Separation anxiety! Help!

[Chaka829]

Chaka has all of the "symptoms" of separation anxiety...poor thing. We do crate him when we are gone for a short time but when we are gone for more than 2 hours we put him in a big play pen and he goes nuts...knocks over water bowl, pees on his bed, blanket, and toys, starts crying like crazy when we leave (this breaks my heart the most)...
The other day he escaped out of his crate and tore a massive hole in the carpet...and scratched a significant amount of paint off of the bathroom door...
Does anyone have suggestions? What are your thoughts on the anxiety wrap (jacket)?
Please advise.
Thank you in advance :)

[pugaddiction]

Oh poor Chaka, and poor you. I don't have any experience with an anxiety jacket. Are you talking about the thunder shirt. I have been thinking about getting one for Eddie, he too has issues. Not so much seperation anxiety, but more of fear of people and animals being outside when we are not home. We have to keep all of our blinds closed, music on, and his belly band on to help with his anxiety. I think it also helps Eddie that we have Zoey. Best of luck to you.

[Wonka & Nilla]

Here are some informational links that I've posted before, but they are always worth re-posting:
(this first one is a .pdf article)
http://www.bestfriends.org/theanimal...ionanxiety.pdf

Separation Anxiety : The Humane Society of the United States

When dealing with separation anxiety, one of the really key issues is to not make a big deal out of leaving or returning. Keep it all as low-key and calm as possible. Eventually, most dogs will learn that it's nothing to worry about when mom or dad leave and that they will be coming back. You can also try leaving the TV or relaxing music on while you are gone or giving him a special treat that he only gets when you are leaving (like a kong with yogurt).

Quite a few people on PugVillage have tried the Thundershirt, with mixed results. It works great for our black pug Wonka who hates having his nails trimmed, but had almost no effect on our fawn pug Nilla who barks at stuff she sees outside. Personally, I don't know if the Thundershirt is a good choice for separation anxiety because I don't think I'd want to leave it on the dog unsupervised... it could get caught on the crate wire or just be unsafe in other ways. Ideally, you want to work on Separation Anxiety issues through careful training.

Here are several PV threads on the Thundershirt for you to review:
Thundershirt????

http://www.pugvillage.com/forum/vill...ndershirt.html

Thunder Shirt

Thundershirt - My Review

And a thread about another alternative, the DAP pheromones:
Thundershirt - My Review

[Niki01]

I cant say that I have had much problems with mine and separation anxiety, but she is also only 3 months old. We leave her in a big crate no matter how long we are gone for. And she always just goes right to sleep. I think if she were in a bigger area she would go nuts. but I do notice if we are gone a few hours when she gets out she can be a little wild. Im guessing from being locked up. She goes potty then wants to play and thats when her biting is more prevalent, and little girls teeth are sharp! Good luck to you on your decision for her. Im so sorry you both have to go through with that.

[ladyfafa]

I can't yet speak from pug experience, but definitely, as others have commented, keep everything low key and calm when you leave AND when you enter. No long goodbyes and no exuberant hello's! Start downplaying the attention 5-10 minutes before you leave so he doesn't notice as much.

I'd say maybe go back to basics. He has to get used to the pen. Maybe try putting your boy in the pen as opposed to the crate for shorter intervals throughout the day - start off small, put him in there for 10 minutes whilst making dinner. When you come back, acknowledge him (don't overdo it!) calmly, and give him a treat for being calm (provided he has remained calm). Increase the amount of time he spends in his pen and eventually he will start to calm down. As for the biting, you could try redirecting this. You mention toys, how is Chaka normally with chew toys - does he have a favourite? As long as he isn't panicking too much, he'll hopefully chew his favourite toy rather than whatever he can find! Maybe try stuffing a Kong with treats and giving it to him before subtly exiting the house.


Separation Anxiety in Dogs This is a great article. The radio used to work really well for my Leos :)

[Cindy Ludwig]

Yes, the Anxiety Wrap will help! Be sure to get the original Anxiety Wrap - not the Thundershirt. The original, patented Anxiety Wrap applies more maintained pressure than any other product on the market today, and it also applies pressure over acupressure points in the dog's neck, shoulders, chest, belly, mid-section and rear legs.

Just recently veterinarian Nick Dodman of Tufts University School of Veterinary Medicine conducted a study in which he found that the Anxiety Wrap was effective in treating Thunderstorm phobia in 89% of the dogs in the study. I am a professional certified trainer and deal with a lot of dogs with anxiety and use this product with complete confidence as an adjunct in my behavior modification program.

I strongly recommend that you seek the assistance of a qualified professional for a proper diagnosis and treatment plan. I like to include veterinarians at the outset to rule out a medical cause for the dog's anxiety. Many veterinarians are not well versed in how to deal with behavior problems though, so once you have taken your dog to a veterinarian for an examination and evaluation, seek out the help of a qualified professional, reward-based trainer with experience in treating separation anxiety using standard behavior modification protocols. If your veterinarian is open to the assistance of a board-certified veterinarian, the board-certified vets I know will consult with your local veterinarian over the phone to help diagnose and treat your pet.

Good resources are the American Veterinary Society of Animal Behavior (check out their position statements), the Pet Professional Guild, Truly Dog-Friendly Trainers, the Karen Pryor Academy for Animal Training and Behavior list of trainers (call for a trainer in your area since not all graduates and Certified Training Partners pay the dues to required to be listed on the website), and the Jean Donaldson Academy for Dog Trainers referral list. You can read more about the Anxiety Wrap on the company website - just Google Anxiety Wrap.

I have complete confidence in this company. They offer free training tips from certified professional dog trainers as well as a money-back guarantee on their products. But again, please consult a professional to help you develop an individualized behavior modification plan for your dog. Also, sometimes an anti-anxiety medication is helpful to lower your dog's anxiety level enough that he will be receptive to behavior modification. I'm a registered nurse so come from a medical background and have no trouble at all recognizing that medication can be helpful in some cases for short periods of time. Bear in mind that behavior modification, along with the Anxiety Wrap as an adjunct must accompany medication for maximum effectiveness. The medication will only reduce your dog's anxiety; it will not change his emotional response to his situation or teach him new ways of coping! Good luck!

Cindy Ludwig, M.A., KPA
Karen Pryor Academy Certified Dog Trainer