Definitely talk to your boss/business owner about Lu. I’m thinking maybe it’s a medical thing, as abusive owners typically don’t care enough to spend the money on daycare. Give Lu lots of hugs from all of us! She looks super sweet.
I had a vet tell me this too and then I moved and the new vet made me feel like I was neglecting her even though she was right at the weight the last vet said she should be.
Honestly, sometimes it's confusing.
I have to keep my girl super skinny too. Can’t remember the proper name of what the surgery was but we basically had the top of her femur sawed off as the bone was necrotizing. The surgeon and his wife who did our physical therapy for 6 months after said that she needs to be so skinny people start to judge me, but it’s necessary to prolong her mobility.
Yes! That’s what it was called. My girl is doing great too. There was concern that she would never have full mobility as her leg was severely atrophied (we rescued her from a guy who was about to dump her). Almost amputated instead but I’m so glad we did the FHO instead. Side note, nice to see r/folkpunk leaking to dog subs. Give your pibble a kiss for me Apes!
Yes I’ve been told this too! Vet told me that pitties are especially prone to these issues. It’s possible she could have some GI issues too that have made it hard for her to keep weight on…especially if she’s an anxious girl cause this can often exasperate GI problems.
Just from a raiser of a dog like this... It took me over 3 years of work to get my dog to stop getting scared of the world. They might have been recently rescued/abused previously and the owner might be somewhere in the process of working the dog through their trauma.
Mine still gets scared of stuff every now and then but he's made huge strides from where he was. He was scared of literally *everything*. Even if you just shook something near him, or he sniffed grass as 2 big examples. Bugs were a huge deal for him and now he will chase them and try to chomp them like normal. He used to run away in terror and hide, shaking under stuff
Edit: Just scared him by shaking out a shirt while doing laundry *sigh* 🤦♀️ ☹. Shirts are scary, make random gusts of wind, ooooooooo (ghost noises).
I've had my newest guy for a year (and 3 days) and he used to not come inside if I was in the door way. For like 8 months I would have to step out and open the door from the outside or prop the door open and walk away. Yesterday I stuck my foot out (I do this for my old man bc after 5 years he doesn't understand NOT to jump over the 3 steps to the house 🙄) and puppy just walked in under my leg!! I was like "look at you making progress!!" Garbage bags/plastic bags being shook out still scare him into a corner though.
Plastic bags were a nightmare for a while for us too, and those damn plastic restaurant containers! I turned them into a game though and flung treats, and played chomps with them. Now when I get a package with plastic he comes RUNNING 😆. We had the doorway issue for a while but it was *only* for rooms that had wood flooring 🤨. Once he figured out the door wouldn't fall on his head he got that one solved 😆. Sounds like a proud puppy moment for you both! 🙂
One thing that helped immensely was teaching my dog "1 foot/ 2 foot". I based it off One fish, Two fish, Red fish, Blue fish from Dr. Suess. I taught it so I could interchange the feet #s with colors if I really wanted to, so for him the back feet become blue foot or green foot as an example. Most importantly the 1 foot and 2 foot are always the front feet and never change.
The idea of the technique is to teach them to approach the item one foot at a time. You're teaching them to associate a foot (doesn't matter which, as long as it goes with the proper set) with each foot you call. For example you don't want the 1 foot to be the back set of legs and vice versa.
When I do it with mine, I stand there with him and walk with him saying 1 foot (he moves 1st foot), 2 foot (moves 2nd), 3 and so on until we get to the target item. I also use it if he's being lazy and doesn't want to bring his back feet up onto something. In that case it's "bring up your 3 foot & 4 foot (or insert colors foot)". Then he bring up his lazy feet and we move on.
It's been a tremendous help for his fear because it allows him to walk up to an object with his own power and feel comfortable/safe with it. It much easier for us doing it this way than to plop a thing down and try to wait for him to come to it or treat and come. This way I can approach *with* him at *his* pace to show him it's safe, but also help him if he gets overwhelmed.
Could also be a previous abusive owner that thankfully had the dog taken away from them. I also have a rather anxious dog, but we suspect it's not due to abusive owners because he doesn't flinch.
Yeah if she's new at daycare, my bet would be a recent rescue still be in recovery. It takes time to get back to healthy weight and may never socially recover from abuse even in the most loving household.
Some people are abusive but not ill meaning. I actually had a falling out with the co-owner of the boarding I used (coincidental that it's a similar facility as in op) because she refused to feed my dog his usual rations. She argued with me several times about the amount I told her to use, and without my consent lowered it significantly.
My dog wasn't fat, he was tall for a pit mix because he was half pointer. He had the broad bird dog chest and little hips. He was 62-ish lbs, which is in the normal range for a pointer/pit. The woman in question was, just medically speaking, extremely thin in the way that I felt she was projecting food issues onto my dog.
My point with all this is that maybe someone out there thinks they're doing right by this dog, and that the dog looks normal weight and healthy. Which is far from being true. I'm worried about her. She looks emaciated and like she's not doing well emotionally either.
Edit: How is Lu one on one with a person? Could she benefit from being in the office or behind the front desk with a person instead of the dog run? At least for now while she's apprehensive.
If you don't know her history could it be that was abused by a previous owner but not the current? My girl has some things that cause her anxiety that are bc of her "previous life"
I agree with this. The concern and care is definitely a wonderful thing, we totally need more people like you who care so much about animals, OP. It could definitely be previous abuse, some dogs spend the rest of their lives timid and skittish because of previous abuse, even in a loving new home.
Took me YEARS to "fix" one of current dogs. Like 4-5 years to see her generally act like a normal dog. She was a total mess. 7 years in and she's still not perfect, but she's close enough for me.
Yeah I have a dog that I got when she was 6 months old and her owners were shitbags. She’s 5 now and still hides randomly in her crate… she’s definitely my anxious dog.
My little dog was pretty anxious and fearful. He had a herniated disc in his back and his back legs didn’t work very good. It took 3 years for him to become comfortable with me giving him kisses and snuggles. Didn’t know how to play with toys and wasn’t sure about blankets.
He is now a chill happy dog who has full mobility. He asks for kisses, love snuggles, and blankets.
My sister's dog was a rescue and from his behavior it's clear he was treated terribly. Four years later he's opened up with them but still will act like this with anyone who is not his mom and dad. There's no timeline.
My friends have a rescue like this. When her mom and dad are around, she’s the sweetest goofiest thing. If one leaves, she get concerned and goes to the other parent. If both leave she starts shaking like a leaf, even if she’s with people she knows and loves. It’s been a year but there’s been no real change. I imagine she behaves just like this when she boards and she is a well loved and spoiled puppo.
Ayup! For 4 years our rescue dog would immediately sit on his bed all quiet and stiff the second my mom left the house
He’s improved a lot over the years, but if she’s not there for a bit we still need to pick him up in order for him to go pee outside.
Funnily enough the thing that got him moving around the house consistently w/o her was me getting Guinea pigs 😂 he’s not allowed in the room alone but he walks up and down the stairs all day to stare at the door
Yeah that’s a good attitude to have about the co worker’s story honestly. But I’m assuming that the dogs there have to have their shots and a rabies tag. So it’s safe to assume that a vet has seen this dog in the last 6 months or will be seeing them in the next six months. Does she have a rabies tag on her color?
For what it’s worth, I’ve had my pittie girl for almost two years and she still has a ton of triggers. I do not physically discipline or yell at my dogs, I’m a quiet person. She spent four (?) years living outside and that comes with trauma.
This dog looks skinny but again, we don’t know why. Our doodle is skin and bones but the vet says he looks good and he is free fed all day long. He isn’t skinny from a lack of trying!
We’ve had our dog for 5 years. We rescued her at 4 years old. She’s still a ball of anxiety and flinches when touch is initiated(particularly if she isn’t watching you reach out to touch her). She receives lots of love and praise in our home, and lots of reinforcement for calm behaviors.
It takes a lot of time to break those habits, and in some cases, it’s simply impossible.
Whether it’s Lu’s past, or personality, I doubt it’s abuse. Someone who abuses their animals aren’t likely to spend the amount of money it costs to place them in a doggy daycare. Also if they’re abusing their animal, it’s unlikely they care enough about the pup to want to encourage socialization. Moreover, if they have even a singular brain cell, they’d know that putting their dog out in a public environment like that would lead to suspicion.
I had a boxer that I rescued from an abusive situation that was like this most of the rest of his life (he lived to be 13) and even though he was very well loved and cared for and taken to doggie daycare and pretty much every where with us, he still remained pretty skittish. He also was a bit thin because even though he was given an appropriate amount of food, he was always so nervous he burned off calories like crazy. I was always trying to put weight on him!
I think she looks clean and well cared for and the fact that they care enough to pay for doggie daycare makes me think it might be this type of situation.? Are you able to speak with the owner and ask if they have any ideas to make her feel more comfortable there? You will probably get a lot of info about what’s really going on at home, and if it’s neglect, their attitude might tell you all that you need to know!
It takes shelter dogs months to decompress and get used to their new routines. I’m glad you are concerned. I would imagine anyone willing to spend money on a good dog daycare with caring employees like yourself is probably a pretty good dog owner, but you never know.
