Anyone have experience with dog separation anxiety?

Turkey · January 06, 2016, 11:00:28 AM

About a month after adopting Charlie he had a sudden behavioral change that resulted in extreme anxiety when he's home alone. If he's in a crate he'll chew anything he can get his mouth on, pant excessively, or scratch the crate and attempt to break out (which he's done several times). Outside of the crate he'll run around eating anything he can, peeing, and scratching at the door. He displayed none of these symptoms prior to that behavioral change, and he's displayed it in two separate houses, so it's not just environmental. Having another dog in the room doesn't help, and he's completely fine in the same place (out of sight) at night.

We've tried pheromones, puzzle toys, white noise, and everything else you can think of. Now we're moving on to medication and then potentially behavioral therapy.

Has anyone else had to medicate their dog for anything like this? Did it work?

Ingy · January 06, 2016, 11:10:04 AM

Haha my dog has this too

She literally peed herself out of excitement the first couple of times we came home

Everyday when I come home from school, she jumps up on me and buries me lol

If we place her in a room by herself, she will bark and throw herself against the door
She's fine if someone is in the room with her tho

Once we were gone for two days on a trip
Came home there was shit everywhere, she tore up literally half the house, and she was so excited, she wouldn't stop running around us for like an hour

But she's always been like this

How old is your dog?

DAS B00T x2 · January 06, 2016, 11:19:43 AM

You tried one of them thunder jacket or hug blanket type deals?

Turkey · January 06, 2016, 11:33:38 AM

Quote from: DAS THE HALLS on January 06, 2016, 11:19:43 AM

You tried one of them thunder jacket or hug blanket type deals?

Nope, maybe I'll check that out.

Ushan · January 06, 2016, 12:05:31 PM

Quote from: NukaKV on January 06, 2016, 12:01:51 PM

I'd say behavioral therapy should come before medication.

This.

challengerX · January 06, 2016, 12:22:55 PM

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Turkey · January 06, 2016, 12:27:23 PM

Quote from: challengerX on January 06, 2016, 12:22:55 PM

Quote from: HurtfulTurkey on January 06, 2016, 11:00:28 AM
We've tried pheromones, puzzle toys, white noise, and everything else you can think of. Now we're moving on to medication and then potentially behavioral therapy.
Holy motherfucking shit stop.

Try leaving for short intervals and coming back. It's really bad leave for just 5 minutes at a time. When you come back, does he go crazy with excitement?

We tried that every day for weeks. Literally nothing has made any improvement. We started with 30 seconds intervals and he never really got past that, and our vet advised us to stop after seeing no progress because the constant stress isn't good for him.

challengerX · January 06, 2016, 12:29:16 PM

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challengerX · January 06, 2016, 12:29:43 PM

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Turkey · January 06, 2016, 12:30:40 PM

Quote from: challengerX on January 06, 2016, 12:29:16 PM

Quote from: HurtfulTurkey on January 06, 2016, 12:27:23 PM
We tried that every day for weeks. Literally nothing has made any improvement. We started with 30 seconds intervals and he never really got past that, and our vet advised us to stop after seeing no progress because the constant stress isn't good for him.
Does he behave like this no matter who leaves?

Well yeah, it's being left alone in general. If literally anybody is anywhere in the house he's fine.

Naru · January 06, 2016, 12:32:18 PM

No idea, just do therapy, meds should be a last resort to anything

Turkey · January 06, 2016, 12:32:33 PM

Quote from: NukaKV on January 06, 2016, 12:29:13 PM

What breed is your dog?

Aussie Shepherd mix. I don't think it matters though; like I said, it was a sudden change in behavior. We think it happened as soon as he started seeing us as his family rather than just another foster home, but it's really odd because we can leave him with other people just fine.

challengerX · January 06, 2016, 12:33:46 PM

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challengerX · January 06, 2016, 12:35:34 PM

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Turkey · January 06, 2016, 12:36:56 PM

Quote from: NukaKV on January 06, 2016, 12:34:57 PM

Quote from: HurtfulTurkey on January 06, 2016, 12:32:33 PM
Quote from: NukaKV on January 06, 2016, 12:29:13 PM
What breed is your dog?

