months. The stress of confusion, sadness, or extended boredom can evolve into a state of depression in dogs.
2. Loss of Love, After Knowing Love
Studies have found that dogs found as strays or rescued from difficult home situations are less likely to show “awake but motionless”, depressive behavior.
Alternatively, dogs who are given up by their owners tend to show more depressive behaviors in their new environments.
This suggests that dogs who are accustomed to deep, loving social bonds are much more affected by the absence of those bonds.
If your dog has recently lost someone they’re extremely close to, especially if that person occupied a great deal of their daily life, this could cause a period of depression until your dog adjusts to their new schedule.
3. Absence of Mental Stimulation
Dogs who spend more time in periods of “inactivity” are more likely to show “bored” or “depressed” behaviors at times when dogs should typically be engaged.
Feeding time, desire to play, and other moments that should pique dogs’ interest may not excite a dog that is deprived of mental stimulation.
Note that different dog breeds require different levels of stimulation
- Working & herding dogs like collies, shepherds, and retrievers were bred to use their mental faculties in conjunction with their physical faculties to work, day-in and day-out.
- The majority of working dogs have a genetic impulse and need to be active and engaged, and depriving them of the ability to do so can lead to symptoms of depression.
- Other breeds were bred more for companionship, and these dogs don’t have the same high energy needs as working dogs.
- Breeds like Shih Tzus, Pekingese, Bulldogs, and Basset hounds were either bred for companionship or less-active working roles, and these dogs don’t require as much mental or physical stimulation.
4. Owner Behavior & Learned Helplessness
If a dog’s household is primarily dictated by emotional instability and lack of routine, this can produce a consistent level of stress in dogs that leads to an emotional shutdown.
If owners use aversive training methods, yelling at dogs and withholding affection or positive reinforcement, this can also create a state of internal stress that causes dogs to withdrawal.
Over time, aversive training and instability create “learned helplessness” in dogs, which prevents them from attempting to satisfy their emotional needs out of the belief that there’s nothing they can do to change their situation.
What are The Signs of Depression in Dogs?
There are hundreds of small indications that could suggest depression in a given dog, but there’s one sign that stands out as a general benchmark of your dog’s emotional health.
If your dog has a period of lethargy, disinterest, and unwillingness to engage for a period of days or weeks, there’s a good chance that they’re depressed or have an underlying health issue causing the behavior.
How Can You Help a Depressed Dog?
Fortunately, depression in dogs is typically a lot easier to understand and treat than it is in humans.
You can almost always relieve the symptoms by addressing the cause. This may be difficult for you to do, as it means that one or more of your dog’s needs aren’t being met.
Dogs require emotional stability, mental stimulation, and physical freedom to exercise according to the demands of their breed.
Helping your dog’s depression may require that you adjust your home routine, allowing your dog to get more love, mental stimulation, and physical exercise. Once these things change, you’ll need to keep those changes in place otherwise your dog may repeat the cycle of depression.
Conclusion
While dogs do experience depression, the fortunate thing is that it doesn't have to be long-lived. Dogs experience depression-like symptoms when they're missing aspects of their core needs, whether those needs are relevant to breed characteristics or individual traits.
Restoring mental and physical stimulation, a proper diet, and stability into your dog's life will likely have a positive impact on their depression symptoms. If your dog's symptoms are persistent and don't fade after lifestyle changes, you should consult with your veterinarian to see if there are underlying health issues at play.
