Dog owners
XxXskinnyMiniXxX
Posts: 325
Does anyone else have a dog with high anxiety and or separation problems? My b/f and I have a male German Shepard, he's going to be 2 on December 1st, and we've done every thing. Taken him to the vet and got pills etc.... But his anxiety and separation issue's are not going away at all. We both can't go out together unless someone is here to watch him, not to mention how he constantly gets overly excited when we leave or when one of us comes home. Is anyone else dealing with this?
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Replies
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Not sure if it is within your means but sometimes the best treatment for seperation anxiety is to get another dog so #1 isn't so lonely....as long as he's the type who plays well with others.0
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He's not a fan of other dogs lolNot sure if it is within your means but sometimes the best treatment for seperation anxiety is to get another dog so #1 isn't so lonely....as long as he's the type who plays well with others.0 -
A lot of dog's "issues" aren't their own, the issues actually come from the energy of their owners.
FACT.0 -
hmm possibly getting another pet such as a cat or smaller dog might help if he is social or possibley crate training and giving him favorite toys to have with him when your gone... Never really had this problem with my shepherd or any dog I've had.. Sorry0
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If your saying we don't spend time with him or anything your wrong. He gets all of his exercise twice a day, we play with him all the time and never hit him or scream at him when he does something bad. He's been like this since the day we got him he's also completely terrified of water (besides what he drinks) we got him at 3 month's old. Maybe his dog issues and fear of water come from the people we bought him off of.A lot of dog's "issues" aren't their own, the issues actually come from the energy of their owners.
FACT.0 -
I've had this issue before, with a rescue that I adopted. Unfortunately, the only way I could stop her from tearing my house apart (she literally tore the carpet up from the floor) was to put her in her crate when I wasn't home. It worked, she seemed to calm down and that was like her safe place, but I tried to be home as much as I could so she wasn't stuck in there. Good luck! It can be really stressful, but it's worth finding a way to make the dog comfortable.0
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I am by no means an expert, but I did read about a training method where you use a clicker (or other sound device--consistency is key) every time you leave, so that he associates that sound with your leaving and it lets him know you're going to return. I don't really have this issue, so I'm not sure how well that works. You could also contact a local dog trainer and see if there's not something else that can be done. Good luck!0
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What I've done with both of my dogs, when they were puppies... I left something that had my smell on it when I left the house. Like a shirt I had slept in. When I leave, I don't make a big fuss over it, and when I come home, I don't make a big fuss over them. I wait until they calm down until I pet them or even acknowledge them. Try leaving something of yours for him... Just a shirt or a sock. Leave it on the couch or somewhere he sleeps. He'll be comforted until you come home.
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We have had two German shepherds. Ours is now almost 2 and we never had problems with either when we left. Can you confine him to a kitchen area or some other area when you are gone? How about leave for a few minutes ad come back and try to extend the time you are gone. How about a treat for him when you get home? Don't have any other ideas now. Hope you find your answer.0
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We've tried crate training, thought it was working and went to the store...and when we came home our neighbor (who we asked to listen and see if he still whined super loud) said he did the whole time we were gone. Mind you this was after at least 4 months of crate training him.I've had this issue before, with a rescue that I adopted. Unfortunately, the only way I could stop her from tearing my house apart (she literally tore the carpet up from the floor) was to put her in her crate when I wasn't home. It worked, she seemed to calm down and that was like her safe place, but I tried to be home as much as I could so she wasn't stuck in there. Good luck! It can be really stressful, but it's worth finding a way to make the dog comfortable.0 -
Part of the cost of dog ownership is training. I suggest you contact a highly qualified trainer with good references.0
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A lot of dog's "issues" aren't their own, the issues actually come from the energy of their owners.
FACT.
this is definitely true. good call.
We had two dogs...only one now. luckily neither really had the issues with that. Have you tried the crate thing? also, from what I have heard, try leaving them for a short time, then come back. then leave a bit longer the next time, come back. etc etc...so you gradually build up. he/she realizes you will eventually come home.
Do you walk her/him often? I know from some destructive dogs or anxious dogs, they aren't getting enough exercise. Also, dog park always doesn't cut it. they are meant to go walk...and walk far (or run). a tired dog is a happy dog. that really might help...although I'm just assuming here.
how is your energy? how is your partner's energy?
also, did you just get the dog from a rescue or have had for awhile?