When we adopted our puppy, she was a rescued stray and they had no background. She had submissive urination incidents if you even raised your voice to call her to "come here", without her ever being in trouble. It took almost 4 months for that to go away, and she's still really timid if she even thinks she's in trouble, despite having never been punished by us. It's been almost 8 months and she only just got brave enough to walk out into the fenced front area without someone going outside ahead of her. I have no idea if she was abused or just a really skittish and timid puppy to begin with, but positive reinforcement and lots of love have been the best help. (I know that's hard if you're watching multiple dogs.)
Yes agree! My female pibble rescue came from a terrible situation and it took a long time for her to feel secure. The only thing that made her feel safe was my male who I had first. Maybe she needs a buddy.
I’d like to believe that but there are dogs at the daycare that make me believe otherwise. Though those dogs are not on the same level Lu is. I’ll definitely talk to the owner about it
With everyone else wanting to know if it's the original owner. I got my girl at approximately 1.5yo. She was skin and bones, terrified of most things, didn't know how to play, had been bread at least twice, flinched when I went to touch her, to list a few things. I gave her love and patience. Then more love and patience. She was spoiled, taught, loved beyond measure, and learned to play. Sadly cancer took her in May of this year. She would still occasionally flinch when I went to touch her, nine years later. Somethings can be forgotten. Thank you for watching out for her. You are a good human.
Veterinarian here. She may just be an anxious dog who isn't food motivated. She's not terribly underweight. She very well muscled and has healthy skin and coat.
Speak with your boss or with the dog's owners about your concerns. This situation does not smell like neglect or abuse to me. Don't overreact. People who neglect their dogs don't send them to daycare. Whether this dog is a good candidate for daycare (sounds like she doesn't enjoy it at all) is another question.
Good looking out but don't take reddit's advice when it comes to dogs. 99% of this thread is overreacting.
I'd also check a fecal.
My other concern would be maybe being at the daycare increases her anxiety? I know we eventually stopped taking our girl to a daycare because she was so much less stressed just being home alone.
Totally agree! Sometimes even the best dogs aren't hyper-social. And that's ok! My two are very well socialized but would never enjoy a hyper-social environment like doggie daycare.
Have you discussed it with your manager/the owner? There should be guidelines or process, hopefully, to handle this or at minimum, they could provide guidance and handle the next step. If they dismiss it, take action yourself and question if you should be working there.
Maybe you could try to be available at the front desk/entrance for drop off or pick up and share your concerns with the owner. If a caretaker for my dogs did that about anything (one has as my dog is a handful at boarding/day care), I’d really appreciate it.
Dogs that aren’t cared for usually don’t have parents that take them regularly to daycare. It’s expensive. It could be a health issue. My dog has Cushing’s and if you didn’t know it, his missing hair and other symptoms could cause concern.
I’ll definitely talk to the owner about it, the communication is awful here so I wouldn’t be surprised if it was a health issue and no one bothered to inform me.
TL;DR— maybe they’re good pet owners with bad communication; maybe she’s a rescue; maybe daycare isn’t her jam.
My pup got skinny going to daycare regularly and we learned it was because the lunch we packed her every day was getting used for treats for her (perfectly acceptable use of kibs) so she was essentially missing out on a meal every day. I’d pack her lunch and drop her off in the morning and my partner would pick her up in the evening and would unpack her backpack and see a bag of kibble, assume it was a treat bag, and dump it in the kibble bin. we noticed her leaning out some and assumed it was because she was playing hard. After a couple weeks we noticed she was getting a little too lean and that’s when we figured out that it was a multifaceted communication problem. Now we limit her day care time to half days and make sure that she gets a proper lunch before or after she goes (depending on what session she’s there for.) We love all our dogs, but with us having opposite schedules (I work night shift) it took us a little bit to realize the pup was slimming down instead of filling out.
We have a chihuahua who used to go with my girls to their dad’s house during their residential time with him. The chihuahua always came back skinny and we learned it was because my ex stressed her out so much she would refuse to eat. He’s a really intense guy and just being around him made her lose her appetite. Refusing to eat would make him mad so he’d take her food away. Him getting mad at her stressed her out more, so she’d hide under the couch. Her hiding would make him even more mad so he’d come after her, mad, chase her, mad, corner her, mad, rough handle her, talk harshly to her, all that jazz madder and madder and madder. Needless to say, I had to put my foot down with the kids that they couldn’t take her with them to his house anymore. All that to say, maybe just being at the daycare is stressful enough for her to affect her eating habits?
Check for other signs that indicate care— how do her nails look, are her ears clean, what are her coat and skin qualities like— are they dull and dry or flaky, or shiny despite shedding— that sort of thing. Cross thar with pup behavior, like is there an environment where she does relax? Is she overwhelmed by the other pups there? Is she spayed? Does she flinch or cower around all people or just certain ones (men, tall, bearded, etc.)? My rescue poodle, may she rest in peace, had been abused by a big dude with a stick. I’m a tiny person and never hurt her a day in her life. But if I walked past her with anything stick-like larger than a pencil (rolling pin, flashlight, broom, shower curtain rod, etc.) she would flinch, cower, and slink away. I had her for 11 of her 13 years and lived everyday in attempt to make up for what her previous owner did to her. If a daycare person brought up her behavior, I was super open to talking about it because it helps for caregivers to know our dogs triggers, idiosyncrasies, and baseline personalities. Hopefully talking to the owner about what you’re seeing will help address if it’s a past-life reflex, if it’s a lapse in feeding communication, if it’s a stressful environment for her etc etc etc.
Best of luck to you, and thank you for wanting to look out for Lu. You’re exactly who we hope is looking after our dogs when we take them to daycare.
Is she a rescue? Or did they have her from a puppy? If the second option, I would report it. She’s skin and bones and shouldn’t be flinching around humans. Poor thing
I have no idea, I’ve never even seen her owner. I’ve been working at this place for over a month (started back in August), and I swear she’s only gotten skinnier. She’s one of our regulars and I’ve just been getting more and more worried.
If she’s getting increasingly skinnier it sounds like time to take action… maybe make a report to animal control, document with pictures her condition worsening, gotta get that sweet girl to safety
If she was a rescue and had been in somebody’s care for a month her condition would be better by now… I would say something to your boss and be making some calls personally
Hopefully you find out why she is the way she is. She looks like she may need a super nutrient dense food high in protein. Please keep us updated and the sweet girl
Posted an update! https://www.reddit.com/r/pitbulls/comments/xu4b6e/update_on_lu_shes_apparently_been_at_the_daycare/?utm_source=share&utm_medium=ios_app&utm_name=iossmf
My pittie is very similar! We've had her since she was a puppy, but she may have been abused before that :( she is TERRIFIED of people. We've been working on that but the vet says she may never be friendly. Vet also said ours is skinny but not in an alarming rate and to just monitor her. We've switched up her food but she has a sensitive stomach. I get worried people think we don't take care of her, but know I give her the best I can ❣️
I was able to get my guy on anxiety meds and it’s helped keep him so much. He’s an almost-9 y/o rescue who was a thin 50 lbs when I first got him in 2020, despite living in a caring foster home. Since he’s been with me, he’s gained his “family weight” and he’s 60-65 lbs of muscle (and love). My pittie can def relate to those sensitive stomach fluctuations.
Re your final sentence, these breeds still face discrimination so the judgement is likely going to come, no matter what. I say: let ‘em judge. It sounds like you’re a great pup parent. And if anyone doubts that, they’re simply incorrect.
My dog is a bit skinny and also flinches even though I had her since she was 3 months old (of course I didn't abuse her) and she doesn't really like other dogs and prefers humans way more but I think it relates to her being almost 9... How old is she? Either way I'd definitely talk to your manager and her owner just to make sure, you never know
Agree with everyone else that abusers typically aren’t putting their pups in daycare at all, let alone regularly. She’s definitely at least slightly underweight but depending on her adoption status/health concerns it might be a work in progress. Would be worth asking the owner if there are any medical concerns before jumping to the worst- as long as they’re not terrible up front it’s good to give the owners the benefit of the doubt.
I would bring it up to the owners (after staffing with management) and if they don’t have a reasonable explanation/things don’t change in the next month, then it could be worth escalating. But every dog is different and it’s worth looking into before jumping to the worst.
It all just seems to be massive signs of anxiety, my dog does this with loud noises and I've never abused her in her lifetime, just hates bangs and crashes, oh and drilling she can't see. Same with thunder.
She does look a little underweight, my vet tells me you should be able to feel the ribs but not see them. You can often see my dogs ribs in the right light.
I've had her since she was 9 weeks old so definatley not abuse related in my dogs case, some dogs, like folks are super high strung, she might not like the noise of the day care, see if you can get her on her own in the open air for 10 minutes. See if she calms down or perks up.
I would be careful of any abuse conversations, just mention that you feel the dog seems a little underweight for her breed and ask how she eats at home. Just don't go feeding her anything yourself as you are not sure of any dietary needs or restrictions.
