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View Full Version : The separation anxiety is so annoying...



Anatresia
07-28-2006, 02:27 PM
Mr. Butters, resident crybaby, is driving me crazy with his separation anxiety. It has always been that he can't run around town and do errands with me, because he cries and carries on, and as an added bonus, sometimes pees in the car. I used to take him to Blockbuster, Home Depot, etc. where they're dog friendly, but with the advent of Rigby, we've given that up. (Can't carry two dogs, plus she's a she-devil.)

Today, stupid me decided to test their new car seat out (they fought over it and the compromise was a twisted pretzel of wiener parts sticking out every which way, but they both were in it, so it was considered mission accomplished to them.) We just had to go to the ATM and the post office. Both involve me getting out of the car and going in for TWO minutes. Think they can handle that?

Well, the bank was okay. I got in and out. The post office, on the other hand, had a line. God forbid. I was there, maybe, five minutes and the yelping, barking, screaming, etc. I heard was EMBARRASSING. I could see them and they could see me the WHOLE time. Didn't help. Still screaming bloody murder, to the dismay of the post office patrons who looked like they wanted to kill me and my dogs.

That's not all. In my yard, if I'm on the other side of the gate, it's cause to scream bloody murder. If I'm in the driveway, say, cleaning my car, we have to panic and freak out from behind the screen door. It's brutal. And now she's starting up a bit, too, and she was always so independent.

I love him to death, but Mr. B is the brattiest crybaby ever. And, before anyone suggests it, I don't give in. I let him cry his fat little heart out.

Jen
07-28-2006, 02:35 PM
Big question--do you ignore him for 5 min before you leave the house and for 5 min when you get home? This has helped with Tasha a LOT!

Yes, it sucks not to get in on the whole joyous welcome home thing, and you'll have to do it with BOTH dogs, but its really helped Tasha's SA.

That being said, we forgot to roll up the damn runner rug that runs from dining room thru the living room, into the bedroom, so I'm sure she's gonna shred it some more today trying to get into the bedroom (she lost her priveledges after killing two pillows on the bed).

Bella's Mom
07-28-2006, 02:42 PM
But mommy Butters is just a little guy! :D It's not funny but I can picture those two carrying on and I can't help but giggle! They're so cute! I do the 5 minutes of ignoring thing too and it has helped alot. Bella's now like whatever....

Alex's Mom
07-28-2006, 03:01 PM
OMG, girl, BEEN THERE!!! OK, actually, I live there :rotfl: The car thing especially! Alex isn't too bad any more in the house (she does whine a lot when I go someplace she can't follow like the basement, but I just ignore her, and as long as we follow the same routine she assoicates with me going out, she's OK to be left for a few hours.) But the being on the other side of the fence in the yard is cause for much histrionics!! And the car...OMG, you'd think someone was murdering her the way she carries on. I just ignore her, but do get some strange looks. In fact, last summer I was at a horse trials, and left her in the car in the shade, lots of water, windows wide open and am off by the warm-up ring watching a friend when I hear over the loudspeaker "someone has a VERY unhappy dachshund in a white Subaru...could you please come to the office?" :ashamed: I was beyond mortified, although I did thank whoever it was that asked them to make the announcement (better that and be embarrassed then have her in distress for a "real" reason and everyone ignore her!!). but I had to explain that Alex is the poster child for SA...we all had a good laugh...gotta love animal people who understand! But I do feel your pain, believe me.

lotsadox
07-28-2006, 03:23 PM
ITA with Jen. Ignoring them when you come home and leave can work wonders. The squirt bottle is a quick fix for the hysterics. I use it on Miller when he gets whiny/barky/screamy and it works really well. :banana:

JanUet
07-28-2006, 04:02 PM
Casey used to be my SA King! I ignore them when I go out and must Ignore at least Casey when I come home or he pees on me.

Casey has got the hang of it so good that he doesn't even bother to Greet me at the door anymore :sosad: He will be on the couch having a Smith Snooze and will just pop his head up as if to say "Oh, It's only you." and goes back to sleep. After 5 or more minutes, I go poke him and say "Hey! Mommie's home! Remember me." Then i get the lovin' :hearts: :hearts:

Sophie always Greets me at the door and I give her a quick look and smile. She is a Big girl and doesn't cry when I leave or pee on me when I get home.

She does suffer from a WEE bit of SA. When we were in Ohio (for example) she was in the big X-pen with all the other pupperz. She would keep her eyes on me and try to follow me around while still in the X-pen. When I leave the area she is in the exact same spot i left her. What a little :love5: she is.

I have never left them alone in the car. I fear someone will Dog Nap them! :shocked:

catstamm
07-28-2006, 11:18 PM
I'm sure I have you beat there:shocked: .....
Carlee was a mill dog and has severe emotional baggage, not to mention deaf, which I'm sure accelerates her fears. When I am not in her sight, she panics, she makes a very strange high pitched cry, that doesn't sound like a dog, and starts to hyper-ventilate. Oh and lets not forget, everytime she goes to the vet or groomer, she dumps her anal glands....so I have to warn who ever is handling her.... My poor baby girl. It is heart-breaking but, not embarrasing :hearts:
And Camelot....where do I begin....since she has been held 90% of the time. She will raise the dead with her scream-bark!
Jen Jen my most balanced girl....doesn't like it when She can't see me, but deals with it....waits in silence until I return. :hug99:
I wouldn't worry to much about what other people think. But then again I've never been called over the loud speaker LOL
Cesar would shoot me ....LOL ...and take ME to his boot camp!

