Crate/seperation axiety- help!

[Khola]

So... about a month ago we (my basenji and two cats) moved in with my boyfriend and his 2 kids (5 and 6... have parttime). Pepsi is 3 and is not handling this transition well. She growls at the kids if they run by her or if we’re on the couch and they get too close to me. We’ve curbed this by having them give her treats and commands. She is also Locke doff the couch if she growls (and will now remove herself).
That aside- she is having to be crated when we leave for fear of destroying the house. She was only created briefly before this. She loses her mind. Has chewed and scratched the plastic crate, will shred any blanket left in there. Won’t take a treat and pants a pool of slobber.
Today she somehow got out and then scratched at the closed door and destroyed the carpet.
She’s been on a super low dose of Prozac (10mg) and we’ve now got an appointment to get her more.
Does anyone have any other suggestions? I want to cry. !

[newbsnjbby]

We went thru the same with our Bruwinn. She is 4. Despises the crate..hates to be alone....we put her on same Prozac dose and tried every calming item on the market. we would leave her for small amounts of time and come back...15 mins, 20, half hour) so she wouldn’t know how long she would be alone...and of course leave treats everywhere...(ours is very good motivated) It eventually worked .......and then she had a dental procedure at the vet this winter and they crated her for the day .we had no idea...and we are back to square one again. She was crying, peeing in the house, and so anxious...The entire thing was heartbreaking. Prozac and rescue remedy every day again, but she is doing better. She does growl if someone approaches one of us when she is on couch...really working on stopping this as she snaps at my niece but only if we are on couch w her......give it some time. Good luck

[DebraDownSouth]

10 mg is not really that low of a dose depending on her weight. >>Typically the drug is given in a dosage of 0.5 to 0.9 mg per pound orally once per day. So, for example, a 30 pound dog would probably get somewhere between 15 and 27 mg per day.<< Because of side effects, most vets try to avoid top dosage. They could try amitriptyline. It has a more sedative effect.

This is why crate training early on is so important... because if they aren't used to it and you NEED it, it can be a crisis. Using newbsnjbby's method for adjusting to the crate is classic retraining. It is going to take a while.

You have the right response with the kids.. let them become her only food source, treats, and if she goes into a fenced yard to potty or play, they control the door. I also would make the couch off limits at all times until this is totally turned around. And, because children are involved, consulting with a behaviorist might be the most prudent advice.

[dmcarty]

hemp oil......

[Khola]

Thanks for your quick replies. I guess I just wanted to know I wasn’t alone and also see if anyone had any additional ideas. We’re going to get her on about 20mg of Prozac this next week (we were using what we had from the cat) and o try really hard to make the kids positive reinforcement (my background is in animal behavior).
I just hate seeing her so frantic in the crate. Next week my boyfriend starts work again so she’ll have to be in the crate for a full work day and I feel bad she’s so upset. It was just as someone else posted- she was a lot better and now that she got out of the crate and scratched the carpet she’s frantic again. I hate going backwards. Ug.
(Hemp oil is a new idea I might have to try... thanks!)

[DonC]

Know you are not alone. Some Basenjis are fine in a crate. Some aren't. And some are on some days and not others. There is a lot written about crate training. You might want to look at that if you haven't. We've had success putting some food in the crate. If you do that she might view the crate more positively. Agree it's better to start early. You may have done that, and, in any event, that ship has sailed.

I suspect with a little more time she'll adjust. Sometimes a room as opposed to a crate works and they're fine. And sometimes they stay unhappy and destroy things. Just have to experiment.

[DebraDownSouth]

hemp oil

1. know your state laws.. its' not so simply
   https://cbdorigin.com/is-cbd-legal/

2. in spite of recommendations, very little research has been done, especially on reaction to other meds, and also on whether it works
   https://www.veterinarypracticenews.com/faq-what-you-need-to-know-about-hemp-and-dogs/

Q. What are the potential risks?
As is the case with other botanical products, risks associated with hemp could include intrinsic toxic agents in the plant; species-specific adverse reactions; interactions with medications; mislabeling or plant misidentification; and toxicity from pesticides, contaminants and/or adulterants.

As stated above, there is currently little way to guarantee consistent and low levels of THC in hemp products meant for pets; this raises the possibility of unintended toxicosis.

