Hi all! Last week I rescued a dog from the pound. He's about 2 years old, possibly half lab half wolfhound. He seems to be suffering from separation anxiety. He follows me from room to room and wants to sit right next to me every minute. The big problem is when I crate him. He goes in quietly and will stay quiet while he can hear people in the house, even if he can't see them. Sometime after we leave he starts barking. He has bent the bars of the kennel and ripped up his bedding. I won't be able to keep him if we can't get the barking under control. Any suggestions for easing his anxiety?

Put something with your scent on it inside the crate, and give him something great to chew on, like a stuffed Kong or a huge Nylabone. Also, does he get walked every day? A long daily walk will help immensely in relieving his anxiety, and help him to relax. He hasn't had long to adjust yet, and he is likely suffering from abandonment issues and insecurity. Chances are he will relax as time passes and he realizes you always come back after you've been out.

I've been taking him on long walks and jogs to tire him out, but haven't really noticed a change. I also gave him a shirt of mine, which he shredded to pieces in the kennel. He won't eat treats or play with a stuffed Kong when he's in the kennel either. I'm hoping it will get better in time, but I don't want him to hurt himself in the meantime.

Same here, I tried everything that all the great people in these forums mentioned. My pup is 5 mo. female. After trying everything we could I decided to leave her out of the crate when we leave and I think it is working, she starts off barking and crying but she hasnt ripped up anything yet and seems to be quieter. There are cats in the house so maybe she thinks she's not really alone. But when we come home, she goes nuts! She just really hated being in that crate. Anyway, the "comfort calm" doggie bites helped some, maybe they could help you also. Good luck

One of my rescue boxers has bad S/A. One time she freaked out SO bad just because I went outside, that she busted through the bedroom window (just the screen, the window was open) and jumped TWO stories!

Here are a few tips...

1. Before he goes in the kennel, take him for a long walk.

2. Coax him into the kennel with treats. Then walk away. Every few minutes, step in and give him another treat and say "YES! Good boy! Good quiet!"

3. Leave the room for an hour. If he is quiet, give him more treats, tell him he's a good boy, and let him out. Repeat for a few days. This helps make his kennel a happy place

4. When you leave, leave him with nothing in the kennel. Some dogs will just destroy whatever you put in there. If he has to sleep on the plastic bottom, then so be it. He'll be fine.

5. Ask your vet about a calm down pill. They sell things OTC like calm down vitamins. You could try those but I would ask your vet first what he/she recommends. They could perscribe you a light sedative to help him get through this transition period.

And lastly, remember that he is VERY scared right now. Bouncing around in the rescue system is a very scary thing. Its only been a week, give him some time to adjust. He is scared when you leave the house because in his eyes, you just abandoned him. He needs to learn that you will always be coming home to him.

The advice on training the dog to see the crate as a happy place are good and can be effective.

My personal experience with a rescue dog with S.A. and from reading I've done is that the crating can make the anxiety stronger. My dog did much better not being crated. BTW, my dog chewed/ate his way out of an airline style crate/kennel (pooped plastic for 3 days) and he broke the wires on a wire crate and I found him with his head stuck and blood everywhere from breaking teeth in this wire-bending process. I tried all the typical advise: kong, my scent, treating in the crate, etc etc. He just got seriously crazed in the crate when I left. Being outside the crate allows him to pace and work off his anxiety.

That said, some dogs can be VERY destructive when left uncrated so there is a risk involved in leaving them uncrated. Basically, you will need to try different approaches until you find what works.

BTW, a plate of homemade cookies can go a long way with the neighbors. Or, as I did--my neighbor at the time liked to have loud parties on the weekends. We made an agreement--I wouldn't complain about her parties and she wouldn't complain about my dog....everyone was happy!

Does anyone have any experience with DAP? I was thinking of getting one of those plug ins to put in the room while we work on the crate training. I've heard mixed things, but thought it might be worth a try.

We tried DAP plug it and had the crate right next to the plug, no difference at all. I ordered the spray too, we had decided to leave him out of the crate by the time it arrived (I live in Hawaii, shipping takes way too long). I did spray it on her favorite places to play and sleep. So, I don't know if it was not being in the crate or the spray, I think not being in the crate.

[jennsep]

I have had success with DAP on a number of dogs, about 80% of the dogs that I see have shown some improvement with DAP.

I don't think that DAP is a cure all, but for mild separation anxiety, it seems to keep animals in a calmer state.

That being said, DAP / Medication is only part of the equation when trying to cure Separation Anxiety.

I highly recommend crate training your dog. It's true that a few dogs are more anxious in a crate, in which case they can be tied up, but you are risking damage to your house if you don't crate them.

I also recommend a behavioral modification program that addresses dog separation anxiety directly. Check out Dog Separation Anxiety Help - Information, Tips, Remedies and Cures for Anxiety in Dogs

Even if you put your dog on Clomicalm, they aren't going to improve without the behavior modification training.

Jennifer

[quietstorm]

I have 2 rescues here who arrived about 8 months apart. Both dogs followed me around from room to room for at least the first few weeks but it eases off in a fairly short time.
I am fortunate that none of my dogs have SA, however my sister was having issues with her rescue and believe it or not, she leaves the light on and this seems to have helped. I think each dog is unique and although there are certainly methods that generally work, you will find something that works.
Good Luck!

Pauline
www.DehydratedLiverTreats.com