Post by robynsa on Aug 17, 2014 3:53:46 GMT -5
There are a lot of great dog minds on this board and I'm hoping that I can pick your brains with a behavioural case I'm working on at the moment.
Betty is a 2yo mutt. She's with us because she mortally injured one of her pack mates and has sent a couple more to the vet. Initial observations in the home is that she is EXTREMELY spoilt, she sets the rules with the humans, without the humans realising it, and has zero discipline. So we've made great strides in terms of her dog social skills and her discipline. She's doing pretty well in those two regards.
The challenge is her absolutely off the charts separation anxiety that has now surfaced. I've never, even seen a dog that stresses so much when separated from her person. She barks, she howls, she whines and she paces. And she doesn't stop. In the last 2 hours she has done about 400 circuits of her pen, whimpering the entire time, barking and howling in between. She has not laid down or even sat down in the pen once in the last 3 days. She has dogs in the pen next door (she can touch them) and opposite her and all are totally calm. She's been here since Tuesday and started doing this over the last 3 days - I think because she is now bonded to me and my assistant. I phoned her owner this morning and she said that Betty behaves exactly the same way when her husband isn't home at night. Her husband is her handler and Betty pretty much is with him 24/7.
What have I tried: initially ignoring her. Trying to only reward calm behaviour (but there's been none to reward). I've put the e-collar on to try stop the howling and desperate barking. She is ignoring a bark collar (spray version and vibration version). When she is in this state she will not eat, and she only pauses her pacing for a fraction of a second to lap up some water. Then she's off again. Please understand when I say she is relentless and behaving like an absolute whack job.
The main issue around this is that in all instances that she hurt other dogs, she was in this mindset leading up to it. Therefore I don't want to put other dogs in with her because I fear she will lunge out of frustration and hurt/kill someone.
In terms of exercise we are running her with the ATV and doing lots of leash work to heel, and some obstacles and the like. Off leash she runs with around 20 other dogs. Today, I can't see how I can even take her out because she won't stop pacing and I don't want to reward the behaviour.
So... does anyone have any insights into this, any suggestions that I can try?
My inclination is to wait her out, even if it takes days, and basically do nothing with her until she has relented to the confinement.
I could really use some help here please!
Betty is a 2yo mutt. She's with us because she mortally injured one of her pack mates and has sent a couple more to the vet. Initial observations in the home is that she is EXTREMELY spoilt, she sets the rules with the humans, without the humans realising it, and has zero discipline. So we've made great strides in terms of her dog social skills and her discipline. She's doing pretty well in those two regards.
The challenge is her absolutely off the charts separation anxiety that has now surfaced. I've never, even seen a dog that stresses so much when separated from her person. She barks, she howls, she whines and she paces. And she doesn't stop. In the last 2 hours she has done about 400 circuits of her pen, whimpering the entire time, barking and howling in between. She has not laid down or even sat down in the pen once in the last 3 days. She has dogs in the pen next door (she can touch them) and opposite her and all are totally calm. She's been here since Tuesday and started doing this over the last 3 days - I think because she is now bonded to me and my assistant. I phoned her owner this morning and she said that Betty behaves exactly the same way when her husband isn't home at night. Her husband is her handler and Betty pretty much is with him 24/7.
What have I tried: initially ignoring her. Trying to only reward calm behaviour (but there's been none to reward). I've put the e-collar on to try stop the howling and desperate barking. She is ignoring a bark collar (spray version and vibration version). When she is in this state she will not eat, and she only pauses her pacing for a fraction of a second to lap up some water. Then she's off again. Please understand when I say she is relentless and behaving like an absolute whack job.
The main issue around this is that in all instances that she hurt other dogs, she was in this mindset leading up to it. Therefore I don't want to put other dogs in with her because I fear she will lunge out of frustration and hurt/kill someone.
In terms of exercise we are running her with the ATV and doing lots of leash work to heel, and some obstacles and the like. Off leash she runs with around 20 other dogs. Today, I can't see how I can even take her out because she won't stop pacing and I don't want to reward the behaviour.
So... does anyone have any insights into this, any suggestions that I can try?
My inclination is to wait her out, even if it takes days, and basically do nothing with her until she has relented to the confinement.
I could really use some help here please!