Fear and anxiety in my dog, help!!

[Jailbait Queen]

I got a new dog from the humane society about a month ago, she is sweet and loving but has anxiety in many situations. I can't leave her alone. Tried doing the leave for a few seconds, come back, but it all gets undone if I have to go somewhere and can't take her. Tried a kennel, but I can't even train her to associate it with good because no praise or treats makes her OK.

The kennel is one built in (with a doggy door to an outside dog run, its really nice) so its not a crate I can bring into the house and just praise when she goes to it naturally. I don't wanna waste money on a crate if it won't help all of this anxiety. She isn't bored when left alone because she ignores all chew toys, rawhide, peanut butter stuffed kong, or any treats/food given to her before leaving.

She is anxious if she is in the yard and can see me but can't get to me due to the fence. She starts bark whine howling like when left alone. Can't be in my room/bathroom alone. Thunderstorms? She is an utter wreck. She poops in the kennel or house if left alone. Oh and she won't poop in my yard anymore, I have to walk her (which I already do), but if I can't walk her for some reason she won't even poop in the yard, she must hold it?

To top off her fear of being not in contact with me or any other person, and storms, she is also fearful/stressed around other dogs. She is OK with them if they are away from her but she snaps/growls/etc at them if they are in her space. She needs to be OK around other dogs because I sit a beautiful friendly golden and regularly go to my parent's house with their 4 dogs. Other people and strangers are a-ok with her though, as are kids who don't have dog manners.

Its too much for me, and I already love the pup dearly. I don't want her to be a stressed out wreck of a dog. Is it appropriate to take her to the vet for this? It seems like training isn't working in this area even though it is with the basic obedience I'm doing. What else can I do to alleviate her anxiety on my own? So many people seem to be against medicating for anxiety in pets.


tl;dr: my dog is crazy stressed/anxious about a lot of things, making me stressed out, feel like a bad pet owner for wanting to get her treated by the vet for anxiety.

[LittleSarahKite]

gaia_angelleft Nothing wrong with treating your pet for anxiety disorder (if thats the case.) You could also try leaving the TV on when you have to leave, sometimes the noise will help them feel like they are not alone. You could also try some special pet food with extracts such as aspen, holly, etc. which may help to alleviate some of the anxiety. If all else fails, take your pet to the vet. The vet can also inform you of other ways to help treat the anxiety of your pet besides medication. gaia_angelright

[Jailbait Queen]

LittleSarahKite

gaia_angelleft Nothing wrong with treating your pet for anxiety disorder (if thats the case.) You could also try leaving the TV on when you have to leave, sometimes the noise will help them feel like they are not alone. You could also try some special pet food with extracts such as aspen, holly, etc. which may help to alleviate some of the anxiety. If all else fails, take your pet to the vet. The vet can also inform you of other ways to help treat the anxiety of your pet besides medication. gaia_angelright

Thanks for the reassurance! I really feel like a pet owner failure that I am considering having the vet treat her for this.

I have left music on for her, which helped nothing (she pooped in my sock pile...).

What types of extracts are those? Are they herbs that I could add to treats since I make a lot of my own doggie treats? I am thinking of a thundershirt to help too, but a t-shirt (with my smell) put on her and tied snuggly didn't do much of anything...

I appreciate your reply! heart

[my pet monster]

Check these out, spirit essences for pets! He sells ones for stress, nervousness, transitions, separation anxiety, etc.

[Jailbait Queen]

my pet monster

Check these out, spirit essences for pets! He sells ones for stress, nervousness, transitions, separation anxiety, etc.

Do these work? I find reviews on them for use in cats but not dogs.

[VonVix]

There are a couple of over the counter things you can get. Look into Kalm Aid and Adaptil. It works for some dogs and it does absolutely nothing for others. Considering the level of anxiety in your dog you wouldn't want to be expecting complete change in responses.

And there is nothing wrong with medicating your dog's anxiety through a vet, as long as YOU feel it is right or working for your dog. Talk to your vet, if you feel like your vet is someone you trust and you feel cares about the welfare of your dog, it is worth considering the steps offered to lower her anxiety levels.

Now, I have a 2 year old dog who has high anxiety and he has begun to get better with time and I mean it has taken about 8 months for him to be at the level he is at now. It's a long story but it takes time and consistency in order to help your dog learn to cope in situations. One of the biggest errors we make as humans with our dogs is we push them too far too fast in order to try and speed up the training/desensitization process.

