# Rescue with Separation Anxiety



## Buzzys Mom (Sep 28, 2010)

Hi Everyone,
Over the weekend I rescued a 4.5 year old male neutered Hav names Alfie. Supposedly he had come from a great home... only to find out that he hadn't been to the vet since he was a puppy, had a skin infection, allergies, and anal gland infection, was eating cat food and whatever dog food was available and was generally neglected (he had to be shaved down because of the skin issues and the matted hair and has patches of hair missing). Anyway, he is on the road to recovery- we are getting him up to date on shots, he is learning to walk on a leash and p&p on concrete, play with toys, and he is on antibiotics, steroids, and anti-histamines, and is eating high-quality dog food (lamb and rice formula of course). His health issues are improving slowly and I am sure he will be perfectly healthy again in a few weeks. :whoo:
The only problem I have is that he has pretty bad separation anxiety. When I leave the house (and all day long since I am watching him on the puppy cam), he howls, barks, whines, cries, and scratches at the front door. I tried the kong thing with no luck (he has no interest). I tried the throwing a treat thing when I leave and saying the same phrase (which is what I always did with my other one), and I have tried leaving for a minute, then 5 minutes, then 30 minutes, etc... all with no luck. :Cry:
I know he was neglected (and based on his reaction to men, probably abused by the husband), but I don't know what to do for him. :fear:My heart breaks listening to the puppy cam and I just want him to feel better. I do have another Hav (Buzzy) that is home with him, but Buzzy just lays there and doesn't react. :help:
Has anyone ever rescued a dog and dealt with this kind of behavior? My neighbors haven't said anything yet, but I can imagine that if I am out over the weekend, they aren't going to be pleased to hear this (I live in a condo- and our walls are thick, but they will hear him through the door).


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## morriscsps (Aug 17, 2010)

poor little guy. 

I know this sounds a little out there. When one of my previous dogs had SA, I was desperate and tried a cd, "Through a Dog's Ear". It may be a little insane but it did seem to calm him. I put it on continous play when we were gone or when he was anxious. On low, it didn't drive us nutty. classical music... it is nice.

anyway, here is the website: 
http://www.throughadogsear.com/

I think they have samples of the music on Amazon. It makes you very very sleepy. Lots of warning labels not to play in your car.
Amazon.com: Through a Dog's Ear: Music to Calm Your Canine Companion, Volume 1: Joshua Leeds;Lisa Spector: Music


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## davetgabby (Dec 29, 2007)

Through a Dog's Ear is good and it can help somewhat. But with his history ,I would seriously consider getting in a behaviorist.
Here's a brand new article by Nichole Wilde, (very good trainer ) http://dogstardaily.com/blogs/separation-anxiety-view-both-sides


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## Thumper (Feb 18, 2007)

Poor guy  And you are angel for bringing him back to health and nurturing him!!

I think the SA and adjustment is just going to take some time, he will eventually build trust and know that you are coming back and take some comfort in being with the other dogs..

I did read something about voices or music being soothing, sometimes I do leave the TV on, maybe it is something to try with the music? Human voices?

Just an idea.

And you can always talk to your vet if you think it warrants medication temporarily.


Kara


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## Buzzys Mom (Sep 28, 2010)

Hi Everyone,
Thanks for all your help and advice. I did keep on the TV (food network on someone's recommendation), but today I put on light classical music (like on the dog CD). I did speak to a behaviorist that said the problem isn't as bad as I think it is and that Buzzy not reacting will help Alfie acclimate quicker. He also said to do the ignoring thing when I first come home and in the morning before I leave. Also, to just get up and walk out the door for a second when I am home. Alfie follows me to the door when I do this though 
I hope that it gets easier quicker but the worst part is that I am going on vacation Nov 13-21. I didn't want to take him before vacation, but his original family refused to keep him any longer. He is going to stay with the neighbor upstairs (they have a Yorkie). I think since he will be there with my other guy he will be OK. I brought him up to meet them and he was fine up there and played with the other dog, so that was good. 
I know the trainer thinks this isn't a big deal, but it is for me (and for my neighbor that works from home, but hasn't said anything to me yet). I also might call another behaviorist to see what he says. I am just afraid the little guy isn't happy with me and that I won't be able to make him happy and that I will have to rehome him


