Do dogs "pout"?

[C.Ann]

DD, DH, & my DGD are away until Tuesday.. I'm here taking care of the pets.. Their dog has always been a well-behaved dog and has never given me a problem when they've gone away before..

For some reason, this time seems to be particularly hard on him.. It took me forever before I could get him away from the door after they left yesterday (whimpering - then howling), but I finally got him to lay in front of my bedroom door.. (Unfortunately, he can't come in my bedroom because it will cause me to go into coughing fits..)

Anyhow - he sleeps in a crate in DD & DH's bedroom - has ever since he was a puppy.. Last night I had a pretty hard time getting him to go in there - when normally all you have to say is, "It's time to go in your room" and he'll get right in the crate..

Today I had to go out shopping for milk and such and when no one is in the house, he has to go in the crate.. (He's nearly died twice from pancreatitis and no matter how cautious we are, if no one is around, he'll find a way of getting into something that will make him sick..) Couldn't just leave him out in the bedroom with the door closed because he would scratch at the brand new doors and woodwork.. So, I told him, "It's time to go in your room" and he wouldn't budge!! After a few more tries I took him by the collar and brought him in the bedroom and once again told him, "It's time to go in your room".. Again, he wouldn't budge! I must have told him 3 or 4 times and he just gave me this look like, "Make me.." So finally that's exactly what I had to do - physically push him into the crate..

What the heck is that all about? Is he pouting? Throwing a temper tantrum? He's never done this to me before and I don't have a clue why he's doing it now..

When I came back from the store he was fine - happy to see me - but I wonder if there's going to be a battle of the wills again tonight? We (DH & I) never crated our dogs, so I don't know why a dog would suddenly refuse to go in his crate (which he will often go into throughout the day "just because he wants to")..

Any ideas? I know he misses the family, but this isn't the first time they have gone away and left him here - they've done it quite often in the past 4 years..

 

[enyaj40]

my dog has SERIOUS separation anxiety even if we've only run to burger king for dinner

she acts like she hasn't seen you in a month

she is NOT going to like being kenneled

 

[enyaj40]

double post

 

[Magickndm]

Yes, dogs DO pout.

 

[nhrenee]

Quick, give him a BIG treat after you get him in the crate. Maybe he'll be less resistant.

 

[BriarfoxinWA]

Oh yes dogs do pout. Our Lab gets very PO'd if DS17 goes anywhere in camo clothes without her. She associates that with duck hunting - her favorite thing. Unfortunately she can't tell the difference between deer season and duck season....

 

[Piecey]

Rink was like this after I moved out (he stayed at my parents house and will live there until I finish college). He won't go into his crate at night, and he's so small he can hide under the couch.

Mom gives up most of the time, but when she wakes up in the morning she said he's in there and he's even pulled the door shut behind him.
No idea what it is.

 

[r3ngels]

Everytime my Shih Tzu gets a haircut and my Cairn doesn't have to... she pouts all day!

I thinks dogs defintely pout.

 

[Hercules10]

Mine do! They adore their daily walks. If for some reason we can't go, first I get their 'complaining'. They'll stand right in front of me and bark. Then when I tell them "NO". They'll lay down in front of me and give me those puppy dog eyes and pout with a ~sigh~ thrown in for good measure.

There has been many a coooold rainy night where I've been seen walking those two because of this tactic.

 

[Mickeyluver37]

Our Golden definitely has separation anxiety. We don't crate our dogs, and when we go on vacation, they stay with my parents and aren't crated there either. She still acts funny, and barely eats while we are gone. She also is very emotional when we are home. Say we get a new piece of furniture in a room- she is scared to walk through the room, even if she needs to walk through it to get to the door to go outside! We have another dog that couldn't care less, and is always happy and licking you and wagging his tail. The reason we got him in the first place is because she was so lonely and acted sad when we had to leave the house.

 

[MichelleVW]

My 2 year old Australian Shepard loves her Daddy and when he has to go away for work she is very sad. She just lays around and looks really depressed until he comes back.

 

[Charade]

Not just dogs. Cats do it too. My older cat can sometimes be seen with her head drooped over the bottom rungs of the kitchen chair. She's a pouter.

 

[frndofpooh]

Dogs definitely pout. We are caring for my sister's Lab and she's just figured out that our dog (an aged collie) is getting home cooked meals made for him by me, not dry dog food. She can't get over it! Whenever we feed them, she just pushes her bowl around and stares at him.

 

[jenm2878]

My cats definitely do.

We were on vacation from 11/30 - 12/9 and had gone to the airport right from work on the 30th. My mom took care of my cats and said they were fine. We come home and everything was fine until we went to a hockey game one night that week right after work. My boy Loki decided that we 'left him' again and refused to eat for the next three days. He ended up on meds for a week because he had worked himself up so much.

I felt like the worst pet owner ever after the vet visit. We vacation twice a year and have never had a problem before. I know I'm going to worry myself sick about him the next time we go on a trip.

 

[MushyMushy]

Our pup is really vocal about her emotions and it always cracks me up! When she's happy, she does a high pitched yipping barky whine. When she pouts, she has this little moan that she does -- and when she does that moan, I know she's resigned herself to whatever it is that's going on, like if I've made her go to bed when she doesn't want to.

I've never seen such a whiny vocal dog in my life. It's certainly entertaining.

 

[I loveStitchnippyjon]

My two dogs get into a "snit" whenever anyone gets the suitcases out of the attic! Both sulk and the little one walks around grumbling under her breath. It's a hoot!

 

[happybratpack]

Count me in for another house of pouters. If I'm leaving a couple will refuse to take treats, won't look at me, will go in the closet and hide, etc. Talk about guilt!!

 

[enyaj40]

my beagle, who is gone now, got so mad at us for kenneling her in '98, that she got up on my dining room table and pooped

 

[JR6ooo4]

Yes our smart one pouts. And frowns at us. If we are packing she gives us the meanest eveil eye you could imagine from a dog. Even though she loves going to gramma's house.

Make sure you are not "asking" him to go in the crate. THere is no option, it should be a firm command. He may be testing you to see if he can be the alpha.


Mikeeee

 

[Kimmumum]

Our dog is okay if we leave for short periods of time (day trips) but if he sees a suitcase.....he gets depressed. He won't eat for days, just lays by the front door (where he normally isn't) and just acts strange. They have feeling just like we do