My dog has gone psychotic. please help?

Question

My dog has severe separation anxiety that has only escalated. we have tried everything to calm him down. now i think medication may be the only resort we have left. that being said, what can i do in the meantime? he nearly killed himself by throwing himself against the glass door and is barking and flipping out, trying to break down the back door. my wife is 4 months pregnant and he is a danger to her because he starts panicking and forcing his way into the house, nearly knocking her over when she goes to feed him. we have tried restraining him ( he is a saint bernard) on a chain for his own safety and he almost broke the chain and ripped the stake out of the ground. please help!

please help!

Answer 1

Talk to your vet, find out if something is physically wrong, Maybe there's something out there that's messing with him, we think my dog barks for no reason (but I'm sure there's a cat or even someone out there that we can not see and hear that he can).
I got this from the Humane society:
Why Do Dogs Suffer from Separation Anxiety?

We don't fully understand why some dogs suffer from separation anxiety and, under similar circumstances, others don't. It's important to realize, however, that the destruction and house soiling that often occur with separation anxiety are not the dog's attempt to punish or seek revenge on his owner for leaving him alone. In reality, they are actually part of a panic response.

Separation anxiety sometimes occurs:

When a dog accustomed to constant human companionship is left alone for the first time.
Following a long interval, such as a vacation, during which the owner and dog are constantly together.
After a traumatic event (from the dog's point of view), such as a period of time spent at a shelter or boarding kennel.
After a change in the family's routine or structure (such as a child leaving for college, a change in work schedule, a move to a new home, or a new pet or person in the home).
How Do I Know If My Dog Has Separation Anxiety?
Because there are many reasons for the behaviors associated with separation anxiety, it's essential to correctly diagnose the reason for the behavior before proceeding with treatment. If most, or all, of the following statements are true about your dog, he may have a separation anxiety problem:

The behavior occurs exclusively or primarily when he's left alone.
He follows you from room to room whenever you're home.
He displays effusive, frantic greeting behaviors.
The behavior always occurs when he's left alone, whether for a short or long period of time.
He reacts with excitement, depression, or anxiety to your preparations to leave the house.
He dislikes spending time outdoors by himself.
What to Do If Your Dog Has Separation Anxiety
For a minor separation anxiety problem, the following techniques may be helpful by themselves. For more severe problems, these techniques should be used along with the desensitization process described in the next section.

Keep arrivals and departures low-key. For example, when you arrive home, ignore your dog for the first few minutes, then calmly pet him. This may be hard for you to do, but it's important!
Leave your dog with an article of clothing that smells like you—such as an old t-shirt that you've slept in recently.
Establish a "safety cue"—a word or action that you use every time you leave that tells your dog you'll be back. Dogs usually learn to associate certain cues with short absences by their owners. For example, when you take out the garbage, your dog knows you come right back and doesn't become anxious. Therefore, it's helpful to associate a safety cue with your short-duration absences.
Some examples of safety cues are a playing radio, a playing television, or a toy (one that doesn't have dangerous fillings and can't be torn into pieces). Use your safety cue during practice sessions with your dog. Be sure to avoid presenting your dog with the safety cue when you leave for a period of time longer than he can tolerate; if you do, the value of the safety cue will be lost. Leaving a radio on to provide company for your dog isn't particularly useful by itself, but a playing radio may work if you've used it consistently as a safety cue in your practice sessions. If your dog engages in destructive chewing as part of his separation distress, offering him a chewing item as a safety cue is a good idea. Very hard rubber toys that can be stuffed with treats and Nylabone®-like products are good choices.

Desensitization Techniques for More Severe Cases of Separation Anxiety

The primary treatment for more severe cases of separation anxiety is a systematic process of getting your dog used to being alone. You must teach your dog to remain calm during "practice" departures and short absences. We recommend the following procedure:

Begin by engaging in your normal departure activities (getting your keys, putting on your coat), then sit back down. Repeat this step until your dog shows no distress in response to your activities.
Next, engage in your normal departure activities and go to the door and open it, then sit back down.
Next, step outside the door, leaving the door open, then return.
Finally, step outside, close the door, then immediately return. Slowly get your dog accustomed to being alone with the door closed between you for several seconds.
Proceed very gradually from step to step, repeating each step until your dog shows no signs of distress. The number of repetitions will vary depending on the severity of the problem. If at any time in this process your actions produce an anxiety response in your dog, you've proceeded too fast. Return to an earlier step in the process and practice this step until the dog shows no distress response, then proceed to the next step.
Once your dog is tolerating your being on the other side of the door for several seconds, begin short-duration absences. This step involves giving the dog a verbal cue (for example, "I'll be back"), leaving, and then returning within a minute. Your return must be low-key: Either ignore your dog or greet him quietly and calmly. If he shows no signs of distress, repeat the exercise. If he appears anxious, wait until he relaxes to repeat the exercise. Gradually increase the length of time you're gone.
Practice as many absences as possible that last less than ten minutes. You can do many departures within one session if your dog relaxes sufficiently between departures. You should also scatter practice departures and short-duration absences throughout the day.
Once your dog can handle short absences (30 to 90 minutes), he'll usually be able to handle longer intervals alone and you won't have to repeat this process every time you are planning a longer absence. The hard part is at the beginning, but the job gets easier as you go along. Nevertheless, you must go slowly at first. How long it takes to condition your dog to being alone depends on the severity of his problem.
Interim Solutions

Because the treatments described above can take a while, and because a dog with separation anxiety can do serious damage to himself and/or your home in the interim, consider these suggestions to help you and your dog cope in the short term:

