OK now I need help.

[mayhemkb]

No I haven't found a local dealer yet-(I am waiting on a horse vet to get back to me.)

Most chinese herbals seem to take 2-4 weeks to really kick in anyhow. Have you had any experiance with it?

[michele5611]

I know you can order it online and it comes in powder or pill form.

www.onlynaturalpet.com/products/Herbsmith-Calm-Shen/457000.aspx
www.baypets.com/cart/catalog/chinese-herbal-blends/herbsmith-calm-shen--calm-anxiety--for-dogs-26.html

Lots of other places as well!

I ordered it the other day so can let you know when I get it. My dog has separation anxiety- destructive behaviors and soiling problems as well when left alone so I am hoping this will help.

[mayhemkb]

Thanks for the links. Let me know how it works for you. They tend to be pricey but worth it. The more I have to help Otter combat his issues the better for him

[mayhemkb]

Sigh. . .woke up at 4:30 (normal wake up time) to Otter deciding to pee on his bedding. Got him rushed outside before he was empty. He urinated on leash last night before bed at 9:30-10:00. Yesterday he pooped his crate. There are days where I feel miserable and totally, utterly defeated by this dog. Today is one of them. . .

[michele5611]

Sorry. Some days really leave you so defeated...two steps forward three back. Hang in there!

[mayhemkb]

Thanks Michele.

[mayhemkb]

Got an answer back from Otter's babysitters. They took a week to talk about it and have decided they would like to take Otter-when they move to a new place. Their original timeline was about a year from now. So they will be taking Otter on more weekends in between then and now and we'll work out details during their transition period. We get to watch Otter when they are unable to take him with them on weekends/trips once they move.

This all comes with mixed feelings for me though. I am estatic for Otter. I am feeling like a rotten person on my end. . .

[maryellen]

DONT FEEL ROTTEN!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! you are doing what is best for HIM.... that is nothing to feel rotten about.... if you want i can come over there and bitch slap some sense into you.....

[suziriot]

Ditto to what ME said. You have absolutely done right by Otter.

[mayhemkb]

Thanks for the support guys.

I know Otter will be in great hands and that where he is going is the best for him. I think I just need to think of my house being another foster home for Otter that put a lot of work into him to make him a great dog for our friends. I have fostered so many ferrets for long periods that I knew weren't right for my home that I loved dearly and then passed back to the ferret shelter to rehome when space opened up for them. Thinking in those terms is more soothing than the thought of me adopting a dog and rehoming him after a couple years (which is what a rescue/shelter would see).

We still have Otter for a year or so and we get to see his progress over time. (We'll act like a rescue and offer him safe haven if he should ever lose his home or need to "board" somewhere for awhile.) I promised my mentor in school that I would always do what is right by the dog. I will always keep that promise.

If I get too mopey ME you have my permission to come bitch slap sense into me.

[mayhemkb]

Just an update. All is going well for everyone here. Otter's babysitters have been practically turning themselves inside out trying to hurry their timeline along. I told them they can relax but they are so excited they are just dying to get him in their place. (I secretly hope they take a little longer since I'll miss Otter) They are also going to enroll Otter in agility classes. I am so excited since I could never run an agility course due to an old knee injury. Otter will love it.

Otter has been more relaxed since being able to go to their place every so often. We have set up a more restrictive crate and rotate type setup-(he gets time with us where he has NO contact with Boon. Still never any aggression) This also means he gets time away from both Boon and the ferrets. He has just come to life during this time but is a shell of a dog the rest of the time. He has actually played indoors with us with this new set up. He has never done that. He had zoomies for the first time here.

I also will make the observation that Boon has reverted to all out avoidence and has not greeted Otter since May when they are together. Boon is also a different dog with Otter gone too. Back to his really goofy laid back self. I guess this all just affirms we made the right choice. A bit of a blow to the ego but I can deal with that if everyone is happy in the end.

