Need Help And Advice

[Guest nicobellartoo]

okay. I apologize in advance for this long rant. i adopted a two year old male greyhound around two months ago. First off let me start by saying he is very sweet-gets along great with my two italian greyhounds, doesnt mind my parrot or my two rats..so with other animals he's terrific. But he suffers from TERRIBLE seperation anxiety. The first few nights were awful (as expected)-he screamed all night in the crate. After about a week he mellowed down with it. The problem is when I leave. I have been crating him and i have come home to (everyday) shredded blankets, poop and pee everywhere in his crate. I videotaped him one day and for five hours straight he paniced, cried, screamed and tried to get out of the crate. I have worked over and over with ''alone time'' and obidence training. ( i trained dogs with aggression problems for over five years.) Again, he is an absolute ANGEL when we're home-wants to either be where ever we are-or just sleep on the couch. When we leave its a different story. I have had him tested for parasites (hence the non stop diarrhea as well as ran a complete CBC and chemistry on him. ) I am also a vet tech ( comes in handy with new doggies entering my home! ) So he's as healthy. I get his diarrhea under control over the weekend but come Monday morning when we go to work--he freaks out in the cage and back comes the stress diarrhea. He gets tons of exercise-hikes, walks etc. My boyfriend is only gone for about 5 hours a day and works from home part of the week.

 

I have tried frozen kongs, DAP plug-ins, toys, treats, leaving him in the same room with the other dogs--everything. Last week we came home to the wire crate compeltely bent and his gums bleeding. He ripped the upper gum above his canine trying to escape. So i am nervous to keep crating him for his own safety. So I need advice/stories/tips etc!

 

I was planning on leaving him home uncrated tmrw with his basket muzzle on. (which he does not seem to mind.) I am worried that 1) he can still destroy my couch with the muzzle and 2) continue to freak out and hurt himself. There isnt anything he can get into. I am going to gate him into my living room but I am nervous about this still sending him into a complete panic attack.

 

I have resorted to put him on 20mg of Prozac once a day. ( I am sorry if there are anti-med members--I do not want him on medication but I am hoping it helps for his own well being.) At this point I am at a loss on what to do. I do not want to return him to the rescue. He is already bonded with us so much. I feel that he's depressed as well. I know they're very laid back dogs but it seems like he has zero confidence. He has no clue how to play. He's not interested in toys. Doesn't want to always eat. I feel awful for him. I am hoping that being he's new to us that he overcomes all of this. This is his first home. He's been off the track since August I believe. He was at the rescue until the end of November.

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[Guest nicobellartoo]

Also let me add- I took days off from work when we first got him to work with him esp. with alone training. I wanted to make the crate his safe and happy spot. Fed in the crate, treats in the crate, positive reinforcement etc.

[Walliered]

Borrow an X-Pen or baby gate him in an area that he cannot destroy.

 

My first grey actually bent the crate in several places. So, no crate. He is perfect left alone.

[a_daerr]

http://www.jamesrivergreyhounds.org/documents/SeparationAnxiety.pdf

[Guest nicobellartoo]

I am planning on gating him tmrw in a sectioned off area.

[msjpk]

Very recently this board has been dealing with SA with a lot of newbies. Please follow the posts as a lot of ideas will be helpful to you.

 

Sounds like your pupper has failed the crate and getting back in it is nearly impossible.

 

Alone training is the key.

 

Routine of when you are leaving the house is first.

Coat, keys, frozen kong with PB or whatever he likes. Put radio on.

Leave the house for 5 minutes, come back in. Take off your coat, put down your keys, etc.

10 minutes later, do the same. Leave for 10 minutes.

20 minutes later same, leave for 20 minutes.

 

Your goal is to teach him that you are always coming back.

It takes repetition, repetition. You need to dedicate a full weekend to do this.

 

Also, can you have someone come over and walk him when you are at work?

I personally make the house smaller when they are allowed freedom in the house. Close bedroom, bathroom doors, baby gate other rooms, it gives them a sense of security.

Is the dog getting a walk before you leave for the day, they need to burn off some energy.

Please read other forums and you both can overcome and be happy. I know its frustrating, many of us have been there but there is usually a light at the end of the tunnel.

 

The Prozac is it working? If not I would consult with vet and start taking him off.

[Guest Clawsandpaws]

I was planning on leaving him home uncrated tmrw with his basket muzzle on. (which he does not seem to mind.) I am worried that 1) he can still destroy my couch with the muzzle and 2) continue to freak out and hurt himself. There isnt anything he can get into. I am going to gate him into my living room but I am nervous about this still sending him into a complete panic attack.

He CAN remove his muzzle himself if he really wants to. I have seen these special muzzle-to-collar clips which are supposed to aid with keeping the muzzle on. (I have never used them and have only seen them online.)

 

Can you gate him in the kitchen so he can't get to your couch?

 

I have no experience with SA, so please follow all the wonderful advice you are getting/about to get.

[Guest nicobellartoo]

Routine of when you are leaving the house is first.

Coat, keys, frozen kong with PB or whatever he likes. Put radio on.

Leave the house for 5 minutes, come back in. Take off your coat, put down your keys, etc.

10 minutes later, do the same. Leave for 10 minutes.

20 minutes later same, leave for 20 minutes.

