Ok- Lets Have Some Fun!

[~Shepherd~]

I dont think the fact that some rescues have many homes, helps much either.

Loulou came to me when she was 18 months, her family just didnt want her anymore.

Knowing her now, that must have been terrible for her.

She is a one person dog.

She has many issues, but we seem to be working out her SA.

I am wondering how us moveing to our own home will affect her.

Will I have to start again.

Any suggestions?

IMO a change of environment is probably a good thing. Clean slate, and you could possibly be leaving the triggers at your old place.

[Aidan]

Hmm. I don't agree that SA is always created by the owners. I have 2 dogs - only one of them suffers from SA. It is generally manageable because her main trouble is when she is separated from our other dog. But when the other dog is out (with me, or at the vet or whatever) she either needs to be with one of us, or she is utterly distraught. Cries and cries and cries and doesn't stop. It's not payback - she is genuinely riddled with anxiety.

We are dreading the day when our other dog dies - not just because we'll lose him but also because of what it could do to her.

It's not us. We're not fuss-pot owners. She's just wired up that way.

was it always this way? from the day you added a 2nd dog?

With this line of enquiry, just keep in mind that attachment needs to occur first. This will rarely be something that occurs on day 1, and may even take months.

Zug Zug, it might be worth using the "Calming Yo Yo" exercise outlined in this article: http://www.clickertraining.com/node/1556

In your situation you would tether the dog suffering from SA and have your other dog on leash with you. I would make it at least a daily exercise.

[W Sibs]

Charlie doesn't have SA.

When I leave work in the morning, even before I walk out of the door, he will either goes into his bed in the living room and make himself comfortable to go back to sleep or eating on his treat before I go. This is after our usual/normal morning walk, our breakfast and some play/training session.

When I come home.. I get a happy greeting (no hyper excitement at all).. we have a mini play session (more for me then for him because I've missed him), but after that he is happy to be left alone while I change out of my work clothes etc.

When he was a puppy... he would get nervous if I left (he is my shadow), but I ignored it. He has learned that I'll always come back home to him. I will leave for a few hours at a time at the beginning, and he use to whine for about a few minutes and settles down. When I come home, I totally ignore him till he calms down and then I'll invite him over to play and for cuddles.

[rastus_froggy]

My Stimpy had SA when I got her, but I believe I helped to create it. I found her (while walking a friends dog) dumped in a cage, it was a freezing cold day and she was climbing the mesh of the cage screaming her little lungs out, I opened the cage took her out and tucked her inside my jumper to warm her up and then walked back to my friends house to take their dog home and then returned to my house.

Stimpy became VERY comfortable with me in this time. The next day I called the people on her microchip and they said they had given her away (which I didn't really believe but later I found out it was true).

Stimpy stayed with me while I was advertising to find her owners, everytime I left the house she would scream, scratch the front door to bits and chew anything she could get her teeth into. After just one day she was crated everytime I had to leave the house.

I believe she stressed so much due to being dumped at least twice prior to coming to me. We have worked through these issues and she is now a very happy little dog and can be easily left at home alone (although she is still a lot happier to see me when I get home than my other dogs are).