The barking maniac

[BarbV]

Do you know whether or not she barks for long after you leave? That is, is she just trying to get YOUr attention, or is their separation anxiety going on

For general anxiety, I know alot of people swear by the Thundershirt. I sell them at my store and always with a money back guarantee. I don't think I have ever had one returned, so that tells me that these really DO work.

I've also heard of some success with the Pet Corrector. It does tend to do an immediate stop, but to be truly effective, positive renforcement is required as well.

p.s. My dogs only get anxious when I'm getting ready to leave because they are afraid I'll forget to give them my "leaving treat". Truly, I think my dogs care more about getting their treat, then about me leaving!

 

[Caro]

It sounds like she could have true separation anxiety as opposed to separation distress, esp if you have already been prescribed anxiety meds. Either way there are many programs you can use to lower their stress levels when you leave.

I recommend a booklet written by Patricia McConnel called "I'll be home soon". In addition to discussing the difference between distress and anxiety it also gives a program to deal with the problem. Ian Dunbar also has a podcast on his website (dogstardaily) that's worth listening to http://www.dogstardaily.com/radio/207-separation-anxiety

Do you give her anything to do when you leave? My male suffers from sep anxiety so whenever I leave the house I hide treats around the house for him to go hunting for and it keeps him occupied long enough for him not to panic as I leave. And he then tends to settle down once he has finished his treasure hunt. When I was working I used to hide breakfast around the house (or yard). If I was in a hurry then I would put both dogs kibble in a treat bottle/dispenser.

 

[lovemyshelties]

i really don't have any answers or ideas for you. this must be so hard.
and i am sure she feels the stress level also.
have you tried a kong with food/treat in it, put her and kong in pen ?
if i lived closer, i would dogsit her a month for you....
good luck and sorry i was not any help

Thank you so much. I think I felt a virtual hug!

 

[lovemyshelties]

I don't know what happened to my answer but I will try again.
Years ago I read a book by an English woman trainer. I think it was called the Dog Whisperer - long before Caesar Millan. She talked about dog separation anxiety, what causes it and how to cure it. She made a lot of sense to me and it sounds like this is the problem you are dealing with.
She explains that dogs feel a great deal of responsibility to their pack - be it other dogs or their humans. In a pack were there is a clear human leader, the dog is able to relax and allow that leader to be responsible for the day to day safety of the others. When a dog is put in the position of being the leader it can become super stressed when the human goes out because it feels the need to bring the human back to a safe place - namely home.
If you follow her suppositions then it would appear that Zoey feels that your husband is a leader and is as not concerned by his absence but is concerned about yours. The method to give the dog back it's "follower" position is to impose a few things into it's life. You make all decisions. You don't allow the dog to make the decision to get on the couch or bed, you invite when you decide you want to have it there. You eat before you feed the dog, you ask for a sit before it goes in or out doors and you always lead the way, not let the dog go first. A treat is a reward for doing something asked for, not just because those beautiful eyes are asking for one. Everything the dog gets in it's life is a result of you making the decision.
If you decide to try this you have to give it some time to take effect. It took a lot of time to build to were Zoey is today. I had my niece try it on her anxious shepherd cross and it really did work. He used to go crazy when the girls - her young daughters - went off to school and now he looks sad but no more damage or vocalizing. BTW, he used to be terrible about herding the girls if they took him into the yard and that behaviour has ceased too. I have to go up to the library tomorrow and hopefully they still have the book so that I can give you the title and the name of the author. It was an interesting read and provided a lot of food for thought.

Wonderful advice. Cary says the same thing - that Zoey feels he is the pack leader. I do indulge her too often and am backing off a bit. I am also not paying attention to her "episodes" and praising her more for good behavior. She's a challenge for sure and one that I admit is taxing my patience, but I won't give up on her.

 

[lovemyshelties]

It sounds like she could have true separation anxiety as opposed to separation distress, esp if you have already been prescribed anxiety meds. Either way there are many programs you can use to lower their stress levels when you leave.

I recommend a booklet written by Patricia McConnel called "I'll be home soon". In addition to discussing the difference between distress and anxiety it also gives a program to deal with the problem. Ian Dunbar also has a podcast on his website (dogstardaily) that's worth listening to http://www.dogstardaily.com/radio/207-separation-anxiety

Do you give her anything to do when you leave? My male suffers from sep anxiety so whenever I leave the house I hide treats around the house for him to go hunting for and it keeps him occupied long enough for him not to panic as I leave. And he then tends to settle down once he has finished his treasure hunt. When I was working I used to hide breakfast around the house (or yard). If I was in a hurry then I would put both dogs kibble in a treat bottle/dispenser.

Yes, I've tried distracting Zoey with a peanut butter stuffed Kong, a bully stick or other treat. Her whining and barking starts the minute I get out of the shower and continues through drying my hair, then she settles for a bit and starts up again when I put her, Bentley and Murphy into crates. No way in hell we will give Zoey free run of the house. She's not trustworthy. At the behaviorist's advice we switched from a large crate to an X-pen, but that didn't improve her outlook one bit.

 

[lovemyshelties]

Zoey back on meds

Thanks to all who responded with suggestions and links to info on anxiety. After a long talk with our vet a few days ago she agreed to put Zoey back on Clomicalm, supplemented with occasional 1/2 Xanax when she's really struggling. I'm also reducing her stress by ignoring her outbursts and only paying attention to her when she's calm.

Her anxiety begins about the time I get out of the shower and ramps up until I finish drying my hair...go figure. Then things quiet down for a bit until I put Bentley and Murphy in their crates and Zoey goes nuts again. No way we can leave her out and give her free run. She would get into something for sure. We've tried an X-pen (at the behaviorist's advice) and she still freaks as I'm going out the door. I do stuff a Kong for them or give them a bully stick to chew on. Sometimes this works, sometimes not.

I totally agree that she looks at my husband as being the pack leader, which to be honest frustrates me a bit. I'm going to try not allowing her on the sofa unless invited and keeping her from following me around the house in the evening. The other two are angels compared to Zoey!

Hopefully, once the meds build up in her system she'll be able to cope better. I'll keep everyone posted.

 

[Caro]

It sounds as if she is conditioned to your schedule preparing to leave. Has the behaviourist given you a desensitising program for this? It is probably the most important thing you can do in this situation, otherwise she will continue to be triggered by certain cues - such as you showering, being put in the crate and the opening door. If the behaviourist hasn't given you one then you should go back and ask. One thing though, you do need to stick with it and it helps to reinforce it every once and a while if she has persistent anxiety.