# Dora keeps sitting during walks



## Dora's Mom (Nov 7, 2009)

I could use some help getting inside Dora's little brain on this one guys! 

Monday she went to daycare and had a great time as usual, and even came home with some treats (someone at daycare had a birthday)! I fed her one. The next morning she was lethargic and wouldn't eat. Later that day she went to the groomers and I have a confession...she had a really big mat on her tail that had to be shaved off.  So the first inch or two of her tail is almost bare right now. So to sum up, she was feeling a little under the weather and now she's got a bad haircut. But she's back to eating and her poops are back to looking good so I think she got over the stomach thing. BUT....

Tuesday I started noticing a new behavior...she keeps sitting down while she's walking on her leash. She's never done that before at all, usually she meanders around the yard looking for a good peeing spot or is tugging at the leash trying to get to something out of reach. Most of the time when she sat down she would try to bite her tail. I figured her new haircut was bugging her. 

However, she's still doing it now, and even worse, she did it on a walk yesterday evening. Normally she pulls us the whole time! She would run run run sit.....give the leash a tug....run run run sit. Sometimes she would bite her tail, sometimes she would just sit. The only time she's ever done this before is when we walked her for too long as a puppy and wore her out. But she's doing it when she's just out going potty, and that doesn't really make sense. 

Is she tired? Is her tail bothering her? Is she hurt? Is she sick? Is she just testing us? I can't figure it out! I'd really appreciate some help here.


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## uniquelovdolce (Mar 10, 2010)

im not sure , maybe her tail hair is growing back n it itches ? i hope u find out what it is ?


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## jmm (Nov 23, 2004)

I would take her in and have her anal glands emptied. That's pretty classic behavior when they need them emptied.


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## Dora's Mom (Nov 7, 2009)

jmm said:


> I would take her in and have her anal glands emptied. That's pretty classic behavior when they need them emptied.


Oh, I didn't think about that...she's not actually scooting just sitting. I've seen her scoot when her glands are irritated. But I can get her glands expressed just to be sure. 

I think the whole tail thing is confusing to her! She keep looking back there "OMG! A white fluffy thing! I better get it!!" She's always been a bit of a tail chaser but the new haircut has made it funnier


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## Dora's Mom (Nov 7, 2009)

Well, tonight she seems to be bothered by her tail or bottom area, and she kept sitting or lying down on her walk which is very unlike her. I thought she was running a little funny but my husband didn't see it at all so I'm probably being paranoid. Anyway, going to call the vet first thing tomorrow and see what she needs to feel better. :heart:


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## poochie2 (Jan 14, 2010)

I'm speaking from experience......when I got my malt a short cut at the groomers's they trimmed her tail and trimmed her butt area too....well for 3-4 day s she would walk then sit right away and look at her backside. She would repeat this very often. Walk, sit look at her backside. We knew for sure that she could tell her hair was shorter back there and she was clearly irritated. I would not worry about your malt.


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## Canada (Jun 4, 2009)

Is it the heat that is bothering Dora?
Has it been extra warm there?


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## Dora's Mom (Nov 7, 2009)

Update: took her to the vet and she said her anal glands were very very full and expressed them. She's still not quite right but we'll see if she improves over the weekend. And Canada, it has been very hot here. I didn't think that would bother her since she just got her hair cut short again, but it's going to cool off starting tomorrow, so if that's it she should perk up soon!  Poochi, thanks for assuring me it's normal for her to act weird over her haircut. I might not have called the vet just for fussing over her tail, but she was acting lethargic as well. Hopefully she'll get used to it in a couple of days!


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## Cosy (Feb 9, 2006)

Dora's Mom said:


> Update: took her to the vet and she said her anal glands were very very full and expressed them. She's still not quite right but we'll see if she improves over the weekend. And Canada, it has been very hot here. I didn't think that would bother her since she just got her hair cut short again, but it's going to cool off starting tomorrow, so if that's it she should perk up soon!  Poochi, thanks for assuring me it's normal for her to act weird over her haircut. I might not have called the vet just for fussing over her tail, but she was acting lethargic as well. Hopefully she'll get used to it in a couple of days!


