Schnauzer Devotee

Would love that - thank you…..would you be willing to send the steps to my email address ? ….. [email protected] I would be most grateful….. Thank you No worries, Denise. I note you said that you have an appointment with the behaviour vet on Tuesday. I suggest that you do that first because a face-to-face assessment with the UQ behaviour vet, was our first step, too. There may be different aspects about individual dogs which need to be taken into consideration. I agree with HW about the need for an expert eye on a particular case. I'll still type out the steps we were given ... & will send it to you. But with the understanding they were based on an assessment of our dogs & their circumstances. So feel free, when working with your behaviorist vet, to accept or reject any bits or all. Of course I will press on with my appt. ..that is my priority and every dog is different just as we humans are...but I do believe there is not just one solution and sometimes a three pronged solution is best….I am using techniques that have held me in good stead with my other two Minis…but as Bridie was not raised by me from a pup I will need some expert advise which is what i will be getting on Tuesday…plus whatever follow up is required in addition to my constant reinforcement of the best strategies we choose to employ. She is a smart dog who is very responsive so I am confident things will improve.. Cheers Denise

Would love that - thank you…..would you be willing to send the steps to my email address ? ….. [email protected] I would be most grateful….. Thank you

Yes I have used then but our last girl Molly did not respond well to a Thundershirt…she was terrified of fireworks/storms etc and this got worse as she became elderly. We tried the Thundershirt but it did not work well….and I felt that the issue of overheating was a problem…we live in Vic and Melbourne summers can be brutal and invariably at that time of year is when there is a spike in fireworks activity ….although it is illegal !!!!! Thanks again :)

Thank you - bringing the other pup into the mix is not so much a tool to alleviate her anxiety..rather, we are a two dog family and having the pup was always in our plan.. Agree with the training aspect whilst walking..routinely ask her to sit calmly whilst waiting for traffic and safe passage across the road. But once more trust is established and in a safe place I will be pushing for her to stay and come on command which she will do in a controlled space, like the back yard. Thank you again and I may well PM you - I have an appointment with a Behaviour Vet on Tuesday…. Cheers Denise

You are so right…my other two did not have any issues I could not deal with….but gorgeous Bridie is a 'beautiful disaster' when it comes to being away from her leader…. Onward and upward…. Thanks again :)

Thank you and yes, crate training may be another option….in order to minimise her angst whilst being away from us…we actually do isolate her whilst we are home so she does not become too dependent…but I think that ship has sailed. We will persevere as she is perfect in every other way and we knew she had this issue when we took her on. Thanks again...

Yes - I agree - only deals with the symptoms not the cause…..

Hi - Bridie is 3yrs old and is our third Mini Schnauzer with our last girl Molly passing away last year aged 14… Bridie is a rescue dog and we have inherited her barking issues. She is a perfect wonderful example of the breed and we have her in training to iron out her issues and she is doing really well…..however….. As soon as we leave her she displays typical separation anxiety behaviours and barks incessantly until we return. Regrettably if we are not home we cannot correct this behaviour and indeed the barking is the reason she was surrendered in the first place. Our strategy thus far is to exercise her prior to our departure to wear her out….provide her with bones and toys to curb her boredom…..she has access to the house via a doggie door and the TV or radio is left on to provide company….she also has full access to a large back yard……my latest ploy is that I have fitted an Adaptil collar to see if this affects her anxiety any…it is only day 2 I am praying it helps.. I only work part time so she is not as alone as some dogs during the week and we are home bodies on the weekends. We are bringing a Mini Schnauzer pup into the mix in late Dec with the hope that company may settle her and make her feel less detached from the pack…noting the very worst thing a dog can experience it being away from the pack and its leader..in this case..that is me…. We adore the breed and its idiosyncrasies….but we are very concerned for her well being and state of mind and that of the neighbours who informed us that she barked for 5 solid hours whilst we were out for the evening ! Does anyone have any other ideas…next step is a corrective collar which is my least preferred option..but the thought of moving her on because of the barking is too much to bear…. Of note is the fact that her previous owner NEVER allowed her indoors EVER….so up until we got her in Sep she had NEVER been inside with the family..so understandably she is fearful and anxious…poor Bridie :-( I would be very grateful for some constructive input…. Thank you