Simba's Anxiety problems

[dayspring39]

I for one want to hear the daily updates... thank you for sharing this experience with us Liz...
Kathleen

[Gentleladybear]

Liz if Bear is barking when I leave I walk back get my spray bottle use to give it a squirt, now I just set it in the door on the carpet...He looks at that bottle and goes to lay down. At first had to do that several times before he got the idea. Glad you are beginning to make some progress.

Nan

[Bethers]

Liz if Bear is barking when I leave I walk back get my spray bottle use to give it a squirt, now I just set it in the door on the carpet...He looks at that bottle and goes to lay down. At first had to do that several times before he got the idea. Glad you are beginning to make some progress.

Nan

Nan, that certainly sounds like something easy (and inexpensive) for Liz to try.

Liz, we are more than willing to listen. And, as you can see, try to give suggestions, too We care and you just keep venting here.

[WickedLady]

I am lucky enough not to have had this problem but have known others that did. One of them solved the problem by getting a second dog. Hope you can work this out. Don't give up too quickly. Maybe he just needs time to realize that you always come back.

[bertnspike]

I'm really sorry nothing has helped so far, but maybe you haven't given it long enough yet or are moving too fast. Not accusing, just asking. Susan

You are right, Susan. And that's why I'm giving it more time. Just you get to share the journey of day-to-day frustrations.....thanks for listening.

I can't wait to have the little pisser (Tico) in Music! I'll be able to catch him when it happens! He's been in her, but not for long and not out of sight.

Your Simba will get it, I'm sure. Best of luck.

[bluepinecones]

Hang in there, Liz and vent all you want. We are all pulling for great success with Simba.

[JoanE]

Liz if Bear is barking when I leave I walk back get my spray bottle use to give it a squirt, now I just set it in the door on the carpet...He looks at that bottle and goes to lay down. At first had to do that several times before he got the idea. Glad you are beginning to make some progress.

Nan

I was dog sitting my ex's Bichon. This dog is totally spoiled and is a barker. I tried squirting a spray bottle on him and it worked. By the time Art returned to pick him up, he was quiet in the house, would walk quietly on his leash, etc. He was a soggy dog for a while, but it did work eventually.

[VickieP]

We tried squirt guns once, the cheap little Dollar Store ones...all they did was try to catch & drink the water. SHUT UP MITCH, they had plenty of water in their bowl!

[mitch5252]

We tried squirt guns once, the cheap little Dollar Store ones...all they did was try to catch & drink the water. SHUT UP MITCH, they had plenty of water in their bowl!

They were probably trying to get the taste of your cooking out of their mouths.

..

[Nasoosie]

Hi there Liz and Simba.

I had no idea until I read through these posts just how serious and extensive is Simba's separation anxiety. I can imagine you are at your wit's end, Liz! Whatever you do, don't stop posting about your endeavors and about Simba's behavior, because you might think we are not interested. All (or most) of us have dogs, and all of us have had to face problems with them, so the interest is certainly there. It's interesting that some progress is being made, witnessing the night of calm sleeping after playing, and his opting to go into his crate by himself----I consider that a real and positive step!

Now then, after seeing Wendy's Pepper on a doggy tranquilizer, which made him calm, happier, much less anxious and nervous and neurotic about anything-he honestly seemed like a totally different dog-----I would not rule out the possibility of using drugs for at least an interval to see if that helps to calm him. My son and Melissa and all of us at the FL GTG couldn't believe the difference in Pepper's behavior after his meds! It was shocking how much sweeter and happier he was! Sometimes calmness needs to be practiced with chemical help before a soul can practice it on its own.

I can only begin to imagine just how frustrated you must be. Just don't get down on yourself----after all, with your thundershirt on and a bottle of Prozac at your beck and call, you could become ecstatic in no time at all!! Finding a place where Simba can run his little legs off now and then might be a key to helping him re-direct his anxiety to physical expenditure, allowing him some relaxation. Before calling it a day, as much as I fight the use of drugs in most cases, as in the drugging of hyperactive kids, sometimes the chemicals work like a charm and save the day for all concerned. If the use of drugs can make a soul's life happier and calmer, I say go for it. I will be looking for the latest updates about you both!

And Alice, I know you, too, are in the same boat. I can hear it in your typed words about Abby. It breaks my heart as I know it does yours.

[AliceM]

I'm tuning in to this channel on a daily basis for updates. Don't touch that dial!

How are YOU holding up Liz? I swear this stuff is harder on the "mom" than the furry four legged one.

Abby got a shock collar today. I know.. I know... not all are fans of such things.. I wasn't either. Its one possible setting is just a beep. Other settings are ten levels of shock. I have a hard time feeling level one.

Its just to get her attention.. not to punish so the settings are low.

Her trainer is hoping that abby will remember the collar from training and after just one use.. just having the collar -on- will be reminder enough to listen. Abby is headstrong. Its hard to get her attention once she has focused in on something.. or unfortunately, another dog.

I left Abby alone for about an hour yesterday in the yard and she didn't chew the fence down. Good thing, just replaced a section from the last little anxiety issue she had. I am baffled why she did NOT chew. Did she understand that last time, it was a no-no and that it made me unhappy? Is she learning? Or was I just darn lucky?

I never realized how blessed I have been with all my other pets. None of them were super trained or anything. They just seemed to like being on a leash.. liked behaving. Everything came naturally.. wasn't a huge issue.

But I have hope. Liz - don't take this wrong.. don't wish you all this stress but it does help knowing I'm not alone with my "dog issues". Please keep posting.

Alice

[Acadianmom]

My DH's Border Collies have been trained with shock collars. My DH always puts one on to work cattle but seldom has to use it. It just reminds Hank to listen. When we first started with Border Collies my DH would buy these cute fuzzy puppies and they would do what they were bred to do, herd something. We didn't know anything about training dogs and we would end up giving them away because you couldn't control them. Trained dogs are expensive but worth it in the long run.

Martha

[BarbaraRose]

My DH always puts one on to work cattle but seldom has to use it.
Martha

So, how well does it work when he puts it on the dog? (Might be a new way to control husbands!)

[Acadianmom]

Don't give me any ideas. There are times I would like to use one on DH and son.

Martha

[Liz]

I'm tuning in to this channel on a daily basis for updates. Don't touch that dial!

How are YOU holding up Liz? I swear this stuff is harder on the "mom" than the furry four legged one.
Alice

I do believe that things are improving. Of course it's hard to tell for sure, because I haven't left him much. On Monday when I was helping Birdie transfer her "stuff" to her new rig, he stayed in his crate in my rv. I went to check on him and take him out for a walk several times. Sometimes he was quiet when I went back, sometimes he was barking. Didn't really have time to address it as a training session that day. Yesterday when it was raining all day, we were together in the rv. I started using the water spray bottle to control barking....that seems to get his attention. Just haven't tested that when leaving him yet, but am anxious to see how that goes.

Let us know how the shock-collar works for Abby. Wishing you success too, whatever it takes.