Rosie Seems To Actually Be Getting More Anxious...

[Steph M]

We've had Rosie for about 6 months now and she's been an absolute barrel of laughs. She's so sweet and funny and always up for a chat, but she's always been fairly anxious about certain things.

We've tried to positively charge these things by making games of them, or making them treat-worthy occasions or redirecting her to do something she can do well and praising her but it seems we've hit a wall and gone as far as that can take us.

The most pressing problem is her stealing things. Everything is fair game. Undies, socks, clothes, their water bowls and food bowls, shopping bags as you're unloading them, even a can of hair mousse I was using once. I put it down and looked away and POOF it was gone.

Once these things make it outside she systematically destroys them. The easy answer would be to deny her access, but it's not simply when we aren't home, it's when you turn your back for a moment she's got something. I'm really wearing out having to constantly have one eye open, so to speak. I can't really relax and do the dishes or even have her sit on a cushion by the computer like Gus does, she's always off and scheming to find 'things'

When she can't take something out to destroy, she will find something outside. Be it a toy, part of the fence, the lawn or the hoses to our brand new washing machine when it was delivered and left under the carport. Anything is fair game. She will take washing off the line or generally be a terror.

A lot of it is being a young dog I gather, but enough has to be enough.

I keep her as busy as we can. She gets an hour of free running a day, two ten-twenty minute training sessions a day, she eats her dinner and breakfast from kongs and puzzle toys and I make a point of a game of something out the back for 20 minutes or so every day. She's pretty high energy, but she will come home from an hour of obedience and a big hour long run at the creek behind it on a Saturday morning and walk through the house with what we call her 'sneaky face' on and make a beeline for the bedroom for something to nick.

I really can't work out why she does it. It feels like under stimulation and boredom should be the answer, but there's no pattern or reason.

We have tried cardboard boxes to destroy, things she's allowed to have and wreck and she does, then moves onto the next thing.

We do try to send her to doggie daycare once a week, but that's an expensive habit and it doesn't change things, just gives us all a day of respite. No one walks out the back with baited breath to see what needs fixing today. Haha.

I really hate feeling like I resent her, but sometimes I'll go have a shower and come out and she's actually dug up a small tree in the yard and has been towing it around the lawn, or I've left her in out of the rain and she's shredded a photo album all over the rug. It makes it very hard to do anything.

The secondary issue, and the more anxiety based one is that she is quite honestly afraid of everything. Everything.

Rubbish bags send her into a shaking drooling frenzy, so does the rain (she will actually freeze up and not walk in the rain. Many a time have I had to carry her home)and thunder, we won't even go there with the thunder. She's dug up all our lino once when we couldn't get home before the thunder and made the 'mistake' of leaving the laundry door open for her (they do have a big deck too) which was a rookie mistake.

The list of what she doesn't fear is shorter than what she does. Loves kids, women and food (although she wouldn't ever take food from the hand of anyone but us, not even if it was bacon!)

My brother is a particular concern to her. From the very start she has been petrified of him. He's tried everything, throwing food down for her and not looking at her, we've tried having him play with Gus (she will skirt around the sides and not let him near her, but want to get involved) he's come for walks with us and she just freezes up, we've tried him ignoring her and not so long ago we got called away to see Brooke's family and he housesat for us and she wouldn't eat, spent her whole time pacing the hall and refusing to walk past the closed door of the room he was in.

We're not sure quite what to do when we have to go away, he lives with mum so she can't go stay there, wouldn't put her in a traditional kennel as she'd likely go mad and can't well lump her on friends or sitters knowing she's so destructive.

She relies very heavily on the presence of other dogs to bolster her confidence, so we spend a fair bit of time training them separately, taking them out separately and engaging with them on their own but she really does sort of shut down without Gus. We took her to a BBQ at a friends the other week and she just sat in a garden bed looking sad until we gave up and took her home. If Gus had been there or another dog present, she's the life of the party!

We've spent months working our butts off and every time I think we're making headway, a new phobia pops up and we're back to square one, or we'll go back to one I thought we had licked.

I hate to feel like I resent her as I really do love her to bits, but we're running low on ideas and she is costing a small fortune in time and money. Not to mention I'm pretty sure I'm headed for an early grave, it rains and I panic internally. If she got out she would just be gone and in such a flap.

