Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
One of my dogs would fit the bill as pretty highly sensitive and anxious, we refer to him as the one with the neurotic personality.
One of his habits is habitual licking/overgrooming. It's generally most prevalent in the evening, as he winds down/gets ready to sleep. It's loud, frenzied, and extremely annoying, so I've looked into ways to help curb the behavior...making sure there are no underlying skin or paw issues, health-wise, keeping up with exercise and stimulation, providing alternate activities, etc. Even aversive things like bitter spray (he'll often simultaneously lick upholstery). Nothing, however, seems to affect it, it appears to simply be ingrained, habitual behavior.
I've noticed one glaring thing, though. My husband is in the military, and is gone for periods of time. When my husband is gone, such as right now, when he's out of the country for a number of weeks, the behavior TOTALLY CEASES. Only to return tenfold when my husband returns.
I would think, if it's anxiety, it would actually get worse in my husband's absence...the dog is his, adopted by him more than five years before we even met. The dog is a one-person dog, and very bonded to my husband. He tolerates me, is wary of our toddler, but is like velcro to my husband. One would think nervous, obsessive behavior would ramp up in my husband's absence, not cease. But it's actually the reverse. It's like my husband's presence is what triggers the obsessive tongue bath.
Has anybody else ever experienced behavior that is similarly specific to being around a single person?
To flesh it out, how does your husband treat the dog? Always petting him, talking to him, taking him on walks? Stern? Sweet? Ignore him or aloof even tho he clings like velcro.
And what does your husband do with the dog that you don't? Does your husband walk him more for example?
Maybe he worries that your husband will be leaving again? It sounds like the absence is fairly regular, maybe note how far into a homecoming it happens? Or how close it is to him leaving? Packing/ unpacking?
Especially if this dog is super sensitive he "knows" before you think you show it. It sounds like you are totally aware of all of that, but I bet you can eventually pinpoint it.
I had one quiet, calm dog who started to show anxiety stuff as he became senior. The licking wasn't as bad as you are talking about, but it was annoying. Once I realized he was aging/ changing I would put him in his crate, and he would literally sigh with relief. He stressed most about me leaving the house without him.
Now I have a working line dog now, and he does wind up, but it is with everyone. He settles with just me, or when my daughter was with me for months. Otherwise the change stresses him.
If he has a toy in his mouth he will chew it to bits (I refer to it as his pacifier). Otherwise he offers up good behaviors for a minute or two, but if he isn't acknowledged he whines, barks, and tries "not" to jump on them.
It is worse if it is someone he knows. If it is kids or older people he seems to know to be calmer, but it still makes him crazy. Needless to say I always have a tug with me, he just has to have something to make him feel better.
Some dogs just stress about any change I think. For some reason I think it is just the change that is bothering yours more than anything.
To flesh it out, how does your husband treat the dog? Always petting him, talking to him, taking him on walks? Stern? Sweet? Ignore him or aloof even tho he clings like velcro.
And what does your husband do with the dog that you don't? Does your husband walk him more for example?
I have a similar dog. He's bonded to me, and likes my husband enough, but when I'm in the room he's with me. He greets me extremely enthusiastically when I return, and if we return together after being out he'll basically ignore my husband and jump all over just me. When my husband returns from somewhere he greets him, but not wildly enthusiastically. He's a Boston Terrier, if that matters.
BUT. We call him "licky boy". Man that dog can lick, and with such passion! My husband says he does it less frequently when I'm away.
One thing we do for his anxiety in general is we got him a thunder shirt. You can google it if you haven't already seen them - I put it on him when guests come over. Otherwise, he'd be walking around them the whole time trying to lick their legs.
If he doesn't have a rash, it seems stress related. And pets can be as complicated as people sometimes.
Ideas.
Could be due to stimulus and that he's so excited to have your husband at home. But he can't really get to him as much as he'd like because the rest of the family is around dad. Waiting for his leader and now stressed and wound up he licks to self soothe.
He may be more confined when your husband is home, less attention, lack of walks because everything is related to dad coming back and taking care of the kids, etc. Try keeping a list of what you do in your excitement with your husband home and in the day to dayness after he's been home a while. Is there so much family stuff going on he gets less attention than when your husband is away? Families I know in the military, things seem to go at a calm everyday pace when it's just mom and kids. Then dad comes home and there's more trips to stock up, trips to the hardware store to make repairs, playing ball in the yard, yard redone, house to be touched up, etc.
Toss in while your husband is away, the dog may feel kind of in charge. And that too is out when the real leader of the pack returns.
Just a few ideas based on things I've experienced and friends have experienced. See how they fit and keep thinking.
Please register to post and access all features of our very popular forum. It is free and quick. Over $68,000 in prizes has already been given out to active posters on our forum. Additional giveaways are planned.
Detailed information about all U.S. cities, counties, and zip codes on our site: City-data.com.
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