It takes a LOT of work and patience to have a dog prone to anxiety, a lot of people can't cope if they have other responsibilities in their life such as work. I'm lucky my life pretty much revolves around working with dogs so I have the time and the resources.

You say the obedience classes don't seem to be working, is she learning basic commands or working for food? How long and how often have you been doing them for?

[Jailbait Queen]

VonVix

There are a couple of over the counter things you can get. Look into Kalm Aid and Adaptil. It works for some dogs and it does absolutely nothing for others. Considering the level of anxiety in your dog you wouldn't want to be expecting complete change in responses.

And there is nothing wrong with medicating your dog's anxiety through a vet, as long as YOU feel it is right or working for your dog. Talk to your vet, if you feel like your vet is someone you trust and you feel cares about the welfare of your dog, it is worth considering the steps offered to lower her anxiety levels.

Now, I have a 2 year old dog who has high anxiety and he has begun to get better with time and I mean it has taken about 8 months for him to be at the level he is at now. It's a long story but it takes time and consistency in order to help your dog learn to cope in situations. One of the biggest errors we make as humans with our dogs is we push them too far too fast in order to try and speed up the training/desensitization process.

It takes a LOT of work and patience to have a dog prone to anxiety, a lot of people can't cope if they have other responsibilities in their life such as work. I'm lucky my life pretty much revolves around working with dogs so I have the time and the resources.

You say the obedience classes don't seem to be working, is she learning basic commands or working for food? How long and how often have you been doing them for?

What kind of consistency are you talking about? I am trying my best not to push my pup too far too fast, but I have no option other than to leave her home sometimes. Grocery shopping and errand running aren't pup friendly activities. I don't have a job nor school until August, but I still feel like I can't go do anything ruining any progress.

The basic obedience is working well! I am working with her on my own for things like sit, stay, come, no pulling, and she is a quick learner. She is not motivated by food so I use mostly praise and food when she is interested. She is also not motivated by play or toys so that only leaves praise for me to work with. Thankfully she is learning manners at least. I've been working with her the month I have had her from day 1. She continues to improve in this area constantly. Anxiety and separation just seem to be getting worse.

Also, I tried to reintroduce the clicker (which she had no problem with). It terrified her and she then associated treats=clicker=bad and stopped taking treats for awhile.

I didn't know she had so much anxiety when I adopted her, but I have so much time to revolve around her right now. The previous owners said she was great with dogs and kids, which is only half true apparently. She has killed cats which is why she was surrendered.


Question, since I have to be around other dogs often, should I get her a muzzle (basket style so she can pant, drink) until her fear gets resolved?

[VonVix]

Jailbait Queen

VonVix

There are a couple of over the counter things you can get. Look into Kalm Aid and Adaptil. It works for some dogs and it does absolutely nothing for others. Considering the level of anxiety in your dog you wouldn't want to be expecting complete change in responses.

And there is nothing wrong with medicating your dog's anxiety through a vet, as long as YOU feel it is right or working for your dog. Talk to your vet, if you feel like your vet is someone you trust and you feel cares about the welfare of your dog, it is worth considering the steps offered to lower her anxiety levels.

Now, I have a 2 year old dog who has high anxiety and he has begun to get better with time and I mean it has taken about 8 months for him to be at the level he is at now. It's a long story but it takes time and consistency in order to help your dog learn to cope in situations. One of the biggest errors we make as humans with our dogs is we push them too far too fast in order to try and speed up the training/desensitization process.

It takes a LOT of work and patience to have a dog prone to anxiety, a lot of people can't cope if they have other responsibilities in their life such as work. I'm lucky my life pretty much revolves around working with dogs so I have the time and the resources.

You say the obedience classes don't seem to be working, is she learning basic commands or working for food? How long and how often have you been doing them for?

What kind of consistency are you talking about? I am trying my best not to push my pup too far too fast, but I have no option other than to leave her home sometimes. Grocery shopping and errand running aren't pup friendly activities. I don't have a job nor school until August, but I still feel like I can't go do anything ruining any progress.