I was talking to Brooke today after she smashed a record of 3 new pot plants I left on the table outside while I showered and I said if I'd known all this when we adopted her I wouldn't have taken her in, which isn't to say we want to get rid of her or anything, simply that had I known it would have been different. We manage her as best we can, we do love her and she's generally a happy dog. She just makes life hard for us. Haha.

Anyway, this is the beast in question at Day Care the other week, where apparently she is a total angel and the guy seems to think I'm crackers when I tell him of her laundry list of issues.

Edited March 7, 2014 by Steph M

[Salukifan]

Have you considered a consult with a veterinary behaviourist?

A lot of this behavior sounds obsessive. I don't know Rosie's background but I would be wondering about a genetic component to this.Another option is total lack of socialisation as a neonatal/baby pup.

Edited March 7, 2014 by Haredown Whippets

[SKG]

It sounds like you are doing all the right things. I can only imagine how exhausting all that is.

I think you need to see a veterinary behaviouralist ASAP. This is who we use in Sydney. They also go to Melbourne. SABS.

Good luck

[Steph M]

Have you considered a consult with a veterinary behaviourist?

A lot of this behavior sounds obsessive. I don't know Rosie's background but I would be wondering about a genetic component to this.Another option is total lack of socialisation as a neonatal/baby pup.

I think that's where most of it stems from. She was (as far as we know) born in a pound, which means she simply hadn't SEEN rain or normal household things until 8 or so weeks and she went into foster care from then.

We have considered this, and it's the next step. We're on the hunt for one we (and she) clicks with. We met with a general behaviourist, suggested by her obedience club, briefly a month or so ago and she just would not have a bar of him and shut down and he basically said he can't help if she won't engage, so back on the hunt. A woman would be ideal I think. She's pretty sexist. Haha.

As for a genetic component that would be a lucky dip too. It could well be a heady mix.

Edited March 7, 2014 by Steph M

[Steph M]

It sounds like you are doing all the right things. I can only imagine how exhausting all that is.

I think you need to see a veterinary behaviouralist ASAP. This is who we use in Sydney. They also go to Melbourne. SABS.

Good luck

I love the header on their page

"Sydney Animal Behaviour Service - Not in Sydney"

I will send them an email and ask if they can help us out, Thanks for the suggestion!

[huski]

Definitely see a reputable behaviourist (I personally wouldn't say it has to be a vet behaviourist - a reputable behaviourist will have a lot of experience in anxiety cases) ASAP.

But in the meantime I would restrict her freedom in the house. Don't let her have free run - crate her, have her outside, have a pen set up inside the house so she has somewhere she can be when you aren't watching her or interacting with her.

[Steph M]

Definitely see a reputable behaviourist (I personally wouldn't say it has to be a vet behaviourist - a reputable behaviourist will have a lot of experience in anxiety cases) ASAP.

But in the meantime I would restrict her freedom in the house. Don't let her have free run - crate her, have her outside, have a pen set up inside the house so she has somewhere she can be when you aren't watching her or interacting with her.

She does not take at all to crating. We did think it might be an option at one point but she tries very hard to dig her way out and that ends in her tearing her pads up, so it's just not worth it at this point.

She is generally outside when she can't be watched, that's good advice.

[raineth]

Hi there I'm just going to go through the first part first :)

The most pressing problem is her stealing things. Everything is fair game. Undies, socks, clothes, their water bowls and food bowls, shopping bags as you're unloading them, even a can of hair mousse I was using once. I put it down and looked away and POOF it was gone.

Once these things make it outside she systematically destroys them. The easy answer would be to deny her access, but it's not simply when we aren't home, it's when you turn your back for a moment she's got something. I'm really wearing out having to constantly have one eye open, so to speak. I can't really relax and do the dishes or even have her sit on a cushion by the computer like Gus does, she's always off and scheming to find 'things'

When she can't take something out to destroy, she will find something outside. Be it a toy, part of the fence, the lawn or the hoses to our brand new washing machine when it was delivered and left under the carport. Anything is fair game. She will take washing off the line or generally be a terror.

A lot of it is being a young dog I gather, but enough has to be enough.

Try teaching her to give it to you. I have a kleptomaniac Dane. She was exactly like your Rosie, except more strategic about it :)

Does she know 'give'? If not teach her 'give' with a big reward every time she takes something. Then start to encourage her to come to you before you ask her to give. Before you know it when she steals things she will bring them to you.

