# Should I get worried about this?



## amy22 (May 11, 2008)

Is she feeling ok? Why is she going to stay with another family for a week? Im not sure what to say, but Im sure others will be of more help to you.
Do you have a picture of your girl? Sure would love to see her!


----------



## Duke's Momma (Mar 1, 2007)

I also don't understand why you would "send her away" for a week once a month. Is she not your dog or are you fostering her?


----------



## Adriennelane (Feb 13, 2008)

Duke's Momma said:


> I also don't understand why you would "send her away" for a week once a month. Is she not your dog or are you fostering her?


Yeah, that's kind of odd.


----------



## Duke's Momma (Mar 1, 2007)

That sounded kind of judgemental and I didn't mean it to. I'm just wondering. Either way - uprooting her for an entire week every 3 weeks is unsettling for her. She could be depressed wondering what the heck she did wrong, or she could in fact be missing the place you're sending her to if it's more active. Or, it could be that she's tuckered out playing with everyone at "her other home".

I imagine it's more emotional. Again, why are you sending her away like that? A doggie day care for a day once a week would be more beneficial for her if it's just to socialize.


----------



## jwemt81 (Aug 20, 2008)

I guess I'm also confused...

Why are you sending her to stay with a foster family every month?


----------



## Karen519 (Aug 21, 2006)

*Bluesunshine*

Bluesunshine

I, too, am confused-why is NiuNiu going to stray with a foster?
Sound like there is much more activity and animals to stimulate her at her foster Mom's.
Do you and your husband play with her, take her for walks, spend quality time, like talking to her brushing her, etc.? I am sure that would help her.


----------



## AmandaSmelser (Mar 22, 2010)

If she stops eating, I would recommend a vet check. William's energy level dropped like that a week after I had him. My husband and I thought we had just adopted the most perfect Golden Retriever with a lower level of energy than typical. BUT, once he stopped eating, I took him to the vet. He had a minor case of parainfluenza (even though the rescue organization just gave him a vaccine for it). His recovery was quick and his mind-boggling energy returned even quicker.


----------



## bluesunshine (Jun 15, 2008)

thank you all very much for your replies!

The reason I send her once a week every 5 weeks is that I am not home from 6am to 530pm monday to friday. My husband works shift so every 5 weeks he rotates to day shift so neither of us are home all day long. Before, I hire a dog walker who come in everyday and walk her half an hour. Now, I found this foster family who love her very much so I think Niuniu can get lots of exercise and socilazation than just half an hour a day with the dog walker.

She still eats well, and yes, we do spent quality time with her, like walk her daily, dog park, cuddle, etc...she seems to enjoy it very much. It is just seems that her energy level is lower than before, and sometimes she seems to get lost with something on her mind....So I am wondering if she is just getting mellow? Or is she missing her foster mother....

This is Niuniu with the foster family










This is Niuniu in our basement


----------



## Duke's Momma (Mar 1, 2007)

I would suggest you find a doggie daycare close by that you can take her to once or twice a week as opposed to sending her away for a whole week.

I think she's a little confused and quite possibly pining for the "other life".

Just my opinion.


----------



## Duke's Momma (Mar 1, 2007)

Hm, or, if you have a fenced in yard you could install a doggie door and maybe think of fostering yourself so she would have a playmate during the day.

I honestly just do not like the idea of you "farming" her out for a whole week every 5 weeks even. Just to be blunt, I'd do absolutely everything possible if it were us and Duke, to NOT farm him out. I do understand that 6 am to 5:30 pm seems like a very long time, but it's do-able without sending her somewhere else so often and for so long. Just my opinion.


----------



## Kelmel (Apr 7, 2009)

Niuniu's reaction sounds similar to Morgan's response when she came home from her pet sitters after we had been out of town for a week. She goes to their house for doggie daycare and they love her. So we feel really good when she stays with them. We understood Morgan bonded with a Lab during her visit so I blamed her reaction when she came home to missing her new friend. I don't know that it is the human more then the interaction with another dog. She was back to her normal happy self in a day or so. In the picture it looks like Niuniu is happy playing with her foster friend. It definitely sounds like you are trying to do the best for Niuniu. You want her to be where she is happy and yet, not too happy : ).


----------



## LibertyME (Jan 6, 2007)

The dog is going to be 3....she could very well be just maturing and naturally settling down...

When I worked out of the house...all of the dogs would go to their crates on their own when they knew I was getting ready to leave...yes sometimes I would get the sad eyes. I did find that if I rotated their food puzzles and chew toys when I left it helped.

If you beleive your dog is safe with her other family...then I would stick with the family situation.....one dog playmate and lots of human interaction sounds like Golden heaven to me.
Finding a day care that is well-educated, well-staffed with small, well-supervised playgroups can sometimes be very, very hard to find.....there are far too many doggy-daycares that are freakin'-free-for-alls....

Of course...if you have a 'gut feeling' that your dog is ill....then a vet check to relieve you mind is always a good thing to do.


----------



## bluesunshine (Jun 15, 2008)

Hello all, 

Again, thank you all very much for your input and suggestions! Me and Niunniu appreicate them! As LibertMe said, it is very hard to find a good dog day care, I did some investigation before I sent her to this foster family, most of the day care put them in a huge crate which I don't want to put my Niuniu there - she is such a human dog that she has to be in a family environmnt and with human constantly; And, staying with the foster family seems to have done more good in her- Niuniu used to be very leash aggressive, when we walked her on leash and another dog showed up she would go berserk....But this Feb we were out of country for a month and since we came back there was big change of Niuniu's behaviour - she became much calmer when seeing another dog, she will still get excited but she doesn't go lounching or jumping or barking like crazy...That's why I came the idea of leaving her with this family when both of us are working days. 

I will keep observing her and will adjust my strategy accordingly. Duke's Mom's idea of me installing a doggy dor and fostering another dog sounds a bit challenging, but I will for sure think about it..... Here are a couple of more pictures of my happy Niuniu in her foster family...


----------



## Duke's Momma (Mar 1, 2007)

Well, you know her best and if you're comfortable with this arrangement, that by all means continuing doing what you're doing. She could just be tired out what with all the play.


----------

