Jump to content

New greyhound owner - dealing with separation anxiety.


Recommended Posts

My husband and I adopted a retired racer 6 days ago. He's 3 years old and we just love him. He's such a good dog. My husband was the one who picked him up and brought him home last week and he is VERY attached to him. If my husband goes into a room and closes the door, he begins to whine. Our biggest concern is when we both leave for work. Luckily we are both gone at the same time only 3 days per week. I set up a pet cam and check on him while we're gone. By the afternoon he has calmed down but the mornings are rough. He paces through the house, pants, jumps on the couch, stares through the window and won't play with any of his toys (he will when we're home). We close off most of the house but he has the living room, kitchen and our bedroom to roam around in. He also has a doggy door so he can go in and out as he pleases. We bought a crate just like the one he was in at the rescue and leave it open for him in case he wants to go inside to feel safe. He also has a bed on the floor in our bedroom but seems to spend the afternoons on the couch once he calms down. We leave the radio on and a kong with peanut butter and treats inside. Today I tried closing the curtains so he's not so fixated on staring outside but he just peeks through them. We walk him before we leave for work and again when we get home.

Maybe I'm worrying too much and he will calm down as he gets used to the routine. Any possible advice would be greatly appreciated.

Thank you!

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Our foster girl was doing a lot of barking when we had to leave her alone.  We have had her 11 days now.  She is crated, but when we tested her out of the crate, she did a lot of pacing and barking when left alone.  We were advised to keep her in the crate bc it is such early days and she did not seem to be able to "handle" all that freedom, along with the newness of being alone for the first time in her life.  She never was destructive or soiling in the house or crate, and our foster rep said as long as those things were not happening, to not worry. . . that barking and whining are normal parts of the transition.  That made me feel a lot better.  I started her on 2 droppers full of Bach's Rescue Remedy yesterday and her barking when we put her in the crate and walk out has dramatically reduced in the last 2 days.  It may be coincidental, but whatever it is, I am happy.  You might try giving him some Bach's Rescue Remedy to see if it helps him settle down.  I know that there are mixed feelings and mixed reviews on it.  I am just sharing my anecdotal experience.  Others with WAY MORE experience with new hounds settling in may have other ideas . . . 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Have you done any 'Alone Training'?!?

Please do a search and you will come up with many suggestions and ideas.

 

Nancy...Mom to Sid (Peteles Tiger), Kibo (112 Carlota Galgos) and Joshi.  Missing Casey, Gomer, Mona, Penelope, BillieJean, Bandit, Nixon (Starz Sammie),  Ruby (Watch Me Dash) Nigel (Nigel), and especially little Mario, waiting at the Bridge.

 

 

SKJ-summer.jpg.31e290e1b8b0d604d47a8be586ae7361.jpg

Link to comment
Share on other sites

11 hours ago, liz5558 said:

Maybe I'm worrying too much and he will calm down as he gets used to the routine

I think you're right. It's a big change from kennels to your home. I know it can be hard to see your hound upset, pacing and panting, but you say by the afternoon he has calmed down. This will improve as he gets used to the idea that you will be coming back and eventually he'll just eat his treats and go to sleep. If she thinks I'm going out without her my Grace starts to lick her lips in anticipation of her treat filled Kong and once finished she gets comfy on the couch and goes to sleep.

Try and keep the same routines every day i.e. when you walk him, feed him etc. whether you are going to work or staying at home. When your husband leaves the room and he starts to whine ignore him, don't react or say anything otherwise you are reinforcing his behaviour, reward him when he ignores your husband leaving the room.

Grace (Ardera Coleen) b. 18 June 2014 - Gotcha Day 10 June 2018 - Going grey gracefully
Guinness (Antigua Rum) b. 3 September 2017 - Gotcha Day 18 March 2022 - A gentleman most of the time

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Buddy was a stress head when we first got him around 18 months ago. He has bonded very strongly with me. In our first few weeks he used to follow each of us to the front door and try and block us from leaving, he would stand in front of the stairs when I tried to go upstairs for something and we would get the mournful wail if we were not in the room.i felt truly awful about bringing this loving boy to a home where his humans were gone for most of the day. But I never considered him to have separation anxiety as he wasn’t exhibiting any of the destructive behaviour or trying to escape the house so he could get to us that I had read about. I could be wrong.

