Bearded Collie With Anxiety Problems.

[Roger00713]

Hi.

I am in need of some urgent help with my Bearded Collie.

We have 2 female Beardies. Mishka (4 years old) and Mylie (6 months old).

Mishka was purchase by my wife as a puppy and did puppy school but never really took the training any further. She is a very anxious dog who has been known to jump over 2.4 meter fences at the sound of thunder as well as scratched a hole in our cedar door during another storm.

For the first 2 years Mishka lived with my wife before we were married. Even then she was very anxious but nothing was ever done about it. Due to moving into a rental when we were married we could no longer have Mishka living with us and she stayed at the same house with my brother in law. Beside feed her he never really did much else for her.

My wife would always go around there and walk her most days but she was then sent to the back yard to live.

Over the last 6 months we have spent more time than ever before with her in preparation for her coming to live with us in our new home which was under construction. We also got Mylie who is a perfect dog in almost every way and is very well trained. Still a puppy though. Inside the house they both respect and listen to me.

We moved into our house just over a week ago and have made it a priority to get concrete, fences and grass in the back yard so the dogs can spend the days out there whilst we are at work. This is still about 3 weeks away.

Whilst we are at work they are now having to live in the garage which between us is only 3.5 days.

The first time we left them in there which was only for 2 hours Mishka scratched the architrave and chewed a bit of the door. The second time (a full day) Mishka has ripped the entire door apart. I had never seen anything like it when i came home from work last night. 1 more day in there and she will have worked her way through the entire door.

When we are home she is a very well behaved and is great company.

My concern is that even once we can put them in the backyard they will still scratch at the back door as this is what she did at her old house. When she scratches she does so until she hurts herself.

I know there are training methods to help but they are all long term and i dont know how training is going to help when it when we arent home to train her that is the problem.

Any advice would be very much appreciated as we are at the point were we are thinking that our home might not be the best place for her anymore.

[Mollie10]

Contact a behaviourist to come and help you work with this little girl. She can't help the way she is behaving at the moment.

In the short term, I'd crate train her so she has a safe place to be so she can't harm herself.

[Roger00713]

Thanks for the response.

I have thought about crate training. I have organised a trainer to come out ASAP and in the meantime she is booked into the vet this afternoon for a consult and will probably start on anti anxiety medication whilst we help her work through it.

Hoping this will help.

[Cosmolo]

A good behaviourist will be able to help you to develop strategies you can implement when you are there as well as management strategies for when you are not there.

Whereabouts are you located? Is daycare an option for the meantime?

[Lady Flying Furball]

I hope it goes well with the trainer and vet and keep us posted.

[Loraine]

I have just posted something that may help you. It is about using melatonin for anxious dogs.

http://www.dolforums.com.au/index.php?showtopic=195931