Q. Have clinical studies been performed on veterinary patients?
Restrictions on cannabis research have, until recently, imposed strict and nearly insurmountable barriers on clinical investigations of the medical applications of hemp and medical marijuana.<<

Hemp oil isn't some magical panacea. Talk to an actual vet before experimenting in untested, unproven and potentially harmful drugs.

[janja]

Sorry to hear that, but She needs time to adjust and crating is not helping.
I never crated my dogs and they never distroyed anything.
My advise is to work with her more, obedience, longer walks...so She doesn’t feel neglected and let her find her own safe place.

I wouldn’t give her medications, just time.

Close those rooms with fancy furniture and leave her somewhere your smell is, bedroom maybe?

Panting and saliva pools means a lot of stress, so get her out of the crate If she is not used to it, dont give her prozac.

You need time, mental and phisical stimulations and lots of love

[Zande]

NO Prozac, certainly not in the doses you mention, and no crates. You need to build her confidence, not destroy it. It seems to me the poor little dog is grossly over-stressed.

Work with her, as Janja suggests. Quality time with her, longer walks, some kind of training that is special to her - obedience, even agility if you have a child old enough to do it with her. Fun for them both.

Children need to realise that when a Basenji needs space and time, they have to respect that and leave the poor animal alone. Unwanted attention at the wrong time WILL be rewarded with a growl. At first (often) a low murmur, just a warning. But for Pete's sake don't let it degenerate into something more serious.

My constant moan is that very few breeders crate train before the pups leave the nest. At 3, it will be more difficult and so much better to set aside 'HER' room where she is undisturbed, lots of toys, maybe, and a favorite bone to chew on. (Beef bones, raw, will last for ages and clean her teeth the while). And nothing which you cherish.

You are not going to lick this problem over night. It will take time, disciplining the children, lots of patience and a whole bundle of love.

Reduce the stress, eliminate the medication, lock the crate away and start to spend time building the wee girl's confidence again.

[DebraDownSouth]

Somehow people are missing that this woman is out of options. She works, he works. It would be great if one could quit work. Few people have the equivalent of a "safe room" where walls, door frames, floor cannot be destroyed. I'd sure as hell rather give a dog drugs to calm them until they can adjust than have them hurt themselves, destroy & potentially chew/eat something that could kill them. There is ideal, then there is the reality. For most people, rehoming the dog is more probable than quitting your job to be home 24/7... even for a month or so.

[Bluebert]

I've been through the same experience with my B and his separation anxiety. He did not respond well to Prozac, it made him very sick so I never gave him again. I tried consulting with a trainer, my vet, looked up desensitisation training, rescue remedy, pet cameras..... I haven't achieved any success so far BUT I have to admit I have come to a point where I stopped trying - apart from occasionally going out and staying behind the door for around 5 minutes, then going back inside and carrying on with my housework (to show him that its totally fine if I go out - I will come back).

The best solution to me was finding a pet sitter close by - I drop him off there before work and pick him up on my way back. I find that he enjoys going there as he gets to play with other dogs and stays active. I know it isn't the best solution but I feel like its made my life much easier as I was going through a really stressful time in trying to deal with his anxiety before this - even half heartedly considering rehoming him.

With regards to crate training, I have found it impossible - although I feed him inside his crate, the second I close it whether I am home or not, he freaks out....and also managed to break one. My approach in all this is that I want him to feel safe and comfortable at home while I am away - and not scared and confined.

I hope you manage to find a solution that works for you!

[Khola]

@debradownsouth your post rings true and though I hate that this has to be the solution- unfortunately if I lock her in any sort of room she instantly scratches frantically at the carpet, ripping it from the tacks in 5-10 minutes. I’d love to give her free roam of my place- as I did my last place- but she’s not comfortable enough yet and will destroy the carpet and maybe the couch as well.
She is odd in the way she acts. She has plenty ability to get away from the kids and loud noises but does not move away from them. She will just give a short protest growl as they walk by.
Giving her treats in the crate doesn’t work. She’s still to frantic to even think about them while in there. She goes nicely into the crate and doesn’t have to be forced, but has now taken a step backwards since she got out the one time.
We go to the dog park frenquently and she gets long walks everyday as we live in a town that’s easily walk-able. I even have the 6 year old wall her.
The Prozac, thus far, has helped her to not be so frantic during the day when the kids are under toe.
Basenjis are hard (as we all know) and this is not my first by far.