Separation Anxiety Big Problem

[Guest Swarley]

Hey everyone,

 

Our 2 year old Swarley is suffering from separation anxiety. We've had him about 2 months now and we live in an apartment. He's perfectly fine as long as we're home. He'll even wander off to hang out in another room by himself. The problem is when we leave him alone. We put him in his crate, which we've made very comfy, and we leave lights and the tv or radio on. He barks like crazy for about an hour (sometimes more, sometimes less) and when he's really anxious he tears up his bedding.

 

We've tried all sort of things to help him with this issue and nothing has worked so far. We tried distracting him with a stuffed kong in his crate, which he ignores to bark. We've tried doing short term leaving, getting all ready like we're about to go out and then only leaving for a few minutes at a time. We even bought him a citronella anti-bark collar which spritzes citronella in front of his face every time he barks. This seems to have no effect on him as every time we come home the reservoir is empty and the place stinks of citronella. He's always settled down by the time we get home but he still barks long enough to upset people.

 

So, the problem is that the neighbours are complaining and the complaints are now being forwarded to head office. We're very concerned about being evicted and it seeming like a very real possibility at this point.

 

We need to fix this, and FAST!!

[kamsmom]

Have you tried leaving him out instead of in the crate? Sometimes this helps but not always.

[Guest BostonDan]

I know you said you have worked with him with a stuffed kong, but he ignores it. A big help for us in dealing with SA was a kong ball. I only gave this as a special "Treat" and not an all the time toy. I used Peanut butter which is like crack to her, and would let her play with that in front of me. You would think I was not in the room she was so into that Kong. I would leave, come back, go outside, come back. Then I moved her to only getting the Kong in her crate when we would leave. She knows everyones routine, so the morning of knowing she was going in her crate, she would avoid it bigtime, and this concerned me as a viewing of a bad thing. Now when i go to her crate and say "Go in your crate" she can't get in there fast enough, lays down, wags her tail, and waits for her Kong.

 

It is not an overnight process, but it helped out a lot for us. Good Luck.

Edited April 12, 2010 by BostonDan

[Guest Drumhellergrey]

Outside of patience,(by both you, other tenants, and hopefully your landlord as well) all I can suggest is perhaps spending more time, this is where patience comes in, in the short term leaving training. Repetition is the only way for this to work. 5 times,(I don't know how many times you have tried) is not enough. Greys don't want to misbehave, but they have never been left alone for any amount of time before.

 

I know this probably hasn't helped you, but I certainly hope your problem doesn't cause you to be evicted. Don't give up on your dog though.

[SPDoggie]

I will second Kamsmom's suggestion... have you tried leaving him out of the crate?

And then time and patience and lots more alone-training. You need to come-and-go a whole bunch... maybe do a focused day of in-and-out leaving for 5 mins at a time and building up from there.

 

Hope if you can explain to your neighbors and landlord, and maybe have a fruitful weekend of training things will look better.

 

Good luck

[Guest Swarley]

Yeah we've tried leaving him outside of the crate for short periods so far. Just a few minutes when going down to get laundry or zipping out to the drugstore for 15 or 20 minutes and he's behaved well so far. We'd like to be able to leave him out in the apartment for longer periods which is something we're gradually trying to work up to.

 

But we certainly will continue with the short-term leaving. It just breaks my heart that he gets so worked up when left alone. Has anyone ever tried some sort of sedative that would at least allow him to calm down when he's by himself or anything like that? I've also heard of using valerian root for both human and animal anxiety but have never tried it myself.

 

Thanks for the suggestions so far, guys. All is appreciated.

[arandomchic]

I can't add much more than others have said. We're working on some mild Separation Anxiety with our girl right now. We did download a "Through a Dog's Ear" CD from i-tunes and have begun playing it. It's supposed to be calming for a dog, you may want to try it.

 

Also, please don't use the citronella collar. I think it's just a horrible training tool bordering on cruel, and if it's not working, why bother.

[Guest Drumhellergrey]

There are other threads in Training and Behavior that mentioned a drug, not sure of the Thread Title, but in my personal opinion, the less drugs you use on your animal, the better.

