Dog acting depressed

Question
Our shepherd is one and a half.  He is eating but acts depressed.  He holds his head down like he has done something wrong.  Normally he is kind of aggressive towards people who don't come around often but lately he is different.  We watch three young children and they can be loud.  We're not sure what is exactly troubling him.  Thanks for your response

Answer
From what you are saying your boy is not acting like he normally does.  Based on what you have told me I would take the dog to a vet to ensure there is no medical reason for his drastic change in behavior.

Next I would look at the behavior itself.  When a dog's head is lowered like you describe it means a lack of confidence, possibly fear. Dogs live in the NOW so they don't worry about the past or future like people do.

There is always a possibility that he has become afraid of something or someone but in order to know for sure it is best to deal with the process of elimination starting with the vet.  Dog's behaviors can change when ill.

Watch to see if he is different when different people are around him.  Has anything changed?  Keep your eye on him and try to see if his behavior changes under different circumstances.

I have many articles on my Help Page that can help you with behavior issues.  If your dog has lost confidence or is afraid.  They can give you further insight about your dog and what you can do to resolve the issue.  http://www.gallantshepherds.com/help.htm

Sincerely,

Gallant German Shepherds
http://www.gallantshepherds.com