seperation anxiety problems

[twix0699]

Okay, I hate to admit it but I think my dog has seperation anxiety. I crate her when not at home but she spills her food and water and moves her crate across the floor and around a corner while I am gone. Is there anything I can do to help her with this? She did seem to be okay being left but then I had surgery and was off work for 10 weeks and it seemed to start after I went back to work. Anybody have any suggestions for me?

Teresa

[Oscar's Mom]

She actually moves the crate while she is in it? This is such a tough problem I think.
You could try getting a special toy/bone that she would really love and only give it to her when you have to leave.

[dutchman]

Here are a few of the general suggestions that are recommended. First don't make a big deal of your leaving after you kennel Twix don't talk to her after the door closes. Try leaving a radio (tuned to a talk station or NPR) or TV on for some background noise. Background noise is not always a good thing for Aggie it seemed to create more stress instead of less. Make your leaving a good thing give a treat to Twix when you put her in the kennel. The ideal treat would be something she has to work on for a long time. Be careful some long lasting treats like rawhides can present a choking danger and should not be used without supervision. Many people like to freeze a kong with some peanut butter in it. My boys run to their kennels when I get ready to go back to work after lunch. All I have to do is ask who wants ther puperonie (SP?). You could try the next step up from a kennel use an x-pen when you leave just be sure to leave her kennel in a corner since she is use to that being her safe place.

All this said I will have to admit that if I leave either boy home alone they scream their head off when we (me and the other boy) leave and again when we return. Hey there you go get Twix a playmate even when they are kept in adjacent kennels they are company <IMG SRC="http://dachsie.org/ubb/cwmsmilies/cwm32.gif" border=0>
Best wishes,

Tom and the boys (Frank and Tanner)

[Frzframe]

We had/have this problem with our Lasha. Since she was so small when we got her my dad didn't think she should be left alone. He didn't want to put her in a cage so she had someone always around her for the 1st month or so. Then when she was bigger we started leaving her alone. She would dig at our front or back door ruining it. She did get a crate (and to this day hates it). We would come home and she would have it in a totally different spot or turned in another direction. We learned that if we didn't make a big deal about leaving, not saying anything to her for 10 to 15 minutes before we left she was fine. She got to the point where she was fine if we left her out and we would usually find her waiting on a window seal that over looked the porch. But she still has her bad days especially if someone is home with her for serval days in a row. So its back to her crate and now that we've moved to a new house she can't be trusted at all to be good while home alone. I've had to come back into the house to get something and seen her digging like crazy in her cage but at least she can't do any damage in there.

So my advise is to not make a fuss - don't really even talk to her for 10 minutes or so before you leave. Hope it works. <IMG SRC="http://dachsie.org/ubb/cwmsmilies/cwm1.gif" border=0>
~Shonda

[Heather]

I say the same thing, everytime I put them in their crate, 'Be right back'! And their ears perk up, so I know now that they understand 'Be right back' means I will come back for them.

[twix0699]

Twix always gets special treats in her crate but she knows when I am getting ready to leave in the mornings and hides and pouts. Before I was off work she knew the routine and would go in there after I put her treats in. She has been crated since I got her but has never used her crate as a place to go when tired, etc. She hates it when her crate door is closed and she is outside of it. I don't get that either since she never goes in there. I don't say anything to her when I leave and only put her in there just before I leave for the day.

And, Tom, I am already contemplating another so don't tempt me! <IMG SRC="http://dachsie.org/ubb/cwmsmilies/cwm35.gif" border=0> Seriously though, does having two make the seperation anxiety less?

Teresa

<FONT COLOR="#00FFFF" SIZE="1" FACE="Verdana, Arial">This message has been edited by twix0699 on November 07, 2000 at 08:56 PM</font>

[dutchman]

Hi Teresa,

I'll have to let those who have faced bigger separation anxiety problems than I have run into give input on how much the addition of a second dog works. Frank didn't suffer form separation anxiety before we got Tanner. I don't think the yelling we get now when I leave with one is so much a separation anxiety as a jealousy problem.

Good luck,

Tom