Consult your veterinarian about the possibility of drug therapy. A good anti-anxiety drug should not sedate your dog, but simply reduce his anxiety while you're gone. Such medication is a temporary measure and should be used in conjunction with behavior modification techniques.
Take your dog to a dog day care facility or boarding kennel.
Leave your dog with a friend, family member, or neighbor.
Take your dog to work with you, even for half a day, if possible.
What Won't Help a Separation Anxiety Problem
Punishing your dog. Punishment is not an effective way to treat separation anxiety. In fact, punishing your dog after you return home may actually increase his separation anxiety.
Getting another pet as a companion for your dog. This usually doesn't help an anxious dog because his anxiety is the result of his separation from you, his person, not merely the result of being alone.
Crating your dog. Your dog will still engage in anxiety responses in the crate. He may urinate, defecate, howl, or even injure himself in an attempt to escape from the crate.
Leaving the radio on (unless the radio is used as a "safety cue," as described above).
Training your dog. While formal training is always a good idea, it won't directly help a separation anxiety problem. Separation anxiety is not the result of disobedience or lack of training; it's a panic response.
©2002. Adapted from material originally developed by applied animal behaviorists at the Dumb Friends League, Denver, Colorado. All rights reserved.

Answer 2

Mason you cant be serious. If so, you're obviously not a dog lover and therefore should NOT be reading anything regarding dogs. The answer is not shooting him, and I agree with a previous commenter in saying that medication is also NOT the way to go. Be sure to let him know he's loved, dogs ( no matter the breed or size ) need lots of love, attention, and EXERCISE. If he gets these things, he'll more than likely calm down and will be more managable. Once your baby is born he'll be wanting your attention even more. Be sure to give it to him and make sure he has proper training before the new arrival, try using a babydoll, holding it and talking to it the way you would a real baby, let him sniff it and get used to having to share his family. Hopefully giving him away or medicating him will be options that you will never thing of again. Good luck, they're beautiful dogs, and congratulations on your baby.

Answer 3

If being in the back yard is new to your dog and he is used to being with you inside, he is suffering from separation anxiety. I'm guessing that your dog was brought up inside the house where he was with you and your wife most all the time. If you are like me with your animals you treat them like they are your babies and give them special liberties inside like sleeping in the bed with you or watching TV sitting at your feet or on the couch by you. Now all of a sudden this changes and he finds himself on a chain in the yard away from you and not allowed inside. He loves you and misses all the interaction he had with you on the inside so he is panicky and anxious about being cut off by you and exiled to the yard. I just bet if you were to let him come in and join you again, this acting out would stop. He probably feels lonely and forgotten and maybe unloved as well. If you are not planning to allow him inside because of your wife's pregnancy, then he needs you to come outside and show him lots of attention. Animals do have feelings and personalities. Sometimes they are so darn cute, I think that maybe they even have souls like us. A man will never find a truer friend than a devoted dog. Give that big baby more attention and make time to spend with your dog. You won't regret it if you do.

Answer 4

You didn't state this specifically, but he likely just wants to be with you inside. It's one thing for a dog to have separation anxiety while you are away at work, it is another for them to have it because you toss them in the backyard. I understand that your wife is pregnant, but I would have the dog inside and extremely well exercised (at least an hour a day is fine for a Saint) and crate trained. You're driving him psychotic by isolation, which Saints do not tolerate well. Bring him inside, exercise him well, train him, and crate train him and he'll probably be fine without meds.

Answer 5

A Saint Bernard will never be happy chained on a post in your backyard. Dogs are pack animals and Saint Bernard's NEED people in their lives, to protect and to socialize with. I think you are doing your dog and injustice, he needs to have a home that will accept him and allow him to be part of their family. I'm sure if you advertise him on Craigslist.org or freecycle.org you would be able to find a home for him with people that are willing to accept a large dog. He wants to be with you and your wife!!!!

Answer 6

Is he left outside? If so, there's your culprit. Chaining him certainly isn't a solution. He obviously doesn't like being neglected, so take him to the St Bernard rescue group so that they can find him a home with a family.

http://www.saintrescue.org/

Answer 7

not real sure -- Separation AnxietyAntianxiety medications are sometimes used to suppress anxiety. These are often used on dogs with severe separation anxiety or when owners simply must leave ...
http://www.usask.ca/wcvm/herdmed/applied-ethology/behaviourproblems/anxiety.html - 10k - Cached - Similar pages

Separation Anxiety in DogsQ: My German Shorthaired has severe separation anxiety. Even if we go outside for five minutes, he starts barking and crying, and he'll go on for hours. ...
http://www.vetinfo.com/dsepanx.html -

Answer 8

For severe Separation Anxiety, please consult a veterinary Behaviorist. This can mean the difference between life and death for your dog.

There is nothing wrong with putting him on a course of doggie antianxiety meds. This can enable him to relax enough to train behaviors you'd prefer. But if he is that bad, probably nothing but meds will help.

Answer 9

if you have him on a chain outside, you most likely aren't spending ANY time with him . No dog needs to be on a chain. he needs to be part of your family. and if you can't do that, the do as the previous posts have said, and get him to a rescue group.
It's most likely that he's OK. YOU just don't undrestand his needs. And with such a BIG dog, you need to get someone who understands.
So, make the calls, please.

Answer 10

Wow!! ok you probably dont have time to walk him every day like you should, my professional opinion is make sure you walk him for 20 minutes every other day,this will stimulate his mind,so he feels like he is working,because his breed is a working dog. medication is not the answer. P.S. just try to make him feel like hes working or some sort of excersise.

Answer 11

Does he have any basic obiendence training? When did you start noticing this behaviour? Saint benards are large dogs and I do not have any experience with them, however, basic obiendence training is always a good thing to have with any dog, if you are not familiar with training dogs you can always check with your local petsmart, they offer obedience training classes and they are reasonably priced.