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Post by sfnewbie on Sept 11, 2008 10:51:32 GMT -5
i have a 13 month old that i've had since she was 4 months. she seems to have developed separation anxiety in the last 3 months and seems to be getting worse. i am trying all the de-sensitizing techniques i've read and heard about and i must be doing something wrong cause now it seems she's starting to bark more. I need help. i want to make her life healthier and happier. please please please, any suggestions? i don't want to turn towards medication.
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Post by RealPitBull on Sept 11, 2008 11:29:21 GMT -5
Unfortunately, this behavior problem seems to be common in our breed. True separation anxiety almost always needs to be treated with medication. Can you describe some of the behaviors that occur when you leave your dog? There might be some suggestions we can make that will curb the issues you are having, outside of medication.
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Post by maryellen on Sept 11, 2008 14:42:08 GMT -5
i have a gsd with separation anxiety, it took months of training with her to get her to a point where she wouldnt freak out if i left the house.. what is your dog doing that makes you think that she has SA? she is also maturing at 13 months old, so it could be that too..
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Post by hammer4 on Sept 11, 2008 19:13:32 GMT -5
Chance use to freak out when I left, even for the shortest time. So for the last month when I put him in his crate, I cover the top and part of the sides and front with bath towels, the back is against the wall so no need to cover that..anyways, the barking has Stopped. Now if I let him out of the crate he barks some, but not nearly as much as before. BTW I Never leave him alone w/o being crated, I would pretend to leave and listen for his high pitched bark.
Also we feed Chance in his crate so the crate becomes a "good" thing.
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Post by pistis on Oct 15, 2008 22:22:40 GMT -5
Help please-I have the same problem with Lola- ever since we got her (8 weeks old) she goes nuts and cries and cries if we leave her alone, put her in her crate, put her out side. Shell scartch at the door, bark, everything. We just got our new house (Ken and I). It has a huge! amazing backyard When I saw it I thought oh yeah perfect, lola will have so much more land to wander around on and play in. Trees, sticks, squirrels galore! It rocks- when i first brought her over there to check it out she went nuts! Running all over the front yard in the grass (she loves grass ) and when she got to the back yard she went even more nuts with bliss. I thought awesome the answer we needed and the space! One problem- if we put her out there and dont go with her she barks at the door forever not to mention the scatching. She can not even be a few feet from you on a leash. When we were moving stuff in we attched her to the tree- we were right in front of her- she was crying and barking and so upset (all 5 feet away) then she chewed through the leash in 5 bites. :/ She cannot be restarined away from you and cannot go outside by herself- i dont even want to think what would happen if her crate was not in our bedroom with us. At night she goes right in and sleeps fine because she knows were in the room. We also got a cong to put in there with her and soft blankets and she doesnt mind it at all- at night, when were there too. I need help, i've tried some stuff- like making the crate a positive thing (weve always done that) with treats, toys, ect. Im not sure what to do about the outside thing- were about to put up a springpole for her, hopefully that will help.
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Post by pistis on Oct 15, 2008 22:25:28 GMT -5
oh yeah- you wouldnt even know how much lola truely LOVES the outdoors if you werent out there with her. She does she dies to go outside except you must go too.
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Post by maryellen on Oct 16, 2008 7:04:08 GMT -5
these are NOT seperation anxiety, these issues are just the breed that wants to be with their humans... true seperation anxiety is chewing thru doors,crates,walls, not being able to be contained.... what you both are having is pups that just want to be with you, and doing so any way possible, being bratty.. the more you give in the more the dog realizes what it takes to get you to pay attention to them..
no puppies like to be outside alone, doesnt matter if there are toys,rocks, birds etc, puppies have a short attention span and they dont amuse themselves for very long.
both these dogs need more exercise, more training, and owners to stop jumping every time the dog demands the attention.. start NILIF right away, and give the dog boundaries and rules....
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Post by pistis on Oct 18, 2008 0:52:38 GMT -5
Lolas whole life we have never given her any attention when she jumps, barks, ect. We will not in her eyes "reward" that behavior. You said something about not being able to be contained- how do you mean? If we let lola outside with us she can roam and be fine. If we put her on aleash outside with us and tie it to something even for one second she will not quit barking and chewing until she has torn through the leash. Even if we stand right next to her. (i dont think thats sep. anxiety- im not sure what that is, maybe being bratty like you said?) She now does the same thing in the back yard except shes started chewing through the chicken wire put up aound the gaps so she couldnt get out. And then she chewed through the bathroom wall...after we played with her all day, by play I mean spent a lot of time with her outside throwing sticks and with a makeshift flirtpole. She was tired when she came in. We hadn't moved anything important into the house yet so we put her in the bathroom with water so we could grab a bite to eat. When we got back the bathroom walls were detroyed and wood was everywhere. I know puppies require lots of exercise especially this breed and every day we make sure she has at least an hour if not more. We also cook chicken and cut into peices for her training. Aside from all that shes a good girl- i just wasn't sure if all that was normal puppy behavior. I mean tired or not shell tear through some stuff if she can. I just want to make sure I do things with her the right way and she becomes an ambassador for the breed- not to mention I can trust her.
