If your dog has suddenly started being calm, you might be wondering why and what you should do about it. In this post, I will show you the most common causes of dogs suddenly becoming calm and what your options are.
So, why is my dog suddenly calm? Possible reasons why your dog is suddenly calm are tiredness, illness, injury, poisoning, stress, hot weather or that it is being submissive after having misbehaved. If it is showing any signs of illness or injury, the best option is to take it to a vet.
There are actually many reasons why your dog might have suddenly become calm and it might be due to a combination of them. However, there are a number of things you can do about it and there are a number of things you can consider when figuring out the main cause.
Why your dog is suddenly calm
Below are some common causes of dogs suddenly becoming calm and what would make them more likely to be the main reason why yours has started doing it suddenly.
Tiredness
The cause could simply be that it is tired. This would be more likely if it has started being calm after getting a lot of exercise or if it has not been able to get much sleep lately. However, this would be less likely if the behavior persists after it has gotten a chance to recover.
Illness
The cause could also be that it has gotten an illness. This would be more likely if it has been showing other signs of being ill such as vomiting or being fatigued when awake. If it seems like illness might be the cause, the best option would be to take it to a vet.
Injury
Another possible cause is that it has gotten an injury. This would be more likely if it has started being calm suddenly after doing something that might have injured it, if it has been limping or if it has been crying. Again, the best option here would be to take it to a vet.
Something it ate
It could also be the case that it has eaten something that it should not have. This would be more likely if it has started being sick, if you fed it something that you normally wouldn’t or if you saw it eat something that it should not have. In this case, the best option would also be to take it to a vet. It would also help to make sure that no one else has been feeding it without telling you.
It might also be the case that there is an issue with its diet. It could be the case that it is not getting the nutrients that it needs from its diet, it is being fed too much or that it is not being fed enough. This would be especially likely if it has started being calm suddenly after a change in its diet. You can look here for some advice on what diet to give a dog. It would also help to talk to your vet about its diet when you next see them.
It’s sad
Another possible cause is that something has caused it to become sad. This would be more likely if it has become calmer after an event occurred that might have caused it to become sad and if it has started sulking. Possible reasons why it might be sad could be if one of its owners left home, someone shouted at it or if another dog was aggressive towards it.
Stress or depression
It could also be the case that something has caused it to become stressed or depressed. This would be more likely if it has started behaving that way since a big change in its life. Such changes could include an owner or another pet dying, someone or another animal being around a lot that is aggressive towards it or another pet moving into your home causing it to feel left out.
If it seems like it might be stressed or depressed, it would help to consult with your vet about it when you next see them.
Training
Another possible cause is that you have encouraged it to behave that way by training it. This would be more likely if it has started behaving that way since you started giving it training that encouraged it to be calmer such as by training it not to jump up at you.
If you did give it training, it might be the case that there was an issue with the method that you trained it with. Generally, I would recommend training it using the positive reinforcement training method.
Age
If it has become calmer over the course of months since it was a puppy, it might be the case that it has started to act calmer because it is not as naturally energetic as it was as a puppy.
Hot weather
If it has started being calm since the weather has become hotter, it could be the case that the hot weather is causing it to feel fatigued. In this case, it would help to brush it with a de-shedding brush (link to Amazon), to give it access to shaded areas, a cool room and lots of water. It would also help to exercise it in the morning or evening and not at midday or in the afternoon.
It’s being submissive
Another possible cause is that it is being submissive. This would be more likely if it has started being calm after you got mad at it after it misbehaved, if it has been sulking and if it has been showing other signs of submissive behavior.
Instead of using a threat-based approach to training, I would recommend the positive reinforcement training method.
Things to consider
Below are some things you can consider in order to help figure out why your dog has started being calm suddenly.
What else happened when your dog started being calm
It would help to consider what else happened when it started being calm since it could be the case that there was an event that caused it to start doing it.
For example, if it has started being calm since a change in its diet, it would be much more likely to be due to an issue with its diet. Whereas, if it started vomiting a lot at around the same time, it would be more likely to be due to an illness.
How your dog has been acting in other ways
It would also help to consider if and how its behavior has changed in other ways as well.
For example, if its appetite has also lowered it could be because of an illness. Whereas, if it has been hiding, it might be because something has been causing it to feel threatened.
What to do about your dog being suddenly calm
Below are some options you have when dealing with your dog being calm suddenly.
Take it to a vet
If it seems like it might be ill, injured, poisoned or you are not sure why it has been being calm suddenly, the best option would be to take it to a vet as soon as you can. By doing so, you should be able to rule out medical causes and to get expert advice tailored towards your particular dog.
Make sure that it is getting the right diet
It would also help to make sure that it has been being fed properly, that no one else has been feeding it and that it does not have access to things that it should not be eating. It would help to consult with your vet on its diet when you next see them.
Help it stay cool
If the weather has become hotter, where you are, it would also help to ensure that it can stay cool. Ways to do so would be to brush it with a de-shedding brush, to walk it in the morning or evening and to give it access to cool parts of the house.