I think I've broken Ddog [sad]

[fairgame84]

Ddog is a rescue, 6 yo male lab cross. I've had him 2 weeks. He has settled in well. He is a very loving and affectionate boy and loves to sit snuggled up to me on the sofa. Until today.

I had to take DS to a hospital appointment in another city this morning. I have left Ddog for short periods before (max 90 minutes) but today we were gone for 3 hours. I left the webcam on so I could see how he was on his own. He cried/whined a little for the first 10 mins then just slept for the rest of the time (he is a very lazy boy!).
Since we have come home he refuses to come downstairs. I've tried to entice him down with treats but no such luck. He won't even come down for his dinner.
I'm currently training him to come when called as he has never had this (he was a stray, abandoned as a pup) but he absolutely will not come at all when called today. He wags his tail when I approach him but he will not move.

Any advice?
Have I messed everything up by leaving him for so long?

No - he's willing - leave him and he'll come in his own time

*sulking

My DDog stayed in his basket 2 days!!

Thankyou. I thought that might be the case. He did something similar a few days after I got him when he had to wear a buster collar but he didn't string it out for this long.

He's so stubborn!

Treat him like a kid and ignore - (or open the fridge!!)

My lab sulks too

He's still up there. He's not even appeared while we've been eating our tea. This is a new level of dog sulking that I've not encountered before. My last dog was a GSD, she would sulk for about 5 minutes then it was all over. He's going to be a very hungry boy because he didn't eat this morning and he's not come down for his tea. He'll be regretting this in a few hours!

Maybe he's hurt himself and cannot walk downstairs. Is he too big to carry down?

No not hurt. I took direct action and parked his arch enemy, The Dyson, on the landing. He's shot downstairs and is now creeping snuggling like nothing has happened.

Ha ha ha, that's my girls arch enemy as well. He is gorgeous.

Could well be that he 'doesn't know' how to handle these situations being a rescue - it's a learning curve - he may have thought he'd get beaten or thrown outside - etc so e does need to be left and for you to help him understand he's not in trouble

Or he could be a major sulker!

DDog refuses to walk in the rain - so won't go out for a walk - but then sulks if he hasn't been out!'

We have to dodge the rain even a 5 min walk helps him!!

I think it's unsettled him a little with us being gone for so long. He ended up sleeping on the landing last night which he hasn't done before. He came down with us this morning, had his breakfast and then went back to the landing for the rest of the morning.
I don't want him upstairs so I've put a safety gate up now so he can't go back up.
He seems ok so far today.
I think we just need to keep in going out so he gets used to it being normal.
We don't fuss him when we leave or when we get it as we don't want it to be a big deal to him and this is what the rescue centre advised so that he doesn't get separation anxiety.

Try cooking home with a treat - keep them in the car - so he gets used to greeting you at the door for fuss

Maybe he knows upstairs is where you stay, where you sleep, and where he knows you will be? Or maybe I'm overthinking...

Maybe he was more anxious than he's letting on, and upstairs feels 'safe' to him, so he wants you to go there.

I agree my dog goes and hides upstairs if the kids are fighting