5yr old female BT Sleeps constantly

by Paul
(Memphis, TN)

I just got a 5 yr old female Boston Terrier from a shelter. She was a breed dog that was going to be put down because she could not have puppies anymore. She is a really sweet dog but she sleeps constantly and is unresponsive to my attempts at obedience training. She refuses food motivation, affection motivation and toy motivation. I am kind of at my wits end I don't know what to do to get her out of her doggy bed and be a companion. Right now it just seems I adopted a lump that snores and pees and poops in the floor occasionally.

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5yr old female BT Sleeps constantly

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Dec 20, 2010
 Depression?
by: Linda Galway/TurnerME

I'm not sure if dogs can be depressed, but it certainly would explain some of the behavior. Although Bostons Terriers, in general, never met a stranger and will happily live with just about anyone who is good to them, there must be exceptions, and perhaps your new girl is just having a hard time with the adjustment. I would pick her up out of the bed and hold her in my lap as much as possible, talking, cooing, caressing her. If you're at the computer, she can curl up in your lap; if you're watching TV or reading, same thing. Keep her bed near you if you're doing other activities.

She may also, because she was with a breeder, not know how to interact in a loving manner with people. This may have been a product of how she was treated, kept in a kennel, perhaps? I don't know, I'm just guessing. Some easy play time would be in order as well, perhaps tossing a ball for her to fetch, if she will. The closer she becomes to you, the more she will want to please you. I wouldn't give up on her. You say she is "sweet," so I presume she has a good temperament and just needs some guidance, I think. Good luck and please let us know how this turns out.
Dec 20, 2010
 Doggy Separation Depression
by: jtdecoff1027@hotmail.com

I have a three year old 50 boston terrier 50 shih tzu. She had puppies at the age of 8 months. I am not sure what happened to her puppies but she was a rescue dog and she had a front hernia in her chest cavity enlarge nipples and tears in her area. The vet knew she had puppies too young. For the first 5 months until I got her spayed she would constantly be depressed. Sit in her bed and coddle her toys and clean them as if they where her babies. She would carry them around and collect them to the point everyone of her 20 toys had to be crowded around her. If she isn't spayed even though she is past breeding get her spayed and it should fix it. Just a warning she may start to cling to you like glue but that may be the shih tzu in mine.

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