My Delta has brought me everything from roast chickens, kids lunches and dead birds. Clearly this does not suppress the behaviour, but makes it much safer and more manageable. Once she has got it, continue to reward her for bringing things to you, whether it be with praise, a pat, or a treat.

Secondly, it sounds like she has way too much freedom. Is she crate trained? If not the time is now :)

Make it a nice place, and really use it. Whenever you are busy she should be in the crate.

I keep her as busy as we can. She gets an hour of free running a day, two ten-twenty minute training sessions a day, she eats her dinner and breakfast from kongs and puzzle toys and I make a point of a game of something out the back for 20 minutes or so every day. She's pretty high energy, but she will come home from an hour of obedience and a big hour long run at the creek behind it on a Saturday morning and walk through the house with what we call her 'sneaky face' on and make a beeline for the bedroom for something to nick.

I really can't work out why she does it. It feels like under stimulation and boredom should be the answer, but there's no pattern or reason.

We have tried cardboard boxes to destroy, things she's allowed to have and wreck and she does, then moves onto the next thing.

This is too much. Try spending half the amount of time that you are getting her to do stuff, teaching her how to do nothing.

Catch her calm and calmly reward her.

Sit with her on her bed and stroke her in a relaxing way. Spend time with her chilling out, so she learns that calm behaviours are nice and pleasant and rewarding too :)

We do try to send her to doggie daycare once a week, but that's an expensive habit and it doesn't change things, just gives us all a day of respite. No one walks out the back with baited breath to see what needs fixing today. Haha.

I really hate feeling like I resent her, but sometimes I'll go have a shower and come out and she's actually dug up a small tree in the yard and has been towing it around the lawn, or I've left her in out of the rain and she's shredded a photo album all over the rug. It makes it very hard to do anything.

It is understandable when a dog is being very challenging for you to feel fed up and tired.

If you feel like your relationship with her is being really affected by these behaviours of hers, every day try to jot down in a little notebook something fun, clever, good or pleasant that she did that day, or something you love about her. This helps to train your mind to also focus on her positives and not get so worn down with the other stuff :)

Edited March 7, 2014 by raineth

[raineth]

The secondary issue, and the more anxiety based one is that she is quite honestly afraid of everything. Everything.

Rubbish bags send her into a shaking drooling frenzy, so does the rain (she will actually freeze up and not walk in the rain. Many a time have I had to carry her home)and thunder, we won't even go there with the thunder. She's dug up all our lino once when we couldn't get home before the thunder and made the 'mistake' of leaving the laundry door open for her (they do have a big deck too) which was a rookie mistake.

The list of what she doesn't fear is shorter than what she does. Loves kids, women and food (although she wouldn't ever take food from the hand of anyone but us, not even if it was bacon!)

My brother is a particular concern to her. From the very start she has been petrified of him. He's tried everything, throwing food down for her and not looking at her, we've tried having him play with Gus (she will skirt around the sides and not let him near her, but want to get involved) he's come for walks with us and she just freezes up, we've tried him ignoring her and not so long ago we got called away to see Brooke's family and he housesat for us and she wouldn't eat, spent her whole time pacing the hall and refusing to walk past the closed door of the room he was in.

We're not sure quite what to do when we have to go away, he lives with mum so she can't go stay there, wouldn't put her in a traditional kennel as she'd likely go mad and can't well lump her on friends or sitters knowing she's so destructive.

She relies very heavily on the presence of other dogs to bolster her confidence, so we spend a fair bit of time training them separately, taking them out separately and engaging with them on their own but she really does sort of shut down without Gus. We took her to a BBQ at a friends the other week and she just sat in a garden bed looking sad until we gave up and took her home. If Gus had been there or another dog present, she's the life of the party!

We've spent months working our butts off and every time I think we're making headway, a new phobia pops up and we're back to square one, or we'll go back to one I thought we had licked.

This aspect call for a behaviourist I think.

You can however have a good look at BAT and counter conditioning principle while you wait for the behaviourist visit which should give her some relief from a few of her phobias. The key is to go slowly, keeping the dog under threshold :)

[Steph M]

Hi there I'm just going to go through the first part first :)

The most pressing problem is her stealing things. Everything is fair game. Undies, socks, clothes, their water bowls and food bowls, shopping bags as you're unloading them, even a can of hair mousse I was using once. I put it down and looked away and POOF it was gone.