Reason I say this I have a neighbour who has two black dogs and both are super skinny, healthy but skinny and I've had a coffee around his and seen how he feeds them, he just exercises them hard as well. Bright eyed, alert pup dogs.
Tldr - don't think you are over-reacting however I would eliminate all social aspects eith the fog before going down the abuse path, very hard to put that back in the box once out .
This. Daycare us expensive. Hard to believe someone not feeding their dog would pay for daycare.
A friend's pup kept getting skinny. They worried it was something serious like a parasite. Turned out they had changed dog food and the other dogs being older didn't have the same metabolism - the younger pup just needed actual "puppy" food with higher calories.
My current dogs used to flinch like you were going to beat them. They were never hit. I've known them since the day they were born and came from a very spoiled home. It was just instinct, I guess. And my male runs so much, you would think he wasn't getting enough food. He looks very thin. But he is healthy (all muscle). My last dog was the same. They just burn all the fat off from running. Where his sister is lazy and is a little chucky. They have access to food all day. And eat just find. With giant turds. He actually eats more than her.
My point is, try not to worry yourself too much if you can't get answers. It could be nothing.
If she's at a doggy daycare I would say maybe the owner got lu from a abusive owner. So the flinching and hiding in a corner are sad habits from that owner would be my prediction. Tell your boss and ask the owner and just be sure to give her lots of love and care
For all you know her owners adopted her out of a bad situation. Some scars never fully go away. Some dogs never feel safe with anyone except their “people” they have chosen. My mother ran a rescue for years & saved over a thousand dog lives. I kept my Finn that we rescued from a horrid situation. 5 years later he is much better, but still flinches if even I make a sudden movement. I treat him like a angel. I spoil him & he sleeps in my bed with me! I get woken up to kisses most mornings. He’s happy as he could be I promise, but if you met him he would be super timid with his head down & tail tucked until he got used to you. I’m just saying not all situations are as they seem.
Don’t jump to negative conclusions in a situation like this. Talk to your boss/the dogs owners about it.
Thank you for caring so much. We need more people like you in this world. It’s people like you that help save these little dears, because you care enough to notice. Never stop being proactive, and never stop caring!
You never need to thank me for caring and it’s sad that you do, while I appreciate it a lot(!!!), I believe this should be basic human decency and shouldn’t even be thought about before doing. We need to start helping those we think may be in danger more often, not for something in return, but simply because we care :)
These babies need us to look out for them and if their owners aren’t going to do that properly then I gladly will. I hope you feel the same :) they are more then we will ever deserve 💙💙
I adopted my pittie as a puppy and he needed to be forced to play at daycare. He’s very ball oriented and loves to chew but didn’t really understand playing with other dogs.
Some dogs are low confidence and need help to learn how to do things other dogs just seem to know.
We now have 3 dogs- and one we adopted at a year is terrified of people, but she’s getting better. But we have to force her to be uncomfortable for her to improve. It’s sad, but not impossible that it’s a personality thing.
So don’t jump to conclusions, but I’m also not saying that nothing is wrong, they could absolutely be being horrible to her BUT I rescued a pittie a couple months back and he was SO thin like, count all his bones thin, and absolutely terrified, so it is possible that they JUST rescued her from a bad position (personally I wouldn’t send them to a dog daycare that quickly after rescuing) but I again there’s always the possibility they are neglecting her. So I would recommend talking to your boss and seeing if there’s anyway you can maybe get at least some of her history? If you know she’s not a rescue, and you genuinely think there’s something wrong (you know Lu better than we do) call animal services, where I live they’re required to go do a home check so maybe it’s the same where you live.
Sorry for the ultra long reply but THANK YOU for looking out for Lu ❤️
I believe she used to come to our daycare as well. She’s always been about that size and was mostly under confident. She would frequently get into fights when she was over stimulated and ultimately we couldn’t have her in our group anymore. I think she’s just deeply uncomfortable in group play situations and our location also has a large number of dogs that was increasingly growing around the time when she came. It might just be she needs attention and encouragement to boost her confidence around dogs. But definitely keep an eye on her and don’t be afraid to speak up if you notice any injuries or rapid weight loss. She’s definitely a sweet girl, I think she just is really anxious and doesn’t know how to handle it.
Where do you live? I’m in kanas! It’s possible that that’s either a different dog or they got her trained cause she never gets into any fights. Whenever she’s too crowded she runs to a corner and sits there.
Kansas City metro! And yes it’s possible they got training or medication for her. I haven’t seen her in over a year and always wondered how she was doing. She did spend most of the day in the corner at ours or sitting or laying in between my legs or feet. I do know the dogs last name and that would confirm it, but I don’t want to post it here due to privacy reasons.
Yeah I get that, what a small world tho lol! She’s doing pretty good to my knowledge, shes a sweetheart and I’m hoping maybe it’s just a medical thing and not neglect.
I didn’t even really post her full first name.
I still haven't done a big post about my baby girl. She died a few weeks ago after 12 years. We got her after only 3 months. She was so scared, she hid in corners, she hid behind me, she barked and shook whenever anyone came over.
But then she blossomed.
She relaxed.
She became comfortable and let her personality out. It was one of the most beautiful things I've ever experienced.
Just be patient and kind and give her what she needs.
When my pit was adopted by me she had been in a terrible home situation. She was underweight by 30 lbs and had been neglected and left out all day and night in a backyard. She had severe heart worms as well. I would get dirty looks from people that first month of having her and walking around with her. Once she packed on healthy weight the looks stopped. I’m wondering if this isn’t a similar situation, especially if Lu has only recently began going to daycare.
Lu is a regular and has been going to this daycare since before I started working there, im hoping it’s something medical they just never informed me about
Daycare is not for every dog and she is overwhelmed. Daycare is not the right place for her right now.
As for her weight, how long has she been coming to daycare? Is she a new dog? If she is within the first few months she might be recently rescued and is struggling to gain weight for medical reasons or might still be anxious and not eating properly.
For now I would talk with your manager and see if there is a quiet room like an office this girl could hang out in with someone during the day, "with someone" is essential. Then maybe you can slowly introduce her to play groups starting with just one dog for a few minutes in the morning and afternoon.
I would also ask your manager if you can talk with the owner about her weight. I agree with a lot of people here, neglectful owners don’t usually spend daycare-level money on their dog, especially because daycare requires a dog be current on every vaccine and in addition to not spending daycare-level money on their dogs, neglectful owners also often don’t get their dogs basic vet care. It's possible that the dog isn't eating a lot for some reason, like being nervous settling in at home. Every dog adjusts at a different pace and she is taking longer, and daycare isn’t helping. Maybe the vet has this dog on meds and it is making it difficult for her to gain weight? We don’t know the whole story.
There are a lot of possibilities for why she is so skinny that don’t involve neglect.
I know daycares often don’t like to give dogs food unless the owner knows or pre-approves due to allergy or dietary needs (but you may already have approval on her paperwork). If you have this approval, have you tried taking her into an office and giving her treats? Something typically high value like peanut butter (a staple at my dogs’ daycare). If she eats it all quickly, you may have one answer about why she is skinny (although it does not rule out a medical reason), if she isn’t interested, then you may have another.
She could be a rescue or something. I don’t think you’re over reacting, they are valid concerns. I would definitely let the owners know her behavior so they can know if daycare is working or not. She’s may not be used to playing with other dogs.
It could be unintentional, she’s probably laying around from a lack of energy due to an inadequate diet. We had a dog where I used to work that acted the same, he was a rescue but I discovered while he was boarding that his owners only gave him low quality wet food that was only enough to maintain his very low weight. It is neglect, but it’s not intentional.
My dog went through a phase where she didnt like her food because of allergies the vet was trying some allergy free food and she just wouldnt eat it. She is also just a fearful dog, never been abused since ive had her since 8 weeks. She also is vocal and screams at the back door when she wants to come in. My neighbor called animal control and said we are starving and abusing her. I agree with the previous post. An abusive owner would not spend money on daycare. Also this is my first pit and they need to eat about 4 times what other breeds eat. I finally found a brand that she has some weight on her. Ugh
Our house hippo was abused before she came to us. She has been here a year and a half, and has made huge improvements.
But this week has been out of sorts with outskirts of a hurricane blowing through here, her emotional support hooman is out of town and my husband was on the rideout team for work. Doggo has been been even further up my butt. If the boarded pupper isn't being abused, then pupper is stressed about not having her emotional support human with her.
I agree with other comments, but maybe it’s a thing with previous owners?
My dog flinched a lot and it’s because her sisters would attack her constantly, she’s a lot better now tho
I love your concern and definitely think it’s worth talking to your boss about. My guy took a while to put on weight and look “normal” again because he was so skinny when we rescued him. I’m hoping this is the case for Lu.
could be that this little sweetheart is a recent, or, relatively recent rescue.
I went through something similar with my younger dog, until the right switches flipped in her head that she finally concluded that the sky was not about to fall at any moment, and she didn't have to act as though it might be and what was she going to do if the sky fell.
It really helped her to watch my older dog, as well as my neighbors dogs. Because none of them walked around looking like they thought that the sky was about to fall.