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## littlebuddy (May 30, 2007)

oh, i know what your are going thru, dealing with the same issue ourselves. one thing that we started using is a D.A.P. plug in (petco sells them) and D.A.P. spray (vet prescription) which you spray on to a bandana and ties it loosly around their neck when you leave. the plug in should be plugged in all day. it releases phermones that help calm your dog and the bandana gives him xtra while you are away. it takees about 30 days to see any changes. 

i also leave a cd on, its the puppy lullubies. it has a dogs hearbeat that goes along with the song. there are tons of posts on SA all very good and worth reading. 
have you left him for short periods of time slowly increasing the time? also, we use a key word when we leave. Guard the house. that way he knows when he hears that that means we will return. 

read up all you can and talk to your vet. it's a slow process but with time, your dog will overcome their SA. how about stuffing the kong with turkey. my dog get specific treats only when we leave, that way they are xtra special.


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## Buzzys Mom (Sep 28, 2010)

Thanks littlebuddy- I do the special words and tried leaving. Unfortunately, if I even stand up he is at my side so that isn't working too effectively. I am trying to just make him stay on one side of a door while I close it. 
I like the idea of the DAP- I will go to Petco tomorrow to try and find it. He seems to be getting better as the day progresses which is nice- his outburts are father and fewer and not as bad- we are down to 1-2 howls, 1-2 barks, and/or 1-2 whines. I do see him running to the front door and hanging out there, but at least he isn't flipping out like he was which relieved me. We are going to go to the vet after work today (I called them already). I will let you know how it all goes.


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## Thumper (Feb 18, 2007)

Don't feel guilty if you have to go out of town, you've made safe arrangements for him and you ARE doing right by him and trying to work through this.

Sadly, rehoming him will most likely make this worse. He gets upset when you leave because he worries he'll never see you again and wants to be with you, I do believe it will improve with time, I know Gucci's Separation anxiety has gotten better.

Hang in there~~

Kara


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## littlebuddy (May 30, 2007)

the other thing i forgot to mention is that a dog needs to be kept busy for 20 minutes. i'ts my understanding that the SA kicks in within the first 20 minutes of being away from you. ifyou can fill enough kongs to keep him busy for a half hour, that might help as well.
unfortunately DJango gets everything out of the kongs in 16 minutes, that's when the barking and howling starts!


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## morriscsps (Aug 17, 2010)

*giggle* I got the cat equivalent DAP thing for our older cat when we got Jack. She laid in a drooling heap for 2 days. I swear that she didn't move. I had to take the collar off. It completely sent her into la-la-land. We use the air refresher version now. Izzy is much better now.

I think she thinks Jack isn't real - just a weird LSD flashback. ound:


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## kudo2u (Mar 7, 2009)

Pam, that is hilarious!!!! I mean, not really if you actually think about it...but it's hilarious.

As for Alfie, give it time!!! It's been less than a week. Give it (lots of) time. He's in a new place, new rules, new everything. He'll come around and it will get better. 

One of the best things you can do is to not make a big deal of it. Establish a routine. I know the key word does not seem to be working, but keep using it.

When you come home, do NOT make a big deal out of a fun, excited greeting. Walk in, put your purse down, get a drink, so something that keeps you occupied, even if just for a bit.

But really, establish some sort of routine. The more uptight you get, and the more things you try, the more anxious it will make him in the long run. I know it's hard, but patience will pay off!


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## morriscsps (Aug 17, 2010)

kudo2u said:


> Pam, that is hilarious!!!! I mean, not really if you actually think about it...but it's hilarious.


yup, it was funny! The most peaceful she had been since we got Bazinga in May. :biggrin1:



kudo2u said:


> When you come home, do NOT make a big deal out of a fun, excited greeting. Walk in, put your purse down, get a drink, so something that keeps you occupied, even if just for a bit.


My hubby does this when he comes home. He ignores the dogs until after he has said 'hello' to the humans in the house. Unless I have been gone for more than 1.5 hr., I usually leave them where they are and put groceries and whatever away first.


