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SEVERE Separation Anxiety

Behavioral Issues
  • Anubis's MommyA

    I have a 2 year old Basenji. He has SEVERE separation anxiety. Ive tried Calming Tablets that are all natural. They don't work. Ive tried using Bark Off to distract him when he makes noise. He ignores it. I tried Pheromone collars and just about everything short of sedating him when I leave. I have to crate him when I leave because if I do not he gets upset when alone and will tear up everything (he's already destroyed my bathroom,my carpet near my doorways and chewed a hole in my computer chair). When crated he will howl super loud like a coyote. He digs at the crate and bangs around and makes all sort of noise. He's hurt his paws twice already. The pads of his paws had dried blood when I came home. I have a blanket in the crate and chewies to maybe give him something to do. He ignores them and or shreds the blanket.

    My apartment landlord and upstairs neighbor are tired of it and have threatened me with having to give my dog up. I dont want to but don't know how to calm him when I leave. I had to modify his crate so he couldn't escape. He figured out how to escape already.

    He gets exercise daily. I walk him for an hr in the morning before it gets hot, a few times during the day for potty breaks and at night when its cool he gets walked for an hr or so. He also gets trips to the dog park and gets played with and chased around the apartment which he loves. I have a work at home job and he's only crated for an hr or 2 every other day if that whenever I go shopping or out with my boyfriend. So please dont think he is crated ALL day because he is not. I cannot get another dog because pet deposits are $450 PER dog. Please help so I don't lose my baby.

    Owned by Anubis and Casey (the Pitbull mix)!

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  • KipawaK

    Here are a couple of links to previous posts regarding separation anxiety. I hope they help.

    http://www.basenjiforums.com/showthread.php?t=9329&highlight=separation+anxiety

    http://www.basenjiforums.com/showthread.php?t=6707&highlight=separation+anxiety

    Fran Harder, BAB

    With Barney in my heart

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  • Anubis's MommyA

    Thank you Kipawa! Ill look at them right now! :) I want to fix everything with him sooo badly. He's my baby and I love him so much and don't want to lose him.

    Owned by Anubis and Casey (the Pitbull mix)!

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  • lvossL

    It really sounds like you need to consult a veterinary behaviorist. You need someone who can not only develop a behavior modification plan but also evaluate whether Anubis may also need medication to help make the modification plan effective.

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  • C

    I will concur with Lisa. See a CAAB or a veterinary behaviorist so that your dog can be evaluated and possibly put on medication.

    SepAnx is simple to treat, but by no means easy. The sad fact is that many dog owners do not have the time or financial means to handle it because step one is to stop reinforcing his fear. That means that during treatment, the dog cannot be left alone. This means that when you go out, you'll need someone to stay with him.

    Please at least consult a good local trainer who can give you a training plan to get started on and who can evaluate whether or not drugs are warranted.

    -Andrea Stone

    Saorsa Basenjis

    You miss 100% of the shots you don't take. –Wayne Gretzky

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    @beth Try behavior training before you add another dog. This is going to take a bit of repitition over the better half of a morning, and a few days of follow up training -- but it works. Do whatever preperation you normally do to leave. Tell your dog that you will be "right back" (insert whatever command word/phrase you want to use). Then exit and lock your door. Walk around the corner of the building, then return. Praise your dog as you greet them. Wash, rinse, repeat, gradually increasing the amount of time you are gone. Start at a few moments, then trips to the store, etc. This reassures them that you will come back,. but you are actually teaching your pup the routine ques. It alerts the dog that you are preparing to leave (without them). Slightly different for when they get to go with you. Your dog will learn the difference ("Hey, if she picks up the leash, I get to go, too!"). I (personally) use bribes as a tell-tale. I give my pup a kong filled treat, or a frozen neck bone (her favorite) to chew on if she's staying at home. If I call her and pick up the leash, she's coming with. But she's ok, even on the rare occasion that I'm gone for 6 hours!
  • J

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    Acepromazine is a drug I will never ever give to a dog again. http://www.veterinarypartner.com/Content.plx?A=570 I agree with Shirley, it seems very fearful. Sadly, that's often a trait you can work to help control, but it is something your dog simply may be born with. You can work on desensitizing to vet... by doing by, let them toss a treat, go home. Do it for quite a while. Ditto on muzzle.. do it at home for a few mins, take off and treat. Work on making both as unstressful as possible. But better to muzzle than have a bite incident.
  • A

    PLEASE HELP! Anxiety Issues!!!

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    D
    He should adjust in time to losing his companion. However long that takes is questionable though and he will continue to be angry and feel neglected and reflect that anger with destruction just out of loneliness. It may improve with time and may not. You have to ask yourself is this fair for your dog? I would spend nearly all my time with him when I was home taking walks, etc. and if you can't do more than 2 hrs. it may be best to find a better home for him where he has a better environment. If his new home is a better place where there is a yard to run, and owners that can spend more time with him he will gradually accept the new home and owners. I know that is hard but may be the best. When your living situation improves you may think about owning another dog. Other than that, working 2 jobs leaves the dog alone too much to be fair so you need to get someone…the same person all the time... over to your apartment to spend time with him if you don't want to give him up. He can bond to that person and that will help the loneliness somewhat. If you decided to give him up, the new owners could come over frequently for walks and visits before you gave the dog to them so that the dog would consider them friends before adoption, that would help the dog transition. I would not give that dog to an inexperienced owner though. That could end in disaster. It will do the same things with the new owner although it should get over the transition quicker because it will be in a better environment. Also, was your husband the dog's leader? You now have to be a positive leader for him because it sounds like he lacks leadership.
  • J

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    Completely agree with you thunderbird! I'm glad to here that Malaika is doing well–there is hope!! :) . Control Unleashed has a lot of strategies (e.g. the Look At That game & hand targets) that I hope will make an impact. Keep us updated on your efforts!
  • KipawaK

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    Uzie will do the same thing as Kipawa-dead sleep, I move, he follows. I ignore him when he does this. I luckily have two other dogs in the house for distraction/companionship, but if I leave for a long period of time, he does better when not crated. Otherwise he baroos like, like, like the loneliest Basenji in the whole world! I usually throw some kibble all over the floor of one room and leave the house. Like I said, he only baroos when crated. But for you, maybe you can try the Kibble Throw. As for the car, maybe you can start the engine, turn it off, wait, then give praise and/or kibble and start it up again until you can leave it on for a minute or so. The calming spray may help too.