Tonight I'm going to go a little OT (off topic) to ask a question to my dog owning friends.
I say all of this because I think it may have something to do with this new little streak I'm seeing in him. When we first got him, he was incredibly social. He loved everyone and would happily play with our nieces and nephew with no hesitation. He's let them pull on his ears and tail with no problem at all. However, in the past few months he's become even MORE of a Mama's boy. Now, this isn't too big of a deal for me- I love cuddling with my sweet puggy. The downside is that I've noticed that he has virtually no interest in anyone who isn't Chad or myself. He's become a lot more protective of us and barks at everyone (including the other animals) who dares come near us while on his turf. He's becoming what I never thought he would: a crotchety old man.
Has anyone else experienced this with their dog? He's now roughly 12 years old, so he is an older dog. He would love nothing more than to cuddle up to Chad or I all day and not move a muscle, when he used to love to play and chase his tail. Summer had even stopped trying to play with him- she probably figured out that she's barking up the wrong tree (get it?).
So, is this to be expected? Should I be concerned? Any advice is appreciated!
Personally, I have no idea if it's normal, but Jake seems to enjoy Zach! Then again, my hubby is just all around a lovable man, so it must just be part of his charm. ;-)
ReplyDeleteMaxine's been experiencing some changes lately, too. We've had her for over a year now and hadn't really seen much in the way of separation anxiety until about a month ago. We left for a few hours (shopping) and came back to find she had gone through one of our trash cans. Nothing new about the can, but she's never had any interest in it before. She dragged things out of it, tipped it over, etc. Since then, we've found we have to shut all the doors in the house and keep trash cans off the floor, and even THEN she usually finds something to tear up, even if we're only running to the grocery store! It's disheartening and frustrating, as I imagine any issues with the piggies are, too. :-(
Maybe Jacob is really just becoming an old grouch. It happens to people; why not pugs?
On the other hand, Cesar Millan would say that you have allowed Jake to be the pack leader. He probably also senses a disturbance in the force, so to speak, and isn't sure what to make of it. I'd talk to the pug group and see if they've had similar experiences.
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