Simba's Anxiety problems

[Liz]

Staring a new thread to receive any and all ideas to help Simba. His biggest behavior issue seems to be separation anxiety (that the rescue org. Assured me he did not have)
Symptoms:
immediate panic and incessant barking whenever I leave him inside the rv.
Running back and forth to the windows and pawing at the screens. (this last one caused me to buy a crate.)
Will go in the crate on his own and lay on his bed if the door is open. If I close the door, he gets agitated and starts barking and pawing at the door. He has even bent the bars almost enough to get his head out. I had to use Robogrips (thanks, Sarah) to bend them back into place.

Things I've tried:
Taking him for a long walk ( 1 hour this morning) to tire him out before putting him in the crate. Leaving him with a yummy chew toy or kong filled with a favorite treat. (he ignores it until I get back , then wants it)
Going out and coming in every few seconds, a couple of minutes, up to 15 minutes so he sees that I leave and come back.
Ignoring him when I come in until he is quiet and calm in he crate, before greeting him and letting him out.
Rewarding him for being quiet even if only 10 seconds....which is about his limit.

I realize he is still a puppy (10 months) and is going to chew. So he has chew toys which is the only thing I saw him chewing until last night. He had been spending the night quietly on the floor beside the bed, or in his crate with the door open. I don't let him sleep on the bed with me because 1 there's not a lot of room, 2 Bandit gets up there in the night,3 I think I have a little allergy issue and don't want him that close at night. Last night he apparently got up on the couch and chewed up Bandit's harness which was there and one of my power cords which was charging my MiFi. I didn't blame or punish him, but will not be able to leave him free to roam in the rv at night any more.

So I asked the vet about meds...and m going to try that along with training for a month and see if they help. I am frustrated more at myself than at Simba, because I obviously don't know what to do.

[Liz]

Sorry Susan ...but we are on a roll here. Liz just because he spills it and tries to bury it doesn't mean you don't keep feeding him in the crate.... Remi... when Remi first got here and even now sometimes when he is traveling he would/will ignore several meals offerings in a row....but then surprise surprise I would hear the crunch crunch and find an empty bowl.....

The hardest part is for you to remain calm through all the "panic" he spews out. He will read the anxiety in your body and voice faster than you can imagine. Be Zen..... and I am glad that the vet gave some meds for you to try while you are reteaching him....

Started a new topic so we won't steal this thread anymore. Ok, back in the crate goes his food...and you only leave it about 10 minutes you say? So far, I have remained very calm and cleaned up his messes without comment. Trying to reinforce the good behaviors and ignore the bad. Hard to keep on ignoring the barking when it may be disturbing others besides me. Maybe I need to go boondock someplace for a few days.

[Bethers]

Just lost my response. Not writing it all again - but here's some highlights.

I hope the meds you got can help get Simba used to the crate with the door shut. And the more he gets used to it with you in there - knowing he's safe, etc - then he should be able to get more used to you leaving. Having had a dog with terrible separation anxiety - I feel terrible for you. I'm lucky that TIps got Moxie over her - and even luckier that my husband agreed with getting a 2nd dog - when we had no clue whether it would help or make things worse. In our case, it made things worse. 3 vets suggestions and a trainers didn't work - but Tips did.

And it's about time you got those Robo Grips! I became a believer the first time Carolyn showed them - she's the one we all need to give the kudos for those too - although Sarah works if she convinced you!

[mitch5252]

..

http://www.sessionswithcesar.com/lessons/anxiety.aspx

Don't know a thing about this site...but I love Cesar.

Here's one that's free: http://www.cesarsway.com/newsandevents/videos/Cesars-Class-on-Separation-Anxiety-Part-1

..

[Liz]

Just lost my response. Not writing it all again - but here's some highlights.

I hope the meds you got can help get Simba used to the crate with the door shut. And the more he gets used to it with you in there - knowing he's safe, etc - then he should be able to get more used to you leaving. Having had a dog with terrible separation anxiety - I feel terrible for you. I'm lucky that TIps got Moxie over her - and even luckier that my husband agreed with getting a 2nd dog - when we had no clue whether it would help or make things worse. In our case, it made things worse. 3 vets suggestions and a trainers didn't work - but Tips did.

And it's about time you got those Robo Grips! I became a believer the first time Carolyn showed them - she's the one we all need to give the kudos for those too - although Sarah works if she convinced you!

Sarah got me the Robogrips...I never did see them in a store.

[longdog2]

If you have already gone to the vet and they gave you some medication, that fits in with what I was able to google on separation anxiety in dogs.
There is some good stuff here on separation anxiety. This one talks about a treatment plan for his dog http://www.dog-obedience-training-review.com/separation-anxiety-in-dogs.html Hope some of this helps but I'm afraid everything says it will take some time.

[Liz]

If you have already gone to the vet and they gave you some medication, that fits in with what I was able to google on separation anxiety in dogs.
There is some good stuff here on separation anxiety. This one talks about a treatment plan for his dog http://www.dog-obedience-training-review.com/separation-anxiety-in-dogs.html Hope some of this helps but I'm afraid everything says it will take some time.

Lot's of good reading and suggestions. Thanks, everybody. I may try the clicker training sequence on this site....have to get a clicker.

BTW...Simba is quiet in his closed crate at the moment. Cross your fingers that he stays that way when I go to bed. I gave him one of my smelly socks to sleep with, as one site suggested. haha.

