1 yr old beagle- seperation anxiety that leads to pain.

4dogs3cats · 01-18-2008, 01:03 PM

My 1.5 yr old beagle boy Kody has BAD seperation anxiety. I have been off work on vacation for the last week and it got very bad during that time. I wasn't too surprised, but then it got worse. He is usually very good at sitting when I tell him to. He gets pushy at the front door, and tries to rush out the door before me. When he isn't coming with me, I tell him sit- stay, and give him a treat and leave. Its super cute because he sits there and figits, and whimpers a little, but stays. Lately he stays, but the second I move he rushes towards me and bites me. He drew blood on my arm 2 days ago. he has ripped my shirts by jumping up and grabbing them. I think it's because I was home for so long, but what was I supposed to do? hang out at starbucks all week to not throw him off his schedule??? I'll take a video of what he does to show you guys, but he whines, lunges at me, and bites.

he sleeps in between me and my fiance, and he stretched his feet out into Erik's back in the morning, so erik at night will push on kody and say he's "stretching" It bothers me because Kody gets very upset and gets nippy, and Erik stops when he nips at him. Could he be associating the two? Like could be be saying to himself- "Hmm when I bite daddy he stops pushing on me, so if I bite mommy, maybe she will stop leaving me." let me know guys

TooneyDogs · 01-18-2008, 01:16 PM

You said separation anxiety...the symptoms are inappropriate urination and defecation, chewing/digging, depression, inappropriate greeting howling/whining, circling and pacing (plus others) while the owner is away. It is a neurological disorder that is diagnosed and treated with prescription drugs. Are you also seeing these things along with what you described earlier? If you are, you will need to see a vet.

4dogs3cats · 01-18-2008, 01:22 PM

Well I have 4 dogs, and I just put down a new laminate floor, and one morning i woke up to 7 puddles. And sometimes I come home to puddles, but that has stopped because I started crating the big dogs. But with Kody, yes he howls when I'm gone, that annoying beagle howl. When I get home he jumps all over me, even if I only went to get the mail. Chance is destructive when I'm gone, he once ate a hole through my couch, but I'm not sure if Kody in involved with that. I know Kody is very attached to me, as I am him, but he doesnt let me leave the house.

Annamarie · 01-18-2008, 01:51 PM

is the beagle crated as well?

4dogs3cats · 01-18-2008, 01:57 PM

The 2 beagles don't get crated. I have 2 crates for the big dogs, and they get crated. But the beagles stay out, and kody has MUCH too much energy for a crate. I just switched schedules at work, I now have wed, thurs, and sat off, and on Wed and Sat I'm going to take all but Bailey hiking in the mountain by my house. (Bailey is a little chunky, and she needs to lose some weight by walking around the neighborhood b4 we can conquer a mountain.)

This is how a day goes. And this is only Monday Tuesday and Friday, my fiance is home every other day.

Wake up between 8-9:30am. Open the back door and let the 4 dogs play out back.

Leave the house at 10am for work. Close the back door, dogs now have access to doggie door to their 10X30ft pen. Chance and Moose put in crates.

Fiance gets home between 1pm-4pm. Lets the dogs out back to run around and play. Feeds them at 6 or 7.

I get home at 9pm, play with them out back, go to bed at midnight, with only Moose crated. (he pees on our waist high speakers at night if we leave him out.)

One thing that will be added is hiking 2 days a week and days we don't hike I will be walking them when I get home from work.

Tell me what else I should do.

Annamarie · 01-18-2008, 02:24 PM

for now the dogs aren't getting nearly enough excersize. the dog that has a lot of energy should still be crated while you're gone, since most likely he's just laying around the house anyway and it's really not that long for him to be crated. I personally would crate them all.

as long as you're adding power walks and hikes that should help with the energy.

4dogs3cats · 01-18-2008, 02:32 PM

Yeah, I only have the 2 crates right now, can't really afford any more for the time being. And since they are behaving while I'm actually gone, it didnt bother me to leave the beagles out. Kody is very vocal, and it would take some intense training to teach him not to bark in his crate. Maybe next vacation! haha. i will update you guys when I start taking them out more. Its too hard to take all 4 dogs together. I am working on training them to walk nicely, but its gets hard with the 4 of them. My mom is going to come hiking with me on saturdays. So we can easily bring 3 dogs, as Moose doesnt need his leash at all. I wanna stay in shape cuz I'm getting married in October, wanna make sure that dress fits! haha