Need Major Help!

[Luka-pop]

Okay, well, Luka's all of a sudden turned into a really bad family pet during the last two weeks. He snatched 4 BBQ porkchops and 6 bananas, 2 danishes, and 5 muffins from the counter and ate them. He also totally went through the trash. A lot of people suggested crating him, so we put the crate in the basement and lef him there for an hour while we were out. Well, when we came home, she had broken out of his crate, and had totally trashed the room. He dumped trash cans and tupperwares and totally scratched at the carpet. Part of our floor has no carpeting now, cuz he dug at it all the way to the concrete underneath. So what do I do now? My parents are p!$$ed, and if he's that powerful outside his crate, imagine how much self-damaging he'd be in his crate. If he doesn't improve, or if I can't find a solution ASAP, we're gonna have to give him up :cry: . What I don't get is that up until about a month ago, he was perfectly fine being left alone for 5.5 hours! Now he can't even be left alone for 1 hour without being so destructive! Why? What to do? HELP!

[imported_Cassie]

I'm just taking a stab and saying that your Dog is suffering from serperation anxiety...It is important for owners of dogs with separation anxiety to understand that the inappropriate behavior the dog is exhibiting is due to anxiety, and not because the dog is angry or trying to 'get back' at the owner. Scolding or punishing the dog will only lead to confusion, more anxiety, and worse behavior. By videotaping some dogs whose owners have punished the dog for his destructive behavior, they have demonstrated that the dog's anxiety level increases just before the owner would normally come home. In these cases, behaviorists feel the dog's problem behavior is not due to anxiety about being alone, but because the dog is anxious about the probable punishment it will receive when the owner returns.

If you feel your dog has separation anxiety, the first step is to discuss the situation with your veterinarian and have the dog undergo a complete physical examination. It is important to make sure that your dog's behavior is truly due to separation anxiety and not to something else. (For instance, inappropriate urination may occur if your dog was never actually fully housetrained, or if he has a urinary tract infection. A dog may bark when alone because he feels he is protecting his property, or because he can hear another dog.)

Your veterinarian may recommend some testing to make sure your dog does not have any underlying medical problems, which could contribute to behavior problems or make them worse. Tests may include a complete blood count, a chemistry profile, urinalysis, thyroid testing, a blood pressure check, and an ECG. These tests will also be important to verify the health status of your dog prior to being placed on any medication. Be sure that your veterinarian is aware of any other medication your dog is already taking, and any previous health problems.

For dogs with separation anxiety, the most effective approach is usually a combination of behavior modification exercises and anti-anxiety medication. It is essential to realize that both medication and behavior modification exercises are important parts of therapy for dogs with separation anxiety. In most cases, using one component alone will not be sufficient to achieve success. The medication is used to help your dog relax so that she can concentrate on performing the behavior modification exercises; the exercises are what actually change the dog's response to a stressful situation, over time.

Medications: Commonly used medications include clomipramine and amitriptyline, which can be prescribed by your veterinarian. Any anti-anxiety drug prescribed by your veterinarian needs to be given exactly as directed. Dogs with separation anxiety have a higher overall anxiety level, and drugs used as part of a treatment plan for separation anxiety need to be given regularly, not just when the dog seems anxious. Patience is important; it can take weeks to months for certain drugs to become effective. It is often necessary to try several drugs or combinations of drugs, to determine what will work best for an individual dog.

Behavior modification: Your veterinarian may be able to give you help with the behavior modification exercises, or refer you to an experienced animal behaviorist or trainer in your area. For the best result, it is important that the person you work with has had experience working with dogs with separation anxiety.

Behavior modification exercises must be done consistently (for weeks to months) to see results, and the exercises may need to be continued for life.
Another component of behavior modification that may help your dog to be less anxious is increased exercise. Exercise has mental as well as physical benefits for dogs. Veterinary behaviorists often recommend 45-60 minutes of intense activity twice a day. If your dog is a 'couch potato,' start out slow and build up the intensity and length of time over several weeks. If your dog has any health problems, check with your veterinarian before starting the exercise program.

In addition to exercise, mental stimulation (playing fetch, working on commands, practicing agility exercises at home or in a class) is also important. Many types of dogs were originally bred to do a job, and they can become stressed without the mental activity they would normally use if they were "working."

[courtnek]

Take him to see a holistic vet. There are natural herbal remedies you can get for seperation anxiety, not exactly doggie-downers, but have a calming affect on them. As far as stealing food, go with the fact that if they can get it they will. You could try the mousetrap under a bunch of newspapers - the scare usually stops them.

you might even find one of those vets on a website.

Good luck!

[imported_Cassie]

You are right Courtnek, it would be best to treat with natural herbal remedies.
I was also wondering if there have been any changes in your house hold which may have affected Luca? losing a pet, adding another pet or even if you started a new job....some Dogs are much more sensitive to change.

[Rosebud]

:-?