 

I know it is hard on you, but like SPDoggie says above, perhaps devote a whole day on the weekend to alone training. I sure hope you get positive results. Keep us updated.

[Batmom]

Does he bark when you leave and DON'T put him in his crate?

 

Some dogs have crate anxiety and do very well left out.

[arandomchic]

Has anyone ever tried some sort of sedative that would at least allow him to calm down when he's by himself or anything like that? I've also heard of using valerian root for both human and animal anxiety but have never tried it myself.

 

On another board I've seen people recommend three products: Composure Liquid, Rescue Remedy or Herbsmiths Calm and Anxiety Powder

[Guest NJgrey]

You can try a D.A.P. diffuser. Plugs into an outlet and releases a synthetic pheromone that imitates what's released by mama dogs to calm her puppies. Sold at most pet stores as "Comfort Zone". Worth a shot.

 

How has he done when you leave him alone out of the crate? Still howling and barking?

 

If I were you I would try to contact the neighbors that are complaining and explain what's going on, or leave a note on your door explaining what's going on. It's a lot easier to be cold about something when you have no connection to it - explaining his situation, that he's alone for the first time in his life etc. may help some of the neighbors have a little empathy and patience.

 

Also, if he's doing better out of the crate then I think that's the direction to go in. I know you want to go gradual but at some point you need to take the plunge and try him alone for a couple hours and do it a couple times. It's the only way you'll know. One weekend just doggie proof the area you're leaving him in, hide some treats etc. and go out for 2-3 hrs. Just tell yourself that when you come back the house is going to be destroyed - if things turn out better it'll be a pleasant surprise.

 

Our girl would cry in her crate for the first hr of being left alone then settle down the rest of the day. Our downstairs neighbor heard her but we're very lucky they're dog people and had a lot of sympathy. We've been leaving her uncrated and so far it seems she's being even more quiet than before. Sometimes when we get home she doesn't even get up right away to greet us, she's too comfy on the couch. He may just be telling you that after two months he's ready to not be locked in there. He may very well lay in there on his own, but just not like being locked in.

 

Also wanted to add, exercise the living crap out of him before you go. Long fast paced walk, a bit of jogging etc. The more tired he is, the better. I know it won't do much for a really bad case of SA but for a lot of dogs it's a difference maker.

 

Good luck, I have a ton of sympathy for you. We went through a bit of this and it's so disheartening. I hope it works out for you!

Edited April 12, 2010 by NJgrey

[Guest Greyt_dog_lover]

As people around here know my stance on crates. I am a proponent of crating, but there are always exceptions. Heck, my first greyhound was only crated for the first week we had him, after that, it was baby gates to certain rooms of the house. In your situation, if you do not trust him out of the crate (any specific reason you dont trust him, or is it because he is so new that you dont trust him), then I would suggest you feed all meals in the crate, as well as give all treats in the crate. Personally, if he has shown no destructive behavior out of the crate when you leave, seems like the situation dictates what he is comfortable with. If you want to do alone training, it is as others have said, something that you will need to do many many times, an entire weekend using all day Sat and Sun would be a start. Drugs, well I am not a proponent of drugging a hound, if you are totally bent on drugs, I know that people have used benadril for hounds to ease anxiety. Personally drugs would be an absolute last resort. If you care for my opinion, I would muzzle and leave the guy out when you leave, you may be pleasantly suprised.

 

Chad

[rallyp]

I wanted to reinforce the recommendations for very slow and deliberate alone training. This can take awhile, but if you're patient and persistent, it will usually work well. One of the keys with working with a dog who's having separation stress like this is to increase your time away in small increments. You want to be able to increase the time away without him reaching that stressed out state. As you increase the time away, you'll probably hit that point, and when you do, the next time you leave, you need to reduce the time again, and then slowly move the time up again. This can be a frustrating experience because it can be tough to see that progress is actually being made (progress IS being made, trust me, it's just tough to see). The nice thing is that you'll be going along for awhile thinking, this isn't getting better, but then you'll reach a point where suddenly, your dog will start improving in leaps and bounds.

