When Your Dog Is Depressed

This is my dog Asterix.
He is depressed.

I know what you're thinking. You're thinking: Hang on just a minute, Martinette. Dogs don't GET DEPRESSED! That is simply ridiculous.
Well, I have to tell you something, my friend. Dogs do get depressed. And that dog in the picture up there, he is depressed. Honestly.

I'll even tell you why.

Ever since we got little Asterix from the SPCA (I think that's where it was), I could tell that he was a special kind of dog. Not only was he more attention-seekery than our other dogs Brutus and Sheba, but he was like INTUITIVE about how you were feeling.
I promise you, every time I have ever cried in Asterix's vicinity, he has come over to me and tried to give me hugs (this involves him standing very close to me, or sometimes climbing into my lap etc.) And to this day he still does it!!!! How cute is that?!?!?!

So I know that Asterix is very emotionally-sensitive.
Anyway, so Asterix has a very close bond with my brother Cecil. During Summer when Cecil comes home to visit, he and Asterix sleep outside on a mattress. Every night, without fail. And Asterix knows this now.
But this Summer, because Cecil is married now, he only slept outside on the mattress with Asterix for one night. But boy was Asterix ecstatic that night!!!! My mum told me that as soon as Cecil put the mattress outside, Asterix was curled up on it and waited for hours for Cecil to come out and go to sleep. Mum said that Cecil couldn't even get the bed made up because Asterix was lying on it expectantly. How cute is that?! You can see how close the bond is between Asterix and Cecil.

Anyway. So Cecil left Kaitaia on his way back to Dunedin a few days ago. And after that... OH DEAR! Asterix started losing the plot a little bit.
He doesn't want to be left alone. If the other dogs are outside he'll sit in front of the ranch slider until we let him in, and then he'll go into my parents room and curl up by himself (like in the picture).
He also growls at us now, and picks fights with the other dogs.
He's also stopped eating, he only ever finishes about half of the food we give him for dinner.

Poor Asterix :(

Yesterday I spent the day watching movies and had him on my lap the whole time, I just want him to feel happy again! Poor guy. Dad says when I leave for Uni Asterix is going to flip out again.
He has separation anxiety, and abandonment issues as well. What are you supposed to do?
Dad says we just have to make him feel loved.
When I came home from church today, Asterix jumped into my lap and sat there for a while, so I think he may be feeling a bit better.


My depressed dog has shown me how love is so important to everyone and everything. The only way Asterix is going to feel better is if we show him that we love him. And then when I abandon him in a month its back to square one... :(

Funny how animals aren't so different from us.
<3