[sugar]

It should be a total boost to your ego that you were able to put Otter's feelings first! Plus, I'm sure they will let you visit Otter anytime you need an Otter-fix

[mayhemkb]

Oh they will. I look forward to seeing him so happy all the time too!

[michele5611]

So glad to hear that things are going well!! This sounds like a positive situation for everyone involved!

[maryellen]

this is really awesome!!

[mayhemkb]

Hi guys! Another update-

Otter has a date for his permenant move-Halloween. His babysitters have found a pitbull friendly rental and have put in their notice to the old landlord. Much earlier than anticipated but most likely for the better.

Since they have been prepping for a move we have had Otter on more weekends. School has started and Boon has been barking more since there has been more activity with kids walking to school. These combined events have sent Otter into a real anxiety loop. His licking the floor OCD thing has tripled. He has been nearly hyperkinetic lately and has been freaking himself out while doing any outside excercise. He has also begun to soil his cage more often as well. We stepped up his meds and have set aside more time with his future family so he can have a few relaxing reset weekends while they are getting ready to move.

I am amazed at how the return of kids to school could have such a profound impact on his anxiety-but not surprised. Even though Boon has cut ties with Otter, Otter still loves Boon and when Boon is more anxious, as he is with all those "strange" kids right now, Otter feeds off it and returns that anxiety tenfold to us and Boon. (It doesn't help that he has not been able to get away from this environment either more than once in the last month.) What is funny as well is that his anxiety also fuels the little bit of anxiety that Boon has every so often and makes him more reactive. When Otter is gone-Boon has been far less likely to bark at passing strangers from the house as well.

So just some interesting notes for anyone in the future and a little update. (Otter will be at his future family's home this weekend for some much needed down time.)

[mayhemkb]

Well The transition is complete for Otter. He actually moved in with his new family a week earlier than anticipated due to their schedule. They decided in the end to move in with her parents to save money and because they want to go to a house from here. They found they had quite a few problems with rentals turning them down because of Otter's PB ancestry (the PB friendly place took another renter over them in favor of a non dog family). So they decided to save some cash and some stress with the move. He is even happier in this set up since he is only alone about 4 hours a day. He has 5 people to hang out with and loves that his New Great Grandpa lives in an in law suite and comes to get him so he can hang out on the couch with him every afternoon.

Otter showed me his bed, blankies, and new toys. He also was just in heaven to be in a home where He did not need to be restricted to stay away from our other dog and he could move without worry of getting a snark from Boon. (The crate, rotate set up made our small house really small for him.)

Otter is getting enrolled in agility this spring. He'll be on top of the world. I could never do that with him due to my old knee injury. They are also looking into flyball for him too. He hasn't had any accidents in the 2 weeks he has been there and has stopped all OCD licking. I wish I had a picture of his big ear to ear bully smile. He was too excited to stand still for it

[maryellen]

omg that is awesome for Otter!!!!!!!!!!! you did the right thing, so dont ever question that..

[mayhemkb]

Thanks ME. I am so glad I had the support I did on this board from the very beginning of Otter's issues. You all have been a wonderful resource and help with everything. I have refered Otter's new family over here but they aren't really into this type of thing. We'll see if they join.

This was quite the learning experience for me. Now I just sit back and wait. It will most likey be 1-3 years before we move to add another dog to the household again. That will give me time to take a good hard look at what went wrong all around and to re evaluate/change up our criteria for another dog. With the issues that Otter had with Boon (many of which were entirely perpetuated by Boon) we'll need to look at the possiblity of Boon telling us he'd rather be an only or look for a different personality mix. I guess I don't know quite where we are going from here.

[maryellen]

honestly nothing went wrong, you just didnt have the right dog for your situation..sometimes that happens, a dog can be one way in a home, and at another home be totally different... its very possible that Boon either A. wants to be an only dog or B. would prefer a female or C. a totally different breed of dog...

if down the road you decide to try again, do a foster situation instead, this way you can "test drive" any potential candidate and give a shelter dog a home until they are adopted if they arent the right fit... . try different breeds, instead of pitbulls. (some pitbulls get along better with other breeds then others)