Omar has seperation anxiety

PeanutAndOmar · 10-18-2009, 04:05 PM

Hi there --

I have been thru so much with him on this.

He is very stubborn. We hired a personal trainer to help, and it is helping. We are making command progress. He's great on the leash, learning to sit and stay, adjusting slowly to the crate.

But if I leave the room, he is velcro. And if i leave the house, oh...my...gawd. Boxes of cereal and rice and ramen noodles all over the floor, scratching and biting himself, pulling down the blinds, chewed up shoes, and very unhappy neighbors due to the barking and howling.

He's a bassett hound, so the howling is unbelievable.

So what I am doing so far:

He is on prozac now. Just started about 8 days ago...isn't working yet.
Got the DAP diffuser. No difference at all.
Frozen stuffed treats that get ignored unless I am there with him.
I ignore him for 15 minutes before i leave and after I get home (he will stay spaz until I give him attention...up to 30 minutes or more. He will continue to tear ass and howl until i acknowledge him)
Broke him of sleeping on the bed with me
Spending several 10-20 minutes time a day working on sit/stay
massage
benedryl
tons and tons of walks, play, exercize
crate training

i am at my wits end, and moving soon....terrified of alienating my neighbors in my new building. I've hired my son to come and sit him while i am at work for now. I don't know what else to do.

HELP!

Darkmoon · 10-18-2009, 04:24 PM

http://www.dogforums.com/3-dog-train...ty-what-s.html (Separation Anxiety The What's, Why's and How's)

A recently posted that topic. Take a look at it.

Have you had a thyroid test done to make sure this isn't medical?

Have you tried crate training him? A dog that can't get out of his crate can't damage your house. Or have you tried keeping him in one room? Have you tried to leave something like a towel or blanket that smells like you?

Prozac takes about a full month to start really being effective. You might want to try another all natural anti-anxiety med. Take a look in that link, there are a lot listed there.

PeanutAndOmar · 10-18-2009, 06:12 PM

I read it, thanks. I think I am doing all the right things. I feel bad for putting him on prozac, but he injures himself...and that is where i decided the risk of prozac was less than the risk of him causing himself serious harm. He chews his paws and ears, and scratches himself...not to mention the stress factor.

anyway, i am working hard on crate training him and it is just paying off today for the first time. He is in the living room in his crate, napping now. And I am in the bedroom! OMG its a miracle! Every 1/2 hr, i go give him a treat and every 1 hr, i let him out, check him, see if he needs to go potty. It's finally paying off. Now if i can sneak out of the house with him in there...oh man...what a miracle that would be. But if i go anywhere near the door, he gets up and starts whining....if i open it and go out, the howling and barking and running his cage starts

I hope i'm not judged for going with the prozac. After he chewed his paw into a bloody mess and scratched half his tummy hair off, i decided drastic measures were nessecary.

Oh and on the thyroid....they did a full blood work up and physical when they put him on the prozac. They said he is a healthy, handsome little boy. 8 months old.

driftgirl · 10-18-2009, 08:42 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by PeanutAndOmar

I read it, thanks. I think I am doing all the right things. I feel bad for putting him on prozac, but he injures himself...and that is where i decided the risk of prozac was less than the risk of him causing himself serious harm. He chews his paws and ears, and scratches himself...not to mention the stress factor.

anyway, i am working hard on crate training him and it is just paying off today for the first time. He is in the living room in his crate, napping now. And I am in the bedroom! OMG its a miracle! Every 1/2 hr, i go give him a treat and every 1 hr, i let him out, check him, see if he needs to go potty. It's finally paying off. Now if i can sneak out of the house with him in there...oh man...what a miracle that would be. But if i go anywhere near the door, he gets up and starts whining....if i open it and go out, the howling and barking and running his cage starts

I hope i'm not judged for going with the prozac. After he chewed his paw into a bloody mess and scratched half his tummy hair off, i decided drastic measures were nessecary.

Oh and on the thyroid....they did a full blood work up and physical when they put him on the prozac. They said he is a healthy, handsome little boy. 8 months old.

can I ask about the thyroid test? why? just curious.