Aussie Shepherd mix. I don't think it matters though; like I said, it was a sudden change in behavior. We think it happened as soon as he started seeing us as his family rather than just another foster home, but it's really odd because we can leave him with other people just fine.
It does actually. Aussie sheps are extremely high energy dogs. It sounds like you need an outlet for your dog to expel that energy in a more healthy way.

He walks at least twice a day, and I run him upwards of a mile nearly every day. At home he's an incredibly lazy dog.

Quote from: challengerX on January 06, 2016, 12:35:34 PM

You adopted him from a kennel, right?

Yep

Mr. Psychologist · January 06, 2016, 12:37:48 PM

It was a rescue dog you got wasn't it? <.<

I would say try the behavioural therapy, I'd stop wasting your time with all the other stuff because it's not really going to do anything but confuse the poor bugger. Medication should be the last resort for obvious reasons, but eh if it comes to it then defer to the vet's judgement on that point.

Our dogs were fairly bad for it a few years ago, but they did eventually settle down without us really changing anything. I think it was just that they needed the reassurance and stability of a normal household for a while.

If it was a rescue dog, chances are they were abandoned? (If you know the history, or if I'm barking up the wrong tree entirely then do say so) and that's obviously going to leave a mental scar on the dog, as it would with humans. The anxiety probably stems from that (if it's the case) so really unless the behavioural therapy classes work out it's just a matter of time and patience.

They'll trash the place for a while, piss on everything and be distressed but eventually that does start to change when they realise you will be coming back every time you leave <.<

Turkey · January 06, 2016, 12:41:15 PM

Quote from: Mr. Psychologist on January 06, 2016, 12:37:48 PM

If it was a rescue dog, chances are they were abandoned? (If you know the history, or if I'm barking up the wrong tree entirely then do say so) and that's obviously going to leave a mental scar on the dog, as it would with humans. The anxiety probably stems from that (if it's the case) so really unless the behavioural therapy classes work out it's just a matter of time and patience.

They'll trash the place for a while, piss on everything and be distressed but eventually that does start to change when they realise you will be coming back every time you leave <.<

Yeah, we think he was the result of a breeder getting loose and mating with a random dog so the owners abandoned him. He was found wandering the forest as a puppy and hadn't had a long-term home until he was adopted by us at age 3.

I'd be fine with his symptoms except recently he's been frequently breaking out of his crate and eating anything he can find, and I'm concerned that some day he'll hurt himself while we're gone.

Mr. Psychologist · January 06, 2016, 12:50:22 PM

Quote from: HurtfulTurkey on January 06, 2016, 12:41:15 PM

Quote from: Mr. Psychologist on January 06, 2016, 12:37:48 PM
If it was a rescue dog, chances are they were abandoned? (If you know the history, or if I'm barking up the wrong tree entirely then do say so) and that's obviously going to leave a mental scar on the dog, as it would with humans. The anxiety probably stems from that (if it's the case) so really unless the behavioural therapy classes work out it's just a matter of time and patience.

They'll trash the place for a while, piss on everything and be distressed but eventually that does start to change when they realise you will be coming back every time you leave <.<

Yeah, we think he was the result of a breeder getting loose and mating with a random dog so the owners abandoned him. He was found wandering the forest as a puppy and hadn't had a long-term home until he was adopted by us at age 3.

I'd be fine with his symptoms except recently he's been frequently breaking out of his crate and eating anything he can fine, and I'm concerned that some day he'll hurt himself while we're gone.

Egh, what humans do to dogs really does make my blood boil.
Still though, he's got a good home now.

Hmm, I think perhaps a reinforced crate then?

It is a concern, I think really electric wires, chemicals and chocolate are the only stuff that'd be overly hazardous as opposed to just chowing down on a box of lego. So provided these things aren't readily available to chew, it should be sort of alright.

challengerX · January 06, 2016, 01:59:55 PM

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TB · January 06, 2016, 02:50:51 PM

Poor dug :^(