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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.

Comments

[crysania4]

Have you tried freezing the kong? Stuff it full of treats and peanut butter and toss it into the freezer. It'll take her a lot longer to get through it when it's frozen.

Ultimately this looks like she's got two problems: Separation anxiety and reactivity. There are steps to take to work on both behaviors, but not having personally worked with a dog who has separation anxiety and only working with one who has reactivity due to excitement rather than aggression I'm not the best person to advise you. A good behaviorist certainly could help.

That being said, this post (which on the surface doesn't seem related) is mostly a buildup to asking how to deal with a reactive dog. There have been plenty of good suggestions tossed around about it.

Also, if you look through the tags for that community you'll find a lot of posts both on leash aggression and on separation anxiety.

[colormescared]

I am going to try freezing the Kong, thanks for the suggestion. I think I will try giving it to her frozen for the first time while I am home. I am not sure how she will react to having to work a little harder. Sometimes if she can't get a food item easily, she gives up.

Also, thanks for pointing me to that other community. I didn't know it existed and there seems to be a lot of good info over there.

[crashtestcase]

The bad news is, it sounds like you've got a dog with separation anxiety. The good news is, it doesn't sound like she has a severe case. Things that I would do in this situation:

1. Make sure she is well exercised before you leave. You want her super tired and ready for that Kong.
2. Feed all of her meals out of food-dispensing toys. I used the Kong and the Tricky Treat Ball. I would leave her with the ball and the Kong when leaving.
3. Make your exits and entrances super low-key.
4. Crate-training, if possible. Some dogs with separation anxiety just won't do well with this, but it is definitely worth a try. Check out the LJ group dogsintraining for more tips on this. It didn't work for my SA dog, but I know it has worked wonders for others.

I don't have experience with dog-aggressive dogs, but you should check out some of the older posts on this issue in dogsintraining. Lots of good advice there.

Also, my cat's name is Seven! Super good luck.

[colormescared]

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

[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.