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If you've seen my profile, you've seen my girl. She's a Lab/Shar-Pei mix, so sweet and good natured, but she has severe separation anxiety. She chewed out of two crates (one plastic, one metal) and digs at the wall by the front door if I leave her alone. I've been leaving her out on the patio, or I'd take her with me (for some reason she loves staying in the car) but now with the Texas summer heat coming, I can't do either and can't afford to have her tearing up the walls and such.
I'm looking into no-kill shelters, but if she never gets adopted out will they literally keep her there indefinitely? I doubt people will want her because of this problem.
My dog also has separation anxiety, to the point where she tries to bite us when we leave, not to hurt us but she becomes so freaked that she is out of control, I was told to try Rescue Remedy for pets, I'll let you know how that works out. What I have found that helps is talking to her before I leave (sounds crazy but it really helps) so I explain to her that I'm leaving, I usually tell her that I'm going to the grocery store, how long I'll be gone and then I give her a "job" to do while I'm gone, like watching over the other pets, watching the house, etc. Please try to remember her greatest fear is you leaving her so getting rid of her will only reinforce that and she may be picking up on your thoughts of getting rid of her. The trainer sounds like a great idea and maybe a holistic vet could give you some help on ways to reliever her anxiety and stress. Good luck with your baby.
To answer some questions, she has chewed her way out of two crates, one metal and one plastic, to the point that she broke teeth and bled every time. It looked like the Texas Chainsaw Massacre every time I got home; blood splattered all over the walls and puddles of bloody drool on the floor in front of the crate.
We had this happen to our old dog (black lab mix too), people called him "crazy calvin" because he was so crazy. Eventually it stopped (except the sippy cups were alway chewed up) but we always had to leave the blinds pulled up b/c he would rip them down. How old is your dog? MIne was probably 5 before I could leave him out. My current do was ok after 1 year. How much exercise do you give before your gone? I would do atleast 45 minutes vigorous (fast walking/jogging) before you leave because he seems "high energy" as we use to call mine.
We had this happen to our old dog (black lab mix too), people called him "crazy calvin" because he was so crazy. Eventually it stopped (except the sippy cups were alway chewed up) but we always had to leave the blinds pulled up b/c he would rip them down. How old is your dog? MIne was probably 5 before I could leave him out. My current do was ok after 1 year. How much exercise do you give before your gone? I would do atleast 45 minutes vigorous (fast walking/jogging) before you leave because he seems "high energy" as we use to call mine.
I do walk her, let her run, play with her, but it doesn't help. She's about 3 now.
Watch cesar Millan. He has helped many dogs with anxiety. You need to take them on a 40 minute fast bike ride or roller-blading or run. Some dogs need longer. With the heat in Texas, you should do this in the mornings and later at night. Or get a treadmill. They need the exercise 1)to wear them out 2) to have their mind in a great state. You probably need to get a treadmill and run your dog for a few times a day, especially if it is a high-strung dog. I have a doberman puppy that loved digging until I got the bike out daily and I run her for one hour. Not extremely fast the whole time - maybe about 1/3. The rest is a nice jog and you can actually see her concentrate and get in the 'zone'. She is nice and peaceful when we get home.
Watch cesar Millan. He has helped many dogs with anxiety. You need to take them on a 40 minute fast bike ride or roller-blading or run. Some dogs need longer. With the heat in Texas, you should do this in the mornings and later at night. Or get a treadmill. They need the exercise 1)to wear them out 2) to have their mind in a great state. You probably need to get a treadmill and run your dog for a few times a day, especially if it is a high-strung dog. I have a doberman puppy that loved digging until I got the bike out daily and I run her for one hour. Not extremely fast the whole time - maybe about 1/3. The rest is a nice jog and you can actually see her concentrate and get in the 'zone'. She is nice and peaceful when we get home.
Yes, seriously. Watch the Dog Whisperer. dogs need to be 'focused' when you are getting out the energy, i.e. no stopping to sniff around, just focus on the run or walk or bike, etc. You can do this with a treadmill, same thing - only walking.
You can google dog whisperer treadmill and see what you can find. My brat can do it and it's helpful, especially with all the freakin rain we've had lately. Aaaannnnnd, they don't need a tv while doing it!
Yes, seriously. Watch the Dog Whisperer. dogs need to be 'focused' when you are getting out the energy, i.e. no stopping to sniff around, just focus on the run or walk or bike, etc. You can do this with a treadmill, same thing - only walking.
You can google dog whisperer treadmill and see what you can find. My brat can do it and it's helpful, especially with all the freakin rain we've had lately. Aaaannnnnd, they don't need a tv while doing it!
You are so welcome. Plus you can check out Cesar Millan's book. Really the first book. The second one pretty much says the same thing and talks about his wife a lot, too. His methods are extremely effective. If you can find him on the National Geographic channel, watch it. It seems easier to understand visually than reading it. But, the book does give a lot of the information again, but better for you to absorb after watching the video.
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