I have an adopted four-year-old white miniature poodle. He had SEVERE separation anxiety when we first got him. I'm talking about tearing up the carpeting in our house, scratching at the doors until his paws were bloody, nipping at other dogs and people, getting so upset that he'd have accidents all over (including throwing up). It was a mess. He settled down since (no more nipping or tearing things up), he's best buds with our red tabby cat now and they keep each other company. He'd still have a lot of accidents in the house though, pretty much daily, until we finally bought him this thing called a "Thundershirt" about a month ago. Basically, it's like swaddling a baby, it's supposed to be comforting, and he only wears it while we're gone. Well, since he started wearing the thundershirt, the accidents have stopped completely. It's nice to come home and not have to clean up poop LOL. Here's Mickey - he sleeps like this, on his back with all fours in the air LOL
Thanks He was 2 1/2 months old and I had taken in another pyr pup, 2 weeks younger, from a puppy mill bust that was going to be euthanised if someone wouldn't foster him. Less than a week later that puppy became very ill. I knew that smell (anyone who has ever worked in a shelter or Vet environment knows what I mean) and took them both in to the Vet where I worked. Judge was fine, we started treatment for Tucker (the foster). Tucker didn't make it. A week later Judge came down with it (despite preventative meds). I hospitalized him and kept Drake on the preventatives. It was very touch and go. Almost a week later he started biting my coworkers when they came near him with needles and we knew A) He was going to make it and B) He needed to get out of quarantine. Since I worked there they let me finish his meds and IV's at home. Between that and the discount because I worked there I was (just barely) able to afford all of their treatments. Though they cut me a massive break on Tucker and only charged me for his meds since he didn't make it. In the end Judge had gotten Parvo, Giardia, and Coccidia from Tucker, despite being on schedule for vaccines. Puppy mills are horrid and the rescue hadn't done their job effectively, telling me the pup was okay, had been tested, and endangering my boys (and I should have taken Tucker to my Vet immediately to doublecheck, instead of scheduling an appointment for the week after he ended up getting sick). Judge is lucky to be here. Thank you dizzyspell. The pics truly don't do them justice (shameless brag). Especially Judge, there's something so regal about a Pyr! Jessica - Mickey is adorable Kudos to you for dealing with separation anxiety. So many people euthanize or put them in shelters. I applaud you, truly
Yeah it was pretty tough at some points. Even tried crate training, but that failed miserably - we thought we "eased" him into it but the first full day away, and it looked like a raptor had gotten to his cage - all the bars were bent and the door was busted off the hinges, no joke. But he eventually settled down, and it's definitely sad that so many give up on their pets Oh and I meant to tell you that your dogs are beautiful, too! Especially Judge - you're right, he's very regal looking! Total beauty
LOL, I know it's not funny (at all), but the things I've seen with separation anxiety. Really, you're lucky he didn't hurt himself. My neighbors have 3 Bull Mastiffs and their one big male, Diesel, had it really bad. 3 times last year he jumped right through their bay window and I had to catch him, covered in blood, and try to hold him together til they could come home and take him to the Vet. Poor baby He's doing much better now, thank goodness. No matter where they put him he'd get out and find his way to that window... Thank you EDIT: Catch him like follow the blood trail, call him, chase him.... not like stand under the window and catch the 140 lb dog. Realized how that sounded.. rofl
LMAO funny because that's exactly what I initially thought until I realized that would be pretty dang hard to do LOL! Wow, that's pretty bad that he'd actually jump out windows! It really is crazy the way separation anxiety makes dogs behave.
LOL, I knew somebody would call me on it if I didn't do it myself Yeah, I've known other dogs to do it too. They can break their teeth chewing out of cages, severely damage their paws, noses. Scrape their backs wide open squeezing through spaces where they don't fit. Get blockages from eating things they shouldn't by trying to soothe themselves. Poison themselves doing the same. Dogs who literally kill themselves by drinking so much water they die (the feeling of a full belly makes them feel better so they just keep drinking and drinking). Dogs can have as many psychological problems as we do
/\ Wow, I guess it could've been much worse with Mickey, then. It's a good thing he calmed down before he seriously hurt himself. The worst he got was bloody paws from scratching at the doors (he tore up his nails a bit in the process because he was really digging into the wood). The first step we took to help with the separation anxiety was to let him run with our tabby cat (Jameson) once we knew we could trust him not to hurt Jameson - we put an ottoman right inside the living room window and so they sit butt to butt and look out the window together LOL. Also had to make sure to walk him regularly to get him into a routine. This stuff all helped get rid of the worst separation anxiety symptoms (nipping, digging at doors and carpet, throwing up, etc), but there were still the daily "accidents" in the house. Thank goodness for that Thundershirt, though, it really did do the trick! Now Mickey's the perfect little doggie, no accidents in nearly a month!
I've never heard of a Thundershirt. Just had to google it. Interesting. And it really works? That's amazing. And your little Mickey is happy to have it on and be left with it?
I was honestly really skeptical about it, my mom convinced me to try it. I wasn't expecting it to work at all but it really seems to! I used to come home from work and clean up a mess or two almost every day. Since he's started wearing the Thundershirt there have been no accidents, (in over 3 weeks, nearly a month now), which really impressed me! He seems comfortable in it - it's snug and stretchy. I mean, I wouldn't want him to go outside running around in the heat with it on, but he's inside in the air conditioning during the day. I'm not sure if it works on all dogs but it sure seemed to work for Mickey
That's a sad story, but I've got to say picturing you standing there with your arms spread out, waiting to catch the dog is a pretty funny mental image.
Shelties are one of my favorite breeds. My Winnie is one, and she's the only dog I've ever had, but they're so beautiful.
Honestly, I didn't even think about that until you clarified. Until then, I just figured you meant chasing him down after he escaped. Peektures? I found a Great Dane adoption place here in Vegas. Can't wait until we have a big enough place!!
I like Great Danes but they are just to big for this house, while I could let them out we have no back yard or front yard (open filds) and we have lots of cats as such we would lose such a dog as the sheer size would scare the cats away
Awww, Domino They're beeeeautiiifullll Too funny that you called them beans, me and Mallory were just talking about my dogs' nicknames and I told her that my Pyr's nickname (Judgement) is Ju Ju Bean, but that I usually call him Bean or Beaner, lol. Lots of Beans in this thread
Yeah, that's why we're waiting to get one. If we got a dog right now, it would have to be something small, since we're in such a small place with no yard. Got to wait until we're in a bigger, more permanent place before we start adding pets to the mix. Too sweet! That first picture is my favorite. Adorable.
Thank you. The pointy ears is my eleven year old girl, the floppy ears is my seven year old psycho. lol. Love 'em.
If there's one thing I can't stand, it's tiny dogs. The itty-bitty ones who look like rats and bark all the time. I like medium or big dogs.
