Puppy Depression

[Sarah B.]

Thanks, Karen! Having my boyfriend take him to puppygarten is a good idea. I'm really looking forward to him being old enough and hardy enough to go to puppy classes and to the dog park! He gets so happy around other dogs, and I feel bad depriving him of that socialization.

[Sarah B.]

I probably should have held off with my responses so I could have answered everything all at once :P! He doesn't really care too much about the squeaky aspect of his toys. I'm making him seem like a hard nut to crack with his disinterest in treats and squeaky toys! He tends to care more about the texture of his toys. He likes his really soft stuffed animals the most and he likes toys that bounce. My boyfriend is rarely able to tempt him into playing, though, no matter how much he likes the toy with me. We'll keep at it. I'm hoping that it's just how he's inclined to adjust to his new home, and once he gets comfortable he'll open up a bit towards the boyfriend. He is such a perfect little companion for me, and I feel bad that my boyfriend doesn't get to experience that too.

[IRescue452]

I wish you the best of luck. I agree that your boyfriend doing the puppy classes should help. Heelers are definately a one person dog though. Maybe your boyfriend gets frustrated when the puppy won't listen to him and it shows in his voice? Or sometimes trying too hard for too much time is a turn-off for some dogs. If after a few tries, the puppy won't walk further with him, he should say "ok" and give up for a few minutes and do something else to put a break in the tense situation. When the puppy stops on the sidewalk he could sit down facing away from the puppy and see if the puppy decides to come to him. Then without paying attention to the puppy, get up and start to walk again and see if he follows. Just a few things to try.