Seperation Anxiety and Fear when I try to teach him things

• 07-25-2007 10:17 PM

  talenak Joined on 07-26-2007 Posts 151 Points 0

  Seperation Anxiety and Fear when I try to teach him things Reply Contact OK, this is my first post here.  I have a 1 year old black lab/blue heeler mix.  He's all of 45 pounds.  We've had a bipolar love/hate relationship with this boy.  We got him when he was just weaned.  He potty trained fast, but never crate trained properly.   As in the second you close the door on him he starts whining and doing this not quite howl really loud and a super puppy in distress bark.  If we leave for more than like half an hour, he poops in there.  And it gets everywhere in his mad scrabble to get out.  I really, sincerely, do not think he does it on purpose.  I think it's stress pooping.  lol  He has such crazy seperation anxiety that it's caused a lot of desire to permanently seperate from him.  So we tried this stuff called Pet-Eze. That stops the pooping,b ut I really don't like using it on him.  It's basically triptophan.  The stuff in turkey that makes people sleepy.  Guess it works on dogs too.  But really, I don't want to drug my dog.  That's what happens when we leave him. When we take him it's a whole nother bag of worms.  He whines and is super "omg please whatever is happening make it stop".  And when the car stops, he makes a dive for it.  A dive that overturns coffeecups and breaks things.  Including almost breaking my thumb once when I tried to grab his collar because he dived at the same time someone opened the car door for my 3 year old.  He'd have knocked my son face first on to cement and landed on him to boot.  It was more effort than I honestly had to keep my sons dad from leaving him at the park right then and there and never looking back.  The dog is SO scared of being left.  I really don't understand the fear.  We've had him since he was very, very little.  I've been a SAHM for the first year of his life, and now I need to find work.  But I'm really hampered by the dog of all things.  I'm scared that as bad as he is now, what will happen if he experiences this worst fear of honestly being seperated?  I can't imagine the problem will do anymore than escalate and I can barely handle this, I don't think anyone can put up with worse. OK, so you can see problem #1 is enough to probably make just about anyone insane.  Problem #2 is not as infuriating, but it's really puzzling. He gets really shy and scared when I try to teach him things.  Like I'll pull out a dog treat and he'll be really happy, roll on his back.  But I'm trying to teach him to sit, not lay on his back.  So I'll say sit a couple times, he won't do anything except try to get even more "look I'm totally on my back uber submissive mom, can I have it?"  When I reach for his collar he's up, flies to his crate (see his crate is totally fine and safe as long as we don't put him there, lol).  No amount of begging will get him out until my attention is off him.  No amount of bribery.  Nothing.  I tried to direct his attention to a spider the other day (ugh I'm scared of those suckers, and he's totally a bug eating hero) and he peed!  Now I KNOW he's potty trained.  The dog is smart, he potty trained in a day.  So I know the peeing is not a potty training issues.  He is SCARED!  Like he's so scared of doing something wrong, but WHY???  I never use anything but positive reenforcement.  Ok, that's not quite right, when he almost busted my son's face in the ground, and then I heard my thumb crack, and my son's dad screaming at ME because he was reacting, I hauled the dog back and seriously busted a hard hand to his snout.  I feel bad about it now, but right then it's a pure miracle that's ALL I did.  That's the only time he's ever been hit though.  Otherwise it's just love and hugs and pets.  And the training fear predates that. Why is my dog so afraid when I try to teach him?  Why is he so scared of being abandoned when he never has been?  And how do I ease these fears for him?  In my family, our dog's are part of the family from the moment we get them, til they have to be put down.  Even my mother has been like "get rid of him".  And she's fanatical about not abandoning the animals you adopt.  But he's so sweet and smart when he isn't scared.  He lets my son drag him around, they play like littermates.  My son is 3, the dog is 1, but it's like they are totally the same age brothers, lol.  I love the friggin dog.  He is such a loving sweet baby.  He isn't poorly behaved that he has to be trained to sit on command, he automatically sits then lays down when you say sit, but I just don't want him to be AFRAID when I try to teach him thing, or scared that I'm going to abandon him. I want him to get past his fear and be comfortable and know he's absolutely a part of the family.  So anyway.  This is a super long post already.  Any help?

