My dog has separation anxiety please help??

Question

Ok so my one year old puppy has really bad sparation anxiety. She hates it when i leave her she moopsaround the house. Also when i take her somewhere like my bf house she wont eat and she wont leave my side she gets really nervous and scared. i get worried and when i bring her home whe jsut sleeps she wont even go outside. She dosnt chew on anything she just moops round the house and wont eat or drink anythind . IT really scares i dont wont to make her sick. i have asked my vet and he said we could give her med and it was my fault cause i didnt take her places. which i always did so. what could be the problem i wont to move out but she is close to my brothers dog and the house she hates to leave in less iam there.and even then she is nevous and scared please help i really worried bout her.

Answer 1

Separation anxiety is specific to when you leave her alone. If she is anxious and frightened when you are with her, that is not separation anxiety. This link has more information on separation anxiety and ways to work with it. http://www.metpet.com/Reference/Dogs/Training/separation_anxiety_in_dogs.htm

She could be naturally nervous and sometimes going into new situations does not help if they are frightening to her. You can do a few things that may help her feel more confident including obedience training or even training of tricks. If she can learn new things, she can gain self confidence.

If she is nervous around other people and in places other than your home, you can stop feeding her kibble at home and carry it around with you. Whenever you go places, feed her food there and have people feed her as well. If she has a favorite toy at home, it can help to bring that along as well. If she will not eat, skip a meal and take really special treats like cooked chicken with you. Giving her some extra exercise will help as well. It is harder to be anxious when she is really tired and well fed.

The more nice experiences she can have outside the home the better. If she whines and seems anxious and she has no physical problems, you can ignore this behavior and not pay attention to her until she is quiet. Babying her can make it worse. Your vet may be thinking about something like Prozac which can help some dogs but you want to do some training as well.

Answer 2

We've all been there at some stage.
You could get another dog but if she is so close to you you may find that she thinks you are replacing her.
I would suggest you go down the route of buying her a cage. Please don't immediately think this as cruel. If you make it comfortable and smelling of you with the door open so that she does not feel trapped- she will have somewhere to go to without wandering round looking for you. This can then be taken to your bf house as well.

You have to be brave yourself as you are giving neg vibes without knowing it. Leave her on a positve note, smiling as you say goodbye. Believe me that resurance in your voice will work wonders.

It will take time but confidence in you will pass to her being confident.

Answer 3

Does she panic when you leave the room? She needs to learn that when you leave you do come back. Go out of the room where she is and close the door, immediately come back in. Don't tell her you are leaving and don't acknowledge her when you return.....just out and in .....no big deal. Go out again and return. Do this a number of times. As she adjust to your strange behavior, stay out a little longer before you return. Do this with her every chance you have. But increase the time you are gone. She needs to learn that you can leave and you will return. Soon she will adapt to your leaving because you have taught her that you will be back. Takes a while but it works.

Answer 4

Dogs who have anxiety can be treated. I would recommend talkiing to your vet or a dog trainer who specializes in animal behaviour. This is a question I would leave up to the proffessionals. I would guess that they may suggest getting your dog another pet for company, or to start socializing it at a puppy day care centre small bits at a time. They also give antidepressents to dogs these days to help with some of these disorders. I also believe in people who can dog whisper, I use one for my horse and have become a believer in their abilities to let you know how they are feeling.

Answer 5

Separation anxiety has nothing to do with lack of socialization, it has to do with over-dependence on the owner. In fact, lots of pups that were really well socialized have SA because they were taken everywhere with their owners and consequently never spent any time home alone. Shame on your vet for laying that guilt on you.

The good news is that, though your dog does sound like she is agitated, she doesn't have true SA, which leads to panic and highly destructive behaviors. So, I doubt that she needs prescription anti-anxiety medication (though I couldn't say without evaluating her). She might benefit from Rescue Remedy, though. It's a mix of flower essences that helps a lot during times of stress. I have had great results using it on my dog and cat. Also, check out these links to info on SA.

http://www.ddfl.org/behavior/sep-anxiety.pdf

http://www.sfspca.org/behavior/dog_library/sep_anxiety.pdf

http://www.marinhumanesociety.org/Behavior/Handouts/SeparationAnxietyShortRx.pdf

Answer 6

I highly recommend this "DVD for Dogs" by the keyboardist Bradley Joseph. It is especially made for separation anxiety in pets. There is also a "DVD for Cats" and CDs available too, in a series called "While You Are Gone". They are all really good.

Answer 7

your dog may be picking up on your anxiety about her. it sounds like maybe she doesn't have true separation anxiety - her behavior is more descriptive of depression than anxiety (see links). try relaxing more when you are preparing to leave and have a positive mindset - you will be surprised at how good dogs are at sensing our moods.

Answer 8

It sounds like your dog doesn't like change and yes it is due to not socializing her enough when she was a pup..that's not to say that, that can't be changed its not to late..My dog did the same thing, and it took a while to get him comfortable with his surroudings but you just have to keep it up, and give her lots of love, and have the people you bring her around give her lots of love and treats....just to get her to trust them...that might work.

Answer 9

Well what i would do is i would find her a pal or another dog that she can play with while you are gone all day. i just think she might need some company while you are gone!!!