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Post by RealPitBull on Oct 18, 2008 8:26:38 GMT -5
Here's some stuff on separation anxiety & crating that may help you. You've gotta work really diligently on this now, because it could very easily turn into full blown separation anxiety as she matures.
Separation Anxiety: Prevention & Protocol
Separation anxiety (characterized by intense distress in the dog when left alone, or, in severe cases, simply when the owner leaves the room and the dog cannot get to him/her), is a very frustrating behavior problem that results in a large number of dogs being relinquished to shelters. It is destructive, time consuming to treat, and requires a large amount of patience from the owner. Dogs adopted from rescue organizations or shelters are especially prone to developing this problem because they have experienced abandonment and stress to a large degree; they often lack confidence and an understanding of what life with a loving human means. Such dogs are, understandably so, given much attention, hugs and kisses when first brought home and allowed to shadow their new owner, day and night. The dog becomes over-dependant on the human and feels out of control when the human leaves the scene. If this dog is also allowed free run of the house, he can feel lost and overwhelmed, which can lead to destructive behavior.
Prevention:
You can help your newly adopted dog (or any dog that is having ‘separation issues’) adjust to his new environment better and help prevent the development of separation anxiety by following a few simple rules: 1) Crate train--when you cannot watch your dog, the crate will be his safe haven. You will also use this for "quiet time" (see next rule); 2) Mandatory "Quiet Time"--help your dog adjust to being without you by selecting one or two points throughout the day to allow him to be alone while you are still actually in the house. 30-60 minutes at a time is sufficient, after exercise; 3) Don't dish out "free" attention--you shouldn't give your dog attention every time he demands it. You can hug and love on your dog as much as you want, but on your terms. If your dog nudges you, paws you, barks, or attempts to get attention from you any other way, your job is to turn away. When the dog has quieted down, ask for a sit, and then offer affection. You can also follow this formula when giving anything to your dog: toys, treats, dinner, etc. The whole idea is to make the dog work for the good things in life. It's never healthy to get everything you want, whenever you want it with little or no effort; same goes for your dog; and 4) Obedience train--even if you just pick up a book and teach your dog from scratch, obedience training is one of those things that is so important in building a happy relationship with your dog that I recommend every owner invest the time to do it. Obedience training builds confidence, it opens up doors of communication for dog and owner, and it gives the dog an understanding of what he can and cannot do.
If your dog is already exhibiting signs of separation anxiety, here is my basic separation anxiety protocol:
• Everyone in the household (this includes everyone who comes into contact with the dog) needs to be on the same page. If people are not willing to interact with the dog in a specified way, they should not interact with the dog for the time being.
• Dog must be crate trained. Dog must be fed in crate every day. All edibles and extra special toys are to be given in the crate. Crate must be in a pleasant area, preferably a brightly lit room. Some dogs like to see outside, and for some dogs this makes things worse. Sometimes a wire crate is best, other times an enclosed (VariKennel) crate is preferred. Use trial and error to find out what your dog does best with. When dog is in crate, make sure you do not take him out unless he is being quiet.
• Dog must be given some form of obedience training. This will help instill confidence. Since separation anxiety stems from a lack of confidence and indicates a dog that is extremely stressed, a method that utilizes mainly positive reinforcement works best.
• Dog must have a strict routine. This means down to the last minute. Example:
*7AM dog wakes up. You let him out to go potty for 30 min. *7:30AM you let him in and put him in his crate to eat for 30 min. *8AM dog goes outside to play for 1 hour. *9AM dog comes inside to nap in crate for 1 hour. *10AM dog has a 30-minute play session with mom or dad. *10:30AM dog goes outside to play for 1 hour. *11:30AM dog comes back in to relax in small area by himself for one hour (exmp. kitchen and baby gate). *12:30PM dog gets let out to relieve himself *And so on.
This is just an example, but a routine is so important to dogs. If they understand that everyday, without fail, things are the same, they feel their lives are in control. They are less inclined to panic and resort to destructive behavior.
• Make sure that you do not give out attention to the dog freely. Too much petting, coddling, etc. can make separation anxiety worse. Always ask the dog for a sit before giving attention. Do not allow him to nudge, paw, etc. to get attention. If he tries any of those tactics, ignore him.
