Separation Anxiety

[Scottsmum]

Hi all,

This has potential to blow out to a long thread so I will try to keep it concise. Basically I need to know if we're on the right track / where we can improve dealing with S.A. So...

First two weeks 30 Nov 2013)- Bring Scottie home - good behaviour. Restricted access to house with use of baby gate at laundry door. Free access to back yard via external door. Only in house when under direct supervision. On mat in lounge, not allowed up stars, not allowed on furniture.

Weeks 3-4 - Learns to but out of baby gate, also learns to / shows us he know how to jump. We spend a large amount of energy trying to contain him while we're at work.

Give in and give free run of downstairs at night.

During this time;

He learns to pop the baby gate and come up stairs,

Starts vocalising at other some other dogs and in certain situations - never encouraged or rewarded

Cries / howls so badly the day we lock him out completely that the neighbours send a kid over the fence to check on him. Also did damage to the door and we rent so... thanks boy.

Weeks 5-6 starts getting fussy with food,

shows thunder phobic tendencies

follows me around the house when possible.

This last few days we've been locking him in the laundry (with "baby gate version 1 million - 1 meter high board) for slowly increasing amounts of time. We had it up to 5 hours. Then yesterday I popped out for about 3 hours to come home and find he'd jumped that too.

Other things - we're trying to work to the guidelines given to us by the shelter. No fussing over coming and going, desensitising him to our leaving routine -putting on shoes but not leaving immediately, picking up keys, opening the garage and not leaving at all.

I take him to Obedience class once a week (its on break at the moment) and I'm trying to encourage hubby to come along to that as I have noticed Scott is getting more clingy with me since we started going to that.

He also gets 2 walks a day

20-30 mins fetch in the AM at local footy grounds and

30+ minutes walk + fetch in one of 4 different parks of an evening.

I try to mix the AM routine up as much as possible while keeping in mind that we leave for work by about 8 am. All meals and the comfy dog bed are in the laundry. We hang out in there with him when possible. He goes there of his own free will when we're home.

I'm trying to moderate my behaviour as much as possible - be reserved and cool around him but it's hard as I want to shower affection on him (and he wants it back) and I am also the primary care giver and the one trying to teach him (really working on name, recall and sit at the moment). He's not at all food driven so lots of love is best reward / only reward he'll take sometimes. (This is the main driver behind wanting Hubby to start taking Ob class every other week - so we're both on the same page in terms of technique and they get some intensive one on one)

I've upped the barrier today - the baby gate on top of the board - I'd say it's approx 150cm now. Don't think he'll jump but I do have to be wary of him crying too as we're in a very built up area - some neighbours are great others won't tolerate long term crying. I was planning on giving him one day in, one day out and mixing it up until he is in 5 days a week. I have no problems ramping it up so he is in the laundry area 7 days a week if that helps establish rules.

There is no way to simply block his access to the carpeted areas of the house as I have said - he can "pop" the baby gate to get upstairs and the opening to the lounge is over a meter high so we'd need a huge board to block it. No doors on either area. Plus I suspect he'd be happy in the kitchen for a few weeks then the same behaviour would repeat. My main reason behind not wanting him to have free roam of the house is that I don't particularly want wet dog in my bed or lounge during winter and he has quite a strong body odour which leaves the house smelling "doggy" (working on that with diet. Not sure if he's improving or if we're getting used to the smell!)

So..... there you go. He's obviously used to having free run of the house where he last lived and he's formed an attachment to us very quickly but are we on the right track?

Is it only a matter of time or are we doing something very wrong?

Is there a better way?

I will crate if I have to but only as a last-ish resort. I would prefer to not medicate.

thanks

[Nekhbet]

He's new to the house, he's pushed HIS agenda to get what he wants and he's winnning. It's not SA it's a dog that's pushing to get what he thinks he's allowed hence you have to up the gate etc.

As for thunder, get a storm sounds CD, an old sub woofer and leave it on. Just like puppies. he'll be so sick of it he won't mind thunder if it was never a full blown problem.

I think get a crate and let him go in there. I know what you mean about the smell it can be from diet and also from a shelter/pound. Iodine shampoo for dogs/horses can help get rid of general bacteria that form that stench.

I think relax a bit more and don't worry so much about it. Yes they want to be near you and settling in can be a bit difficult, but just be yourselves. If you want to shower him with affection, well do it because that's why you got a dog! But don't do it to the point of manic behavior and heck, he still has to listen to you! Be firm but fair, don't be afraid to tell him off as well if he's really being naughty. Enjoy your dog!

[Scottsmum]

Thanks:) the thunder CD is a great idea

[Scottsmum]

Nekhbet - Any tips on him jumping the gate? At the moment I'm putting him out as soon as I find him in the house and re-securing the gate. No (other) "punishment" as such other than a stern "you're a naught boy" just being put straight back out until I'm calm enough to not want to kill him.

[persephone]

the gate needs to be HIGH . Each time a dog jumps/burrows out - the reward is there..and next time the dog will try harder ..

So - it is up to us to set our dog up for 'good behaviour" :) make it physically impossible ; (my 2 C worth)

[hankdog]

A roller type device on top of the board, if you google coyote rollers you'll get the general idea. I agree he's gradually setting his boundaries. Great Dane rescue website will give you some tips for dealing with the sep Anx and setting some good leadership in place. Your obedience work will be good for getting the relationship right too.

[Scottsmum]

He stayed in!!!!!! (as an aside I had him in the office yesterday and he hurt himself playing fetch (my own fault) so I let him stay in the house today. Clearly I;m very consistent in my approach to training.