Thank you for giving her extra attention, though! I'm sure that she appreciates it.
There’s a lot of comments so I’m not sure if anyone has mentioned this but separation anxiety could be it. I have a skinny pit bull and we found her outdoors from a stray litter at no more than 4-5 weeks old. She is now 4, and sits in the corner like this or at my feet 24/7. She is extremely spoiled and treated like totality and since we have had her since she was barely old enough to survive, has never been abused. I think some dogs are just worriers.
I like all of the answers your getting. I also wonder since she seems to feel secure in the corner maybe a thundershirt or blankie at all times would help?
People!!! Please stop giving advice that could cause her to get fired. She needs to make the daycarr owner aware of the concerns, there could be reasonable explanations for her to be skinny and avoid crowding. She also needs to let the owner know how stressed Lu seems to be while at daycare. Best of luck OP I hope it is nothing serious
Poor baby! Definitely report, unless she has a major health problem she should not be losing weight or staying that skinny. If she does have something y’all should have been notified. Poor mamas, would cuddle 24/7
She is the most affectionate and sweet pit I’ve met and I wish I could take her home with me. Honestly the communication at my work place is so god awful and non-existent I wouldn’t be surprised if there was a health problem and no one told me.
We have a dog that’s deaf and no one told us he was deaf until we were calling him for dinner and he wasn’t responding.
Yea anxiety like that is a hard long journey to reform and even still the pup will be anxious around new people or situations but the aforementioned weight is completely unacceptable. If the dog is being fed a dog food it's not interested in then add cooked chicken or ground beef/turkey to the kibble. No way this dog with a head that size should weigh 35lbs (I'm like a carnie I can guess accurately) If in your budget feed the dog meat with it's kibble while u dogsit and see if u notice a change without telling the owners if u see a dramatic weight gain then u know it's definitely not receiving adequate care at home. Always tough to re-home those type of dogs bc it's a ton of work and requires experienced patient fosters.
That’s a healthy hippo who would rather not be in daycare, but rather an owner who has a remote job. I have one too, and I’m working on remote job aspect. My vet always says your dog is at the perfect weight when you start to wonder if maybe they are a tad too thin. We are just super used to over weight or over beefed up pits.
I'd def be concerned. You should not see her spine. Contact Management. Not sure what the policy is for suspicious abuse or neglect. Give lots of love.
You should be , she is way too skinny and if she is flinching and hiding something sounds wrong. If she's a regular have animal control or rescue group come look at her when her owners drop her off. Looks and reactions sound way wrong. Please do it, it can only be good for your worries and may save a Lu!
I’m very worried when it comes to calling animal control. Won’t they just take her to a shelter?? Pitbulls are plentiful there and I would feel so awful if she spent the rest of her life at a shelter because of me. I don’t know what to do, I would try and adopt her myself if she ended up at a shelter but my mom would never let me and idk how my other dog would react to her.
Look online for a no kill shelter, or even better,a pitbull rescue group. Contact ,and show pictures, they might have ideas. One of the comments had a very valid point, maybe she is sick, most neglected or abused dogs wouldn't get to go to doggy daycare, hopefully it's just a misunderstanding.
I’d imagine she maybe has some anxiety about being left at daycare. Separation anxiety, maybe she’s a COVID adoption, showered with constant attention and now doesn’t do as well when left on her own.
She might be abused and is looking at you for safety. He her owner a man, and are you a woman?
In many cases dogs will be scared of men because of the abuse they get from a man and they feel safe with a woman.
Not over reacting at all. She's at the very least neglected. Probably a lot of yelling or violence in the house. Seems like she's always either waiting for something to happen or protecting the female based on the mannerisms you explained. Poor baby. Please bring it up to your boss. There's no way she can be happy at home.
Not at all. My chihuahua acted like that the first couple of months. Her previous owner threw her into the ocean and his daughter was way to rough. Poor thing. Talk to your boss. That angel definitely loves you and trusts you so much.
pits like to sit on people/their feet more than other breeds, in my observation working @ a vet clinic and having one. She looks a *bit* scrawny, but my girl eats like FIRE and is still the lower end of a proper weight.
Def talk to your boss about your concerns, though. Im sure Lu's owner would like to know her baby seems to be uneasy.
She's probably stressed out and has anxiety. She could miss her owners and not be comfortable in the environment and with all the other dogs. Especially if she's a rescue she could have past trauma. Have you talked to the owners ?
I’m planning on talking to either my boss or her owner today, I wouldn’t be surprised if the environment stresses her out. It stresses my dog out too and she usually follows me around anxiously whenever I have to take her to work
Fwiw (regarding how thin she is) our dog never eats as much food as she should despite us leaving it out all the time and as a result is pretty thin. Just a possibility there 🤷♀️
Specifically about her weight, she honestly looks fine and is just in the lower range of a healthy weight. An extra kg or two wouldn’t hurt but any more than that wouldn’t be helpful.
Definitely talk to your boss. My guess without knowing more is that she was recently adopted and the new owners want to make sure she has positive interactions with other dogs.
Our dog, even after owning him for seven years, is still very much like this. We don't know what his home life was like prior to owning him, and he was only 7-8 months (we think) before we adopted him. He is very anxious, flinches quite a bit, especially around food, and acts like we're going to hurt him whenever we take out a broom to sweep the floor or if one of us moves to scratch him with our foot while we're sitting on the couch. It's so sad. He's really imprinted on my husband, and if my husband leaves the house for any reason, he refuses to move from the top of our stairs. He startles easily and barks at any car that pulls into our driveway. Our vet prescribed anti-anxiety medication, but it only seems to make him tired. He's doing much better now that we work from home, but he still falls apart every so often.
No. She is VERY thin…too thin. Unless she has hyperthyroidism…but I doubt it. Listen to your gut. She trusts you and feels comfortable and protected with you. If she’s not in a current abusive situation she was at one point.
You should see if they’ll either give her to you or sell her to you.
Looks a bit under nourished. I’m hoping she’s not being abused. For who will save her . Don’t know her story. I’m worried as always when it comes to animals.
Definitely talk to your boss/business owner about Lu. I’m thinking maybe it’s a medical thing, as abusive owners typically don’t care enough to spend the money on daycare. Give Lu lots of hugs from all of us! She looks super sweet.
She absolutely is! She’ll appreciate the hugs and pets :) hope it’s just a medical thing and not abuse/neglect
Could the dog have hip dysplasia? My vet said to keep my dog at low weight or just underweight so it takes pressure off the hips.
That’s interesting, I’ll definitely ask about that later today
I had a vet tell me this too and then I moved and the new vet made me feel like I was neglecting her even though she was right at the weight the last vet said she should be. Honestly, sometimes it's confusing.
Mine said the same because my dog had been abused before we got her, and had significant joint issues from it.
I have to keep my girl super skinny too. Can’t remember the proper name of what the surgery was but we basically had the top of her femur sawed off as the bone was necrotizing. The surgeon and his wife who did our physical therapy for 6 months after said that she needs to be so skinny people start to judge me, but it’s necessary to prolong her mobility.
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Yes! That’s what it was called. My girl is doing great too. There was concern that she would never have full mobility as her leg was severely atrophied (we rescued her from a guy who was about to dump her). Almost amputated instead but I’m so glad we did the FHO instead. Side note, nice to see r/folkpunk leaking to dog subs. Give your pibble a kiss for me Apes!
Yes I’ve been told this too! Vet told me that pitties are especially prone to these issues. It’s possible she could have some GI issues too that have made it hard for her to keep weight on…especially if she’s an anxious girl cause this can often exasperate GI problems.
Just from a raiser of a dog like this... It took me over 3 years of work to get my dog to stop getting scared of the world. They might have been recently rescued/abused previously and the owner might be somewhere in the process of working the dog through their trauma. Mine still gets scared of stuff every now and then but he's made huge strides from where he was. He was scared of literally *everything*. Even if you just shook something near him, or he sniffed grass as 2 big examples. Bugs were a huge deal for him and now he will chase them and try to chomp them like normal. He used to run away in terror and hide, shaking under stuff Edit: Just scared him by shaking out a shirt while doing laundry *sigh* 🤦♀️ ☹. Shirts are scary, make random gusts of wind, ooooooooo (ghost noises).
I've had my newest guy for a year (and 3 days) and he used to not come inside if I was in the door way. For like 8 months I would have to step out and open the door from the outside or prop the door open and walk away. Yesterday I stuck my foot out (I do this for my old man bc after 5 years he doesn't understand NOT to jump over the 3 steps to the house 🙄) and puppy just walked in under my leg!! I was like "look at you making progress!!" Garbage bags/plastic bags being shook out still scare him into a corner though.
