keeping a SA dog safe

[crashtestcase]

I've posted here before about my dog Jonesy who has a severe case of separation anxiety. He is currently on Prozac and takes Alprazolam one hour before I leave the house. He had some other anxiety issues which have been mostly resolved since taking Prozac, but his separation anxiety is still a constant battle. I can't even run to the corner store

Comments

[bloolark]

Have you tried setting him up in a single room of the house, perhaps a room he considers safe? My GSD-mix had SA to that level, and could only be kept safely in the bedroom for many years. For whatever reason, her level of anxiety in there was less than anywhere else.

Are you working on counter conditioning exercises? If you can, I'd really suggest trying to find a veterinary behaviorist or a really experienced trainer who might be able to help. Those are the ONLY long term fix to SA that I know of. Drugs can help, but the counter conditioning can actually fix the problem.

Also, though I would usually almost NEVER suggest this as a fix to anything, maybe if he had another dog or a cat to be his buddy it might lessen his anxiety? Having another dog was actually a requirement from the shelter when we adopted Charlotte, and I really do think it's helped her. But that's one of those things that may help or may make it worse, so you would probably want to do a trial run of some sort before considering it.

[crashtestcase]

I've tried keeping him in a room by himself with the same result. I tried my bedroom and the bathroom, and he still completely freaks out. We've been doing counter-conditioning exercises from almost day one and it feels like he has his good days and his bad days. I've met with 4 different professionals and they've all given me the same advice which just hasn't seemed to have helped.

I have thought about getting another dog to help. He adores other dogs. I've left him alone with my girlfriend's dog a few times and it seems to have lessened the anxiety a little bit, but it was definitely still here. He was still destructive and freaked out when we got home.

Also, I just can't bring myself to commit to another dog when I don't know if it will actually help. We have had such a struggle these past 7 months and I'm just so afraid that I'll get another dog and I'll have twice the stress as I do now. My life is literally consumed by this dog. My girlfriend and I haven't been out on a real date in... 5 months?

[demolitionwoman]

you're just lucky you're dating another extreme dog person.
xox

[miss_teacher]

I don't have an answer to you specific question, but I noticed the drugs you are using are different from ones I recently heard work well, so I'll type out my notes from a seminar I went to. So that's where I would start. It doesn't sound like the meds he is on are helping much with his SA

[miss_teacher]

Ok, so long story short:

I would:
1. exhaust him mentally and physically before leaving, leave him toys and food that he doesn't get at all when you are home.

2.talk to a veterinary behaviorist about the meds more specifically gears towards SA (Tufts, where Dodman works, does phone and fax consults with you and or your vet)

3. Have someone come over part way through the time you are gone anywhere, even if it's only an hour to break up the time into more manageable chunks for him.

[crashtestcase]

Sadly, I've been doing all of this already. The biggest issue with number 3 is that he seems to become much more agitated when someone comes to check on him and leave again. He will go from totally freaking out to totally freaking out and pooping, peeing, and vomiting after the check-in.

[miss_teacher]

Hmmm that's a tough call then. What else does you vet say?

If you can afford it I think it would be well worth the money to see an actual veterinary behaviorist (or do a phone consult if you are not lucky enough to have one in driving distance).

[ichbinkelsey]

I'm sorry about the situation; it sounds like you're working really hard with Jonesy, and I know how frustrating/worrying it must be that he's being slow to come around. The only thing I can think of to add is just a small thing to add to your counter-conditioning: do you know the Through a Dog's Ear CDs? At my dog's daycare, they work with a dog who has really bad SA (he jumped through a glass window from the second floor not once but twice, although he managed to avoid serious injury both times.) They'd been working with him using this CD, which is designed to calm stressed out dogs: his owner would play it in the car on the way to daycare and then when he got there, the daycare people would put him in a room with some of his dog friends, put the CD on and then let him out slowly into the full group. Something about that slow transition and the consistent music seemed to really help

[crashtestcase]

I actually do have that CD & book -- my girlfriend got it for me along with a ton of other books for both her dog and mine. I read the book but haven't tried the CD much. I should give it another go.

Jonesy is a dog that I can very much see jumping through a glass window. He hurts himself every time I leave him alone and one of my biggest fears is that he'll break out of a crate (again) and jump through a window.

It is sad about the day cares in my area. There are some that will take him, but they are a 40 minute drive for me and I've a car that keeps dying. The only places near me won't consider bully breeds or they want a completely well socialized dog. He's a good dog when I'm around, but he gets so on edge when I leave. It has been increasingly worse lately -- he growled, lunged, and barked at someone he knows this weekend while with his dog sitter. Which is just not something I've ever seen him do and makes me incredibly sad and feeling pretty lost about our situation.

[ichbinkelsey]

Also: man, what a sweet face! He is so cute in his little backpack!

[crashtestcase]

Thanks! That backpack has done wonders for us. It keeps him more focused and happy on our walks/hikes. I love it.