Within a few weeks he had settled into a routine that during the week we both leave for a few hours and he can catch up on his beauty sleep. The weekend is a slightly different matter still as they are less structured and he expects us to be around so if we have to leave the house for some reason we bribe him with some food and we slip out. I refused to get a camera as I think I would either a) go mad watching him if he took a while to settle or b) just spend all day watching him and never get any work done.

He still gives me a mournful wail when I go upstairs after work to get changed into my walking gear, but my advice would be to give your boy a few weeks to settle in. He’s still getting used to a new environment, and in a month you will have a different dog, and in six months he will be different again. It’s a learning curve for you all! 😊

Buddy Molly 🌈 5/11/10-10/10/23

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Get the booklet "I'll Be Home Soon" by Patricia McConnell for step by step instructions on how to help your dog feel more comfortable being by himself.

But seriously??  Unless he's being destructive or eliminating in the house or really (really) loud and barking/whining during the first part of the day, he's doing REALLY WELL!!!!  Alone training will help him through this transition time.  A DAP diffuser in all three rooms, and maybe a collar (Unless he;s a chewer(, will help a lot too.

Chris - Mom to: Felicity (DeLand), and Andi (Braska Pandora)

52592535884_69debcd9b4.jpgsiggy by Chris Harper, on Flickr

Angels: Libby (Everlast), Dorie (Dog Gone Holly), Dude (TNJ VooDoo), Copper (Kid's Copper), Cash (GSI Payncash), Toni (LPH Cry Baby), Whiskey (KT's Phys Ed), Atom, Lilly

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Thank you all for the advice! I feel better now and realize that everything is still very new to him. I decided to unplug the pet cam for a while because it really is stressful watching him in the morning before he calms down. I'm already noticing improvement when my husband leaves. He doesn't whine anymore and just goes back to bed.  He is such a sweet boy and we are thrilled to have him.

 

charles.jpg.d043d3dd7e8718cce3321081379d8e9c.jpg

Edited by liz5558
Link to comment
Share on other sites

And I agree, Liz and Mersey, those nanny cam's can exert a hold that is quite detrimental to one's psyche.  If one has any inclination towards OCD or anxiety, they can certainly set it off.  I know from experience.  I unplugged mine too, and when the siren song to plug it back in starts playing, I remind myself that it would only be masochistic to do so, and might require me to break into my prn prescription of klonopin.  I got that Rx refilled after having an SA dog, and the only time I have had to use it in the past year is when that damn camera was plugged in.  So, by all means, if he is not soiling/destructive, keep the cam banished, for your own peace of mind.  

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 3 weeks later...
  • 5 months later...

Hi Everyone! I'm a new grey owner and I fell hard for my girl. She was suppose to be a foster, but as we know they really do fall into your heart quite quickly. We have been through a lot together since she arrived in heat, so that delayed spaying and adoptions for a month, then at that point I couldn't give her up as she's such a great dog. Her SA is pretty severe and I didn't realize it as I attempted to crate her in the beginning and she absolutely hated it/ was being destructive in the crate with blankets. At one point, I decided to let her loose in the house with the muzzle only and that seemed to be fine with no destructions, however she would whine and pace the house the whole time it appeared on the cameras. Lately she's started having accidents when I leave her, so I've decided to crate train her again and see if we could have a positive experience. I'm doing a lot of reading on Alone Training, as this seems to be extremely important and wish I had done this when I first got her, as it's still early we've been together 2 months now. So I've started by keeping her in the crate while I'm home doing things in and out of rooms so she seems to be calm. When she sees me she has no issues, it's when I'm out of sight and for a few minutes she will start crying. It is heartbreaking to hear and I've been telling her "HEY" and standing there until she settles down, which helps but I know it's a process. I wanted to know if anyone has tried CBD oil to help with the process of SA? I'm interested in doing anything I can to help calm and alleviate her fears. She has been very spoiled because I take her everywhere. She's the best companion and I really want to continue to take her places, but I also want to know she will be safe home alone for a few hours if I go out with friends/grocery shopping/errands. It makes me anxious just thinking she's going to be crying so much. Thanks for any advice or suggestions! 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.

Guest
Reply to this topic...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Paste as plain text instead

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.

×
×
  • Create New...