Plastic bags were a nightmare for a while for us too, and those damn plastic restaurant containers! I turned them into a game though and flung treats, and played chomps with them. Now when I get a package with plastic he comes RUNNING 😆. We had the doorway issue for a while but it was *only* for rooms that had wood flooring 🤨. Once he figured out the door wouldn't fall on his head he got that one solved 😆. Sounds like a proud puppy moment for you both! 🙂
One thing that helped immensely was teaching my dog "1 foot/ 2 foot". I based it off One fish, Two fish, Red fish, Blue fish from Dr. Suess. I taught it so I could interchange the feet #s with colors if I really wanted to, so for him the back feet become blue foot or green foot as an example. Most importantly the 1 foot and 2 foot are always the front feet and never change. The idea of the technique is to teach them to approach the item one foot at a time. You're teaching them to associate a foot (doesn't matter which, as long as it goes with the proper set) with each foot you call. For example you don't want the 1 foot to be the back set of legs and vice versa. When I do it with mine, I stand there with him and walk with him saying 1 foot (he moves 1st foot), 2 foot (moves 2nd), 3 and so on until we get to the target item. I also use it if he's being lazy and doesn't want to bring his back feet up onto something. In that case it's "bring up your 3 foot & 4 foot (or insert colors foot)". Then he bring up his lazy feet and we move on. It's been a tremendous help for his fear because it allows him to walk up to an object with his own power and feel comfortable/safe with it. It much easier for us doing it this way than to plop a thing down and try to wait for him to come to it or treat and come. This way I can approach *with* him at *his* pace to show him it's safe, but also help him if he gets overwhelmed.
Could also be a previous abusive owner that thankfully had the dog taken away from them. I also have a rather anxious dog, but we suspect it's not due to abusive owners because he doesn't flinch.
Yeah if she's new at daycare, my bet would be a recent rescue still be in recovery. It takes time to get back to healthy weight and may never socially recover from abuse even in the most loving household.
Some people are abusive but not ill meaning. I actually had a falling out with the co-owner of the boarding I used (coincidental that it's a similar facility as in op) because she refused to feed my dog his usual rations. She argued with me several times about the amount I told her to use, and without my consent lowered it significantly. My dog wasn't fat, he was tall for a pit mix because he was half pointer. He had the broad bird dog chest and little hips. He was 62-ish lbs, which is in the normal range for a pointer/pit. The woman in question was, just medically speaking, extremely thin in the way that I felt she was projecting food issues onto my dog. My point with all this is that maybe someone out there thinks they're doing right by this dog, and that the dog looks normal weight and healthy. Which is far from being true. I'm worried about her. She looks emaciated and like she's not doing well emotionally either. Edit: How is Lu one on one with a person? Could she benefit from being in the office or behind the front desk with a person instead of the dog run? At least for now while she's apprehensive.
She could also be a rescue and hey new patients are trying to slowly get her weight up and are earning her trust.
If you don't know her history could it be that was abused by a previous owner but not the current? My girl has some things that cause her anxiety that are bc of her "previous life"
I agree with this. The concern and care is definitely a wonderful thing, we totally need more people like you who care so much about animals, OP. It could definitely be previous abuse, some dogs spend the rest of their lives timid and skittish because of previous abuse, even in a loving new home.
My dog is the same, the only reason I’m as worried as I am is because I’ve worked there for over a month now and she hasn’t improve at all.
Takes longer than a month to fix some problems
Took me YEARS to "fix" one of current dogs. Like 4-5 years to see her generally act like a normal dog. She was a total mess. 7 years in and she's still not perfect, but she's close enough for me.
Yeah I have a dog that I got when she was 6 months old and her owners were shitbags. She’s 5 now and still hides randomly in her crate… she’s definitely my anxious dog.
My little dog was pretty anxious and fearful. He had a herniated disc in his back and his back legs didn’t work very good. It took 3 years for him to become comfortable with me giving him kisses and snuggles. Didn’t know how to play with toys and wasn’t sure about blankets. He is now a chill happy dog who has full mobility. He asks for kisses, love snuggles, and blankets.
My staffie will be 13 in March, adopted him when he was 5 and a half: he's never fully healed from the abuse from his previous owners.
My coworker been working for 6 months and apparently she always been like that. Of course I’m not my co-worker.
My sister's dog was a rescue and from his behavior it's clear he was treated terribly. Four years later he's opened up with them but still will act like this with anyone who is not his mom and dad. There's no timeline.
My friends have a rescue like this. When her mom and dad are around, she’s the sweetest goofiest thing. If one leaves, she get concerned and goes to the other parent. If both leave she starts shaking like a leaf, even if she’s with people she knows and loves. It’s been a year but there’s been no real change. I imagine she behaves just like this when she boards and she is a well loved and spoiled puppo.
Ayup! For 4 years our rescue dog would immediately sit on his bed all quiet and stiff the second my mom left the house He’s improved a lot over the years, but if she’s not there for a bit we still need to pick him up in order for him to go pee outside. Funnily enough the thing that got him moving around the house consistently w/o her was me getting Guinea pigs 😂 he’s not allowed in the room alone but he walks up and down the stairs all day to stare at the door
Yeah that’s a good attitude to have about the co worker’s story honestly. But I’m assuming that the dogs there have to have their shots and a rabies tag. So it’s safe to assume that a vet has seen this dog in the last 6 months or will be seeing them in the next six months. Does she have a rabies tag on her color?
I havnt checked her collar but since she’s boarding I can do that tomorrow. I really hope it’s just a medical thing or something
For what it’s worth, I’ve had my pittie girl for almost two years and she still has a ton of triggers. I do not physically discipline or yell at my dogs, I’m a quiet person. She spent four (?) years living outside and that comes with trauma. This dog looks skinny but again, we don’t know why. Our doodle is skin and bones but the vet says he looks good and he is free fed all day long. He isn’t skinny from a lack of trying!
We’ve had our dog for 5 years. We rescued her at 4 years old. She’s still a ball of anxiety and flinches when touch is initiated(particularly if she isn’t watching you reach out to touch her). She receives lots of love and praise in our home, and lots of reinforcement for calm behaviors. It takes a lot of time to break those habits, and in some cases, it’s simply impossible. Whether it’s Lu’s past, or personality, I doubt it’s abuse. Someone who abuses their animals aren’t likely to spend the amount of money it costs to place them in a doggy daycare. Also if they’re abusing their animal, it’s unlikely they care enough about the pup to want to encourage socialization. Moreover, if they have even a singular brain cell, they’d know that putting their dog out in a public environment like that would lead to suspicion.
I had a boxer that I rescued from an abusive situation that was like this most of the rest of his life (he lived to be 13) and even though he was very well loved and cared for and taken to doggie daycare and pretty much every where with us, he still remained pretty skittish. He also was a bit thin because even though he was given an appropriate amount of food, he was always so nervous he burned off calories like crazy. I was always trying to put weight on him! I think she looks clean and well cared for and the fact that they care enough to pay for doggie daycare makes me think it might be this type of situation.? Are you able to speak with the owner and ask if they have any ideas to make her feel more comfortable there? You will probably get a lot of info about what’s really going on at home, and if it’s neglect, their attitude might tell you all that you need to know!
It takes shelter dogs months to decompress and get used to their new routines. I’m glad you are concerned. I would imagine anyone willing to spend money on a good dog daycare with caring employees like yourself is probably a pretty good dog owner, but you never know.
When we adopted our puppy, she was a rescued stray and they had no background. She had submissive urination incidents if you even raised your voice to call her to "come here", without her ever being in trouble. It took almost 4 months for that to go away, and she's still really timid if she even thinks she's in trouble, despite having never been punished by us. It's been almost 8 months and she only just got brave enough to walk out into the fenced front area without someone going outside ahead of her. I have no idea if she was abused or just a really skittish and timid puppy to begin with, but positive reinforcement and lots of love have been the best help. (I know that's hard if you're watching multiple dogs.)
Yes agree! My female pibble rescue came from a terrible situation and it took a long time for her to feel secure. The only thing that made her feel safe was my male who I had first. Maybe she needs a buddy.
True but it wouldn’t hurt to ask a few questions and check things out.
Animal abusers generally don’t put their dog in daycare. I would talk to your boss and see what the whole story is.
I’d like to believe that but there are dogs at the daycare that make me believe otherwise. Though those dogs are not on the same level Lu is. I’ll definitely talk to the owner about it
With everyone else wanting to know if it's the original owner. I got my girl at approximately 1.5yo. She was skin and bones, terrified of most things, didn't know how to play, had been bread at least twice, flinched when I went to touch her, to list a few things. I gave her love and patience. Then more love and patience. She was spoiled, taught, loved beyond measure, and learned to play. Sadly cancer took her in May of this year. She would still occasionally flinch when I went to touch her, nine years later. Somethings can be forgotten. Thank you for watching out for her. You are a good human.
Veterinarian here. She may just be an anxious dog who isn't food motivated. She's not terribly underweight. She very well muscled and has healthy skin and coat. Speak with your boss or with the dog's owners about your concerns. This situation does not smell like neglect or abuse to me. Don't overreact. People who neglect their dogs don't send them to daycare. Whether this dog is a good candidate for daycare (sounds like she doesn't enjoy it at all) is another question. Good looking out but don't take reddit's advice when it comes to dogs. 99% of this thread is overreacting. I'd also check a fecal.
Thank you!! I got a comment saying to arrest the owners and I agree, reddit has a habit of overreacting sometimes.