Once these things make it outside she systematically destroys them. The easy answer would be to deny her access, but it's not simply when we aren't home, it's when you turn your back for a moment she's got something. I'm really wearing out having to constantly have one eye open, so to speak. I can't really relax and do the dishes or even have her sit on a cushion by the computer like Gus does, she's always off and scheming to find 'things'

When she can't take something out to destroy, she will find something outside. Be it a toy, part of the fence, the lawn or the hoses to our brand new washing machine when it was delivered and left under the carport. Anything is fair game. She will take washing off the line or generally be a terror.

A lot of it is being a young dog I gather, but enough has to be enough.

Try teaching her to give it to you. I have a kleptomaniac Dane. She was exactly like your Rosie, except more strategic about it :)

Does she know 'give'? If not teach her 'give' with a big reward every time she takes something. Then start to encourage her to come to you before you ask her to give. Before you know it when she steals things she will bring them to you.

My Delta has brought me everything from roast chickens, kids lunches and dead birds. Clearly this does not suppress the behaviour, but makes it much safer and more manageable. Once she has got it, continue to reward her for bringing things to you, whether it be with praise, a pat, or a treat.

Secondly, it sounds like she has way too much freedom. Is she crate trained? If not the time is now :)

Make it a nice place, and really use it. Whenever you are busy she should be in the crate.

I keep her as busy as we can. She gets an hour of free running a day, two ten-twenty minute training sessions a day, she eats her dinner and breakfast from kongs and puzzle toys and I make a point of a game of something out the back for 20 minutes or so every day. She's pretty high energy, but she will come home from an hour of obedience and a big hour long run at the creek behind it on a Saturday morning and walk through the house with what we call her 'sneaky face' on and make a beeline for the bedroom for something to nick.

I really can't work out why she does it. It feels like under stimulation and boredom should be the answer, but there's no pattern or reason.

We have tried cardboard boxes to destroy, things she's allowed to have and wreck and she does, then moves onto the next thing.

This is too much. Try spending half the amount of time that you are getting her to do stuff, teaching her how to do nothing.

Catch her calm and calmly reward her.

Sit with her on her bed and stroke her in a relaxing way. Spend time with her chilling out, so she learns that calm behaviours are nice and pleasant and rewarding too :)

We do try to send her to doggie daycare once a week, but that's an expensive habit and it doesn't change things, just gives us all a day of respite. No one walks out the back with baited breath to see what needs fixing today. Haha.

I really hate feeling like I resent her, but sometimes I'll go have a shower and come out and she's actually dug up a small tree in the yard and has been towing it around the lawn, or I've left her in out of the rain and she's shredded a photo album all over the rug. It makes it very hard to do anything.

It is understandable when a dog is being very challenging for you to feel fed up and tired.

If you feel like your relationship with her is being really affected by these behaviours of hers, every day try to jot down in a little notebook something fun, clever, good or pleasant that she did that day, or something you love about her. This helps to train your mind to also focus on her positives and not get so worn down with the other stuff :)

She is very high energy, being part Koolie and part whippet, or so we assume.... any less and I find the problem really does compound. We do reward her for sitting down quietly on the couch and having a snooze while we watch TV. If I'm home we move her bed into the office and every time she relaxes and sits down quietly she gets a nice little bit of chicken or whatever is on hand (the bookshelf in here is more like a doggy shelf) so we do try to reward quiet time as best we can but I really find cutting down her busy time makes life more difficult.

The notebook is a lovely idea though! The other day I had to really convince myself to spend some time with her but as soon as I tucked her into our bed and sat down to read before sleep (she sleeps on her own bed at the foot, but we like to have a snuggle time) I remembered why I love her so much. She is so sweet. If she wasn't we'd be in an entirely different situation.

[LisaCC]

Hi there I'm just going to go through the first part first :)

The most pressing problem is her stealing things. Everything is fair game. Undies, socks, clothes, their water bowls and food bowls, shopping bags as you're unloading them, even a can of hair mousse I was using once. I put it down and looked away and POOF it was gone.

Once these things make it outside she systematically destroys them. The easy answer would be to deny her access, but it's not simply when we aren't home, it's when you turn your back for a moment she's got something. I'm really wearing out having to constantly have one eye open, so to speak. I can't really relax and do the dishes or even have her sit on a cushion by the computer like Gus does, she's always off and scheming to find 'things'

When she can't take something out to destroy, she will find something outside. Be it a toy, part of the fence, the lawn or the hoses to our brand new washing machine when it was delivered and left under the carport. Anything is fair game. She will take washing off the line or generally be a terror.