• Throughout the day while you are home, make sure there are a few times during which you separate yourself from the dog, either by putting him in the yard, his crate, a spare room, or just ignoring him while he is in the room with you.
• Desensitize departures. Grab keys, coat, purse, and whatever else elicits a response from the dog. Do this several times a day without actually going anywhere. Keep grabbing those keys and putting them back down again until the dog doesn't even bother getting excited.
• Gradual departures: start with small increments of time at first. Leave for about 1 minute and wait outside the front door and listen. If the dog is quiet and not getting upset, come back inside.
When you're ready to start leaving for real.....
• You should ignore the dog for 10 minutes prior to leaving and for at least a few minutes when you first come back inside. Do not leave for a full day’s worth of work the first few times you do this. Leave for a half hour, an hour, then two hours, and so on.
• Leaving a tv or radio on when you are not home may be of benefit.
• Give a long lasting treat 10 minutes before you leave. Use “chicken-sickles” (frozen chicken broth—use a Tupperware container to freeze the broth in, then run it under hot tap water for about 30 seconds and pop the frozen broth out and give it to your dog in his bowl) or Kong toys stuffed with peanut butter, moist food, etc. and then frozen for a short time. Just plop them in the crate before you leave. (If you use a Kong toy, “test drive” it first by giving it to the dog supervised; some dogs can chew Kongs to bits in a very short time. The black Kongs are strongest.)
• Do not leave dog home alone for a full work day during the therapy process. If this means you need to hire a pet sitter to come in a few times a day, this is what should be done. If you can come home at lunch and let the dog out to potty, this is a perfect compliment to the use of a sitter. (If you are looking for a sitter in the Union County, NJ area, please let me know, as I know a wonderfully responsible company.)
• Some form of medicinal/holistic therapy is almost always necessary with true separation anxiety. The most commonly prescribed medication is clomipramine. However, I suggest first trying a holistic remedy such as Bach Flowers (specifically Rescue Remedy) or a product for dogs with anxiety called Anxiety Control made from all natural ingredients. There is also a fairly new product called a DAP dispenser. DAP stands for Dog Appeasing Pheromones. The DAP dispenser releases these pheromones into the air and your dog smells them in the air and is relieved of stress/anxiety. Please give me a call if you'd like more information on these products!
The next steps:
Once you have successfully left your dog alone in a crate for a full work day (with a “lunch break”), you may wish to start leaving your dog loose in the house. Things will be done in basically the same way as you’ve been doing them, EXCEPT now the dog will be left in a certain part of the house instead of in a crate. • Choose a room, like the bathroom or small bedroom, the kitchen or den. Ideally, this will be the same room the dog has been heretofore crated in.
• The crate will be left in this room with the door open.
• You can close your dog off from the rest of the house via a door or a baby gate.
• It is of utmost importance that the area you leave your dog in is SAFE – nothing the dog can get into and potentially ingest and become sick on should be in reach. Dogs can be resourceful, so this includes dangerous substances that might be closed in a cabinet under the sink in a kitchen or bathroom – move such items out of the dog’s reach.
• Rpeat the steps from the protocol. You’ll be able to move through the steps faster, but don’t move too fast and don’t skip.
By Mary Harwelik, CPDT – realpitbull.com
Crating info:
Crating
All dog owners should teach their dogs to accept crating. Even if 99.9% of the time a crate is unneeded, usually at some point in a dog's life confinement is necessary. Teaching your dog to not only accept but enjoy crating is a worthwhile endeavor. A crate acts as a "playpen" for a puppy, aids housebreaking, keeps your adolescent from destroying your house, and provides your dog with his own special "room", a safe & comfortable place to call his own.
There are many brands and styles of crates on the market. I personally recommend the wire folding crates by Midwest or a comparable brand. Some of the best crates I've ever purchased are from The Dog's Outfitter (www.dog.com). The folding crates are very convenient, but an especially feisty dog could push his way out. So for added safety, I place heavy-duty snaps (available at any hardware store) at each corner, and two on the opening.
Crate Size: Your dog, as a full grown adult, should be able to stand, sit, turn around and lie down on his side comfortably in his crate. For most puppies, you can buy a crate that will fit him as an adult. If you have a large/giant breed puppy, you will have to buy a second crate around the 6 month mark that will fit him as an adult. A large/giant breed puppy would be overwhelmed in an adult sized crate.
The How-To's of Crating:
1) Set the crate up in a convenient area of the home that is frequented by you and the rest of the family. The crate should NOT be placed in the basement, in an unused upstairs room, in direct sunlight, in a garage, or any other place that would make your dog physically uncomfortable or feel isolated from the rest of his "pack". Good choices are the living room or kitchen. You can also have a second crate set up for "quiet time" in the master bedroom, or wherever you would like you do to sleep at night.
