We just brought home a 5 month old yellow lab a few days ago. He is very gentle and kind to everyone in our family but he seems a little sad? We got him from a breeder who had other dogs but I do not think that our puppy was socialized much during his early weeks. We have been playing in the back yard with him as much as possible and I have been walking him too. But, when we are inside he just lays down and sleeps, he does not seem very energetic and he is not eating very much either. Is this just a transition issue that will pass? How can we make him feel more comfortable and at home. We have been loving on him, playing with him and showering him with attention.
Most likely, YES. Give him a bit more time to settle in. He is missing his old home and is probably overwhelmed by all the new attention. It might be a good idea to be sure to give him some time on his own, you don't want him expecting to be the centre of attention all the time. He's still pretty young, he needs to sleep and rest too.
Hi and welcome to the forum . What is your boys name? It may take a few weeks for him to settle in and he may not be used to all the attention. It can be tempting to try and play with them a lot, but try not to or he will get used to it and when you want to relax he won't! Try and give him space and have allocated times to play.
Welcome from me, Hattie 9 years and our rescue boy Charlie 6 years. Is there a reason your puppy wasn't sold by the breeder? When you say he isn't eating very much, how much is he eating? Bless him he is in a new home, new smells, sounds, people he is probably overwhelmed, he will settle so just give him a bit of space and I'm sure he will be just fine. Our rescue dog was 9 months when we got him and a completely crazy dog and he still is so be grateful. You could do some short little training sessions with him or some clicker training. How far along is he with his training?
Welcome! Has he had a vet check him out to rule out any medical issues? If yes and he's fine, I'd agree with the others and say give him some time. I used to foster dogs a lot and their real personalities wouldn't come out for one to two weeks after I got them. Some dogs were faster to settle in, but the one-two week timeframe was pretty standard. Would love to hear how he gets on once he settles in properly.
