@sharronhurlbut:
Re car rides, this is going to sound odd, but it does work for me and my 2 dogs.
Even if you have walked your dogs before a car trip, I find the excitement of the "get into the car" and going makes there guts act up.
So, here is what we do. We take the dogs a lot on vacation when we go by car.
We walk the dogs in the am, feed and water.
Get them into the car.
Drive about 2 miles and stop and let them out to walk.
Both always pee and poo when we stop.
Once back in the car, they settle and are quiet.
About a hr or so into the ride, they start to get "ACTIVE" again…we stop at a rest area, they go, and then they sleep the rest of the way.
Could be the excitement of leaving home, the motion of the car or whatever, but these stops, even tho you want to get going...make the trip much easier on all involved.
Give it a try. All you can lose is a bit of time...
Sharron…I've had friends use that method as well...so I think you (and them) are on to something.
Wizard...It is a tough road, separation anxiety. I never had much success with the DAP - spray or plug-in...and I used both for about half a year. I finally gave up on it. Although, my vet and the pet store I bought it at said they knew of people that had had success with it.
Good for you for working with a behaviorist...they definitely will have better ideas about things to try. The second beastie was the golden ticket for Ruby though...and seriously, I've found that 2 b's are so much easier than one. So much so that I'm thinking of adding another either this year or next...and for that I might need my head examined.