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• 07-26-2007 12:05 AM

  In reply to talenak

  lostcoyote Joined on 07-19-2007 that hill over there Posts 945 Points 200

  RE: Seperation Anxiety and Fear when I try to teach him things Reply Contact Otherwise it's just love and hugs and pets. heh - yeah, long post. i am sure you'll get plenty of responses. take your time and digest each one of them and try to decide which suggestions to try. question - how often and how much time each day do you spend walking your dog. no play time, just walking him in the neighborhood? also, with respect to the above quote.... many folks think that giving all the atention, love, hugs, treats, petting will make a great pet. it does just the opposite because you're not putting what the dog needs in proper time allocation. first and formost, dogs were meant to travel and hunt - it is a primal instinct and is rooted in their brains. so in order importance is 1) walking/exercising the dog on walks around the neighborhood 2)discipline 3) love and hugs... in that order. never give a dog hugs and kisses when they are wound up or behaving incorrectly. even if they are behaving incorrectly and you give them a treat to calm then down and then hug and pet them, you are sending the dog a signal that it is OK to act all wild and squirley because there is going to be a reward. if you put love and affection up at the top of thelist that i have above, then yoiur dog is only going to be set up for problems because he is not getting the balance that he needs in the order of priority that i listed. what dogs need are not the ame as what humans need. love and affection come last in the dog world - study dog packs to observe this. what do they do most of the time - they walk miles and miles hunting. play time only occurs after a good meal - usually.... and dogs brain structure hasn't changed very much in the past 10,000 years since we domesticated them. **** anyway, give affection ONLY when the dog is mellow and calm. **** your dog's got lots of anxiety issues.... so i guess for starters, let me know how often and how long you take him on power walks

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• 07-26-2007 12:17 AM

  In reply to talenak

  talenak Joined on 07-26-2007 Posts 151 Points 0

  RE: Seperation Anxiety and Fear when I try to teach him things Reply Contact We don't go for walks, I can't get half way down the block without my hips catching.  The great news is part of the reason I got him, was so I could take him for walks everyday and get excercise myself.  We try about once a week just for the sake of trying and while it takes us a couple minutes to get half a block, it takes us 10 to get back because I can't walk. So all his excercise comes from playing, which he does a lot of.  We have a large fenced yard that we use every day for the simple sake of him getting excercise.  I thought that was enough Oh, and where you quoted me, I meant that was how we responded to good behavior.  We turn our backs on him and try to blatantly ignore him if his behavior is inappropriate, or if it's something we can't ignore (like digging) he goes to his crate.  I don't close the door on him when he's in trouble, he'll stay there until I call him.  He is very timid when he thinks you are angry.

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• 07-26-2007 12:26 AM

  In reply to talenak

  lostcoyote Joined on 07-19-2007 that hill over there Posts 945 Points 200

  RE: Seperation Anxiety and Fear when I try to teach him things Reply Contact nope - play is not the same as walking with a mission - dogs need to work. if your hips are bothering you, then is there anyone else who can spend time walking the dog? Oh, and where you quoted me, I meant that was how we responded to good behavior. We turn our backs on him and try to blatantly ignore him if his behavior is inappropriate, or if it's something we can't ignore (like digging) he goes to his crate. I don't close the door on him when he's in trouble, he'll stay there until I call him. He is very timid when he thinks you are angry. speaking of which, what kind of energy are you projecting when say, for example, the dog gets all axious? do you remain calm & project strong leadership... or do you cave in and offer him comfort? your dog doesn't go off thinking that you might be angry or upset. your dog is only reacting to the kind of energy that you are projecting - and dogs can read humans a mile away so to speak. do you project anger &/or frustration? if so, your dog will pick on those vibes faster than you can say "no" or turn your back. secondly, turning your back on the dog - maybe you can actually try some physical corrections instead? dogs are very physical and being very physical, the respond to other thinmgs that are very physical. the third thing your dog could probably use is some socialization with other dogs & people. is there any way to get him into social settings with other dogs & people (kind of like group therapy - heheh) - like maybe dog training classes. i'm not too big on dog parks because you can never know what kinds of problem dogs/owners you will encounter there. but alot of this anxiety may very well be because your dog isn't getting the correct balance of exercise over love. regarding crates... i'm not big on crates myself (although i should be & i probably will be in the near future) and i'm sure some other folks here by tomorrow morning will offer some advice - maybe better than what i can offer. at any rate, one walk for 10 minutes once a week just ain't cutting it. your dog's starving for doggie style balance here. my 2 cents. -coyote

