Bizeebee

I've never heard of that, I will definitely look it up!

I agree somewhat with hubcitypam - if you can have them somewhere closer to you, that might be just the ticket. And while you do want to make sure that there's nothing really wrong that's causing the barking, I think by not responding to them and seeing what happens you'll figure out what the deal is. You're not truly ignoring them, you're still listening and observing what they're doing and will be there if you realize something has actually happened. If they have to go out you'll know the next day because there's a little present on your floor. If they are reacting to something that's spooking them they'll either stop when that trigger stops or when they realize you aren't threatened by it. Both going down to them or hollering a response you're kind of saying "yes, thank you for warning me!" The same way an owner yelling at a habitual barker to stop is actually saying "yes, let's bark together at this threat!" I'd just try to pay close attention to the how your routine (or lack there of) impacts their behavior. Do they not wake up and bark if you guys go to bed later? Maybe they need to be more tuckered out before an early bedtime Do they not wake up and bark if they are dressed/covered/warmer (for us PJs was the ticket for less disturbed sleeping) Do they only bark on trash day? Presumably hearing the early morning truck Do they only bark on the day(s) your water softener cycles? That usually happens once or twice a week Maybe try turning off the ice maker? Maybe they are hearing that in the kitchen - ours is definitely loud We've definitely done a lot of this process of elimination to figure out what's going on. It's super fun!

Anyone have any games they like to play with their hound indoors? Our guy Bismarck has a bit more energy than our last hound (he plays fetch!) but does not care for playing out in the yard any more than necessary now that it is cold. We've done a basic training class and we do reps of that stuff, but laying down and "leaving it" get boring for him (and us) after a while. And our house layout/flooring isn't really conducive to indoor fetch, so I was hoping some of you might have some suggestions of things you do/games you play with your dog in the house? He likes toys insofar as he can squeak them until they die

It doesn't sound like they want to go outside or anything like that? If yours aren't asking for that I'd definitely work on truly ignoring them. Our guy is newer than yours, but we're working on "if you make noise in the middle of the night literally all that you're going to get is sent to the yard for a no-nonsense potty." We're getting close to him waking up with our alarm, but he insists on getting up something like 15 minutes before, which makes me think he's hearing the furnace kick on or a neighbor leaving or something. Maybe yours are also hearing a sound in the night?

Has this been going on for two years?

I doubt it's the pumpkin, I meant the kibble. Lots of dogs are sensitive to chicken, but other ingredients can cause a reaction as well.

How new is your hound to you? Are you certain the itching is related to the medicine, as opposed to other leftover issues from racing/kennel days? Our guy was definitely itchy when he first came home but after a couple weeks it calmed down. Food sensitivity can also cause skin itching, you might compare the ingredients in the current food versus the food from the kennel. You might also check out the dedicated hookworm thread here, there are definitely options that aren't Panacur that are working for people (my dog included), if you can't get this symptom under control.

I'd be wary of using this vet for mental meds for this dog. Just from the what you've shared, it doesn't sound like they are very knowledgeable about these drugs for these dogs. Maybe find a behavioral specialist in your area, they could possibly help with the problem and likely would know vets to recommend who know better how to use mental health drugs with dogs.

Definitely get her book, it's called "I'll Be Home Soon" and it'll teach you to outsmart her as far as desensitizing the triggers that you're about to leave. And while you're doing the alone training, I'd be taking her out multiple times before you left, the emptier she is the better off your floors will be The other thing would maybe to go back to your vet and try a different medication. Finding the right med (maybe even something OTC) can go hand in hand with alone training; the med alone won't do much, but it can help her be more open to the training. But keep in mind that some of those meds take 4-6 weeks to really establish in their system.

Could you describe in more detail what her Separation Anxiety looks like? Seems like she is definitely pottying in the house - is it pee or poop or both? Does she also destroy things? Hurt herself? Bark/howl/cry when you leave/while you're gone? To me, if the answer is that she is only pottying inside (no other symptoms) then I'm less convinced that it's actually SA - more likely that she's just not empty when you leave. But others may feel free to correct me. I'm not sure occasionally turning over the trash is a symptom of anything but being a dog - unless she destroys the can and everything in it consistently. How old is she? I also am assuming she's not (ever) in a crate when you're gone? Are you using Patricia McConnell's alone training method? I've read a lot of people on here kind of assume they know what alone training is and when the situation gets worse rather than better they realize (after researching) that they weren't really doing it right. I certainly didn't understand the process until I read up on it.

It seems really weird to me that they didn't give her any antibiotics after a dental, especially with a tooth being pulled. But maybe that's not out of the ordinary? Hopefully others can weigh in on that. But excessive peeing is usually a UTI and if they didn't do a culture then they can't really know that she doesn't have one. I would go back to the vet and request one. Do you know what the ph of her urine was from the UA? Also worth thinking about whether it has been really dry in your house since that time. Where we are it's been super cold so even with a humidifier running its very dry in the house. That means more drinking and ultimately more peeing.

I've read that Prozac doesn't work for all dogs, have you tried any other meds? Just like with humans, meds for anxiety/depression can take a long time to find the right thing and the right dose.

Did the extensive peeing just start? Or has it been the entire time since the procedure? Does it seem like she's drinking more too? Is she still on meds (antibiotics, etc) from the dental? Did they do a urine culture, or just UA?

Thanks for that insight, and for making me feel better about our dog's eating escapades! We are quickly adapting to having a too-smart, chow hound - who at least so far has only broken into his own food . We were totally spoiled by our former guy who was completely indifferent to food.

