Anxiety Etc And Meds

[Garden Girl]

Hi all - this is from a person on another site I visit (not dog related).

Any suggestions from the wealth of DOL knowledge?? The meds are for anxiety and the person hopes its a short term thing only. The dog is mixed breed about 3 years old and this behaviour started after her twins were born.

"Hi everyone, i posted about my dog popeye here a few weeks ago and since then we have put him on medication after seeing an animal behaviourist (Roberts Stabler) that used to be a vet and now focus on this but also works at the rspca part-time. he seems like he definitely know what he is doing, he's excellent actually.

he told us that popeye has noise phobias as the major problem and then on top of that he also has anxiety and fear aggression, he recommended for popeye to take medications (he started 3 days ago and meds seems to be working wonderfully).

anyway my question is has anyone had the same/similar experience as my family in terms of putting a dog on meds with these problems. if so, was it a success? or a failure?

i am really anxious about it , we have 2 boys (15 months old) and popeye could most likely hurt them by running over them when he gets scared. I don't think he will attack the boys as he is really really good with them, he display the fear aggression with strangers only. but to keep my mind at ease we decided to replace the baby gate with a solid screen door instead so that when popeye get scared he will not be able to jump over it and possibly land or trample on the boys.

i am really feeling very positive about this decision but i just need to hear some stories, preferably the great ones but also would like to know about the disappointing ones just in case this is the one that we end up with.

i hope and pray that we made the right decision

i would also like to get some tips on how to manage these behaviours .

thanking you all in advance. "

[Nekhbet]

are they doing regular training and behavior modification sessions as well or just meds? Are they developing a routine for the dog and clear, concise rules and expectations?

And what meds is he on? Some medications are simply the cork in the proverbial bottle, owner is lulled into a false sense of security that the dog is 'cured'. Pull the dog off the meds and BANG emotional explosion.

Meds are only a tool not a cure. THe dog needs a lot of training and a routine set if the meds are to do their job properly - they are reducing the brainless panic and allowing the family to get through to the dog. Lifetime medicating for me is not something I like or encourage as a healthy thing (having a mother on them is hard enough and they dont help, they mask)

[Jigsaw]

Robert Stabler is a veterinary behaviourist (just to clarify the OP).

[Nekhbet]

I know but sometimes little behavior modification is included.

This dog obviously has anxiety. What brings on anxiety - sudden loud noises and lack of stability in the dogs mind.

Sometimes set routines can help lessen the severity of anxiety, and firm leadership can help as well. Medication is not a fix in my books its a start. Being a person with anxiety issues to balloons and loud noises I know what the dog is going through My OH doesnt cuddle me he takes my hand and says 'we're coping with this, you are fine'. The same needs to be done with the dog, it needs structure and some things is KNOWS it can cope (safe crate, reactions etc)

[Rappie]

I have worked briefly with Robert Stabler - he does an excellent job. I would fully expect that the medications are only one part of the treatment plan for this dog. Medication isn't a solution, it facilitates behavioural modification by reducing anxiety levels and thus increases the potential for success. Realistically, it's difficult to 'fix' issues like this, but the aim is to give the dog (and owner) the skills to cope with situations a lot better.