I know how frustrating it can be. We had two rescue dogs...one was from a very abusive situation. luckily he was okay - but the dogs fought at first..which was stressful. so I know dealing with dog issues can be stressful. Feel free to PM me....I'm no expert, but can offer what I know.
good luck.0 -
Tried, our kitchen isn't closed off so we left him in our bedroom once. Which is quite large, and he tore a big section of carpet up trying to get out.We have had two German shepherds. Ours is now almost 2 and we never had problems with either when we left. Can you confine him to a kitchen area or some other area when you are gone? How about leave for a few minutes ad come back and try to extend the time you are gone. How about a treat for him when you get home? Don't have any other ideas now. Hope you find your answer.0 -
I have a similar problem with my dog. I have read a lot of books that talk about this issue. They say that you should give them something fun to do while you are gone. Like bully sticks to chew on, they have dog toys that you put treats in them and the dog has to try and figure our how to get them out. If you can teach your dog to search for toys and stuff, then you can hide some around the house/yard before you go. They say that they will be so excited about the game and the treats, that they wont think of you leaving as a bad thing. I hope that makes sense and helps.0
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Been training him since the day we got him. This is his only problem. As for getting a good trainer we don't have the money for that right now. In the process of buying a housePart of the cost of dog ownership is training. I suggest you contact a highly qualified trainer with good references.0 -
Has he always been like this or is this new behavior?0
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He's been like this since we got him at 3 month's old. When my bf would leave for work he would sit at the door and whine for at least a half hour. No matter what I did to calm him down it never worked.Has he always been like this or is this new behavior?0 -
If your saying we don't spend time with him or anything your wrong. He gets all of his exercise twice a day, we play with him all the time and never hit him or scream at him when he does something bad. He's been like this since the day we got him he's also completely terrified of water (besides what he drinks) we got him at 3 month's old. Maybe his dog issues and fear of water come from the people we bought him off of.A lot of dog's "issues" aren't their own, the issues actually come from the energy of their owners.
FACT.
I think what the person meant was your actual energy. So if a nervous person has a dog, that dog tends to me nervous. I know my dog is so senstive that even when I'm stressed or anxious (i.e. watching the world series game last night) she could tell something was wrong and instantly went and tried to hide behind my wife.
dog's can pick up HUGELY on energy - even if you dont think you are expressing it. It's just something to be aware of.
but it could be from the original owners and the dog's upbringing as well.
I would recommend finding a really solid dog trainer and go from there.
you could also google cesar milan's site and see if he has any tips.0 -
Not sure what they are called but there are some vests that dogs wear that helps with anxiety, if you google pet anxiety they should come up. I know they help with storm anxiety not sure about seperation anxiety.0
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Neither one of us are nervous around and have positive energy. But I'll look up his site, completely forgot about it.
If your saying we don't spend time with him or anything your wrong. He gets all of his exercise twice a day, we play with him all the time and never hit him or scream at him when he does something bad. He's been like this since the day we got him he's also completely terrified of water (besides what he drinks) we got him at 3 month's old. Maybe his dog issues and fear of water come from the people we bought him off of.A lot of dog's "issues" aren't their own, the issues actually come from the energy of their owners.
FACT.
I think what the person meant was your actual energy. So if a nervous person has a dog, that dog tends to me nervous. I know my dog is so senstive that even when I'm stressed or anxious (i.e. watching the world series game last night) she could tell something was wrong and instantly went and tried to hide behind my wife.
dog's can pick up HUGELY on energy - even if you dont think you are expressing it. It's just something to be aware of.
but it could be from the original owners and the dog's upbringing as well.
I would recommend finding a really solid dog trainer and go from there.
you could also google cesar milan's site and see if he has any tips.0 -
I have a female min pin that has seperation anxiety. She chewed a huge hole in our guest bathroom wall because we put her in there when we leave. We got a kennel to put her in now so she doesnt tear anything else up while we are away.0
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Been training him since the day we got him. This is his only problem. As for getting a good trainer we don't have the money for that right now. In the process of buying a housePart of the cost of dog ownership is training. I suggest you contact a highly qualified trainer with good references.
Perhaps you should realize that your training methods are not working. I agree that part of the cost you incur when taking on the responsibility of a dog IS proper training. You chose to bring this dog in as a part of your family, it is your responsibility to make it a priority and see it through 100%.0 -
I also heard - (which is very hard to do) is not make a big deal when you leave the house OR come home. So when he./she comes flying up to you wanting pets etc, when you come home. if you start petting him/her you are rewarding that excited behaviour.
same with leaving. try to not make it a big deal when you leave.
I'd start with trying the short intervals. Leave for 10 minutes. come back. leave for 30 minutes. come back. leave for an hour. come back. try this in one day...might help.0 -
He listens to everything he was taught, except for this. And as for taking responsibility for him. We do 100% he's treated like a child. He has lots of toys, dog treats, we buy him grain free food (orijen is our current choice 80 bucks a bag) we never yell at him when he does something bad. we're civil and calm about it as to we dont' want to scare him. We dont' hit him or anything like that. I'm actually quite offended that you would say we weren't good owners and our training doesn't work.
Been training him since the day we got him. This is his only problem. As for getting a good trainer we don't have the money for that right now. In the process of buying a housePart of the cost of dog ownership is training. I suggest you contact a highly qualified trainer with good references.