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## Buzzys Mom (Sep 28, 2010)

hi Everyone, 
You all have had rally wonderful advice. I did go purchase the DAP diffuser and got the spray, so I hope it helps us. I also talked to the vet and she recommended Xanax in combination with training for the short term. 
So, I had a trainer come over tonight- he was here for 3 hours! We decided that tomorrow I will work on training him to stay in my bedroom, and eventually that is where he will stay when I am at work for the next few weeks. I also will put on the Through A Dogs Ear CD (and he will get the 1/2 Xanax in the morning before I leave). Once he is comfortable in the room, we will eventually get him into a crate in the living room. 
In case you are wondering where Buzzy was when all this was happening? In the crate... which he has never stepped into before. But since we were trying to get Alfie into the crate, Buzzy decided to be a stinker and go in there and eat the treats we put in there to coax Alfie inound:
The trainer says it will take time (a few months), but to just be patient and consistent and eventually he will be Ok. :whoo:
Here's to hoping he comes around sooner, rather than later!


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## littlebuddy (May 30, 2007)

my only tip on the xanax is give it to him when you are home. that way you can see how the recommended dose will react with your dog. don't leave him alone the first time you give it to him. not all dogs react to meds the same way. i know my dog is highly sensetive to medication and i always have to adjust his dose.


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## Buzzys Mom (Sep 28, 2010)

Big update. HUGE update... I had a behaviorist come over last night and we decided we would confine Alfie to the bedroom when I wasn't home and after he was comfortable we would crate him and then eventually when he is more confident he would get the run of the house. 
So last night we taught him to go in the crate (he hates even going in there but Buzzy had no problem with it- showoff!). We also taught him to stay in my bedroom with the door open and then we closed the door. He freaked at first and didn't really go for more than a few seconds with the door closed. The trainer told us to practice more today...
So this morning we went on a 45 minute walk, then I gave him a Xanax, did some stuff around the house and started training. He stayed in my bedroom with the door open, no problem. At one point I didn't hear anything or see anything for a while, so I went to look and he was just relaxing on my bed.
Now I am doing the closing the door thing for up to 5 minutes at a time and he is doing well with that too! 
I just can't believe it- we will do this tomorrow when I go to work and he will stay in there all day. I know he won't be good the whole time, but at least it is a start. The trainer said if I wasn't going on vacation then I could have put him in the crate the second week. Instead, I will probably have to redo this training with him again the week I get back, but that's OK. At least it's a start (and a good one)!


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## morriscsps (Aug 17, 2010)

:whoo: 

Don't you just feel better when you have a plan?  I am so glad that it is starting out positive. Has the cd put you asleep yet? It knocks me out.


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## littlebuddy (May 30, 2007)

yipppie! glad to hear its going well. send some of your energy this way, we need all the help we can get. good news for your pup


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## kudo2u (Mar 7, 2009)

Great job!!! Congrats!!!

They only potential problem I see with this...and I don't mean to scare you, and PLEASE don't change your routine because it is working!!!!

But I had a dog who, if I was gone too long, she would get mad and pee in my bed. Or if she was really mad, she would pee on my pillow. I finally ended up putting a water-proof mattress cover on my bed (like for people who are incontinent). I bought a second bedding set (sheets, duvet, the whole bit) and kept it in my closet. I also kept two brand new pillows in the closet at all times.

Please DO NOT change your routine if it's working!!! Your bedroom is an excellent place for Alfie to be while you're away, and I understand exactly why the trainer made that suggestion. I just wanted to warn you in advance, in case that happens. Don't scold him, he won't have any idea what he did wrong. And scolding will only make his separation anxiety worse. If he does that, just ignore it, change the bedding, and move on.