A lot of it is being a young dog I gather, but enough has to be enough.

Try teaching her to give it to you. I have a kleptomaniac Dane. She was exactly like your Rosie, except more strategic about it :)

Does she know 'give'? If not teach her 'give' with a big reward every time she takes something. Then start to encourage her to come to you before you ask her to give. Before you know it when she steals things she will bring them to you.

My Delta has brought me everything from roast chickens, kids lunches and dead birds. Clearly this does not suppress the behaviour, but makes it much safer and more manageable. Once she has got it, continue to reward her for bringing things to you, whether it be with praise, a pat, or a treat.

Secondly, it sounds like she has way too much freedom. Is she crate trained? If not the time is now :)

Make it a nice place, and really use it. Whenever you are busy she should be in the crate.

I keep her as busy as we can. She gets an hour of free running a day, two ten-twenty minute training sessions a day, she eats her dinner and breakfast from kongs and puzzle toys and I make a point of a game of something out the back for 20 minutes or so every day. She's pretty high energy, but she will come home from an hour of obedience and a big hour long run at the creek behind it on a Saturday morning and walk through the house with what we call her 'sneaky face' on and make a beeline for the bedroom for something to nick.

I really can't work out why she does it. It feels like under stimulation and boredom should be the answer, but there's no pattern or reason.

We have tried cardboard boxes to destroy, things she's allowed to have and wreck and she does, then moves onto the next thing.

This is too much. Try spending half the amount of time that you are getting her to do stuff, teaching her how to do nothing.

Catch her calm and calmly reward her.

Sit with her on her bed and stroke her in a relaxing way. Spend time with her chilling out, so she learns that calm behaviours are nice and pleasant and rewarding too :)

We do try to send her to doggie daycare once a week, but that's an expensive habit and it doesn't change things, just gives us all a day of respite. No one walks out the back with baited breath to see what needs fixing today. Haha.

I really hate feeling like I resent her, but sometimes I'll go have a shower and come out and she's actually dug up a small tree in the yard and has been towing it around the lawn, or I've left her in out of the rain and she's shredded a photo album all over the rug. It makes it very hard to do anything.

It is understandable when a dog is being very challenging for you to feel fed up and tired.

If you feel like your relationship with her is being really affected by these behaviours of hers, every day try to jot down in a little notebook something fun, clever, good or pleasant that she did that day, or something you love about her. This helps to train your mind to also focus on her positives and not get so worn down with the other stuff :)

I agree with all this bit.

Rosie is part Koolie yes? They are very energetic working dogs and I would spend a lot of time rewarding for calm behaviour and teaching her to do nothing. If a crate is too stressful for her perhaps you can work on mat training?

I agree with everyone else about finding a behaviourist.

[Steph M]

I agree with all this bit.

Rosie is part Koolie yes? They are very energetic working dogs and I would spend a lot of time rewarding for calm behaviour and teaching her to do nothing. If a crate is too stressful for her perhaps you can work on mat training?

I agree with everyone else about finding a behaviourist.

Part Koolie, Part insane. Haha.

Mat training is a good idea, we're working on her basic obedience as we go, she had next to none. I believe that's part of this weeks challenge, but I might get a head start today. Good thinking, 99!

[aliwake]

I don't have any ideas, but just want to say I feel awful for you. Sounds like you've been so committed, but I can imagine it must be hard to keep up that level if you're not seeing any improvement. You're really lucky to have each other :)

[persephone]

you know what I'd do inside? I would get her wearing a nice soft plastic Italian made basket muzzle! Years ago, when Hamlet was young, he had to have surgery to remove sticks etc from his gut. I then decided the only way to stop it until he was well& truly healed- and older ..was to muzzle him! he wore his 'helmet' a lot of the time to stop him picking up anything :) It became a habit - before he went for a walk ...when I couldn't watch him ... The muzzle slipped on, followed by some goodies poked thru the holes:)

When the helmet use was gradually reduced ..after about a YEAR ... so was the habit of picking up junk. :)

[Staff'n'Toller]

Debbie Calnon's business should be able to come visit you. I think you'd most likely get Gabrielle Carter.

You also have the vet who owns/breeds/shows/flyballs Gordon Setters @ Keilor Obedience whose name escapes me right now. I don't know if she consults though. ETA: Linda Beer.