The basic obedience is working well! I am working with her on my own for things like sit, stay, come, no pulling, and she is a quick learner. She is not motivated by food so I use mostly praise and food when she is interested. She is also not motivated by play or toys so that only leaves praise for me to work with. Thankfully she is learning manners at least. I've been working with her the month I have had her from day 1. She continues to improve in this area constantly. Anxiety and separation just seem to be getting worse.

Also, I tried to reintroduce the clicker (which she had no problem with). It terrified her and she then associated treats=clicker=bad and stopped taking treats for awhile.

I didn't know she had so much anxiety when I adopted her, but I have so much time to revolve around her right now. The previous owners said she was great with dogs and kids, which is only half true apparently. She has killed cats which is why she was surrendered.


Question, since I have to be around other dogs often, should I get her a muzzle (basket style so she can pant, drink) until her fear gets resolved?

When I say consistency I mean not letting yourself slip in something you've been trying to improve. Say you're teaching her to not pull on the leash and she does well, but one day you're out for a walk and she's pulling away but you don't try to stop her this time for whatever the reason. I'd try and give you more suggestions but I'm not sure what you have already tried.

Are you living with anyone? Is there someone close to you that you could perhaps help your dog build a relationship with so she doesn't feel like you're the only kind human being in her universe?

Can you give some examples of how you have been attempting to improve her anxiety and also what kind of treats you're trying to use as a reward?
Also, have you made sure to only do training when she hasn't eaten?
What breed(s) is she as well?

I'd have to see her interactions in order to know if she would require a muzzle for sure, but there is no harm in muzzle training her (which would be something you'd have to do if she has never worn a muzzle before) if you feel you cannot trust her responses towards other dogs/animals/people.

Sorry for the million questions, just these situations are harder to help when you're only going from the information you get online, they're easier to deal with when you see a dog with your own eyes (this is why a qualified behaviourist may be more useful to you, but they're often not that cheap, especially if you get one with the right qualifications). There are lots of little things an owner may not see that someone more experienced (as well as being detached from the dog) may notice.

[Jailbait Queen]

VonVix

When I say consistency I mean not letting yourself slip in something you've been trying to improve. Say you're teaching her to not pull on the leash and she does well, but one day you're out for a walk and she's pulling away but you don't try to stop her this time for whatever the reason. I'd try and give you more suggestions but I'm not sure what you have already tried.

Are you living with anyone? Is there someone close to you that you could perhaps help your dog build a relationship with so she doesn't feel like you're the only kind human being in her universe?

Can you give some examples of how you have been attempting to improve her anxiety and also what kind of treats you're trying to use as a reward?
Also, have you made sure to only do training when she hasn't eaten?
What breed(s) is she as well?

I'd have to see her interactions in order to know if she would require a muzzle for sure, but there is no harm in muzzle training her (which would be something you'd have to do if she has never worn a muzzle before) if you feel you cannot trust her responses towards other dogs/animals/people.

Sorry for the million questions, just these situations are harder to help when you're only going from the information you get online, they're easier to deal with when you see a dog with your own eyes (this is why a qualified behaviourist may be more useful to you, but they're often not that cheap, especially if you get one with the right qualifications). There are lots of little things an owner may not see that someone more experienced (as well as being detached from the dog) may notice.

Im working very hard to be consistent, even though it sucks to have to wait a few minutes to go outside because she won't sit/stay for whatever reason. It's important for sure. I don't know how to apply the consistency with obedience to the anxiety/separation problems though.

I live with my boyfriend who works out of state during the week. He will soon be switching to one week on, one week off and will be here more. Our roommate doesn't give a crap about dogs. She isn't terribly anxious if someone other than me is there, thankfully.

For the anxiety, I have tried replicating my "leaving" routine with getting my keys/shoes then sitting down. Other times I go outside for a few seconds and come back inside. Tried to give her distractions when I'm gone including music/sound, kong toy with pb, toys, blanket to curl up in, putting her in one of my t-shirts so she has my smell and the snugness a la thundershirt type deal.

Treats I have tried are soft training treats, soft beef chews, homemade peanut butter and oat crunchy, milk bones, bacon treats, homemade soft treats. She doesn't have much interest in her food though either. She is a slow eater, never cleans her bowl, takes forever to eat crunchy treats, never goes for bits of food on the floor, etc. She only eats 1x a day in the evening and I train her during the day so she hasn't eaten yet. Its a struggle. I'm not sure what breed she is. The vet suggested corgi/lab, the humane society said border collie, previous owners said lab mix.... not sure. Here are some pictures of her .