Hair acts as an insulator from heat as well as cold. I wouldn't consider a short cut as a remedy for hot weather for dogs. She may be stopping because she is hot or exhausted from the heat.


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## Jayne (Feb 12, 2010)

Hi April.. When I first read this I immediately knew the problem, but by then the problem was solved.. Thankfully little Dora is back to normal.. I would like to say one thing though.. I have had several bad experiences with groomers expressing the anal glands improperly. The results were a fairly painful bottom ...I think you did right by taking her to your vet for that proceedure.. I would talk to your groomer about this process and you should feel comfortable that she knows what she's doing. That being said, the two groomers I use have been using have been doing this for years now and it seems to be part of the grooming process.. I wonder if your groomer tried to express the glands and didn't quite get it right.. This is just something you might check out.. I'm glad little Dora is doing fine now though...


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## Dora's Mom (Nov 7, 2009)

Jayne said:


> Hi April.. When I first read this I immediately knew the problem, but by then the problem was solved.. Thankfully little Dora is back to normal.. I would like to say one thing though.. I have had several bad experiences with groomers expressing the anal glands improperly. The results were a fairly painful bottom ...I think you did right by taking her to your vet for that proceedure.. I would talk to your groomer about this process and you should feel comfortable that she knows what she's doing. That being said, the two groomers I use have been using have been doing this for years now and it seems to be part of the grooming process.. I wonder if your groomer tried to express the glands and didn't quite get it right.. This is just something you might check out.. I'm glad little Dora is doing fine now though...


Thanks Jayne.  I always tell our regular groomer SPECIFICALLY not to do her glands and I trust her, but a few weeks ago she had the groomer at her day-care giving her a bath and trimming her nails and my husband forgot to tell him not to express the glands and he did. So the other groomer may have messed it up. I don't really want her glands expressed by someone else (as opposed to doing it herself I guess! :HistericalSmiley unless they are bothering her.


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## Jayne (Feb 12, 2010)

Dora's Mom said:


> Thanks Jayne.  I always tell our regular groomer SPECIFICALLY not to do her glands and I trust her, but a few weeks ago she had the groomer at her day-care giving her a bath and trimming her nails and my husband forgot to tell him not to express the glands and he did. So the other groomer may have messed it up. I don't really want her glands expressed by someone else (as opposed to doing it herself I guess! :HistericalSmiley unless they are bothering her.


 Well, I'm glad everything came out alright in the end..so to speak!!! I've been following little Dora ever since you and I were discussing Gypsy, and we don't want anything bad to happen to her...She is sooooo cute...And I can tell you only ADORE her...


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## Dora's Mom (Nov 7, 2009)

Dora had an accident on the carpet last night. My husband and I were talking about it and we realized she has stopped ringing the bell to go potty ever since she came back from grooming. I'm so upset that cutting her tail hair has messed her up so much. :smcry: The vet thought that expressing her anal glands was all she needed and while she does still act normal at times she's still just not right. My poor baby....


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## Jayne (Feb 12, 2010)

I wonder if a bell rings when someone comes into the groomers and she is associating it with something that upsets her... My Kayla just loved everyone and everything.. She was the most outgowing and loving little girl ever.. I had been taking her to the same groomer for several months, when she up and moved..Therefore I took another groomer in the same salon.. When I picked her up that first time, she was totally different.. She was suddenly terrified of children especially, and fought going into that salon.. I never did find out what happened to her, but she has been introverted ever since.. I brought this to the managers attention, but she didn't know anything ..Naturally... So, I finally found a groomer who was very gentle with her..She wasn't the best groomer I've ever met, but Kayla feels safe with her and that's what matters..I don't care if she looks a little funny.. Anyway April, something happened to Dora and you may have to work through it with her, but I think I might not take her back to that same place again..Or if you do I would tell them exactly what's going on and when it started, so they will be warned that they better treat your little girl with kid gloves in the future.. You may see a reaction to the day care when you take her???? Anyway, I hope everything works out well..These little ones are so sensitive we have to be so careful with them..And I know you are ...
Jayne