 

I don't know if you've spoken to your neighbors, but if you haven't, it can go a LONG way in gaining their understanding and patience if you approach them proactively - explain to them that you have a new greyhound, you do know that he's barking but this is something that isn't entirely uncommon (maybe give them the story about how they're in this brand new world, etc...) and you are following a very deliberate process to get the barking under control. Even better if you can bring your dog with you 'cause it's impossible to resist that pretty greyhound face .

 

Good luck!

[PrairieProf]

Since no one else has mentioned it yet, I'll recommend Patricia McConnell's short handbook I'll Be Home Soon for a excellent review on training techniques to deal with SA.....

[Guest Sunset123]

I think the leaving for a few minutes and then ramping that time up gradually is an important step, but for me it didn't completely help the problem. We did the ignore the dog for 10 minutes before and after leaving thing, but her feelings were hurt and she cried when I closed the door.

 

What ended up working really well for us was turning the leaving into a positive event rather than a negative or neutral event. I get myself ready to go, and then I make a big event of the frozen Kong coming out of the freezer. She's not crated, so I put the Kong on a mat on the side of the house opposite the door and present it to her with a flourish. She is so absorbed with it that she doesn't even notice/care when I leave. I always keep about 3 Kong-type toys filled in the freezer, including one that only has a small bit of filling for when I'm only leaving for a little while or if I'm leaving for the second time in a day.

 

It didn't take her too long to understand the routine. She looks forward to me leaving for work because it means she gets her peanut buttery treat. She works on the Kong periodically throughout the day in-between naps. If I come home earlier than usual, she doesn't even meet me at the door. I'll walk into the living room to find her on her bed looking at me like, "what are you doing here?"

 

 

I also recommend the Comfort Zone DAP diffuser. I bought one from Petsmart, but they're much cheaper on Amazon.

[Guest Spencers_Greyt]

You said that you have left him out of his crate for short periods of time and want to work up to longer periods of time. It sounds like he doesn't bark when he is outside his crate. What is the reason you can't leave him out of the crate for the day? As other people have said, some dogs have crate anxiety.

[Guest Gretchen]

We have a new Grey and dealt with some of what you're going through. Can be super stressful I know.

We tried crating ours he hated it, no matter what the bribe. Then we tried an X-pen which he would escape from but whenever he escaped we'd find him upstairs in our bedroom on his bed. So we now baby gate him in the bedroom when we leave, he's never home alone more then 3-4 hours tops though. He's done great with the baby gate, he used to whine and bark the first few days but eventually would settle down. Now he whines a bit before settled. And we always leave the radio on too.

Previously, i've gotten relaxing music to play, but I made sure whenever it was on at first he was relaxed and doing something he enjoyed getting a belly rub or yummy kong. Then I would turn the relaxing music on 15 min before I left, did that for about 2 weeks and would then left it on while we were gone. Not sure how much that helped him but it relaxed me a bit. He's finally getting used to the idea we're coming back and he's ok.

Good Luck!!! Hang in there....

P.S.

Prior to him I had a dog with super duper anxiety issues. I gave him Harmonease. Worked wonders for him.

[Guest FastDogsOwnMe]

Can you rent a house? Not sure where you live or if that's possible. Can you get another Grey that does not have SA?

[Guest 4dogscrazy]

I read all of the posts above, and they all have good advice. But absolustely none of it worked on my dog. She could not give one hoot about the other dogs in the house. Treats don't matter because she has panic attacks when we leave. Alone training only worked when she was in her "good two week phase". Move forward to the "bad two week phase" and the training was wiped completely out of her mind. SHE was out of her mind. Could care less about the tv or radio being on, although I must admit I never tried the dap diffuser. I'm not saying don't try the above things, I'm just saying none of it worked for me. I was reluctant to try drugs, I myself do not take anything except an OTC allergy pill. Rarely take even a Tylenol. After a year and a half, I finally put her on clomipramine. She is much better. She is having a bad couple of days this week, but it is for the first time in 2 1/2 months. Previously we were in two week cycles. I am hoping she just has a couple of bad days, instead of two weeks. I have to mention that she can not be crated, that's when she panics. I muzzle her and use a baby gate. If she is not muzzled, she damages the wall where the baby gate leans. I'll also mention that they are not left alone for more than 4 hours at a time.