Two big things to remember about this - 1) this is somewhat of a cultural thing. I've read here on GT that in the UK crating isn't emphasized the way it is in the US - but that doesn't mean that crating is bad for your dog. 2) this is very dog specific. Some dogs don't care for the crate and behave just fine without it. Some dogs (sounds like yours) think of the crate as a security blanket, and I don't think that's a bad thing to have. She's not a little kid sucking her thumb who needs to stop before it messes with her teeth; your pup may literally want and need her crate forever, and as long as you provide her basic needs while she's in it, it's kinder to let her have that safe space. And when/if she's ready to not use it, you'll know.

What all has the vet tested for and done?

No, I think it's mostly been when we were not home. It usually happens when he's gotten into more food than he's supposed to have (a thing we re working on), so the reason for the accident is obvious. The reason for the location choice, less so. It would make sense if it was like right at the door to go out, but it's not.

We've been having some potty training issues lately, so we're working on many strategies to hopefully help with that. However, there's one thing I'm hoping people here can weigh in on. When our guy does have his accidents (pee and poop) they are usually happening in one particular room in our house. We have a tri-level house, so this level/room is not 1)where our/his bedroom is 2)where the going outside door is 3)nor is it where he spends his time alone - by his own choice. When we first brought him home it was one of the later rooms we introduced and gave him free reign in, because it is carpeted and most of the others are not. However, now we (and he) spend a lot of time down there in the evenings, and there is even a couch he is allowed to be on down there. I'm assuming the accidents are happening in this room because it seems the least like his "home" but I'm conflicted as to how best deal with that. Do we move his food/water bowls to this room? A sort of "don't sh!t where you eat" strategy? Do we move his main daytime bed to this room? Sort of all but force him to hang out in this room so that it becomes part of what he thinks of as his home? Or do we lock him out of this room unless we are home? We clean up with an enzyme cleaner every time, and he's not a big pee marker, but we also aren't professional carpet cleaners (and I hesitate to pay for one until these issues are resolved). Do we lock him out until we can really clean out the smells of his handy work? Any tips or tricks for untraining this area would be greatly appreciated!

We don't split, but our guy seems to eat it and tolerate it just fine. We also do the Drontal and Advantage Multi on the same day (I think some people stagger by a day). Sometimes the following day his poop is a less than ideal, but it usually returns to normal the day after that. But our "normal" poops aren't that bad, and have probably been more about the food he's on than the hooks. You could probably reach out to whoever fostered yours and see what they did. We've fostered before and were more than happy to talk to the owner about their dog's time with us.

Definitely could be hookworm, and you should definitely exhaust testing/treatment on that front. However, I'm wondering why he's taking pancreatic enzymes? Was that a recommendation from your vet? Was he diagnosed with EPI (Exocrine Pancreatic Insufficiency)? I know porcine pancreas is often recommended for treatment of EPI. If he wasn't diagnosed but the enzymes are helping then you might go down that testing road as well with your vet. It's definitely more of a "zebra" but the symptoms do also line up with it.

I didn't know there was an antigen test - is that new? Widely available? We're one dose from finished with the Prison Protocol and it'd be great to have a more reliable test than fecal float.

Did the vet not do a UA??? It should have shown clearly what kind of crystals and therefore what kind of stone(s) they are. There are four main kinds of bladder stones dogs can get, and only for one of them (though it is the most common) can diet even hope to make a difference. I would avoid (and probably negatively review on all platforms) any vet who didn't do a UA first thing for something that's clearly a urinary problem. Regardless of type, it seems clear that surgery is in order, fingers crossed and happy thoughts to this pup! Please keep us updated.

I would also highly recommend this.

That does seem like too much licking, and if the nibbling is anything like what our guy did when he first got home, you don't really want that to continue. Ours nibbled so much when he was at the kennel he got hair stuck in his teeth - which could cause issues if not removed. My first thought is that he's licking/nibbling because he's itchy, and that could be an allergy, if so the first place I'd look at this time of year is at his food. But, it could also be dry air in the house (especially now) making him itchy, do you run a humidifier in the winter? (Assuming it's winter where you are) Maybe see if you can distract him with training or a toy when he's obsessively licking? It'll take a while to figure out if it is an allergy, in the meantime that distraction would be good bonding as well. As for the yawning/calming/stress signals - on the one hand, you haven't had him very long and he's still in what I would call the settling in period. On the other, you should try to get away from the idea that your quiet lonely house couldn't be stressful for him. Being alone with no other dogs and one new human could be stressful. Being chilly (if your boiler isn't working) could be stressful. And it might seem quiet to you, but to him every little house noise that you tune out - the ice maker, the water heater, garage door, etc - is new and potentially scary. Over time he'll get used to those things, but it takes some time.

Honestly, I can't remember all the specifics of Patricia McConnell's book (most of hers are short, very digestible booklets - not like a textbook at all) but you may be able to find some tips right away just googling her name and Alone Training, or even in Retired Racing Greyhounds for Dummies, before your booklet arrives. It seems like the book recommends using really delicious treats in like a kong, that she only gets when you leave, to entertain and distract her when you go. She already feels rewarded when you return, you want her to feel good when you're gone - so good that she wants you to leave because only then does she get the special thing. I've read of people using two baby gates, one at normal level and one higher up - girls are much better jumpers than boys thanks to being in the second floor kennels