So I've got a new dog...

[Cthulhu's Librarian]

On Saturday, my wife and I adopted a dog. He's a liver & white springer spaniel name Logan, and he's 5 years old. He's very friendly, loves to play catch with a tennis ball, loves to sit at your feet, is house trained, and at some time in the past he had some obedience training as he knows some commands (sit, stay, no, drop it, and so on) but needs a little practice. I really, really like him, and think he's a great dog. We bought him a crate to crate train him in, and a 10x10 kennel in the back yard.

But there is one problem. He has major seperation anxiety.

We started crate training him on Sunday, and planned on continuing this throughout the week, with Laura and I taking turns coming home from work every few hours to let him out of the crate and walk him. Well, when she came home yesterday morning around 10am (we leave for work at 8am) he was barking non-stop, in the house. As soon as she let him out, he was fine, trying to get her to play catch with the ball. He went for his walk, then she put him in the kennel (he used to be an outside dog, we were told), left a few toys, food, and water for him, and went back to work.

I came home a few hours later, and my neighbor says to me "Your dog is running up the street." I go find Logan, who thinks that running around is a game, and bring him inside. I go out back, and find that he has managed to somehow open a hole in the kennel fence about 2 feet wide to escape through. I can't stay at home, as I need to go back to work, so I call my wife's mother, who lives a few miles away, and she agrees to come over to watch the dog until we finish with work. After work I come home and we take the kennel apart and bring it back to the store we bought it from and show them the hole the dog made in it. They exchange it for the "Magnum" kennel that they sell for big dogs, and it looks bomb proof.

Well, this morning, I put Logan in the kennel and go to work. My wife waited around about 10 minutes longer than I did to listen for him barking, and guess what? Non-stop barking. I know the neighbors will not stand for this, as one already warned me that they had to give their dog up a few years ago because he was barking all the time. Logan doesn't bark when one of us is there, but as soon as we are out of his sight for a few minutes, he starts.

I'm torn with what to do now. We rescused him, and he's a wonderful dog aside from the barking. He's full of love and is the sweetest dog I have ever met, and very well behaved. And I'm afraid I have to give him up after just 4 days...

 

[alsih2o]

I know this answer doesn't work for everyone but- Have you considered getting him a dog?

Perhaps some company is what he needs? Dogs and cats do better in numbers in my humble opinion.

And he could pass on some of that training.

Not the best solution for everyone, but a possible one. Good luck CL, and bless you for trying.

 

[Cthulhu's Librarian]

I know this answer doesn't work for everyone but- Have you considered getting him a dog?

Perhaps some company is what he needs? Dogs and cats do better in numbers in my humble opinion.

Yes, we have talked about this. But I don't know that we could deal with 2 dogs right now. The shelter said that he may have had another dog with him where he lived before. He apparently likes cats, but is a bit rough with them and chases them to try and play. Cats don't usually go for dogs chasing them...

 

[alsih2o]

Everyone situation is unique (at least in the microview) but 2 dogs is less work to me and mine. Self entertaining and all that.

In a related note I got 5 rabbots yesterday. No barking yet.

 

[mythusmage]

Have you looked into confidence training? Consists of teaching the dog how to navigate an agility course. Supposed to build the animal's confidence. A dog becomes more sure of himself, and less scared of being alone for awhile.

 

[Cthulhu's Librarian]

Well, i went home at lunch today, and he seems to be doing ok. The neighbors said that he is barking occasionally, but not constantly. I hope that in a few days he gets used to things and calms down. Then maybe we can see about getting him a companion, be it another dog or a cat. And I hope to have a few pictures soon.

 

[Sidereal Knight]

You might also consider talking to your veterinarian about the situation. If things don't improve, there are some anti-anxiety drugs that can help.

 

[Cthulhu's Librarian]

You might also consider talking to your veterinarian about the situation. If things don't improve, there are some anti-anxiety drugs that can help.

Yes, that's on the list. We are taking him to the vet on Friday to get up to date on all his shots, and discuss the options that are out there if he continues to bark all the time. As long as it's not bothering the neighbors, I'm ok. If they start getting angry, then I need to look into other options.

 

[KidCthulhu]

I'd hold off on the drugs until a very, very later date. This doesn't sound like separation anxiety to me, or at least not like a permanent behavioral problem.

1) He's stressed and getting used to a new environment, & 2) He may be bored. He's not destroying things and making a ton of noise, he's going roaming.

First thing to do is to get back to an obedience class with him, and work lots of commands and tricks into his daily life. More structure makes dogs happy and stable. Agility classes are a great idea, and build confidence and dog/owner bonds. Springers are great at agility.

Second thing is to add more excercise. There are few behavioral problems in dogs that can't be cured with a good dose of "pooped out". I know it's hard to tire a springer, but get him out and running.

Third, try leaving something entertaining in the kennel area with him. A kong filled with cheese, dog food, mashed potatoes or other squishy food and then frozen will keep him busy. Or take some kibble and tie it up in knots in a rag. Let him work the food out of the knots and then chew the heck out of the rag. Soak the rag in Chicken broth and freeze it. Look into a Buster Cube or other dog toy that dispenses treats. Anything to keep his mind off the fact that he's alone.

Finally, keep your leave taking as calm and simple as possible, and don't make a big deal when you return. The more emotional you are about leaving, the more stressed he'll be. I always leave the house with a simple "be good" or "guard the house, dogs". They don't understand me, but they get the vibe that I'm not worried about anything, and off to sleep they go (on the couch, the little buggers!).

If you want to PM me, I'll be happy to expound at great length on this stuff.

 

[KidCthulhu]

I should note that the rag trick should wait until you know if he's a chewer who will eat. Fabric can cause intestinal obstructions which can be VERY bad. If he's the kind who will destroy the rag, but not eat it, go for it. If he's the slightest bit inclined to eat as he shreds, stick with the kong and hollow bones for food hiding.