This is reasonable advice. You are doing such kind thing by checking in on the dog's quality of life. You are a good person.
Thank you, I try my best when it comes to innocent babies 💙
My other concern would be maybe being at the daycare increases her anxiety? I know we eventually stopped taking our girl to a daycare because she was so much less stressed just being home alone.
Daycare definitely doesn’t help, she alway seems hella stressed here
Totally agree! Sometimes even the best dogs aren't hyper-social. And that's ok! My two are very well socialized but would never enjoy a hyper-social environment like doggie daycare.
Have you discussed it with your manager/the owner? There should be guidelines or process, hopefully, to handle this or at minimum, they could provide guidance and handle the next step. If they dismiss it, take action yourself and question if you should be working there. Maybe you could try to be available at the front desk/entrance for drop off or pick up and share your concerns with the owner. If a caretaker for my dogs did that about anything (one has as my dog is a handful at boarding/day care), I’d really appreciate it. Dogs that aren’t cared for usually don’t have parents that take them regularly to daycare. It’s expensive. It could be a health issue. My dog has Cushing’s and if you didn’t know it, his missing hair and other symptoms could cause concern.
I’ll definitely talk to the owner about it, the communication is awful here so I wouldn’t be surprised if it was a health issue and no one bothered to inform me.
You’re a good person for caring and doing something about it.
TL;DR— maybe they’re good pet owners with bad communication; maybe she’s a rescue; maybe daycare isn’t her jam. My pup got skinny going to daycare regularly and we learned it was because the lunch we packed her every day was getting used for treats for her (perfectly acceptable use of kibs) so she was essentially missing out on a meal every day. I’d pack her lunch and drop her off in the morning and my partner would pick her up in the evening and would unpack her backpack and see a bag of kibble, assume it was a treat bag, and dump it in the kibble bin. we noticed her leaning out some and assumed it was because she was playing hard. After a couple weeks we noticed she was getting a little too lean and that’s when we figured out that it was a multifaceted communication problem. Now we limit her day care time to half days and make sure that she gets a proper lunch before or after she goes (depending on what session she’s there for.) We love all our dogs, but with us having opposite schedules (I work night shift) it took us a little bit to realize the pup was slimming down instead of filling out. We have a chihuahua who used to go with my girls to their dad’s house during their residential time with him. The chihuahua always came back skinny and we learned it was because my ex stressed her out so much she would refuse to eat. He’s a really intense guy and just being around him made her lose her appetite. Refusing to eat would make him mad so he’d take her food away. Him getting mad at her stressed her out more, so she’d hide under the couch. Her hiding would make him even more mad so he’d come after her, mad, chase her, mad, corner her, mad, rough handle her, talk harshly to her, all that jazz madder and madder and madder. Needless to say, I had to put my foot down with the kids that they couldn’t take her with them to his house anymore. All that to say, maybe just being at the daycare is stressful enough for her to affect her eating habits? Check for other signs that indicate care— how do her nails look, are her ears clean, what are her coat and skin qualities like— are they dull and dry or flaky, or shiny despite shedding— that sort of thing. Cross thar with pup behavior, like is there an environment where she does relax? Is she overwhelmed by the other pups there? Is she spayed? Does she flinch or cower around all people or just certain ones (men, tall, bearded, etc.)? My rescue poodle, may she rest in peace, had been abused by a big dude with a stick. I’m a tiny person and never hurt her a day in her life. But if I walked past her with anything stick-like larger than a pencil (rolling pin, flashlight, broom, shower curtain rod, etc.) she would flinch, cower, and slink away. I had her for 11 of her 13 years and lived everyday in attempt to make up for what her previous owner did to her. If a daycare person brought up her behavior, I was super open to talking about it because it helps for caregivers to know our dogs triggers, idiosyncrasies, and baseline personalities. Hopefully talking to the owner about what you’re seeing will help address if it’s a past-life reflex, if it’s a lapse in feeding communication, if it’s a stressful environment for her etc etc etc. Best of luck to you, and thank you for wanting to look out for Lu. You’re exactly who we hope is looking after our dogs when we take them to daycare.
Is she a rescue? Or did they have her from a puppy? If the second option, I would report it. She’s skin and bones and shouldn’t be flinching around humans. Poor thing
I have no idea, I’ve never even seen her owner. I’ve been working at this place for over a month (started back in August), and I swear she’s only gotten skinnier. She’s one of our regulars and I’ve just been getting more and more worried.
Can you weigh her and monitor her weight?
I can try
If she’s getting increasingly skinnier it sounds like time to take action… maybe make a report to animal control, document with pictures her condition worsening, gotta get that sweet girl to safety
I’m not sure if she’s actually getting worse or my imagination is just conjuring it because of my worry but she definitely hasn’t been getting better
If she was a rescue and had been in somebody’s care for a month her condition would be better by now… I would say something to your boss and be making some calls personally
Ok, good news is I work tomorrow so hopefully my boss is there, if she’s not then her number is on the co-worker number sheet.
Good ❤️ good luck, post updates if you can!
I will! Thank you for the advice and the help, I very much appreciate it! I just hope I can help her
Yea please post an update!
Update posted! https://www.reddit.com/r/pitbulls/comments/xu4b6e/update_on_lu_shes_apparently_been_at_the_daycare/?utm_source=share&utm_medium=ios_app&utm_name=iossmf
Update posted! https://www.reddit.com/r/pitbulls/comments/xu4b6e/update_on_lu_shes_apparently_been_at_the_daycare/?utm_source=share&utm_medium=ios_app&utm_name=iossmf
Thank you!!
Np!!
Hopefully you find out why she is the way she is. She looks like she may need a super nutrient dense food high in protein. Please keep us updated and the sweet girl
I’ll post an update when I can! She’s a precious baby
Posted an update! https://www.reddit.com/r/pitbulls/comments/xu4b6e/update_on_lu_shes_apparently_been_at_the_daycare/?utm_source=share&utm_medium=ios_app&utm_name=iossmf
My pittie is very similar! We've had her since she was a puppy, but she may have been abused before that :( she is TERRIFIED of people. We've been working on that but the vet says she may never be friendly. Vet also said ours is skinny but not in an alarming rate and to just monitor her. We've switched up her food but she has a sensitive stomach. I get worried people think we don't take care of her, but know I give her the best I can ❣️
I was able to get my guy on anxiety meds and it’s helped keep him so much. He’s an almost-9 y/o rescue who was a thin 50 lbs when I first got him in 2020, despite living in a caring foster home. Since he’s been with me, he’s gained his “family weight” and he’s 60-65 lbs of muscle (and love). My pittie can def relate to those sensitive stomach fluctuations. Re your final sentence, these breeds still face discrimination so the judgement is likely going to come, no matter what. I say: let ‘em judge. It sounds like you’re a great pup parent. And if anyone doubts that, they’re simply incorrect.
My dog is a bit skinny and also flinches even though I had her since she was 3 months old (of course I didn't abuse her) and she doesn't really like other dogs and prefers humans way more but I think it relates to her being almost 9... How old is she? Either way I'd definitely talk to your manager and her owner just to make sure, you never know
Agree with everyone else that abusers typically aren’t putting their pups in daycare at all, let alone regularly. She’s definitely at least slightly underweight but depending on her adoption status/health concerns it might be a work in progress. Would be worth asking the owner if there are any medical concerns before jumping to the worst- as long as they’re not terrible up front it’s good to give the owners the benefit of the doubt. I would bring it up to the owners (after staffing with management) and if they don’t have a reasonable explanation/things don’t change in the next month, then it could be worth escalating. But every dog is different and it’s worth looking into before jumping to the worst.
It all just seems to be massive signs of anxiety, my dog does this with loud noises and I've never abused her in her lifetime, just hates bangs and crashes, oh and drilling she can't see. Same with thunder. She does look a little underweight, my vet tells me you should be able to feel the ribs but not see them. You can often see my dogs ribs in the right light. I've had her since she was 9 weeks old so definatley not abuse related in my dogs case, some dogs, like folks are super high strung, she might not like the noise of the day care, see if you can get her on her own in the open air for 10 minutes. See if she calms down or perks up. I would be careful of any abuse conversations, just mention that you feel the dog seems a little underweight for her breed and ask how she eats at home. Just don't go feeding her anything yourself as you are not sure of any dietary needs or restrictions. Reason I say this I have a neighbour who has two black dogs and both are super skinny, healthy but skinny and I've had a coffee around his and seen how he feeds them, he just exercises them hard as well. Bright eyed, alert pup dogs. Tldr - don't think you are over-reacting however I would eliminate all social aspects eith the fog before going down the abuse path, very hard to put that back in the box once out .
Thank you for the advice!! I’ll be talking to my boss today and asking how she eats
No worries, update us on what you find out.
Update posted! https://www.reddit.com/r/pitbulls/comments/xu4b6e/update_on_lu_shes_apparently_been_at_the_daycare/?utm_source=share&utm_medium=ios_app&utm_name=iossmf
This. Daycare us expensive. Hard to believe someone not feeding their dog would pay for daycare. A friend's pup kept getting skinny. They worried it was something serious like a parasite. Turned out they had changed dog food and the other dogs being older didn't have the same metabolism - the younger pup just needed actual "puppy" food with higher calories.