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• 07-26-2007 12:36 AM

  In reply to talenak

  talenak Joined on 07-26-2007 Posts 151 Points 0

  RE: Seperation Anxiety and Fear when I try to teach him things Reply Contact There is noone else who will take him for walks.  When he freaks in the crate I ignore it.  When he freaks in the car, I tend to get a little grouchy.  I try to keep myself calm, but I'm way past soothing him.  I try to use a stern voice and tell him to sit/stay.  He completely ignores me when he flips though except to try to break my grip and get past me out the door.  I just discovered the other day that the seatbelt clip fits through his collar clip enough to completely keep him from leaving the seat I put him in.  But he nearly strangles himself.  I let him do that.  Cause it's too furiously irritating for me to feel bad for him when his antics could actually hurt me. Until a month ago he played with a boxer regularly, the boxer moved.  So now he gets scheduled visitations with my mothers australian sheppard.  She's recovering from her spay surgery so he hasn't seen her in the last 3 weeks.  He goes with us to visit family and friends, he's great with people and dogs.  Not so great with cats, ahaha.  I let my moms cat beat the crap out of him just so he'd leave her alone.  It didn't work.  He charged her again 5 minutes later. There's nothing I can do about the walking.  I do back excercises and junk, cause the bone doctor says it's my back, not my hips.  But those efforts aren't working.  And when I ask anyone else, including my son's dad to take him, I get the "you brought him home" line.  My son is only 3, too young to do it himself.  The only road I can take if the only thing that is going to save him is giving him away.  Which is what I'm desperately trying to avoid doing. EDIT TO ADD:  So is it the mission or the excercise that is important?  He gets a lot of excercise  So what he's missing is the mission/purpose/routine?  Is there anything else I can do?  Like hide things and teach him to find them.  Oh wait, I can't teach him anything.  He's friggin scared.  Gah.  Can I create missions I mean?  So excercise through fetch and mission through .... ? Edit AGAIN to add: oohohohohohoh.  lol  I just put the leash on him and tried.  You could see the despair in his eyes when he realized he couldn't flee.  But after telling him to sit and hauling him in to a sitting position (3-4 times) myself to show him, he got up on his own and sat when I said Sit.  I let him loose after that just out of pure elation.  Some history, he was very hyper for a while.  He's learned to stop jumping just from us saying no once and ignoring it.  When he sees the leash he gets soooo excited but you can see him fight his desire to jump and go crazy.  He is wiggly all over but he still sits and then lays down and tries to hold as still as possible.  Which isn't very still, lol.  I used to let him sleep on the bed, but then he started shedding a lot and my allergies can't handle the hair all over the bed.  But he figured out in one night, after only a couple attempts to climb up and hearing "Methios, Down!" and I threw an old comfortor on the floor in the closet for him.  He's FINE with things like that.  He learns fast.  It's when all attention is on him that he gets buggy about learning.  And anytime he thinks you might leave him alone, when we start putting on shoes and stuff he starts going crazy running from door to couch door to couch door to couch til you say "Crate!" then he slinks to the crate very unhappily.  (it's been too hot to take him and leave him in the car for any amount of time, even for 5 minutes).  I'm all upset now.  I don't want to give him away.  He can say "mama".  He's only done it twice.  Once when I was walking out the door without him and my son's dad was holding his collar, and once when my mom came over to babysit him (yes she came to babysit him, lol, I had to leave for half a day, and he is horrible in the crate) and I came back but walked outside without saying hi to him, he said "mama".  He says it out of desperation for me.  I can not get him to say it under any other condition.  But omg I want him to.  lol  Oh he said it one other time, the first time I heard it, CJ (my son) was banging on the bathroomdoor and yelling "mama! mama!" then I heard it sound a bit different and CJ yelled "mama! methios wants you!"  hehe  How do you teach a dog to talk?

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• 07-26-2007 9:14 AM

  In reply to talenak

  lostcoyote Joined on 07-19-2007 that hill over there Posts 945 Points 200

  RE: Seperation Anxiety and Fear when I try to teach him things Reply Contact I am hoping that some other people herein will give you some feedback in addition to mine... because who's to say that I am right or wrong? It sounds like you dog has always had high energy. But the owner (you) doesn't have that kind of energy.... which is a recipe for problems from day 1 I thought about your postings: Have you considered hiring a dog trainer/behaviorist? Can you? I let my moms cat beat the crap out of him just so he'd leave her alone. It didn't work. He charged her again 5 minutes later. this was a mistake. you should have not promoted a dog/cat fight. additionally, you should have corrected him the INSTANT he tried to charge the cat. by doing nothing & letting the cat charge him, you basically told him that it's OK to be agressive with cats.

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• 07-26-2007 10:39 AM

  In reply to talenak

  mudpuppy Joined on 09-10-2007 Posts 5,497 Points 100

  RE: Seperation Anxiety and Fear when I try to teach him things Reply Contact when you say you got him when he was "just weaned" you mean like 4 weeks old?  and he's a year old and has never really been out of your yard, and has never gone to an obedience class? Boy you have a lot of catch-up work to do. I don't even where to start. Please consult a professional in your area.   I'll address the training. Dogs don't understand english. You can chant SIT at your dog all day and he'll never learn to sit. Ever. You can wait until he sits of his own accord, then praise and treat. Once he realizes SIT might get him a treat you can start putting the cue word SIT on the behavior-- he wants a treat, as his butt hits the ground you say SIT and treat. You can lure him-- hold the treat over his head, he reaches up for it, as his butt hits the ground you say SIT and let him have the treat.

