The Accidental Smallholder Forum
Pets & Working Animals => Dogs => Topic started by: Pedwardine on July 09, 2013, 01:32:43 pm
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Hi all, we have five rescue dogs, all very compatible. Saffie and Louis are the best of friends and play ALL the time. Saffie is my girl and when I'm away for any amount of time she waits for me to come home. For the first time in a long time I went away for three nights (she's with me at night ::) I know I know) and she wouldn't eat, wouldn't settle, wouldn't play with Louis and even scared the life out of OH by going walkabout a few times, presumably looking for me (she knows me well. She went over to where the sheep are, one of my fave places to be). She also had a couple of wetting accidents which just isn't Saffie. My dilemma is we are both going away again in September. Sis's wedding. Can't get out of that one. Have fab neighbours who love dogs who have offered to mind our pack. Thing is though, if Saffie isn't happy with her dad at home how will she cope with both of us gone. My friend Lisa has suggested that Saffie feels it's her job to look out for me and she feels redundant without me. I wonder if I'm her security and no-one else will do. Her background we know of is that she was found wandering the streets of Leeds, went to the pound for a week of leaway and was on the PTS list when our rescue centre collected her. She was spayed by the rescue centre, got out shortly after (out of an eight foot high pen :o ) and ripped her stitches out, ate her own spleen :P and underwent a 'touch and go' op where they had to bring her heart to a slow beat to give her chance of pulling through. She barks at EVERYONE who visits but ends up loving them to death. She loves her life with us but cannot bear being without us. She's a clingy girl, gets jealous of us giving other dogs, sheep, cats attention but isn't aggressive with it just me, me, me, fuss me. We put her in boarding kennels once for a long weekend. She hated it, peed constantly and trembled most of the time so we'll never do that again. How do we get her contented with someone else (who she knows by the way) for that short period of time?
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Others with wider experience than me will be along soon, no doubt, but meanwhile here's my 2p-worth.
- I know what you're saying about kennels, but firstly, not all kennels are equal and secondly, did she have a pal with her? it could be worth asking around for recommendations of kennels where the dogs are given especially kind treatment, and thinking about putting her in there with Louis for a couple of nights to try. I had a rescue I swore I'd never kennel, but in the end I found two that he absolutely loved. Almost to the point of his being pleased to see me when I went to pick him up, but not particularly wanting to leave with me, lol! (The major benefit of kennels over home in your case being that she won't be able to escape and 'go walkabout')
- Wherever she does end up when you are away, make sure she has a (preferably quite smelly) item of your clothing to cuddle. I left this same rescue dog with friends he knew and loved, but he wouldn't settle; I took a well-used nightshirt over which they put in his bed, and he settled much better.
- From the way you are talking, you'd do this anyway - but give her one or two practise runs before the real thing, so she learns that you do come back
- Finally, I haven't tried it myself but people talk about rescue remedy helping to calm dogs
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Thanks Sally. Yup I left her with my nightshirt and socks (yum) but she wouldn't even go on the bed :( 'tis true what you say about kennels. The best one we know is a 84 mile round trip away though so not ever so do-able. We used to live a little closer...
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crumbs shes sounds quite extreme, eating her own spleen omg!
personally id put her somewhere where she cant escape so a very secure kennel? would being sedated help her during your time away? the vets should be able to help as they now have those plug-in things to help with stress, i cant remember the name.
my gsd will also go awol if im away and someone else if dog sitting.
:thinking:
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I find it amazing that she ate her own spleen :o :o ......sounds like she needs some time away from you in little dribs and drabs......I often wonder if a needy dog is only that way when the owner is around, a bit like a needy child that's a totally different child when on a school holiday, saying that, I do think a Kennel would be better for all concerned as she would run and run and that would put her in danger and the people looking after her in a bad position.
I looked after my brother in laws dog for a week and until he had been with me for a few days, I dare not take him out off the lead, he is a springer and every time I opened the door he sprung in and all over the place, we lost a Patterdale cross like that as he ran out the front door. I currently am looking after one of the pups from our last litter, I agreed when she was sold as the live locally, I am so careful but she is fine off the lead but in the house is still looking around for her owners so I have to make sure she cannot get near the front door!! I may not give her back, she is wonderful :innocent:
Like a clingy child, short spells away, no fuss when you return or go, just quietly in and out, then if she is that anxious :thumbsup: you should get some potion from the vet!
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One of mine mini, goes mental if she's left on her own, if she's with one of the others (there are 4) she's fine, but on her own is a disaster. I put her in her crate (with which she is fine normally) and tried leaving her for 15mins, she couldn't open the doors because they where locked, so she pulled the end wall in somehow, climbed out, opened 2 doors which open toward her and sat at the front door waiting for me when I got back.