And otherwise get the crate games dvd and go through the whole program. Enforced crate rest that lets her wind down (quiet place, covered crate) might help in the interim. She is always doing the 'up' activities, very stimulating. For her, giving her food when calm may also be stimulating so provide the rest place and enforce it by closing the door if necessary.

Edited March 7, 2014 by Staff'n'Toller

[Steph M]

you know what I'd do inside? I would get her wearing a nice soft plastic Italian made basket muzzle! Years ago, when Hamlet was young, he had to have surgery to remove sticks etc from his gut. I then decided the only way to stop it until he was well& truly healed- and older ..was to muzzle him! he wore his 'helmet' a lot of the time to stop him picking up anything :) It became a habit - before he went for a walk ...when I couldn't watch him ... The muzzle slipped on, followed by some goodies poked thru the holes:)

When the helmet use was gradually reduced ..after about a YEAR ... so was the habit of picking up junk. :)

That is actually not a bad idea, although she wouldn't come out of our room for almost a week if she could see Gus in his cone so may not be so great in execution, but if I can get one on her without her spazzing out and losing it that might be a good last resort!

And thanks, Aliwake. The upside of it all is she makes Gus look like the eaaaaaaasiest dog alive to own! Haha!

[Guest hankodie]

Sorry to hear about Rosie's troubles Steph I sympathise, Odie is also a 'difficult' dog and it often gets exhausting trying to manage her.

I second the advise about restricting her freedom when unsupervised - it doesn't have to be a crate, maybe you can use a baby gate to restrict her to a doggy proof area while you are showering/not around etc?

Hank also loves to steal and destroy things, I think part of it is definitely a young dog thing. Like raineth's suggestion maybe you can train Rosie to 'give' you the things she steals in exchange for treats/doggy appropriate things to chew on. I've taught Hank to bring me things and now he's made it out to be some kind of game, he will bring me things he steals (this morning it was my gardening glove and a pair of undies!) and I'll say "thank you" and exchange it for a treat or a toy. It sounds strange but it's been working well so far!

I also agree with all the suggestions about a behaviourist to deal with her anxiety, it couldn't hurt! Good luck - Rosie is lucky to have you.

[Steph M]

And otherwise get the crate games dvd and go through the whole program. Enforced crate rest that lets her wind down (quiet place, covered crate) might help in the interim. She is always doing the 'up' activities, very stimulating. For her, giving her food when calm may also be stimulating so provide the rest place and enforce it by closing the door if necessary.

I'm just not quite game to try it again. Last time we tried to crate her we left it open for a week and she would come and go, we put her toys and treats in there and she would eat them half in half out, I'd praise her for going in and sitting or dropping but as soon as I closed the door she lost her mind and panicked. I went back a few steps and after a week did it again, thought she might calm down but after ten minutes she'd ripped up her pads trying to dig out so I think we might try the mat thing. I just can't ever see myself alone being able to get her to a point where the crate would be a nice, calming place to be and don't want to do more damage.

You might well be right about the food though. I will scale back on her 'doing things' time for some 'not doing things' time.

[Steph M]

Sorry to hear about Rosie's troubles Steph I sympathise, Odie is also a 'difficult' dog and it often gets exhausting trying to manage her.

I second the advise about restricting her freedom when unsupervised - it doesn't have to be a crate, maybe you can use a baby gate to restrict her to a doggy proof area while you are showering/not around etc?

Hank also loves to steal and destroy things, I think part of it is definitely a young dog thing. Like raineth's suggestion maybe you can train Rosie to 'give' you the things she steals in exchange for treats/doggy appropriate things to chew on. I've taught Hank to bring me things and now he's made it out to be some kind of game, he will bring me things he steals (this morning it was my gardening glove and a pair of undies!) and I'll say "thank you" and exchange it for a treat or a toy. It sounds strange but it's been working well so far!

I also agree with all the suggestions about a behaviourist to deal with her anxiety, it couldn't hurt! Good luck - Rosie is lucky to have you.

Haha, Gus brings me presents like Hank, It's so funny turning around or coming out of the bathroom to a pile of toys and sticks and once he even piled up the couch cushions. Oddball he is!

She can clear a baby gate like she's on springs, so we've kind of, duct taped two on top of each other. Haha. Our house looks like a prison.

The give game is a good one, but I have to think hard for something more rewarding than the shredding. That seems to be the endgame of it all. Hmm!

[Steph M]

Double post!

Edited March 7, 2014 by Steph M