[bertnspike]

Try a Thundershirt. Seriously. It "swaddles" the dog and relieves some of the body's response to stress, allowing the dog to be more relaxed. Put it on him when you're gonna be around for a while and see if it doesn't change his behavior. If it does, try leaving him. You say he's young; it could be that he has separation anxiety because he just doesn't know what to do without the pack leader. His anxiety enhances his physical sensitivity and off he goes, and the more frantic he gets the worse it gets. Blocking physical sensitivity with the Thundershirt can help him learn to control himself.

It made an amazing difference in my Solo's behavior. I got it for thunderstorms and fireworks, but she's a different dog altogether with it on. She's calmer and much more amenable to correction. She also lets the other 3 dogs stay calm!

[Bethers]

Try a Thundershirt. Seriously. It "swaddles" the dog and relieves some of the body's response to stress, allowing the dog to be more relaxed. Put it on him when you're gonna be around for a while and see if it doesn't change his behavior. If it does, try leaving him. You say he's young; it could be that he has separation anxiety because he just doesn't know what to do without the pack leader. His anxiety enhances his physical sensitivity and off he goes, and the more frantic he gets the worse it gets. Blocking physical sensitivity with the Thundershirt can help him learn to control himself.

It made an amazing difference in my Solo's behavior. I got it for thunderstorms and fireworks, but she's a different dog altogether with it on. She's calmer and much more amenable to correction. She also lets the other 3 dogs stay calm!

I don't know why I didn't think about that. Never thought of it for separation anxiety - but bet it would work.

[kdmac]

I found this from Ceasar....you may already have this.
I am certain I am unable to consistantly do all the things required to train a dog. Some of the things he suggests are just contrary to us lovely kissey-face pet owners...but of course, Ceasar's methods likely are spot on...

It occurred to me that Simbas "environment" and those associated smells change everyday...But I expect that isn't too big of a deal. It's you, Bandit and the RV that are his constants, so maybe it isn't an issue.

Best of luck with your wee little fellow.






http://www.cesarsway.com/tips/dogtraini ... tin-Deeley

[bikerchic777]

Rags seems to be OK when I leave, but he is SO EXCITED when I get home!!! He jumps on me and barks like crazy! I have started putting the leash on him before I get all the way in the door so I can tug it when he jumps or barks. It seems to get him through the few minutes it takes to calm down. When he is calm, I take off the leash and give him a treat and pet him. I'm hoping with time, he will realize he needs to tone it down. I'm thinking of borrowing a friend's citronella bark collar. It works for his dogs. I tried the one that makes a high pitched sound when Gizmo and Rags were younger, but it would either move off of their voice box or they would get so used to it that they could ignore it. This barking thing is more recent. Strange how they change habits. The exercise is very important. You may even need to have Simba run next to you on a bike to get tired enough. Rags gets a long walk in the morning and when I work at the swap meet and I don't have time, Ken continues the walk with Rags when I have to head off to work, and he drops him off at home and feeds him. All dogs are different, but I do know Ceasar is right when he says it's the owners who need to be trained

[Liz]

Try a Thundershirt. Seriously. It "swaddles" the dog and relieves some of the body's response to stress, allowing the dog to be more relaxed. Put it on him when you're gonna be around for a while and see if it doesn't change his behavior. If it does, try leaving him. You say he's young; it could be that he has separation anxiety because he just doesn't know what to do without the pack leader. His anxiety enhances his physical sensitivity and off he goes, and the more frantic he gets the worse it gets. Blocking physical sensitivity with the Thundershirt can help him learn to control himself.

It made an amazing difference in my Solo's behavior. I got it for thunderstorms and fireworks, but she's a different dog altogether with it on. She's calmer and much more amenable to correction. She also lets the other 3 dogs stay calm!

Thunder shirt is on my list. Going to San Marcos today where there's a PetSmart and a Walmart.

[JoanE]

I tune classical music on my radio (not too loud) when I leave my rig and give Maggie a treat. Maggie just goes to sleep.

[Liz]

Update:
It was apparent after Simba's last outside potty break at bedtime that he was going to bark in the crate all night. I stood by the crate and ignored him until he was calm and quiet, so as not to reinforce the barking, then calmly moved the crate to the place beside my bed where he wanted to be. He remained calm and quiet all night. yay!

So, he wants/ thinks he needs to be right by me. The plan at night is to move the crate beside the bed, and when he is cool with that for a few nights, I will start to move the crate little by little until he is comfortable staying in it where it usually stays up between the seats. In my rv that's only about 12 feet away from me...sheesh. Hopefully that will take care of crate training when I'm here with him. This morning after his first trip outside, I put his food inside the crate....and sprinkled a few crumbs of his favorite treat on it. He ate most of it without dumping it. When he stopped eating, I removed the bowl and let him out to be with me for awhile.

Thanks for all the links and suggestions. I plan to try them all and hope something works...I know it will take time.

[AliceM]

Keep us posted Liz as I am following this topic with personal interest .. to apply at home with Abby. The rescue group told me that Abby was leash trained, like to ride in cars, got along with other dogs and was a rather calm dog even though a mixed chocolate lab. None of which close to being what Abby is really like. Abby was just sick. Once healthy, her true colors became apparent. Due to aggression issues, Abby isn't camping ready.

I didn't think we had a major issue of separation anxiety...even though dealing with a long list of other problems. But lo and behold, Abby is now getting very destructive when I'm gone...even for short periods of time. She recently chewed through a wood fence. This is new behaviour for her. I use to just toss her in the yard to play when I went to the store.

My mind is ready to throw in the towel, but my heart tells me that Abby and I are family.. and will work this through. My money is on you and Simba.

Alice