Perhaps you should realize that your training methods are not working. I agree that part of the cost you incur when taking on the responsibility of a dog IS proper training. You chose to bring this dog in as a part of your family, it is your responsibility to make it a priority and see it through 100%.0 -
That is something we haven't tried. But it is super hard to ignore an 80lb dog jumping at you when you come home lolI also heard - (which is very hard to do) is not make a big deal when you leave the house OR come home. So when he./she comes flying up to you wanting pets etc, when you come home. if you start petting him/her you are rewarding that excited behaviour.
same with leaving. try to not make it a big deal when you leave.
I'd start with trying the short intervals. Leave for 10 minutes. come back. leave for 30 minutes. come back. leave for an hour. come back. try this in one day...might help.0 -
A lot of dog's "issues" aren't their own, the issues actually come from the energy of their owners.
FACT.
Absolutely. A lot of separation anxiety is deeply rooted in the way the dog was treated/raised as a puppy....this isn't saying you did ANYTHING wrong. Plus, GSDs are a VERY high energy dog - are you giving him enough exercise?
If at all possible, seek the help of a professional - a reputable trainer or even better, an animal behaviorist (sounds like he's also dog agressive, which leads me to believe he may have several more issues that need to be dealt with) . Don't lean of medication to help with anxiety - it's a bandaid for a more serious problem.....I'm a licensed veterinary technician with 14 years experience and I tell people this ALL the time.
Good luck!0 -
He's not aggressive at all. Yeah sure he'll bark at you a ton but once you get close to him and let him smell you he'll start licking you and wanting you to pet him. He's a big babyA lot of dog's "issues" aren't their own, the issues actually come from the energy of their owners.
FACT.
Absolutely. A lot of separation anxiety is deeply rooted in the way the dog was treated/raised as a puppy....this isn't saying you did ANYTHING wrong. Plus, GSDs are a VERY high energy dog - are you giving him enough exercise?
If at all possible, seek the help of a professional - a reputable trainer or even better, an animal behaviorist (sounds like he's also dog agressive, which leads me to believe he may have several more issues that need to be dealt with) . Don't lean of medication to help with anxiety - it's a bandaid for a more serious problem.....I'm a licensed veterinary technician with 14 years experience and I tell people this ALL the time.
Good luck!0 -
We've tried crate training, thought it was working and went to the store...and when we came home our neighbor (who we asked to listen and see if he still whined super loud) said he did the whole time we were gone. Mind you this was after at least 4 months of crate training him.I've had this issue before, with a rescue that I adopted. Unfortunately, the only way I could stop her from tearing my house apart (she literally tore the carpet up from the floor) was to put her in her crate when I wasn't home. It worked, she seemed to calm down and that was like her safe place, but I tried to be home as much as I could so she wasn't stuck in there. Good luck! It can be really stressful, but it's worth finding a way to make the dog comfortable.
The fact the dog whined shouldn't deter you from crate training. Crate training is a very good training tool. Stick with it!!
You can't let the fact that a dog whines deter you from training him correctly or let it hit your soft spot - it means your heart is definately in the right place, but dogs NEED order and a gentle guiding hand They'll be better off for it! 0 -
He's not aggressive at all. Yeah sure he'll bark at you a ton but once you get close to him and let him smell you he'll start licking you and wanting you to pet him. He's a big babyA lot of dog's "issues" aren't their own, the issues actually come from the energy of their owners.
FACT.
Absolutely. A lot of separation anxiety is deeply rooted in the way the dog was treated/raised as a puppy....this isn't saying you did ANYTHING wrong. Plus, GSDs are a VERY high energy dog - are you giving him enough exercise?
If at all possible, seek the help of a professional - a reputable trainer or even better, an animal behaviorist (sounds like he's also dog agressive, which leads me to believe he may have several more issues that need to be dealt with) . Don't lean of medication to help with anxiety - it's a bandaid for a more serious problem.....I'm a licensed veterinary technician with 14 years experience and I tell people this ALL the time.
Good luck!
Very cool! GSDs are so awesome - my dad raised them and I grew up with them!!
Seriously though - the seperation anxiety should really be dealt with by a trainer/behaviorist....they are SUPER helpful because not only do they treat the dog, they train owners! They will help you guys know how to handle/train/communicate with him. They are an awesome resource.0 -
That is something we haven't tried. But it is super hard to ignore an 80lb dog jumping at you when you come home lolI also heard - (which is very hard to do) is not make a big deal when you leave the house OR come home. So when he./she comes flying up to you wanting pets etc, when you come home. if you start petting him/her you are rewarding that excited behaviour.
same with leaving. try to not make it a big deal when you leave.
I'd start with trying the short intervals. Leave for 10 minutes. come back. leave for 30 minutes. come back. leave for an hour. come back. try this in one day...might help.
i hear ya. my dog is 90 lbs. you just gotta try and ignore it. the thing I like about cesar milan is he thinks from the dog perspective, not human. so if he runs up and tries to tackle you when you are home (which is definitely cute and funny) and you accept this and pet him and cuddle him...then he thinks its the right thing to do. because in his mind you are rewarding that behaviour.
it's like a kid...you cannot give in. hold your ground....as hard as it might be.
once he calms down, then give him all the love!0
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