 

So sorry you are going through this, and all of the above things might help you. I also think you must speak to your neighbors, and check in with your group. Sorry to say, your pup might not be able to be an "only" dog. Sorry to be such a bummer

[Guest FastDogsOwnMe]

My Whippet was like that until he was neutered, and it took a few months after that to cure him. He still can't take it when I go, but he's quiet. DH says he shakes and will not interact or even respond to DH or food or anything when I am gone- and that is WITH my husband home. No amount of other dogs helps him. But it can help SOME dogs.

[jenn8]

Yeah we've tried leaving him outside of the crate for short periods so far. Just a few minutes when going down to get laundry or zipping out to the drugstore for 15 or 20 minutes and he's behaved well so far. We'd like to be able to leave him out in the apartment for longer periods which is something we're gradually trying to work up to.

 

But we certainly will continue with the short-term leaving. It just breaks my heart that he gets so worked up when left alone. Has anyone ever tried some sort of sedative that would at least allow him to calm down when he's by himself or anything like that? I've also heard of using valerian root for both human and animal anxiety but have never tried it myself.

 

Thanks for the suggestions so far, guys. All is appreciated.

I think what a few people are suggesting is that you may not be dealing with separation anxiety but crate anxiety instead. The fact that he has behaved well for 15 to 20 minutes is a pretty good indication that it is not separation anxiety. Alone training can be very effective if you devote a couople of days to continuous ins and outs until you have bored your dog (and yourselves) silly with it. It will show your dog that he has no reason to worry about you not coming back. It is a tedious process but well worth the effort up front.

 

Jenn

[Guest BillF]

I can only echo what others have said - My girl did best out in the house instead of in the crate. I have two now - but it only took Olive about a week to calm down.

 

We have a routine (almost all the time ). I give them a kong, tell them I'll be back and leave.

 

I know many people recommend a crate because they are crated at the track. But they are always around other dogs, even in the crate. In my case Olive was more upset about being alone in the crate, instead of just alone.

 

Good luck.

 

Bill

Edited April 13, 2010 by BillF

[Guest Swarley]

Well we left Swarley alone again for small increments today and he seemed to do ok. One time we actually set up the video camera on the computer to record for the 10 min we were gone. He was lying on his bed when we left and then immediately got up and went to the door. He did some whimpering and crying but nothing too loud or constant. Then he paced around the apartment for a few minutes before lying down in front of the door, where he stayed until we came back.

 

The reason we are concerned about not trusting him for longer periods is just because we've seen what he did to his crate pad (shredded it completely!) when he was anxious about being left one evening. I'm worried that he could get something that might hurt him. But putting the muzzle on is a great suggestion. And of course we dog-proof as much as possible.

 

Looks like the next step will be to take the plunge and leave him out for longer periods.

 

Also, if you've got the means, I highly recommend spying on your dog while you're not home once. When we watched the video afterward we were both doubled over in laughter! Adorable.

[seeh2o]

My Carl had terrible SA and it was even worse when he was in the crate, he tore the soldered wire of the crate apart and got out. Ultimately, the thing that worked was clompiramine, tons of alone training, muzzling him, a giant treat dispensing Kong (given to him when I would leave...he had no access to it when I was home) and using my cell phone in conjunction with the speaker on my home phones as a baby monitor. He'd start howling and I would firmly say, "NO", and then silence! He thought I was in the house - somewhere! DAP did nothing, music, TV, Rescue Remedy (was a joke), my other dog...nothing. After he became more confident and learned some alone skills on the clomipramine I started weaning him off (under veterinary advice). I had him on it for about 5 months, in retrospect he may have done better if I'd left him on a bit longer to make sure his new coping skills really took deeper root. He still gets muzzled today and we follow a routine when I leave. His SA still raises it's ugly head from time to time, but he's a ton better and my neighbor (I'm sooooo lucky she's a patient woman) rarely hears him anymore.

Edited April 13, 2010 by ckruzan

[Guest FastDogsOwnMe]

He shredded the crate pad because he was freaking out... he likely would not if left loose