 

^^I have been doing this relgiously for the past two months.

 

Prozac takes 6-8 weeks to build up in the body and see any effects.

[a_daerr]

The Prozac is it working? If not I would consult with vet and start taking him off.

 

The Prozac takes awhile to build up in the system. If OP just started it, any changes won't be evident for at least a few weeks.

[Guest nicobellartoo]

and yes he gets a long walk before we leave and a hike after we get home. (which he loves! )

 

I can leave him in the crate for five minutes-drive around the block-and come back to him hurt and or him covered in poop.

I can close off the doors and make his area smaller-he has a favorite spot in the house in which I was planning to let that area be accessible.

[Jackandgrey]

Getting him out of the crate will probably be far more effective than the prozac. It is very hard to know from what you have written if this pup is reacting to the crate or indeed has separation anxiety. Either way he cannot go back in the crate so muzzle and gate in a dog proofed area and intense alone training will be necessary for sure.

[Guest nicobellartoo]

what bothers me is that he used to not mind the crate if we were home. He'd actually run into it. Now within the past few weeks he just freaks out when we're not there. He goes in it without a problem. He has started tocarry on in it but will eventually lay down and go to sleep. (again-we're home.) Honestly this all boils down to the second we leave. Like i said, I started and stuck with intense alone training since the day we got him.

[Guest mld]

So sorry that you and your dog are going through this!

Was he fostered before you got him?

 

I would work on getting him to comfort himself and know that he is going to be fine without you there. It sounds like he definitely has separation anxiety

[Guest nicobellartoo]

Nope. Never fostered. Stopped racing over the summer then went straight to a rescue. We actually picked out a different dog oringally but i fell in love with him the second I saw him.

[BootsyCollins]

My first grey was just like that. Liked his crate fine when we were home, totally laid back ... except when he was crated when we weren't home. Then he was nuts. One day I left him loose in the house and there was never an issue after that. Good luck

[a_daerr]

You may not have to ditch the crate completely. If you baby-gated off a small area/room, you could put the crate in there then leave the door open with his blankets and kong inside. I always suggest the kitchen because the floors are usually easier to clean up if he has an accident. Then, he may actually want to go inside the crate because it will be more comfortable than lying on the hard kitchen floor.

 

Don't feel guilty for trying the meds. People who've never struggled with anxiety don't understand how beneficial meds can be- both for humans AND dogs.

[Guest nicobellartoo]

Thank you. I am hoping tmrw is a sucess! I feel like it'd be so much better for his own well being. Now if I can just get him to start playing with toys or doing anything but lay around!

[BatterseaBrindl]

Sorry your hound is not settling in.

What is his name?

 

Are you other dogs crated?

 

Our Ruby came to us diagnosed with SA after chewing her way out of a crate in her first home, and then she was promptly returned to the kennel, where she sat for almost a year waiting for her new forever home.

We did not even set up the crate. She was perfectly fine, left with Nixon, in the mud room.

We did muzzle her (and him) for the first few times we went out, but it became clear that she did not need a muzzle at all.

 

Why do you 'think' he'll destroy your couch?

Has he shown any interest in chewing your furniture when you're home??

 

I would do as others have suggested....

Muzzle and baby gate him in a large, safe room.

Make sure he has a comfy bed to lay on....as suggested, you could leave the crate door open so he can come and go as he pleases.

 

 

editied to say... he may never play with toys.

Nixon has been here almost 3 years and has never ever shown any interest in any sort of toy.

 

Your hound is still settling in to 'life in a house'.

It can take several months for him to really relax and feel at home, especially with all the anxiety he has been experiencing.

Give him time. Then give him some more.

Edited January 27, 2013 by BatterseaBrindl

[msjpk]

Very frustrating, you have been working hard to try and fix this.

 

 

 

Hopefully being confined to an area will have him settle down.

Is there someone who can walk him while you are at work?

Good luck and keep us posted.

[Guest nicobellartoo]

my other two are crated together. (theyre perfect little angels but after six years will still go potty inside esp in the winter if left unattended.)

The only time i have seen his destructive behavior is from inside the crate. Ate blankets, pulled in a king comforter and destroyed that, ate towls, pillows, etc.) shows no interest in chewing when we're home though.

[vjgrey]

I had a similar experience with Cash. Crated him the first few times, and he FREAKED out and made huge messes (even chewed through an "indestructible," kennel mat). Left him baby gated in our bedroom with our other two hounds (muzzled, because he's a chewer), and we haven't had a single issue since.

[Guest nicobellartoo]

I have had a dog walker come to take him on walks during the day but that doesnt seem to help.

 

 

Oh, and his name is Artoo (oringally EasyBoy). and he's a 60lb fawn boy.

Edited January 27, 2013 by nicobellartoo

[Guest mld]

Do you know any greyhound owners in your area, I know that some members here do dog sit other members greys. Doggie daycare?

[Guest nicobellartoo]

I do. I live in MA and theres a group that gets together every weekend!

 

I have signed him up for doggie daycare once a week for now. Wish I can afford more often but for now thatll do. We also go to a dog park every weekend.

[Guest mld]

That's great! I have a friend who takes her dog to doggie daycare 3 times a week and says it really expends all that built up energy. Unfortunately they are expensive