She is fine with other dogs as long as they're ignoring each other. She will growl, snarl, get low, then if the other dog doesn't retreat (or even sometimes she skips this warning) then she snaps and a doggie scuffle breaks out. It is really unacceptable behavior to me and I am lost on my own about the fear of other dogs. The previous owners said she was good with dogs, harumph.


I'm trying with her as much as humanly possible, but I am one person who isn't super experienced in dog behavior or training besides the basics.

[VonVix]

Jailbait Queen

Im working very hard to be consistent, even though it sucks to have to wait a few minutes to go outside because she won't sit/stay for whatever reason. It's important for sure. I don't know how to apply the consistency with obedience to the anxiety/separation problems though.

I live with my boyfriend who works out of state during the week. He will soon be switching to one week on, one week off and will be here more. Our roommate doesn't give a crap about dogs. She isn't terribly anxious if someone other than me is there, thankfully.

For the anxiety, I have tried replicating my "leaving" routine with getting my keys/shoes then sitting down. Other times I go outside for a few seconds and come back inside. Tried to give her distractions when I'm gone including music/sound, kong toy with pb, toys, blanket to curl up in, putting her in one of my t-shirts so she has my smell and the snugness a la thundershirt type deal.

Treats I have tried are soft training treats, soft beef chews, homemade peanut butter and oat crunchy, milk bones, bacon treats, homemade soft treats. She doesn't have much interest in her food though either. She is a slow eater, never cleans her bowl, takes forever to eat crunchy treats, never goes for bits of food on the floor, etc. She only eats 1x a day in the evening and I train her during the day so she hasn't eaten yet. Its a struggle. I'm not sure what breed she is. The vet suggested corgi/lab, the humane society said border collie, previous owners said lab mix.... not sure. Here are some pictures of her .

She is fine with other dogs as long as they're ignoring each other. She will growl, snarl, get low, then if the other dog doesn't retreat (or even sometimes she skips this warning) then she snaps and a doggie scuffle breaks out. It is really unacceptable behavior to me and I am lost on my own about the fear of other dogs. The previous owners said she was good with dogs, harumph.


I'm trying with her as much as humanly possible, but I am one person who isn't super experienced in dog behavior or training besides the basics.

I'd say it would be well worth into looking into medication, though a month isn't that long and it is likely you will see improvement with time. I was amazed at the difference in my boy Jet, especially today for example as I had to take him to the vet by himself and he has separation anxiety from our other dog. I basically had to help him be confident and comfortable by himself (tried to make experiences positive and different in a 'special' way, as in he'd only get chicken on walks when we were alone). Half way on the walk I was telling him how much of a good boy he was and played with him a bit, he was even play-bowing me which I was amazed at! Normally he goes into a very high-alert mode and cannot get comfortable, he usually keeps stopping and looking back, in a way hoping our other dog will be there or we'll go back home. I brought him to the pet store afterwards and previously he had been pulling like a train to leave, but he was toddling around with me without much worry at all.

One thing I would recommend to you is to also try and have fun with her, avoid making every interaction about training or something serious. I know you said she isn't toy motivated but neither were mine until I found a toy that they enjoyed and taught them how to have a bit of fun. I got this rattly soft sheep dog toy that also squeaks, they didn't care about it when I brought it home. I started running around all excitedly with it (my dogs like to chase me around lol) and then I started dragging it across the floor, but not letting them touch it. Their chase drive went from me to the toy. It's now their one and only favourite toy, which they play tug with, occasionally play fetch with when they are in the mood and other times it's my "flirt pole" toy.

If you run around will she chase you at all? You could make that a game, and then introduce a toy you think she may like and build upon it in the way I said above. Most dogs have to be taught to play and most people do this accidentally, I never really encouraged mine as puppies and I regret it, but it's not to late to teach a dog how to have fun.

I'd be inclined to say lab/beagle, but she's a cutie for sure!