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## Buzzys Mom (Sep 28, 2010)

OK, so today I did everything according to plan- and all was quiet. I even left him with a kong filled with salami and peanut butter (although he has minimal interest), and a rawhide (which he loves). I walked out the door very quietly watching him on the puppycam... and no go. First he was just standing by the door... then eventually the howling, barking, scratching, etc started up  He stopped after about an hour and played with the kong and then chewed on the rawhide but that lasted all of 5 minutes and now he is back at the door. *sigh* I know this will take time, and I know it has only been a little over a week, but I am starting to think that I won't be able to help him. I am going to give myself 2 months- until the new year and if I don't see real progress, I am afraid I am going to have to turn him over to HRI so they can find someone who can. Can you tell I am stressed over this??? This is just all so difficult


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## davetgabby (Dec 29, 2007)

I think part of the problem is that you are not slowly increasing the time of the departures. You can't go from ten minutes to hours. This is indeed a slow process. Keep working with the behaviorist. Have they done any desensitizing to your departure routine? With this problem, there are a lot of little things that can help . You have tried some already , but here is an article from a friend in Ireland. I love her article on this. http://petcentralpawsitivepetcare.wordpress.com/2010/04/23/home-alone-calming-for-separation/


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## Buzzys Mom (Sep 28, 2010)

Thanks Dave- we worked on this all day yesterday, and I went as much as 15 minutes (even leaving to walk my neighbors dogs since she ran the marathon yesterday) without a peep from him. I am just going to have to work on it more and hope to see more progress. The cleaning ladies are there now and he si still howling and looking for me (I can hear it on the puppy cam). Poor little guy is so confused. 
Thanks for the article- it pretty much says everything the trainer said to me. I will keep working with the little guy and hope for the best.


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## davetgabby (Dec 29, 2007)

persistence and patience are virtues. You can do it. Keep us posted.


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## littlebuddy (May 30, 2007)

make sure you stay calm during this entire process. these little guys and pick up on our stress and this is a stressful situation. i always sing happy birthday to myself when i get the dog and myself ready to leave. it keeps me in a happy place before leaving the house.


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## Buzzys Mom (Sep 28, 2010)

Ok, so I came home from work and took the dogs out and did everything I was supposed to do... and I put Alfie back in the bedroom, closed the door and watched him on the camera- and I notice my door looking weird... so I go in and look. HE SCRATCHED ALL THE PAINT OFF MY DOOR! So glad I had them all painted last year  OK, not the point but now I am seriously annoyed that he is now destructive. 
I am going to call the trainer in a bit to discuss, but I am absolutely livid right now. I can't help him, and I am so stressed and frustrated I just don't know what to do.


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## davetgabby (Dec 29, 2007)

try confining him for short periods in view , either in crate or expen. I don't think its a good idea to confine him too much ,when you are home. Do some short sessions on the weekends when you are home.


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## Buzzys Mom (Sep 28, 2010)

Yet another update- I worked on and off with him all night yesterday. I was so angry when I wrote that last post, I had actually sent him to my room (not in a mad voice, but with treats like training), and I made him stay there while I baked cookies to calm down. After that, we worked with the crate... and we did that 2x last night- both times was about an hour of training. So this morning, I give him 2 kongs filled with salami and PB (and then frozen), and I changed up the morning routine, taking them for a walk before I finished getting ready, so he had time to calm down before I left. I hung some shirts ont eh back of my door (to prevent further destruction) and I gave him the stay command, a bang on the door (the signal that I am leaving), and that was it. It has been an hour now, and he is sleeping in my bed (just off-site of the camera, but I saw him go there). Not a peep, whimper, whine, bark, or howl. No scratching... just passed out. I did see him go to the door once or twice and then go back to bed. 
I don't know how long this is going to last, but I think this is a HUGE step. I am still wondering if this was an issue in his past home or not (I am guessing if not, he will get through this quickly). 
Anyway, all my plans are cancelled for this week so I can work with him after work every night. Hopefully it will keep progressing 

OK- we are just over an hour into it and he is starting to cry and scratch at the door. On the bright side we made it for an hour *sigh*


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## Buzzys Mom (Sep 28, 2010)

Another quick update- he went about 2.5 hours before totally freaking and going at the door nonstop. I am going home in a few minutes to calm him and then the groomer from across the street will come in later to do it again. I have meetings tonight so I will be home from work early.


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## davetgabby (Dec 29, 2007)

You're making progress. Good stuff. A great device they have now , is a kong dispenser. Take a look . Every little bit helps.


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## Buzzys Mom (Sep 28, 2010)

Thanks Dave. I am also getting an ex-pen from my groomer later tonight or tomorrow (he works across the street so he will bring it in himself tomorrow morning if he can't get it in tonight). 
I will look at the kong dispenser now.


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