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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.
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.
I am in rescue and in my experience, a dog with separation anxiety in one home will not be miraculously cured and become calm and and quiet in the next. In fact, the shelter environment will often make anxiety worse. Many so-called "no kill" shelters DO kill dogs that they do not deem adoptable.
I understand the devastation that an anxious dog can cause. I have dealt with several as fosters. My first one was the most difficult and he was the one which I eventually adopted. He chewed a door, two windowsills, a new wicker chair, an heirloom basket, door molding....the list is extensive. He could not be crated. He'd thrash against the crate until he was bruised and bloody. He was ostensibly surrendered to our rescue because his owner "couldn't care for him any more" but the reason was undoubtedly his destructiveness. This wasn't new behavior.
It was heartbreaking to watch his misery, and I knew that he'd never find a permanent home until his issues were addressed. I sought help from a trainer, and through consistent application of some basic techniques, he's become a wonderful dog. He'll always be anxious, but the destructive behavior has been eliminated. He can be trusted to stay alone in the house for hours while I'm away. It took about three months to really see results but it was worth it.
The trainer I used gave me a copy of "I'll Be Home Soon," by Patricia McConnell. It's less than $10 on Amazon. Before you give up your dog, see if you can change her behavior. If I could do it, you can. Your local SPCA may have trainers that can help advise you for a low or no cost, too.
Please, seek out help before you surrender your girl. If she's a problem for you, she'll be a problem for her next owner, and then what? She'll either be abused or euthanized.
I am in rescue and in my experience, a dog with separation anxiety in one home will not be miraculously cured and become calm and and quiet in the next. In fact, the shelter environment will often make anxiety worse. Many so-called "no kill" shelters DO kill dogs that they do not deem adoptable.
I understand the devastation that an anxious dog can cause. I have dealt with several as fosters. My first one was the most difficult and he was the one which I eventually adopted. He chewed a door, two windowsills, a new wicker chair, an heirloom basket, door molding....the list is extensive. He could not be crated. He'd thrash against the crate until he was bruised and bloody. He was ostensibly surrendered to our rescue because his owner "couldn't care for him any more" but the reason was undoubtedly his destructiveness. This wasn't new behavior.
It was heartbreaking to watch his misery, and I knew that he'd never find a permanent home until his issues were addressed. I sought help from a trainer, and through consistent application of some basic techniques, he's become a wonderful dog. He'll always be anxious, but the destructive behavior has been eliminated. He can be trusted to stay alone in the house for hours while I'm away. It took about three months to really see results but it was worth it.
The trainer I used gave me a copy of "I'll Be Home Soon," by Patricia McConnell. It's less than $10 on Amazon. Before you give up your dog, see if you can change her behavior. If I could do it, you can. Your local SPCA may have trainers that can help advise you for a low or no cost, too.
Please, seek out help before you surrender your girl. If she's a problem for you, she'll be a problem for her next owner, and then what? She'll either be abused or euthanized.
See, that is what breaks my heart, the knowledge that someone will adopt her and send her back to a shelter where they will put her down or have someone abuse her.
When I rescued her, there was nothing in her paperwork that said she had this problem. And by the time I saw it, I just couldn't take her back there. I was committed to working with her. I bought books, read up online, tried pheremone plug ins, tried training her out of it, put her on two anti-anxiety meds and nothing helped. Once she knew I was leaving, no drug, nothing could calm her. So, I'm really at my wits end. It's been a year and a half and I just don't know what else to do.
I'm in New England, and here they can range from $150 to $300 per visit with free unlimited follow-up consultations. Texas has a less expensive overall cost of living, so I'd expect that it would be cheaper there. I'm not sure where you are in Texas but below are a couple of links. You could call one even if they aren't in your area, and ask if they can recommend anyone where you are and get a ballpark on costs. The SPCA may be able to refer you, too: SPCA of Texas - Society For The Prevention of Cruelty to Animals :.
Training is not a quick fix, but it does work. Since my first problem child I've used the same desensitization techniques to work with other anxious dogs as well as ones with serious behavioral problems. The trainer trained ME on how to interact with the dogs in a way that would reduce the negative behavior and reward and and therefore increase the positive behavior. Once I understood that the techniques weren't a quick fix but a lifestyle change that required constant and consistent effort, everything fell into place. Now it's almost a no-brainer. The only thing I would suggest is consulting a trainer that uses only positive training techniques. Here's one list: Truly Dog Friendly » Truly Dog-Friendly Trainers.
Complete Canine Training -Dog&Puppy Training Spring, Texas
Houston TX Dog Training (http://www.thinklikeadog.com/tp/obedience.html - broken link)
SEPARATION ANXIETY (http://74.125.45.132/search?q=cache:TChrew2VPtEJ:www.bcrescuetexas.org/Training/Separation%2520anxiety%2520handout.doc+separation+ anxiety+dogs+texas&cd=9&hl=en&ct=clnk&gl=us&client =firefox-a - broken link)
In my opinion too many people bring home dogs without thinking of THEIR needs.
If you BOTH work 8-10 hour days and the dog is alone then you shouldn't have a dog.
If you do want a dog anyway, then treat it like you would a child and find some care for the dog while you are away..
In my opinion too many people bring home dogs without thinking of THEIR needs.
If you BOTH work 8-10 hour days and the dog is alone then you shouldn't have a dog.
If you do want a dog anyway, then treat it like you would a child and find some care for the dog while you are away..
I work from home. But I have to go out at some point. And again, no one told me she had this problem when I got her.
Your profile is private so no one except your friends can access her photo. If she's stressed at your home if you're not there, think how much more she'll be stressed at a shelter w/ strangers and strange dogs barking all the time, of course they won't keep her indefinitely, there's always other dogs who get turned in and need homes and the shelter has to make room for them over one who has a lot of problems (health or otherwise), sadly even more adoptable young pups and dogs eventually get put to sleep if there arent enough homes to go around. Even if you rehome her (and you have to be open and honest), no one is home 24/7. You've gotten some excellent suggestions and I know you tried some things but maybe they just didnt click, I hope it all works out, in the meantime maybe would take short trips (if you havent tried that already), get her used to your coming and going, ignore her for a good 10 min. and don't pet, coddle or babytalk to her when you leave and arrive, leave the radio or tv on, exercise her before you leave, keep her in one room such as the kitchen (use baby gates, wouldn't close her up in the bathroom which is very claustrophobic), if you have other fam. members let them help in her care w/ feeding, brushing, playing etc.
if the training hasn't worked then dog day care might be the best option.
I've thought about that, but that is costly and wasteful when I work from home. I take her with me everywhere I go as it is to accomodate her issues, I don't think I should have to spend $25 just to be able to leave the house. Not like a child, she should be able to be left at home.
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