2) Introduce your dog to the crate slowly. Set the crate up and let him get used to the smell and sight of it. Initially, you will not close him in the crate. Throw his favorite treat in the crate so that he must walk in to get it. Do this repeatedly. Feed him in his crate and put his bed or blanket in the crate.
3) If your dog is going in and out of the crate, begin to close the door for short periods of time while you are home. Close the door while he is eating or resting. Let him out before he begins to fuss.
4) Gradually increase the time you keep the door closed with your dog inside. Drop treats into the crate if he is quiet. Give him a bone or chew toy. The goal is to form only positive associations with the crate.
5) If you have been closing your dog in the crate with no problems for a half hour or more while you are home, begin to leave the house for short periods with your dog in the crate. When you arrive home, let him out without fuss or fanfare.
6) Whining or barking while in the crate should be ignored. If your dog persistently barks/whines, you can use a shake can or squirt bottle as punishment. Tell him "QUIET!" and follow with punishment.
You can go through these steps in a matter of 2 or 3 days with most dogs, and some even sooner. Dogs with a prior history of incorrect crating may have bad associations with the crate, and these dogs may take longer to acclimate.
Once crate trained, an 8 - 16 week old puppy should be able to stay for about 2 hours in a crate (less for toy breeds). 16 weeks to 6 months, a pup should be crated no longer than 3 or 4 hours. A 6 - 12 month old shouldn't be crated longer than 6 hours. An adult dog over 12 months can stay for about 6 - 8 hours; however I do not recommend a period of more than about 6 hours in a crate without break. Ideally, a dog should never be in a crate more than 4 or 5 hours without break.
For house training purposes, know your pup's schedule and when he tends to need to go "potty". When you are house training, make sure your schedule fits around your dog's, not the other way around.
By Mary Harwelik, CPDT - realpitbull.com
I recommend that you work on teaching her to walk in and out of the crate on cue (verbal or hand single). If you can lure her into the crate with a food treat (held in your hand), get her to sit, hand her the treat, close the door and then immediately open it and encourage her to come out, this will help teach her that she doesn't have to always worry about being closed in. Once she's got this game down pat, continue to lure her with just a hand signal (hold the food in the other hand), and go through the same process. I'd practice this several times, every day. Once she's comfortable with this, try keeping her in the crate for varying times. One minute, 30 seconds, 5 minutes, etc.
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Post by valliesong on Oct 23, 2008 16:32:43 GMT -5
As always, Mary has good suggestions. I just wanted to add that my dogs have never liked to be outside without me. They will run out, go to the bathroom, and run right back to the door to be let in. Once in a while they will sun themselves for 10 minutes or so, but then they are at the door jumping up or barking to come in.
Pit bulls just always want to be with their people. Of course silly Roscoe often wants to be inside even when I am outside...
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Post by maryellen on Oct 23, 2008 17:15:25 GMT -5
also, what works for the dog they will use. if they bark and cry and you go to them, they won the reward, if they chew loose and you show them any attention at all, they won the reward, puppies should always be crated, andsoshould power chewers.. by working on not rewarding them and giving a set schedule that will help alot.. sometimes another dog helps, but not always (worked with my gsd but thats rare). since apbts love to be with humans, any time you leave them outside they just want to be with you,so if they carry on and you come, thats attention. tying them outside with a nylon leash, hell any dog will chew thru that, if you are going to tie them out side,a proper tie out is necessary..
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Post by maryellen on Oct 23, 2008 17:16:54 GMT -5
not being able to be contained is when the dog will go thru glass windows, walls, to get to the human.. a friend of mine has a pit that must be with him at all times, he takes the dog to work (construction) and as longas the dog sees him he can leave him in the car or office... true blown SA will make the dog do whatever is necessary to get out of the confinement and go to the humans..
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Post by pistis on Oct 25, 2008 23:10:35 GMT -5
Yeah- lola has actually gotten alot better since our move. We don't ever tie her to anything though, the only time we did was once when we were trying to move some things inside and one of us was standing right by her constantly helping unload vehicles. And like i said, we never give her any attention what so ever- good or bad- we never have since we got her at 8 weeks old. I think the living situation we had just wasn't right for a puppy. (the other people in the house were never on the same page) It seems like thats played a huge role in some of her behaviors/ training
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Post by RealPitBull on Oct 27, 2008 7:29:37 GMT -5
She seems to be doing better, than?
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Post by pistis on Oct 28, 2008 13:44:34 GMT -5
yeah she is a lot better
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