Topics created by GriffinsMom

@GriffinsMom, my girl Lady had a suspected brain tumour when she had a seizure at 13 years of age. My vet put her on Prednisone, and things improved. She was on and off the drug for the next few years until she really started to get worse at just short of 16 years old. My vet said that for some, Prednisone seems to shrink the tumour. Of course, it would depend on size and location. I don't want to give false hope, but you might inquire about it.

Has a complete thyroid test been done? How old is he?

Jennifer

It might be a combination of food and seasonal allergies. The food/biscuits might be a slight problem but then added to the seasonal allergies, the allergies become major. Arnie has allergies and he rarely gets treats because of this and his kibble dog food is his treat.

Does your dog also have a rash on his stomach area or the inner part of his rear legs? Arnie usually starts off with this and then if he is biting his feet I know the allergies are bad. He has not had this for a few years though! I would clean the area and this would help tremendously. Allergies are difficult to diagnose.

The allergy season here in OH has been extended because of the crazy weather. If you have leaves on the ground that are/were wet, there could be mold, fungi, etc. on them and your dog is getting it on his paws.

Jennifer

My other alternative was to have my dad stay at our house for a week, but we ran into the similar issues - so many rules to explain. In doing some research online, I also found this site www.abka.com. It's for the American Boarding Kennel Association - this is how we found the kennel we chose. It's a good resource. I also recall reading something online about how it's safer for them to be at kennel than to have a friend or family member watch them. Just imagine if the dog ran out and got loose - a pet sitter would have a very hard time dealing with that. If they are in a kennel, they are secure, safe and well taken care of.

I'm leaving better about our decision to do this, but I know I'm going to cry! 🙂

fetch indoors. when they fetch, you hide….they look for you and get so excited!

Jazzymom, I know Jazzy will have to have her space after the spay so this may not be much help but what about an ex-pen?

Get a second dog who's NOT a basenji. Some nice, calm, older mutt of the opposite sex. Larger than the basenji, too. Lavish attention on the big dog for her good behaviour, and the little one will try to emulate it. We've had that arrangement with two wicked basenjis, both of whom loved their big mutt girlfriends and learned from them.

yeah, it sounds like separation anxiety to me also. Tayda would leave unbelievable messes when i first got her. she actually once completely chewed up the pan in the bottom of the crate and there was a coat of diarreah covering a 2 foot radius of the crate (which included the WALL)

after much research on separation anxiety, this is what i did:

i started feeding her in the crate and putting here in there for some time when i was home also.. whenever she goes in her crate, she would get a treat. i would close the door, even if just for a second, and then let her out. when she got used to being in there when i was in front of her. i'd give her a treat, close the door, and walk away for a minute. come back, open door. i'd repeat this over and over and over and over…. it got better eventually. just have to teach them that the crate is a good place. i used to videotape her while i was gone. it really did get better and better. i used to leave a camera on the whole living room area (where the crate is) just to see what she did while i was away. it got to the point where she was totally trustworthy out of the crate when i wasn't home. and actually, even when i'd just leave her loose in the house, i'd come home and check the video... and she would spend most of her time - in the crate! she'd walk around, pick up toys, take them to the crate, sit down, play, chew, walk back to her toy box, pick up another toy, go back to the crate... etc etc.

just be patient and keep at it! it WILL get better!

But Poor Tayda... ever since I got Lenny, they're both crated together. He is totally untrustworthy in the house!!

Me too Funny.

@youngandtired:

My underground fencing is very good, she will not go over it b/c I have trained her not to. If she did she would probably be dead, lots of cars go by and she chases them just shy of the fence. If she goes close the collar device will give off a beep. When we are playing fetch outside and I throw the ball and it goes near the fence line she will stay put. She looks at me as if to say, "Go get it Mommy, I'm not. It has been great for us, I work and so does my hubby, and Sahara loves to be outside when the sun is shinning.

Just an interesting related story…not a commentary. A client of mine has a dog that is very nicely trained to their underground fence. They had had it for a few months, and the dog had never attempted to cross it. But one night, it snowed over a foot, covered the flags. The dog went right through it, and took the shock! The "context" of the fence changed for her when the terrain looked different. Luckily, after the snow left, she hasn't tried to cross the fence again.

thanks, i guess it's just the snacks

sounds like separation anxiety. You might try using a crate so he has less space; it might make him more comfortable to have less space, believe it or not!

There is a thread here somewhere about how to go about desensitizing a dog to being alone. It takes a lot of work, and very small steps. If you can't find it, let me know, and I will make another post.

Experts tell us that it can take up to a year for rescue dogs to settle into their new homes, sometimes. When they find something they really value (their new family) they are afraid when the people leave that they won't come back. Hang in there. Have patience 🙂

Oh, and try the DAP plug ins. They produce a calming pheremone to relax a nervous dog. You can look online, or find them at some pet supply stores. I have no personal experience with them…I keep meaning to try it...but lots of people have very good reports about them.