I could offer you my experience with a dog who had been medicated recently for aggression/anxiety. He's a jack russell cross with a bite history (towards strangers, children and dogs), we have him in our doggie daycare and he had been undergoing a long rehabilitation program with our head trainer, there had been little change in his behaviour so they felt the next step was medication.
He has a few dogs he loves (plays with them really well and gently) and certain ones he does not like at all, for example he would have a 'disagreement' with one particular dog and he would suddenly seem to feel threatened by them, and then when they're not looking he'd run up behind them and bite their hind leg and then run away, never drawing blood but it hurt enough that they would often squeal and run away terrified. He then got medicated and he became a totally different dog, the dosage was pretty high but he became very sweet/laid back and just wanted to cuddle all the time, he never bit or barked any more when he got medicated but he did stop playing for long periods of time. He is currently being weaned off the medication to see if there's any affect on his long term behaviour.

[Jailbait Queen]

VonVix

I'd say it would be well worth into looking into medication, though a month isn't that long and it is likely you will see improvement with time. I was amazed at the difference in my boy Jet, especially today for example as I had to take him to the vet by himself and he has separation anxiety from our other dog. I basically had to help him be confident and comfortable by himself (tried to make experiences positive and different in a 'special' way, as in he'd only get chicken on walks when we were alone). Half way on the walk I was telling him how much of a good boy he was and played with him a bit, he was even play-bowing me which I was amazed at! Normally he goes into a very high-alert mode and cannot get comfortable, he usually keeps stopping and looking back, in a way hoping our other dog will be there or we'll go back home. I brought him to the pet store afterwards and previously he had been pulling like a train to leave, but he was toddling around with me without much worry at all.

One thing I would recommend to you is to also try and have fun with her, avoid making every interaction about training or something serious. I know you said she isn't toy motivated but neither were mine until I found a toy that they enjoyed and taught them how to have a bit of fun. I got this rattly soft sheep dog toy that also squeaks, they didn't care about it when I brought it home. I started running around all excitedly with it (my dogs like to chase me around lol) and then I started dragging it across the floor, but not letting them touch it. Their chase drive went from me to the toy. It's now their one and only favourite toy, which they play tug with, occasionally play fetch with when they are in the mood and other times it's my "flirt pole" toy.

If you run around will she chase you at all? You could make that a game, and then introduce a toy you think she may like and build upon it in the way I said above. Most dogs have to be taught to play and most people do this accidentally, I never really encouraged mine as puppies and I regret it, but it's not to late to teach a dog how to have fun.

I'd be inclined to say lab/beagle, but she's a cutie for sure!

I could offer you my experience with a dog who had been medicated recently for aggression/anxiety. He's a jack russell cross with a bite history (towards strangers, children and dogs), we have him in our doggie daycare and he had been undergoing a long rehabilitation program with our head trainer, there had been little change in his behaviour so they felt the next step was medication.
He has a few dogs he loves (plays with them really well and gently) and certain ones he does not like at all, for example he would have a 'disagreement' with one particular dog and he would suddenly seem to feel threatened by them, and then when they're not looking he'd run up behind them and bite their hind leg and then run away, never drawing blood but it hurt enough that they would often squeal and run away terrified. He then got medicated and he became a totally different dog, the dosage was pretty high but he became very sweet/laid back and just wanted to cuddle all the time, he never bit or barked any more when he got medicated but he did stop playing for long periods of time. He is currently being weaned off the medication to see if there's any affect on his long term behaviour.

Oh every interaction is far from training, we chase each other, sometimes she likes to play fetch (but only with chewbacca, not a ball, weirdo). I don't know what kinda toys to try, she doesn't care for rope toys. She likes bones but those aren't toys, balls are meh. I'll have to look around. Squeakers in toys scare her, haha. How can I teach her how to play more? I would love to play tug of war and other games with her. She is a snuggle monster though thankfully!

Thanks for sharing your experience with the aggressive dog, it gives me hope that she can get through this and become a happier dog. I know she has it in her.

Also, I thought beagle too at first but no one else seemed to! I might do one of those genetic tests for fun to see what it says smile

[VonVix]

Jailbait Queen

Oh every interaction is far from training, we chase each other, sometimes she likes to play fetch (but only with chewbacca, not a ball, weirdo). I don't know what kinda toys to try, she doesn't care for rope toys. She likes bones but those aren't toys, balls are meh. I'll have to look around. Squeakers in toys scare her, haha. How can I teach her how to play more? I would love to play tug of war and other games with her. She is a snuggle monster though thankfully!

