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[colormescared]

I have an 8 year old female lab named Seven.

Seven has gone through a lot of changes in the several months. In June 2009 my mom sold our house. I moved into an apartment and I didn't think that would be best for Seven, so I sent her with my Mom to her new house a few states away.

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[colormescared]

I kind of thought that was what was going on with her. I just wasn't sure how to handle it.

Is there a specific form of exercise you'd recommend to tire her out? I take her on a walk before I leave, but I guess it's not enough.

I went and picked up a tricky treat ball tonight and she is not impressed haha. When I rolled it, she would follow it and get the food that fell out. But she had no interest in rolling it around herself. I checked out some Youtube videos and all those dogs seem thrilled to bat the ball around.

I actually read something on another site about low key entrances yesterday and I tried it out a couple times. When I needed to leave, I just got up and walked out. No goodbyes or I'll miss you's that I am so guilty of haha. The advice also suggested ignoring the dog when you get home for about a half an hour. So when I got home today and she started with the high pitched barking, I just went about my business. I put my stuff away and sat down. It took a couple minutes for her to stop the barking and within 5 minutes she was completely quiet (no whining). I was really impressed. If I had taken her outside immediately or started talking to her and telling her to be quiet like I normally would have it would have lasted a good 20 minutes. So far the low key entrances and exits seem to be the most effective on her behavior but I've only tried twice so far, so we'll see.

I'm not very familiar with crate training. Is there a specific reason it is good for dogs with separation anxiety?

Dogsintraining seems like a good place, I'll definitely be doing a lot of reading over there.

Animals named Seven are the best!

Thanks for all the feedback and the ideas!

[crashtestcase]

It took all of my dogs a little bit to get used to the Tricky Treat Ball, but once they got it, they became super obsessed with it.

For a dog with major anxiety, a simple walk isn't going to wear them out. Try doing some training exercises before the walk, during the walk, and when you get home. Taking her for a jog or training her to run with you while biking can really help. There are folks who recommend against this because running in a straight line can be detrimental to dog's joints. Does she like fetch?

Low-key exits and entrances are key with a dog like this. Just keep practicing that. On your days off, do lots of practice with leaving and entering the house with this practice.

Crate-training can be really good for a dog with separation anxiety because it provides a space they can be that feels safe and secure. This doesn't work for all dogs (it didn't for mine last one), but I know of a few SA dogs that ended up feeling so much more secure having that space. It is den-like and secure.

Animals named Seven are the best!

[colormescared]

I put her breakfast in the treat ball. She got a little more into it today. She even moved the ball herself a few times but when the food didn't fall out right away, she gave up. I was surprised she even moved it today, so I think if I stick with it, she'll be chasing it around in no time.

I'll have to look up some training exercises, thanks :)

I'm not sure about crating right now. Purchasing a crate isn't in my budget currently, but it definitely something I will explore if working on the entrances/exits, exercise and treat ball don't prove to help.

Thank you again for your suggestions.