Adopted April 2011

4/28/11:

“Bear” formally Comet is great! Except he is panting a lot, and does not want to eat a lot – is this kind of normal for a shelter dog? Not to worry. He is a great dog, we love him.

Shelter response:

It is very common for shelter dogs to not eat much for the first week or so after joining their new family; even a happy event like being loved and given a real home can be stressful. I'd say just keep an eye on his food and water intake - as long as he is drinking water, he will do fine (no dog has ever starved itself to death when food is available). If you want, you can try mixing some canned food with his dry food, as a special treat. Panting is very common with double-coated dogs like Bear; you may find him seeking out wood or tile or concrete to lie on. He will adjust to the warmer temps gradually, but panting is not something to worry about - it's just how he's keeping himself cool under all that fur.