Before we started using the crate and on another experiment, I'd gone to the second part of the back garden (6ft wall and locked gate between the two bits), she opened a door, got on the work top, climbed through the top bit of the kitchen window, and appeared on top of the wall and then jumped down to find me.
I have spoken to her sternly about this behaviour, it has had no effect.
(I am also suffering with 4stitches in my left hand today due to her hyper stupidity yesterday, doing some weave training on the field so she goes in to the weave, 1st pole on left shoulder, not right as she's started doing, so she gets food treats just to walk through the poles the right way, so off she goes starts doing it right, gets treats, gets excited jumps up on me (really, really, really NOT allowed), scratches the top of my wrist and basically ripped the jack of my hand all the way down to the middle joint on my middle finger, there was blood, and I've got proper agility club training tonight for an hour, wonder what injuries she's planning for that)
And
George bit my right hand this morning whilst he was trying to bite Julie who was standing on top of him in my bed whilst I was asleep, and then I dropped the big jet wash on my right toes this morning which are now obviously broken
I am fully aware this is not in the slightest bit helpful to you but I would say...
Adaptil plug in things don't work in my opinion.
Ask your vet, if its stressed diazipan works, we use it a bonfire time, I use it more often but mine comes from the docs
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Hi don't worry u have time to sort. Will pm you later if thats ok? I'm a behaviour adviser and a vet. Nurse.
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That would be great Funkyfish. Ta muchly.
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She's now wetting in the night since I came home :(
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Hi have pm'd you!!
If she has got herself in to a state then get her an Adaptil collar (DAP pheromone) and speak to your vet for a low dose of diazapm for a couple of days as an anti anxiety.
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Oh and she may have given herself a stress cysitis.
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I had a rescue collie who was very stressy and attached to me, we always took her with us on holiday in this country, she either slept in the room or the car, and when we went abroad she stayed at some ones home in the garden. I always left something smelling of me with her
Can you make perhaps the car her safety place so you could at least leave her in the car. Leaving her for longer periods of time. Its strange they seem to settle in the car as they seem to know you will come back.
Its very rewarding having rescue dogs but the downside is they seem to have psychological which are very difficult to get to the bottom of so I have now decided I will not have anymore and try and rehome direct from the owner.
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Thanks for your reponses guys. Haven't had a chance yet to absorb your email Funkyfish. Will check it through and respond tomorrow. One of those days today!
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Hi! it was quite long.. I have had a lot of success with these sorts of dogs, so don't worry you can make her a lot better!
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yes the DAP pheremone is great, as is rescue remedy I used both with my dog who was terrified in the car. When I suggested that she thinks she is top dog i meant that when your gone she needs to find you to keep her pack intact - because your not there she will stress, so leaving the house like your not going anywhere special (doing this lots for short periods) will get her used to not being with you. But im sure funkyfish will sort it out :) - funky fish i did the ignoring for 5 on entering the house and calm leaving trick from the Dog Whisperer with my similar rescue dog to show her i am top dog. I think boarding is sensible so she is contained, that is really important. And check out the kennels that the people are sensible. I think funkyfish will be able to help you.
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A dog trainer I know who also boards dogs, told me off,well nicely, for pandering to my dog wimpering, its a case of tough love and his dogs, loads of them, all appeared pretty settled. My dogs are far too attatched to me as I am with them all the time too, I went into the forest with the car and had to drive it a few more yards to collect logs and my Labs got so worried they walked and even sat in front of my moving car...they were so confused, when its not hot, I often leave them in the car to go into shops and they are used to that, so yes, the car is a good place to get her used to you being away from her!
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Hi, the ignoring before you leave and on arrival is a fab thing to do, but can I just make it clear that it is NOT to make you 'top dog'.
There is no top dog. I am happy to give you many many references for how pack and dominance theory has been disproved (in the 1970s) and can do a lot of harm. Most of the 'dog trainers' that use dominance theory have never studied dog behaviour or training. Anyone can write a book or go on TV you don't have to have any idea what you are talking about. rant over.
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whoops wrong words then - sorry about that. I hate hearing of people training their dogs by dominating and that is not what i was meaning. I was meaning that she didnt have to stress about the change.
what ever the psychology behind it, it worked and stopped her having accidents inside, barking , and generally being very stressed out everytime I went out. I became very aware of my ritual before going out - check my bag, check the locks, the fire, the oven was off, make sure the dogs had water, all those little things plus perhaps the jangle of the keys were obviously winding her up. Without it she turned into a very happy relaxed dog when i was out. The neighbours let me know!
Welcome to rant - the book seemed pretty sensible and I know that it stopped alot of people dragging their dogs around for walks half strangled on the lead, allowing them alot more freedom and understanding, that has got to be good. But i get what your saying.