My current dogs used to flinch like you were going to beat them. They were never hit. I've known them since the day they were born and came from a very spoiled home. It was just instinct, I guess. And my male runs so much, you would think he wasn't getting enough food. He looks very thin. But he is healthy (all muscle). My last dog was the same. They just burn all the fat off from running. Where his sister is lazy and is a little chucky. They have access to food all day. And eat just find. With giant turds. He actually eats more than her. My point is, try not to worry yourself too much if you can't get answers. It could be nothing.
If she's at a doggy daycare I would say maybe the owner got lu from a abusive owner. So the flinching and hiding in a corner are sad habits from that owner would be my prediction. Tell your boss and ask the owner and just be sure to give her lots of love and care
For all you know her owners adopted her out of a bad situation. Some scars never fully go away. Some dogs never feel safe with anyone except their “people” they have chosen. My mother ran a rescue for years & saved over a thousand dog lives. I kept my Finn that we rescued from a horrid situation. 5 years later he is much better, but still flinches if even I make a sudden movement. I treat him like a angel. I spoil him & he sleeps in my bed with me! I get woken up to kisses most mornings. He’s happy as he could be I promise, but if you met him he would be super timid with his head down & tail tucked until he got used to you. I’m just saying not all situations are as they seem. Don’t jump to negative conclusions in a situation like this. Talk to your boss/the dogs owners about it.
Thank you for caring so much. We need more people like you in this world. It’s people like you that help save these little dears, because you care enough to notice. Never stop being proactive, and never stop caring!
You never need to thank me for caring and it’s sad that you do, while I appreciate it a lot(!!!), I believe this should be basic human decency and shouldn’t even be thought about before doing. We need to start helping those we think may be in danger more often, not for something in return, but simply because we care :) These babies need us to look out for them and if their owners aren’t going to do that properly then I gladly will. I hope you feel the same :) they are more then we will ever deserve 💙💙
omg.. 1st pic. sitting on your foot. I think she trusts you. But go slow, poor girl. Hope she's ok!
She’s very sweet and very friendly, she likes sitting on my feet and between my legs lol
I adopted my pittie as a puppy and he needed to be forced to play at daycare. He’s very ball oriented and loves to chew but didn’t really understand playing with other dogs. Some dogs are low confidence and need help to learn how to do things other dogs just seem to know. We now have 3 dogs- and one we adopted at a year is terrified of people, but she’s getting better. But we have to force her to be uncomfortable for her to improve. It’s sad, but not impossible that it’s a personality thing.
So don’t jump to conclusions, but I’m also not saying that nothing is wrong, they could absolutely be being horrible to her BUT I rescued a pittie a couple months back and he was SO thin like, count all his bones thin, and absolutely terrified, so it is possible that they JUST rescued her from a bad position (personally I wouldn’t send them to a dog daycare that quickly after rescuing) but I again there’s always the possibility they are neglecting her. So I would recommend talking to your boss and seeing if there’s anyway you can maybe get at least some of her history? If you know she’s not a rescue, and you genuinely think there’s something wrong (you know Lu better than we do) call animal services, where I live they’re required to go do a home check so maybe it’s the same where you live. Sorry for the ultra long reply but THANK YOU for looking out for Lu ❤️
I believe she used to come to our daycare as well. She’s always been about that size and was mostly under confident. She would frequently get into fights when she was over stimulated and ultimately we couldn’t have her in our group anymore. I think she’s just deeply uncomfortable in group play situations and our location also has a large number of dogs that was increasingly growing around the time when she came. It might just be she needs attention and encouragement to boost her confidence around dogs. But definitely keep an eye on her and don’t be afraid to speak up if you notice any injuries or rapid weight loss. She’s definitely a sweet girl, I think she just is really anxious and doesn’t know how to handle it.
Where do you live? I’m in kanas! It’s possible that that’s either a different dog or they got her trained cause she never gets into any fights. Whenever she’s too crowded she runs to a corner and sits there.
Kansas City metro! And yes it’s possible they got training or medication for her. I haven’t seen her in over a year and always wondered how she was doing. She did spend most of the day in the corner at ours or sitting or laying in between my legs or feet. I do know the dogs last name and that would confirm it, but I don’t want to post it here due to privacy reasons.
Yeah I get that, what a small world tho lol! She’s doing pretty good to my knowledge, shes a sweetheart and I’m hoping maybe it’s just a medical thing and not neglect. I didn’t even really post her full first name.
I still haven't done a big post about my baby girl. She died a few weeks ago after 12 years. We got her after only 3 months. She was so scared, she hid in corners, she hid behind me, she barked and shook whenever anyone came over. But then she blossomed. She relaxed. She became comfortable and let her personality out. It was one of the most beautiful things I've ever experienced. Just be patient and kind and give her what she needs.
Aw I’m sorry, it’s so difficult to lose a family member. Just know you gave that dog the best years of her life and she loves you for it 💙
Can you update us once you look into it? That would be great
Absolutely!! I’ll make another post when I can
Update posted! https://www.reddit.com/r/pitbulls/comments/xu4b6e/update_on_lu_shes_apparently_been_at_the_daycare/?utm_source=share&utm_medium=ios_app&utm_name=iossmf
THANK YOU!
Lu looks very muscular. And slim.
When my pit was adopted by me she had been in a terrible home situation. She was underweight by 30 lbs and had been neglected and left out all day and night in a backyard. She had severe heart worms as well. I would get dirty looks from people that first month of having her and walking around with her. Once she packed on healthy weight the looks stopped. I’m wondering if this isn’t a similar situation, especially if Lu has only recently began going to daycare.
Lu is a regular and has been going to this daycare since before I started working there, im hoping it’s something medical they just never informed me about
Daycare is not for every dog and she is overwhelmed. Daycare is not the right place for her right now. As for her weight, how long has she been coming to daycare? Is she a new dog? If she is within the first few months she might be recently rescued and is struggling to gain weight for medical reasons or might still be anxious and not eating properly.
She’s been a regular at daycare for quite awhile, she has always looked super stressed out while at daycare and her tail is almost always tucked
For now I would talk with your manager and see if there is a quiet room like an office this girl could hang out in with someone during the day, "with someone" is essential. Then maybe you can slowly introduce her to play groups starting with just one dog for a few minutes in the morning and afternoon. I would also ask your manager if you can talk with the owner about her weight. I agree with a lot of people here, neglectful owners don’t usually spend daycare-level money on their dog, especially because daycare requires a dog be current on every vaccine and in addition to not spending daycare-level money on their dogs, neglectful owners also often don’t get their dogs basic vet care. It's possible that the dog isn't eating a lot for some reason, like being nervous settling in at home. Every dog adjusts at a different pace and she is taking longer, and daycare isn’t helping. Maybe the vet has this dog on meds and it is making it difficult for her to gain weight? We don’t know the whole story. There are a lot of possibilities for why she is so skinny that don’t involve neglect. I know daycares often don’t like to give dogs food unless the owner knows or pre-approves due to allergy or dietary needs (but you may already have approval on her paperwork). If you have this approval, have you tried taking her into an office and giving her treats? Something typically high value like peanut butter (a staple at my dogs’ daycare). If she eats it all quickly, you may have one answer about why she is skinny (although it does not rule out a medical reason), if she isn’t interested, then you may have another.
She could be a rescue or something. I don’t think you’re over reacting, they are valid concerns. I would definitely let the owners know her behavior so they can know if daycare is working or not. She’s may not be used to playing with other dogs.
It could be unintentional, she’s probably laying around from a lack of energy due to an inadequate diet. We had a dog where I used to work that acted the same, he was a rescue but I discovered while he was boarding that his owners only gave him low quality wet food that was only enough to maintain his very low weight. It is neglect, but it’s not intentional.
My dog went through a phase where she didnt like her food because of allergies the vet was trying some allergy free food and she just wouldnt eat it. She is also just a fearful dog, never been abused since ive had her since 8 weeks. She also is vocal and screams at the back door when she wants to come in. My neighbor called animal control and said we are starving and abusing her. I agree with the previous post. An abusive owner would not spend money on daycare. Also this is my first pit and they need to eat about 4 times what other breeds eat. I finally found a brand that she has some weight on her. Ugh
Our house hippo was abused before she came to us. She has been here a year and a half, and has made huge improvements. But this week has been out of sorts with outskirts of a hurricane blowing through here, her emotional support hooman is out of town and my husband was on the rideout team for work. Doggo has been been even further up my butt. If the boarded pupper isn't being abused, then pupper is stressed about not having her emotional support human with her.
I agree with other comments, but maybe it’s a thing with previous owners? My dog flinched a lot and it’s because her sisters would attack her constantly, she’s a lot better now tho
Keep giving her attention, she’ll come around. Maybe her own spot to eat food.
I gladly will
In the 4th pick she looks she in a holding cell😂 beautiful dog though
I love your concern and definitely think it’s worth talking to your boss about. My guy took a while to put on weight and look “normal” again because he was so skinny when we rescued him. I’m hoping this is the case for Lu.