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## camfan (Oct 30, 2006)

poochie2 said:


> I'm speaking from experience......when I got my malt a short cut at the groomers's they trimmed her tail and trimmed her butt area too....well for 3-4 day s she would walk then sit right away and look at her backside. She would repeat this very often. Walk, sit look at her backside. We knew for sure that she could tell her hair was shorter back there and she was clearly irritated. I would not worry about your malt.


Mine do the same, exact thing.

Maybe they are feeling a breeze back there (lol)--or it just feels odd to them while walking.

Needing the anal glands emptied they usually drag or scoot their butt along the ground. Doesn't sound like that's it.


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## Snowball Pie's Mommi (Oct 16, 2008)

April, I have another thought that probably means nothing ... but, I thought I would share it anyway. I read your thread and do realize that Dora did, indeed, have anal glands that needed to be expressed.

Anyway ... Every once in a while, if Snowball is out for a walk, he will sit down after walking for a while, and he just wants to be picked up. It has happened when my hubby has taken him for longer walks. We are careful not to take Snowball outside for walks when the temperature is high, especially during daylight hours in the summer, because the pavement and sidewalks are much too hot and could burn his paws. However, one afternoon when my husband and Snowball went with me for my physical therapy appointment, and, before we went inside the building ... Snowball was on the sidewalk for a minute and immediately wanted to be picked up. I realized the side walk was too hot. So, I guess I was thinking because you live in a hot area too, that maybe Dora might have had a similar experience, thus, now wanting you to pick her up when she is outside for walks? I'm probably way off base on this one ... but, I thought I would share this with you.

I hope Dora is doing better today. She is a precious and adorable little fluff baby. :wub::tender:


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## Dora's Mom (Nov 7, 2009)

Thanks everybody.  Dora's been taking it easy the last few days, staying inside a lot. It's either been really hot or pouring down rain anyway. I think she's feeling a little bit better....definitely not WORSE, anyway, so we are just going to be patient. She hasn't been to daycare in almost a week but we're taking her tomorrow and I think that will cheer her up a little.


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## Dora's Mom (Nov 7, 2009)

I think I'm ready to declare Dora all better! Daycare said she was her usual diva self all day, and she's ALMOST quit sitting down when she's out going potty (we cut out the regular walks because it is super hot). 

However, she did have another accident today, but I think that's just an indication that we've drifted a little with our potty training and not that there's something wrong. Arrrgh. :angry: But, we can fix that! :thumbsup: 

She feels better and that's the important thing. :wub: Good thing too, her birthday is coming up soon and she better be ready to party!! :chili:


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## edelweiss (Apr 23, 2010)

Hope all is well w/little Dora by now! 
I had a bitch in the UK & she did that when we first got her---she was a show dog sell off at about 5 months due to financial problems w/breeder---anyhow she would not walk far at all w/out sitting. It turns out later that we discovered she had eaten a "rubber bunger" and it was going through her digestive system. When she started finally to vomit blood the vet operated and found it! Yikes! I think she had it inside her when we got her as I had never seen anything like it before. It would not have shown up on an X-ray either! She lived a long & utterly happy life!


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## Jayne (Feb 12, 2010)

Hi April... Would ou believe!!!!! I just got a new rescue in called Phoebe... I took her to the vet and had a sanitary cut done, and she started sitting a scooting in the doctors office.. He then expressed her anal glands and she is still scooting and sitting.. Sound familiar???? Now we know!!!!! Dora and Phoebe just probably had a very airy and sore bottom. :-( Phoebe's potty pad trained and outside also, so I hope the floor doesn't look good to her tonight.. 
Jayne


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