Depressed dog?

My husband and I have a 2 1/2 yr old shepherd mix. We are gone for 3-5 hrs most days, and it varies on the wekends. When we are here we play with her and give her love and attention. We usually walk her about twice a week. Lately she has been very lethargic. She doesn't eat much of her food anymore (about a bowl per 3-4 days, but we do give her plenty of table food, and she is definately not losing weight). She doesn't pee or pooh as much as she used to either. Even when we are here, she just lays around, and doesn't want to play much. She used to have a cat to play with before she lived with us, and she was much happier. We tried to get her another cat, but found out that my husband is allergic. So now we are getting her a puppy to keep her entertained, figuring it will make her happy, like the cat did. Yesterday she chewed the blinds a little, which she has never done before. At first, I thought she was just bored, but if that's the case, she should want to play when we are home, right? Can anyone help me to figure out what's wrong with her? If you can help, please e-mail me at AHerrera@mail.usf.edu
Thanks,
Alicia

Alecia, the first thing you need to do is get your dog to the vet. You should first rule out any physical reasons for her to stop eating and get lethargic. ;) If she turns out to be perfectly healthy, then come back and I'm sure someone will have great ideas on how to lift her spirits. :D By the way, how long have you had her and where did you get her from? Just curious...

I agree with W4F. If she is physically fine, another dog may help her, or try doggie daycare while you're not home. That way she socializes with a lot of different dogs while getting a lot of people attention too! :D