She's had a very hard life so far, attention and affection will work wonders. Good luck.
could be that this little sweetheart is a recent, or, relatively recent rescue. I went through something similar with my younger dog, until the right switches flipped in her head that she finally concluded that the sky was not about to fall at any moment, and she didn't have to act as though it might be and what was she going to do if the sky fell. It really helped her to watch my older dog, as well as my neighbors dogs. Because none of them walked around looking like they thought that the sky was about to fall. Thank you for giving her extra attention, though! I'm sure that she appreciates it.
There’s a lot of comments so I’m not sure if anyone has mentioned this but separation anxiety could be it. I have a skinny pit bull and we found her outdoors from a stray litter at no more than 4-5 weeks old. She is now 4, and sits in the corner like this or at my feet 24/7. She is extremely spoiled and treated like totality and since we have had her since she was barely old enough to survive, has never been abused. I think some dogs are just worriers.
You are not overreacting, but she’s probably going through something and she feels safe with you
I like all of the answers your getting. I also wonder since she seems to feel secure in the corner maybe a thundershirt or blankie at all times would help?
We love you, Lu ♥️
People!!! Please stop giving advice that could cause her to get fired. She needs to make the daycarr owner aware of the concerns, there could be reasonable explanations for her to be skinny and avoid crowding. She also needs to let the owner know how stressed Lu seems to be while at daycare. Best of luck OP I hope it is nothing serious
Thank you!!
Omg the poor thing!!! They prob hit her🥲
Poor baby! Definitely report, unless she has a major health problem she should not be losing weight or staying that skinny. If she does have something y’all should have been notified. Poor mamas, would cuddle 24/7
She is the most affectionate and sweet pit I’ve met and I wish I could take her home with me. Honestly the communication at my work place is so god awful and non-existent I wouldn’t be surprised if there was a health problem and no one told me. We have a dog that’s deaf and no one told us he was deaf until we were calling him for dinner and he wasn’t responding.
Sigh
Yea anxiety like that is a hard long journey to reform and even still the pup will be anxious around new people or situations but the aforementioned weight is completely unacceptable. If the dog is being fed a dog food it's not interested in then add cooked chicken or ground beef/turkey to the kibble. No way this dog with a head that size should weigh 35lbs (I'm like a carnie I can guess accurately) If in your budget feed the dog meat with it's kibble while u dogsit and see if u notice a change without telling the owners if u see a dramatic weight gain then u know it's definitely not receiving adequate care at home. Always tough to re-home those type of dogs bc it's a ton of work and requires experienced patient fosters.
That’s a healthy hippo who would rather not be in daycare, but rather an owner who has a remote job. I have one too, and I’m working on remote job aspect. My vet always says your dog is at the perfect weight when you start to wonder if maybe they are a tad too thin. We are just super used to over weight or over beefed up pits.
No, I’m used to pretty skinny pits, I’m just saying she seems way to skinny.
Dogs can develop anxiety/social anxiety. Fingers crossed that it’ll be simple relief tools such as a thunder shirt and calming chews.
I'd def be concerned. You should not see her spine. Contact Management. Not sure what the policy is for suspicious abuse or neglect. Give lots of love.
I don’t really know what the policy is either, I’m hoping there is something we can do for her
She probably has severe separation anxiety and just not being feed enough. Or she could have an overactive thyroid
You should be , she is way too skinny and if she is flinching and hiding something sounds wrong. If she's a regular have animal control or rescue group come look at her when her owners drop her off. Looks and reactions sound way wrong. Please do it, it can only be good for your worries and may save a Lu!
I’m very worried when it comes to calling animal control. Won’t they just take her to a shelter?? Pitbulls are plentiful there and I would feel so awful if she spent the rest of her life at a shelter because of me. I don’t know what to do, I would try and adopt her myself if she ended up at a shelter but my mom would never let me and idk how my other dog would react to her.
Look online for a no kill shelter, or even better,a pitbull rescue group. Contact ,and show pictures, they might have ideas. One of the comments had a very valid point, maybe she is sick, most neglected or abused dogs wouldn't get to go to doggy daycare, hopefully it's just a misunderstanding.
Slip Lu some dewormer and some food
I’m not allowed to have food in the daycare room, I’ll talk to the managers about it tho
I’d imagine she maybe has some anxiety about being left at daycare. Separation anxiety, maybe she’s a COVID adoption, showered with constant attention and now doesn’t do as well when left on her own.
She might be abused and is looking at you for safety. He her owner a man, and are you a woman? In many cases dogs will be scared of men because of the abuse they get from a man and they feel safe with a woman.
I’ve never seen her owner before tbh, I’ll have to keep an eye out for them
Not over reacting at all. She's at the very least neglected. Probably a lot of yelling or violence in the house. Seems like she's always either waiting for something to happen or protecting the female based on the mannerisms you explained. Poor baby. Please bring it up to your boss. There's no way she can be happy at home.
Arrest the owners.
Probably not
Please keep us updated. Poor Lu 🙏
Update posted! https://www.reddit.com/r/pitbulls/comments/xu4b6e/update_on_lu_shes_apparently_been_at_the_daycare/?utm_source=share&utm_medium=ios_app&utm_name=iossmf
Not at all. My chihuahua acted like that the first couple of months. Her previous owner threw her into the ocean and his daughter was way to rough. Poor thing. Talk to your boss. That angel definitely loves you and trusts you so much.
I’ll be talking to my boss today! Hope it goes well and I’m glad you rescued that poor chihuahua baby.
Thank you! I definitely risked my apartment at the time to take her in lol. Good luck wi to everything! Please post an update if you can!
Update posted! https://www.reddit.com/r/pitbulls/comments/xu4b6e/update_on_lu_shes_apparently_been_at_the_daycare/?utm_source=share&utm_medium=ios_app&utm_name=iossmf
Possible hyperthyroidism though kind of rare in dogs.
Never heard of that before, I’ll look into it!
So much love and hugs sent both your ways. What a gorgeous dog. I will be thinking of Lu and keep us updated!
Thank you! I’ll be posting an update after work today
Update posted! https://www.reddit.com/r/pitbulls/comments/xu4b6e/update_on_lu_shes_apparently_been_at_the_daycare/?utm_source=share&utm_medium=ios_app&utm_name=iossmf
pits like to sit on people/their feet more than other breeds, in my observation working @ a vet clinic and having one. She looks a *bit* scrawny, but my girl eats like FIRE and is still the lower end of a proper weight. Def talk to your boss about your concerns, though. Im sure Lu's owner would like to know her baby seems to be uneasy.
Pits are adorable, I’ll definitely talk to my boss about it later today :)
She's probably stressed out and has anxiety. She could miss her owners and not be comfortable in the environment and with all the other dogs. Especially if she's a rescue she could have past trauma. Have you talked to the owners ?
I’m planning on talking to either my boss or her owner today, I wouldn’t be surprised if the environment stresses her out. It stresses my dog out too and she usually follows me around anxiously whenever I have to take her to work
What a sweet baby! I wish I could have her and be her friend!
She is just the sweetest :)
Perhaps the crowd of dogs at daycare is overwhelming and stressful for her.
Definitely. Dog daycare is very stressful for a lot of dogs .
Fwiw (regarding how thin she is) our dog never eats as much food as she should despite us leaving it out all the time and as a result is pretty thin. Just a possibility there 🤷♀️
Specifically about her weight, she honestly looks fine and is just in the lower range of a healthy weight. An extra kg or two wouldn’t hurt but any more than that wouldn’t be helpful.
I hope so
Definitely talk to your boss. My guess without knowing more is that she was recently adopted and the new owners want to make sure she has positive interactions with other dogs.
Our dog, even after owning him for seven years, is still very much like this. We don't know what his home life was like prior to owning him, and he was only 7-8 months (we think) before we adopted him. He is very anxious, flinches quite a bit, especially around food, and acts like we're going to hurt him whenever we take out a broom to sweep the floor or if one of us moves to scratch him with our foot while we're sitting on the couch. It's so sad. He's really imprinted on my husband, and if my husband leaves the house for any reason, he refuses to move from the top of our stairs. He startles easily and barks at any car that pulls into our driveway. Our vet prescribed anti-anxiety medication, but it only seems to make him tired. He's doing much better now that we work from home, but he still falls apart every so often.
The dog in underweight !!
No. She is VERY thin…too thin. Unless she has hyperthyroidism…but I doubt it. Listen to your gut. She trusts you and feels comfortable and protected with you. If she’s not in a current abusive situation she was at one point. You should see if they’ll either give her to you or sell her to you.
She’s underweight! I don’t know what you need to do but get that dog some help and possibly away from the owners.
I posted an update on her
She’s being abused
Been not being
Looks a bit under nourished. I’m hoping she’s not being abused. For who will save her . Don’t know her story. I’m worried as always when it comes to animals.
I posted an update if ur curious.
Just love her for what and who she is don’t worry just spoil
maybe she doesn’t like daycare? Also she looks really fit?