I agree with courtnek & cassie, he should have a physical to find out what the cause of the separation anxiety is.

Since it's the weekend you could try some positive reinforcement by having everybody leave the house for about 5 minutes (take a drive around the block and leave Luka crated), give lots of praise and treats when you get back if he hasn't done anything ignore him if he has. Do this several times Saturday and on Sunday, lengthen the times you are gone, if he does something wrong, look at him like I am so dissappointed and ignore him for about 5-10 minutes, then love on him. I know that this is a long-shot and an inconvenience but it might work and it will let Luka know that you are going to come back and he will learn appropriate behavior/reward from it.

I would love any other comments or experiences on using this technique. It worked with my RR Sally to get her from jumping on me and from tearing up paper and plastic while I was gone.

:angel:

[courtnek]

Here is a site that lists holistic vets by state. You might get lucky and find one near you.

http://www.alternativesforanimals.com/viewvets.html

good luck!!

:D

[Luka-pop]

Thanks guys! I forgot to mention to the new members, Luka was surrendered by his previous owners because of separation anxiety. But I don't understand how all of a sudden, after 4 months of having him, he'd start showing signs of it again. There hasn't been a change in the household either. He had a full exam, but the vet didn't recommend drugs for him, unlss it got WAY out of hand (it's getting there) and it'll prolly be $$$ because there won't be a guarantee that it'll help, he said. BTW, Luka willingly sleeps at night in his crate, so he is used to the crate. I just can't think of how to leave him alone from now on. I'll need a solid iron box with nothing in it... How can he be left alone without causing damage to the house and to himself?

BTW, do the "Comfor Zone" plug-in things work? It's supposed to release female dog pheromones that comfort and relax the dog, the same thing that the mothers use to relax her puppies. It's supposed to help with s.a., but has anyone ever tried it?

And do you think regular play sessions with other dogs would help relieve some stress and improve his status?

[ellieangel]

Hi Luka-pop
I had a similar problem with both of my dogs Ellie would cry and howl and scratch at the door and Rio would rip my sofa and chairs to shreds !!! :roll:
However they are both now on a herbal remedy called Valerian & Scullcap which I bought on-line from animalsnaturally.com it calms the dog and reduces anxiety levels,I also have installed a DAP diffuser which sounds identical to the comforzone plug ins that you mentioned.
Since i have used these Rio has stopped being destructive when left and Ellie hardly ever squinny's now !
Other tactics I have used in conjunction with this is kongs stuffed with cheese and liver and such lovely goodies that i give the dogs just before I leave them,Also to keep Rio's mind occupied (he's only 9 months) i get old cardboard pizza boxes cereal boxes etc and put a few treats in each one and tape them up really well with loads of sellotape and leave them around for him to rip to shreds.It's a pain to clear up when I get in but at least I still have a sofa!!!!!!!!
Hope you have found this helpful!! :wink:

[imported_Cassie]

You could possibly try out a doggy day care facility...the comfu sound plug in sounds like a good idea ...when I was a child... I got a new puppy... my mother had us put a clock (which has the tick tock sound) under the pups blanket...it worked for that pup....do you have any other animals in the house hold....I had a Newf which suffered from seration aniexty for only about 2 months ....I had just lost 2 Newfs within 2 months of each other :cry: one from bone cancer and the other from old age...she was the only one left of the 3 Newfs ... she started chewing at herself (aural lick dermatitis-which is also a stress related behavior problem)..she had chewed all the fur off one leg and she was miserable...I got 2 new dogs! another Newf and a (Rottie -which I rescued)...she was not happy being on her own and the other dogs play with her so much she doesnt have time to think about licking her leg any more! :lol: I also have an out door kennel which works for me...but may not be feasable for others... if you have neighbors and a dog that enjoys to bark constantly you may not be voted neighbor of the month!
Elliangel has some great suggestions ...a good stuffed kong bone can keep a mind busy for quite awhile! also while you are home leave the crate open so your dog will go in on his own accord...let him start thinking of the crate as his den...and not a place of punishment, or the association of the crate with your leaving....encourage your dog to take a bone into the crate and chew on it...and I have always left music on or the TV...it seems to trick the dog into beleiving there is a human in the house (or maybe my dogs just like the sounds in the house)...or perhaps tape your own voice and leave it out...???

[Holz_Boomer]

Well I had a similar problem, but not quite as bad...You See...Holly and Boomie are fine alone...but if they're left by "accident" in the garage and not the kennel ( the kennel is in the garage..hard to explain but there's a little place we made for them, with a doggies door going thru the garage to lead to a even bigger kennel in the outdoors, so they can be inside or out..) then they tear up the garbage and make an awful mess! Of dourse, Mom and Dad get Pi$$ed and say it's my fault because they're my dogs...Now this problem has stopped..but im wondering, maybe is it that Luka doesn't like being left alone? Maybe he is trying to send you signs that he wants you to always have time for him...or something?I'm sorry I know I'm not much of help...but I don't know what to say?