Thanks for sharing your experience with the aggressive dog, it gives me hope that she can get through this and become a happier dog. I know she has it in her.

Also, I thought beagle too at first but no one else seemed to! I might do one of those genetic tests for fun to see what it says smile

Look into soft dog toys, mine don't like hard toys at all, if she has a chase drive there's a good chance you can get her to play tug with you. Drag something soft around and if she mouths or even paws it tell her she's a good girl/yes! Give lots of encouragement for it. When I started with mine I got the impression they felt like they weren't allowed to hold/grab a toy, because of how often we told them off for running away with socks and underwear! I think the key to a lot of it is being excited yourself, if you don't act like it's the best thing in the world why should she?

Most dogs aren't outright aggressive, it often comes from being fearful/anxious. Keep communicating with people who may be able to help you such as a vet or trainer, but always double check the advice you get before executing it yourself, there are a lot of people dishing out oldschool techniques that can do more harm to dogs than good. If you have Facebook I recommend joining this group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/fearfuldogs/ - there's a lot of VERY experienced people there, professionals, etc. who have or are working with fearful dogs. There are a lot of people there who own dogs easily a hundred times worse off than yours but they are progressing. You might get some better advice there than from here, I have only been studying dog behaviour seriously since November and I'm currently doing a diploma in dog behaviour and psychology, but there are people there who are professionals and far more experienced than I am.

Also, where are you working that you're often around other dogs? I find that labs here either have anxiety/aggression issues or they're the calmest, sweetest things ever lol! There's never an in between with them from my experience.

[Jailbait Queen]

VonVix

Jailbait Queen

Oh every interaction is far from training, we chase each other, sometimes she likes to play fetch (but only with chewbacca, not a ball, weirdo). I don't know what kinda toys to try, she doesn't care for rope toys. She likes bones but those aren't toys, balls are meh. I'll have to look around. Squeakers in toys scare her, haha. How can I teach her how to play more? I would love to play tug of war and other games with her. She is a snuggle monster though thankfully!

Thanks for sharing your experience with the aggressive dog, it gives me hope that she can get through this and become a happier dog. I know she has it in her.

Also, I thought beagle too at first but no one else seemed to! I might do one of those genetic tests for fun to see what it says smile

Look into soft dog toys, mine don't like hard toys at all, if she has a chase drive there's a good chance you can get her to play tug with you. Drag something soft around and if she mouths or even paws it tell her she's a good girl/yes! Give lots of encouragement for it. When I started with mine I got the impression they felt like they weren't allowed to hold/grab a toy, because of how often we told them off for running away with socks and underwear! I think the key to a lot of it is being excited yourself, if you don't act like it's the best thing in the world why should she?

Most dogs aren't outright aggressive, it often comes from being fearful/anxious. Keep communicating with people who may be able to help you such as a vet or trainer, but always double check the advice you get before executing it yourself, there are a lot of people dishing out oldschool techniques that can do more harm to dogs than good. If you have Facebook I recommend joining this group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/fearfuldogs/ - there's a lot of VERY experienced people there, professionals, etc. who have or are working with fearful dogs. There are a lot of people there who own dogs easily a hundred times worse off than yours but they are progressing. You might get some better advice there than from here, I have only been studying dog behaviour seriously since November and I'm currently doing a diploma in dog behaviour and psychology, but there are people there who are professionals and far more experienced than I am.

Also, where are you working that you're often around other dogs? I find that labs here either have anxiety/aggression issues or they're the calmest, sweetest things ever lol! There's never an in between with them from my experience.

Thanks so much!! I am 100% sure her aggression towards dogs is fear related.

I dog sit often for a beautiful and friendly golden and I am often with my parents' 4 dogs, or she is around my brother-in-law's Australian Shepard and lab mix. My hiking trips involve him and a dachshund. I really don't need her lashing out at one of our poms or the dachshund. Im nervous with her around my friends cat, since she killed 3 of them at her previous home. Not sure the scenarios for that, they made it sound like she played too hard with them vs ripping them to shreds. I have grown up with labs, 2 retired leader dogs who were super sweet and our current lab who is a lazy oaf (but sweet) with serious gas problems. The dog can clear a room in .00001sec.

No work or school right now so there are lots of dogs around me smile