I think my dog is bored.

[JoyNChrist]

I have a 1.5 year old Pekapoo (half pekignese, half poodle - a fancy mutt, basically, but they can charge more if he had a cool-sounding name, lol). I love him dearly and he's very attached to me - the absolute perfect dog, IMO.

But since we've moved into our new house, he seems...well, he justs acts like he's really bored. He follows me around and lot and whines quite often. I don't know what the deal is - I know he's not sick (we just had a vet checkup), and I haven't really changed his routine any (he still gets adequate time to play outside, we play fetch in the house a lot, he and DH "wrestle"). So I don't know if this is just an adjustment to the new house or if he's just understimulated.

The reason I'm concerned about it is that I know I'll have less time to play with him after the baby is born. So if he's bored now, he's really gonna be bored then. And I think that might make adjusting to the baby's presence even more difficult.

So does anybody have any suggestions? I thought about buying him some new toys, but I don't know what to get. We have all the regular chew toys and tennis balls and stuff like that. Any ideas?

TIA!

[TraciG]

it's probably the adjusting to the new house, poor doggy .

[npace19147]

Could be adjusting to the new house, or he might sense that you're pg! When we brought DD home our dog was very confused, but was mostly ok until DD got somewhat mobile. At that point we got another dog to keep the first one company - and it has worked out in the long run but not sure I'd recommend it to all as a solution.

Do you have anything like doggy day care in your neighborhood? Might be a good outlet for him to see other dogs, and give you a break too, esp. when the baby comes.

There's a good short book by Brian Kilcommons on introducting your dog to a new baby, I forget the name but I'm sure you can find it online, might be worth checking out. Good luck!

[elizabethkott]

Sounds like what our dog did when we moved from our apt. to our house.
He may be feeling very out of sorts since it's a new environment.
Our vet suggested that we take Maggie on lots of walks, letting her sniff around and get the "scents" of the new neighborhood down. He said to try doing the same route 4-5 times, and then taking a new route, adding distance on each each time. It seemed to work well, because within about a month, she was totally fine, and more at ease in our own yard as well as on shorter walks around the block.
HTH!

[tarabenet]

Sounds more like insecurity than boredom. Maybe lavish attention on him when he's acting so needy? Sometimes a few minutes of focused attention can go a long way! When mine follow like shadows, I talk to them a lot and just try to acknowledge them. Also, in doggie world, the reassurance touch is a sort of a sniff (near his face, not the "getting to know you" zone! LOL) and then a light pat on the space right in front of the hind leg, on his side. It sounds silly, but it can help.

Another trick: give him "clothes" that lend him security and belonging. Bear with me, this sounds weird, but it works! Simply make him a bandana/kerchief thing. Get a piece of fabric (or cut it out of an old garment of yours) and cut it into a small bandana for him. This works best if you wash it (if it is a new article) with your family's laundry and then sleep with the item before you put it on him. He'll carry your scent and his, which will give him security. You may be able to phase it out fairly quickly, and then pull it back out if the new baby makes him revert (don't wash it).

One more extreme solution is a t-shirt -- for him! It is a part of "Tellington Touch" or "T-touch" therapy. Somehow being wrapped in a light touch, the way a shirt feels, can really soothe them. When we have thunderstorms in the area, our sheltie "asks" for his "storm shirt" and calms down vixibly as soon as we put it on him. If your dog is prone to mats in his coat, though, this is not a good solution (I'd never use it on my Maltese).

Good luck!

[LarsMal]

I agree with PP that he could sense that you are pg and just want to be near you. When I was preggo with DS our dog had to touch me at all times. No matter where I was or what I was doing she was at my feet. If I was laying or sitting down, some part of her had to be touching some part of me.

I didn't know I was pregnant this second time around until much later than with DS. The dog was actually a clue to me that I might be! She had left me alone after DS was born and then 7 1/2 months later she was all over me again. Turns out I was preggo!

He just needs lots of love and reassurance that he is still important. Long walks and toys can be helpful.

Good luck!

Julie