Difficult time leaving lab alone even for a minute.?

Question

I have a 13yr Lab named Max. When we got him we already had a 3yr Lab. They were always together and Max followed him for everything. Two years ago the other dog died. Max was never left alone prior to this. Together they had free roam of the backyard all day long.

Now Max will not go outside with out someone. He always follows someone through the house. Even if I walk into the next room, he will jump up and follow. When we leave the house there is a problem. He always gets a "Goodbye Treat" and sees us walk out the door. When we get home, it is obvious that he has so much anxiety built up. The real problem is when we leave for more than 3 hours, especially if it is in the evening. He is so built up when we get home, he cant go to sleep. His mouth will be extremely dry and he spends the next three house constantly licking his lips and sighing.

Since the death of our other dog, Max has become a different dog. He seems like he is always scared and stressed out.

Answer 1

Poor Max! We have dealt with the same thing, but we had a couple of other dogs as well, so it wasn't as severe. Our Lady grieved for several months when her son was hit by a truck. It really did help her, having the other dogs around.

I would suggest too, that you take Max down to the shelter and pick out a friend. Explain the problem to the shelter, and they may let you take the new friend home on trial, for a couple of days, to see how things work out. That is what we do at our shelter, to be sure the dogs will be happy together, and it has worked well. A laidback adult dog would be better than a puppy.

Answer 2

Max is lonely for the company he had with the other dog. Have you considered getting another dog or puppy? Take Max to a local shelter or pound and let him pick out a friend. This way you'll know the 2 will get along before you bring another dog into the home without Max's approval. We had 2 large male dogs that were the best of friends, but the older one got very sick and we had to put him down. The puppy, 1 yo Husky, went through the same phase as Max. Boomer, the pup, actually picked out a kitten and they were inseparable!!! Boomer took on the role of the big brother and was his happy self again. Good luck with Max. Hope you can find some way to help him.

Answer 3

Max will not bond with a puppy, it is not normal for seniors to take care of the young. He will probably want nothing to do with the puppy. Here's what he needs for his anxiety...
1. Excersize and something to work for. Your goodbye treat is fine but creating a "bye bye baby" and making a scene is you creating the nervousness. Roaming the backyard is not that fun, it's just a bigger kennel. Now that he's an only dog, how's he gonna burn energy playing alone.
2. Discipline. Do you allow him to constantly follow you from room to room, it's bordering on obsessive and he should not be allowed to jump up. Say on the couch with you without permission, he needs to learn to wait or just lie down and get calm before he gets affection.

I do NOT suggest getting another dog until the one you have is stable, a new dog will only pick up on these negative behaviors. You may think it's an easy out, and the other dog should bide Max's time, but it's your responsibility as pack leader to make sure he's balanced and right now you're doing a less than perfect job. Dogs can be your "baby" as long as their still dogs.

Answer 4

Max is a very old dog and of course he does not like to have his routine upset. It is very normal for a dog this age to want to be next to you constantly. Take him on more walks and at night when you get home play with him , give him a treat and make sure he has water if he has dry mouth. You are lucky to have had him for so long.

Answer 5

Separation anxiety; very sad. If another dog is not in your future and seeing that he is 13 yrs old, you can't add an exuberant amount of exercise to his day. Definitely increase his time out and about, maybe try a 20 minute walk out among people and other dogs. Doggie day camp for a few hours a week could help him. Exercise is the "key" just how much is up to him and his health. Good luck.

Answer 6

Sounds like your lab has some seperation anxiety issues going on. Not surprising, you say he hasn't been alone for what . . .11 years of his life? And then one day his life buddy's just up and disappeared from his life?

Seek out the advice of a professional trainer. Deal with this sooner rather than later. You'll both be happier.

While it's possible another dog would fix this, you may end up creating a chain reaction of this seperation anxiety. And he may never be the dog he was before your other one passed. Grief changes dogs too, sometimes permently.

Answer 7

There are some options. Obviously he has some separation anxiety. You could consider getting another dog. Although at 13 years, that is pretty old especially for a lab. You could also consider getting some medication for him. Vets can and so prescribe anxiety medication for animals. This could be your venue. He may also have some depression. You should take all of this, what you have written here, and bring it to your vet and have a heart to heart with them. I am sure that they can suggest the best way to help. Its probably not hopeless.

Answer 8

Looks like Max is depressed. He doesn't know what to do without this buddy around. You might want to look into getting another dog. Or even taking him to a dog park to run with other dogs. Sounds like he is just wanting someone to give him attention because he was so used to being around his "friend" all the time.

Answer 9

You can either get a new puppy that would look like the one that died or what I do for my dog ( which is a puppy ) he gets scared when we leave him alone so I put him a giant stuffed dog in with him on the porch, then he will just run and play around and won't pay us any attention. So just get him something he could use as a little buddy.

Answer 10

Well, i don't normally suggest getting another dog to solve behavior problems, but in this case maybe that would be an easy solution. would it be possible for you to adopt another dog? perhaps an adult dog that also came from a home that had other dogs? because of his age it might be difficult to change his behavior, perhaps a companion would help with his anxiety. if this isn't an option, you might want to consult a professional behaviorist. also, check in with your vet, sometimes changes in behavior can signal health problems, which wouldn't be surprising at his age. hope it all works out for the poor guy!