Jacqueline
07-29-2006, 12:21 AM
Taffy is a total fool about me leaving, when I am alone, and they have to go in the crate. I turn on the tv, the overhead light and fan, make sure they have bones, put the keys in the door, gather all my stuff, give them both a cookie, key in the alarm, and out the door. The last thing I say is "knock it off Taffy, no one cares."

She carries on like she is being killed....right up to the time I pull out of the driveway....and if she doesn't shut up then, my Senegal parrot, Caesar, tells her in no uncertain terms to knock it off. I taped them one day to see what was going on. :rotfl:

Now Taffy has decided that if I am going to work....no goodbye kisses for me. Daisy gives me a kiss, and Taffy sticks her nose in the air, literally - and refuses to give me a kiss. BRAT!! I still get plenty when I come home, just to remind me that she loves me, tho.

Aren't they fun? Little monsters. And we thought our kids knew how to make us look bad. :rotfl: :rotfl:

Pokeys Mom
07-29-2006, 12:41 AM
Big question--do you ignore him for 5 min before you leave the house and for 5 min when you get home? This has helped with Tasha a LOT!
ITA. When we moved and our two puppers had SEVERE SA, I ignored them for 20 minutes upon return then tapered it down to 5 gradually.

I also implemented a SA Boot Camp training session. It can be done on a weekend, a whole week, or in my case m o n t h s. :faint:

"I'll be Home Soon" by Patricia McConnell, is excellent.

I won't be on DLC much next week, if you need notes on SA Boot Camp, I think Patt has some of my notes.

:hug99: We just went to the dog park a few days ago, and both started barking, howling and I swear shrieking when the car stopped. It was sooooo embarassing. I just sat there listening to the radio until they calmed down. :rolleyes:

laura
07-29-2006, 09:22 AM
REad this and get some Bach's Rescue Remedy!

http://www.wagntrain.com/SeparationAnx.htm

Pokeys Mom
07-29-2006, 12:02 PM
REad this and get some Bach's Rescue Remedy!n Oh! So many people said great things about BRR. It just didn't do anything for us. :scratch:

Hang in there!

lotsadox
07-29-2006, 12:06 PM
Rescue Remedy can help. The key with it is to begin to give it before the SA sets in. Like one dose and hour before you leave and another just before you leave. You can even give more doses if necessary.

catstamm
07-29-2006, 03:31 PM
Patrice, what is rescue remedy???

Patt
07-30-2006, 02:05 AM
It take lots of time and patience but it can be done. I would use Clomicalm along with training. :goodluck:

lotsadox
07-30-2006, 11:09 AM
Patrice, what is rescue remedy???

Rescue Remedy is one of the Bach Flowers Essential Oils. It's used for anxiety and can be really helpful with some dogs (works on people, too). You can usually get it at a health food store. You just put a dropper of it on their tongue or rub it on the pads of their feet or inside their ears. It's not a drug and has no side effects. You can even put it in their water.

Alex's Mom
07-30-2006, 02:23 PM
You know, I 've been thinking about Alex's SA, and realized that she never really has had the typical problems being left at home, as long as I go through exactly the same routine each time I leave (including the same phrases!). Where she becomes a real pain is when she knows that I'm somewhere near (like having left her in the car, or am out in the yard) and she can't get near me. She winds herself up to the point where she's almost beside herself. I also, when I think about it, realize that a lot of her problem in the car is when she has to pee or poop, knows she shouldn't do this in the car (not that she's NEVER done it! :rotfl:), and is desparate to go out. Now before everyone thinks what a horrible mom I am, I'm also realizing how much worse this has gotten since she's started with her incontinence problem, and in general how much worse it's gotten overall since she started to lose her sight and hearing. (Jeez, getting old is NOT for the faint of heart as Gertrude Stein said!! :rolleyes:) I've used the spray bottle on her, am a past master at ignoring her (yes, I do the 5-10 minutes thing when I come home...never make a big fuss over her either coming or going), but nothing seems to work. I'm wondering if in fact her fearful tendencies (most of her aggression is fear-based) which we have worked so hard on over her lifespan are re-surfacing as she's losing the cornerstones of her world. It also probably hasn't helped that we've moved so much in the last four years! I just feel so badly for her because she really isn't happy unless her mom is somewhere at hand...maybe I'm the only cornerstone she has left? :sosad:At any rate, thoughts and/or advice on this would be great!!

lotsadox
07-30-2006, 07:13 PM
I think you may be right, Paula. I've noticed that Amanda has some anxiety problems since she's lost most of her sight and her hearing and is incontinent. She's always had some anxiety, but sometimes now she gets really upset over just little things. I hadn't really thought about that until you posted, but it does seem like it's getting worse and she becomes more incapacitated. :sosad:

Tex
08-02-2006, 10:14 AM
Am I the only one who doesn't have any problems with SA? I dunno. This is one of those things that makes me question weather or not mine are really dachshunds!!!

Pokeys Mom
08-05-2006, 06:38 PM
Am I the only one who doesn't have any problems with SA? I dunno. This is one of those things that makes me question weather or not mine are really dachshunds!!! :rotfl: :rotfl: I think you have well adjusted puppers. :cheer2: