I adopted a 3 1/2 yr old dog from a dog sanctuary 8 days ago. He is very sweet and well behaved. Never been with a family before and was at the sanctuary from 6 months old. We can't get him to eat anything and he drinks very little water. We have spoken to sanctuary and they are only worried we will take him to pound which we will not do. We have contacted a trainer, he said ignore him and don't baby his behavior but I am starting to get worried. We took him to the vet 2 days ago and he said he was not dehydrated but was concerrned he was not eating. We give him love and attention, take him on walks but nothing seems to cheer him up or make him inquisitive about his bowl and food. We have tried the dried food the sanctuary gives him, we have tried another brand, we have tried tempting him with turnkey and chicken... nothing works. HELP. I don't want to take him back as we love him already.

Hi, BeverleyD!

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You really need to follow the advice you were given. The dog isn't a puppy anymore. His behavior is going to be a bit harder to alter. Don't BABY DOG! Don't CONSTANTLY HOLD OR PET DOG.

Get the dog on a leash so he learns how to walk and please you. Wear him out. Take him to a park. Maybe even a doggie park/

Put out food. Allow time for him to eat. Take away what's left.

The dog needs to follow your lead, Chase and retrieve a ball or something.

Sounds like your dog is disoriented by the sudden change in his life. He lived in one place for over 3 years and does not understand why he is not where he belongs. Perhaps a visit to the sanctuary where he can see familiar sights and people will get him to eat and drink a little something while you figure things out.

Most sanctuaries have you visit the animal briefly for a couple of weeks to get acquainted before the animal goes home with you so the dog does not go home with total strangers. This may be part of your pet's problem.

Call the sanctuary and see if they will allow you to come with your dog for a few brief visits until the dog is more comfortable with you and more able to handle the change in his enironment. That may or may not resolve your problem, but its certainly worth a try if you want to keep him.

We foster rescue doxies and it is not uncommon for them to have separation anxiety, especially if they are moved from shelter to shelter or the relationship with their prior owner was shattered suddenly.

Tell that trainer who told you to ignore your dog's symptoms to take a flying leap. This is not a person I would want handling my dog.

Hi Beverly D
,After 8 days he would still be getting used to his new surroundings.
The average tme a dog takes to fully adjust to their new home is a minimum of 2 months!
The eating doesn't concern me too much at this stage if he is not dehydrated and is drinking enough water.

The trainer was right in saying not to baby him.
You need to give him time to adjust to an entirely new routine and new people.

I am assuming by sanctuary you mean rescue?
Being that the dog is an adult you have no idea how he was treated in the early stages of his life.
A lot of rescue dogs have been abused and take time to realise that their new home is loving and they will no longer be treated badly.

As for the food, no dog will starve themselves is offered food.
What you are doing sounds good, try some simple boiled chicken mixed in with his dry food or buy some good quality canned food.
Chicken stock that is unsalted is also good for a og that won't eat... warm it up and soak his dry food in it for about half an hour... I use about 1 cup stock to 3 cups dry food... this just softens it up and gives it a more appealing smell.
If he is losing a lot of weight and becoming thin try buying some Lamb Flap... this is the rib section of a lamb and you buy it in a long strip...
Cut off the ribs and throw them away.
The top of the flap has very fatty meat and soft bones, this is great for putting weight on a dog. Just give a very small amount the first time as the fat can cause diarreah if given a huge amount straght up, then slowly increase the portions over a week.
When he is at a healthy weight again stop feeding the flap (it is too fatty for regular feeding, only for weight gain)