my dog’s separation barking?
I have a 1.5 year old English Springer who suffers from terrible separation anxiety. I use a kennel when I leave the house because he literally eats my carpeting trying to escape. My landlords commented on his barking and crying all day long, so I gave in and finally purchased a petsafe bark collar. It stopped him for a few days, but now it isn’t working anymore, and I didn’t want the collar to be a long term solution anyway.
I am a teacher, so I can not take him to work with me. What are some methods, if any that have worked?
*He does have a kong and he gets a bone every time he is in there, so it is not for lack of entertainment.
suzy49
31 Jan, 2010
Separation anxiety is so difficult and stressful for both dog and owner! Dogs can suffer from this problem in a fairly mild way, or it can be very severe. There are many different things you can do, some may be effective, some not. For very difficult cases it often helps to consult a vet and get a recommendation for a canine behavioral specialist who can give you some help and advice. It’s often a matter of trial and error to find what works and what doesn’t, and although behavior modification techniques may not be an instant fix, given time they are very often effective.
From leaving a radio or TV on (or even a CD recording of your voice) all the way through to behavior modification to desensitize your dog to your absence – you’ll find everything you need to know about managing this common problem at this url http://www.the-puppy-dog-place.com/separation-anxiety-in-your- dog.html
As you’ve found the bark collar doesn’t necessarily work for long, and it’s not a great solution. You really need to get to the root of the problem, your dog’s insecurity and loneliness, in order to eliminate (or at the very least reduce) his stress.
There are many different safe, sturdy and entertaining dog toys available today. Your dog will get bored quickly with the same toy every day, so check out this selection ( http://www.the-puppy-dog-place.com/indestructable-dog-toys.html )and rotate toys every day to keep the selection fresh. Make sure he has plenty of exercise too, it helps work off that excess emotional energy.
Best of luck!
From Planet Blue
31 Jan, 2010
Dog is small to be trained .May be you should try and spend more time with him.
greekman
31 Jan, 2010
As I have said many times here before, an Electric bark collar is the ONLY thing that will work on a dog, period.
Your landlord is complaining, you know what the next step is, you move or get rid of the dog. Purchase a quality bark collar from a company like Tritronics or Dogtra and put it on the dog when you leave, high and tight. He will make his own decisions about barking then…
Personally I have always felt is much better to make a dog shut up then to have to get rid of it..
Your neighbors will not give you that many options of this keeps up. Good luck!!
ginbark
31 Jan, 2010
He needs retraining and much much more exercise. Many dogs with sep anxiety get worse when crated. There are many meds and behavior modification that helps. He certainly needs to be neutered, it can help and he is not breeding quality with poor nerves. Do him a favor and if a Springer Rescue won’t take him if you decide to get rid of him put him to sleep. Every time a dog is rehomed their sep anxiety gets worse. It does take work, time and a few diff solutions but most dogs can be helped.
billypea
31 Jan, 2010
Training.
Condition him to be at ease with your lack of presence.
Also they have muzzles that let them open their mouth a little, these seem to help some of the dogs in my neighborhood.
Some people might say take him to the pet shrink or the dog whisperer. It is awful listening to a dog bark all day.
Or do the kind thing and give him to someone who can take care and spend enough time with him. By being your dog he spends most of his time "enjoying" anxiety attacks.
scuba
31 Jan, 2010
Separation anxiety is not necessarily simply a behavioral problem that needs "fixing". People used to believe that depression was just laziness until scientific research on dopamine proved that chemical changes were happening in people with depression.
Separation anxiety in dogs like that. It is not something that can just be fixed with a training collar. A good diet, exercise, and fresh air are important in treating the anxiety, but so is medical attention.
I would take your dog to a veterinarian that specializes in behavioral issues. You are not looking for a veterinarian to train your dog, you are looking for a medical evaluation and a referral to a behaviorist to treat a possible chemical imbalance.
It is easy to think that every behavior in a dog just needs training or the magic training collar, but the truth is there is a big picture going on. Was the mother stressed during pregnancy and birth? Was the dog bred for hunting with hunting traits? How old was the dog when he was weaned? What is his diet? Is he neutered? When did separation anxiety start? How much exercise does he get? Was he given enough time to get used to the crate? Does he have any medical problems? Allergies?
The point is all these things can create an unsteady dog and a professional evaluation will help you solve the problem, not just pacify it.