Are OES happy being the only dog tn a house?
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| They are pack animals and to lose the daytime pack member puts a lot of stress on the remaining. In time they do stop mourning, but in the mean time they can act out or turn completely inward. You need to step up your inner action with him. After coming home and getting settled, the dog comes next. Weekends the dog gets a chunk. Groom more, more inner action. Talk more, let the dog be in the family, not secluded in a room when others are around. Consider doggie daycare twice a week for social stimulation. Getting another dog is up to you. If this one is not too old and could enjoy a playmate, fine. But older ones may prefer another oldster. Sheepdogs are very social dogs, they need inner action with people, other dogs. They do not do well by themselves. |
| Dexter was a basket case this past Monday, to the point I was ready to take him to the vet to find out why he was suddenly so lethargic and sickly. Then my wife came home from work and he immediately became his old self again, the second she walked through the door. We discussed it and she had been home for about 10 days and he got used to it, he was just mourning that she was gone. Part of his pack was suddenly gone and he didn't know what to do about it. |
| All dogs are pack animals, unlike cats dogs lke company. If your dog has grown up around another dog it would be sad when the other passed  Bloo is our only dog. we have 2 cats that keep him company, he gets up to naughty tricks with the bengal  she teaches him bad habits e.g. jumping oin the table!!!Id say see how your dog gets on...i keep saying to mom we need another sheepie to keep bloo occupied (bloo is 11months) she says until we win the lottery and buy a bigger house no haha i keep trying though.  Hope things get better xx |
| Our Zoey went into deep funk after the loss of her adopted big brother. She wouldn't eat or bounce around like she normally did. We decided to get another Sheepie but that took about a month. During tha month, we smothered her with attention so she knew she was still loved. When that day came and Caitlyn came into our home, the happy, playful Zoey came home to. It was nearly instantly too. She was happy to have a buddy again. If you can do it, I'd get another Sheepie. Dogs need friends too. Vance |
| I think that OES can be happy being the only dog in the house if you are committed and able to bring the dog to a dog park, agility, herding, carting, some kind of social activity several times a week. If they get their fix of using their body and brain, and get to see and interact with other dogs often, I think that they do just fine. Having said that, we just added two more OES to our household recently, as it was getting hard to leave Mady alone while we were at work. And we did do the daily activities. I don't think that Mady was unhappy in her life, though. I think that it was us who was unhappy leaving her. |
| All I can do is offer my advice based on the same sort of situation. I got my second OES (a puppy) when my first was 8 years old and began acting old before her time. The puppy made her young again and they were fast friends. Isabelle (the older one) lived to be 14 and died 12/26/10. She had a stroke and we had to put her down. We took the younger OES (Lizzy) with us to the vet so she would know that Isabelle was gone. We sat with her and said our goodbyes. Lizzy knew she was sick that day and I believe she understood. The hard part for us was just beginning. She was so sad. For 10 days my 6 year old happy OES wouldn't eat. Wouldn't play. Barely got out of bed. I felt like I'd lost both dogs. I was on line with a breeder looking for another OES puppy. The breeder gave me some good advice. She said to take Lizzy to her favorite places, to the pet store to pick a bone, to McDonalds drive through for a burger (Not something I had ever done before, but hey she loved it!!) We went to Brewster's for a doggy ice-cream etc. We did one fun thing a day. Took extra walks and she did come back around to her old self. It took time though. Then we got Bentley. I will never forget the day we came through the door with that puppy, Lizzy was so happy. They are great friends. I can't imagine not having two. |
Lisa&Brian wrote: ... I can't imagine not having two. This sums it up for I'll bet nearly everyone here. It was the evening of the very same day that we put our Bentley down when Jen and I discussed and decided to get another dog. We knew we'd have some issues with Zoey coping and we wanted to make sure we kept that to a minimum. I think we did pretty good. Vance |
We had Izzie for 6 1/2 years before we got Taylor. She was perfectly happy. She didn't have to share anything....our attention, toys, treats, sofa space  However, I think she is just as happy now that he is here but maybe in slightly different ways. Her life changed, but not for the bad. I think if he disappeared she would miss him, but she didn't know differently before. As long as the dog is REALLY a part of your life, not just there when it is convenient/nice for you....then they can be happy as an only dog. |
| I'm sure we will get a 2nd OES when Kenny grows up a bit and we have a big yard/etc. We have already agreed on that! |
| On the other side of the coin, hubby and I are thrilled to have just Benson with us. We don't anticipate getting another animal (OES or otherwise) until after she leaves us (a good many years from now). BUT . . . we both work from home. Except for the occasional concert or movie night, she is with us pretty much 24/7. Add in trips to the dog park, the CSA, walks in the local villages, gatherings with our dog meet-up group, picking me up from rehearsals twice a week (the kids at school have learned her schedule, and often hang around to greet her when she gets there), and so on and so on. We are able to give her lots of our time and attention, and as best I can tell, she is perfectly happy with that.  If we worked outside the home, we would most likely have two. |
| Thank you to eveyone ! This did help. My husband and I are going to tke Theo to a dog training school untill it helps him or he out grows his bad ways. After that we are going to start looking for a adult dog that has good house habits from a shelter. We think Theo will be happy with a freind. With 3 kids, college, and a part time job I don't want to over do. Maybe a puppy was not the best idea for us, but I will make it work or die trying.LOL |
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