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• 07-26-2007 10:54 AM

  In reply to talenak

  espencer Joined on 09-25-2006 St Louis Posts 3,206 Points 300

  RE: Seperation Anxiety and Fear when I try to teach him things Reply Contact Yeah definitely walking the dog would help a lot, you could "hire" a kid to walk your dog (but if you think your dog would be a big problem for a kid then hire a teenager [])   Read the 1st subject here: [linkhttp://www.dogpsychologycenter.com/blog/Season2ep05.php]http://www.dogpsychologycenter.com/blog/Season2ep05.php[/link]   If not then you could buy a 2nd hand treadmill and walk your dog there, like this:   [linkhttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K2AfNJ54OjM]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K2AfNJ54OjM[/link]   Some dogs are afraid of them at the beginning because they dont understand why they are walking and you are not if you are at his side []   Now with the car situation, is he afraid being on the car or just when you leave? it seems that your dog has a little bit of low self esteem issues and yes a lot of separation anxiety   Read teh 1st subject here: [linkhttp://www.dogpsychologycenter.com/blog/Season2ep06.php]http://www.dogpsychologycenter.com/blog/Season2ep06.php[/link]   and the 2nd subject in these 2: [linkhttp://www.dogpsychologycenter.com/blog/Season2ep18.php]http://www.dogpsychologycenter.com/blog/Season2ep18.php[/link] [linkhttp://www.dogpsychologycenter.com/blog/Season3ep10.php]http://www.dogpsychologycenter.com/blog/Season3ep10.php[/link]   Low self esteem is a problem that takes time to solve, probably more that any other so be patient, dont give affection when he is in that state of mind because you will reinforce that behavior         "There are not bad dogs, only bad owners"

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• 07-26-2007 2:39 PM

  In reply to talenak

  janet_rose Joined on 09-10-2007 DFW area, Texas Posts 3,749 Points 330

  RE: Seperation Anxiety and Fear when I try to teach him things Reply Contact Clicker training is what you need to increase this dog's confidence level!!  Get an i-Click and a Clicker+ (both available at www.sitstay.com) and see what sounds do and do not scare your dog.  You could even use a click with your tongue against the stop of your mouth if you can consistently make the same sound.   The basis of clicker training is that you catch Methios doing something you want to train.  At that time you click and treat.  When the dog starts offering the behavior in order to get the treat, you name the behavior.    Clicker sites and beginning books: http://forum.dog.com/asp/m.asp?m=310452    More clicker sites: http://www.clickerlessons.com http://www.clickertrainusa.com    Get a Ruff Rider seatbelt to keep Methios in place while in the car.  That will keep the dog from jumping out of the car and from being a projectile during an accident. http://www.ruffrider.com (with store locator)   Here are some links on dealing with separation anxiety: http://forum.dog.com/asp/m.asp?m=352147

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• 07-26-2007 2:46 PM

  In reply to talenak

  janet_rose Joined on 09-10-2007 DFW area, Texas Posts 3,749 Points 330

  RE: Seperation Anxiety and Fear when I try to teach him things Reply Contact McConnell, Patricia, The Cautious Canine: Helping Your Dog Overcome Its Fears, 6/1998 http://tinyurl.com/6jvub    Parsons, Emma, Click to Calm - Healing the Aggressive Dog, 12/2004 http://tinyurl.com/248pnm (same principles work for a fearful dog)  Wood, Deborah, Help for Your Shy Dog: Turning Your Terrified Dog into a Terrific Pet, 6/1999 http://tinyurl.com/ywccqy

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• 07-26-2007 3:18 PM

  In reply to talenak

  AussieLyn83 Joined on 07-23-2007 Posts 10 Points 0

  RE: Seperation Anxiety and Fear when I try to teach him things Reply Contact Crate training isn't that hard just give it time and patience and a key thing is ONLY praise the dog when it isn't whining.  So if the dog is whining in the crate wait until it stops, praise it and let it out.    My puppy used  to cry and cry and cry, so I did my crate training this way.  I put her "in her bed" i.e. the crate, and gave her a treat.  I would sit in the room with her for approximately 30 minutes reading a book but not paying attention to the dog.  I would than let her out (if she wasn't whining... or wait for that rare break in whines) and tell her good dog and let her check me out and the house so she knows nothing's changed.  Than put her back to bed and be in the room for 15 minutes but in the last 15 minutes come and go.  Leave the room for a bit but go back in and do something, and repeat.  Than I let her out and praise her.   Than I would put her back in and leave the room for 30 minutes.  But while I was out I would talk to her the entire time, so she would know I was still there.  I kept up that pattern for longer period of times, decreasing or increasing as she got quieter and got ok with me not being there.  Eventually, you want it to be that the dog doesn't cry at all and you can be quiet in the other room (or not near the room where the crate is).  My dog is 2 and 3 months now and she knows that her crate is her "safe" zone.  She goes in there all the time when she gets tired, and hasn't whined or bark since she was a young scared puppy.    It's hard to use the crate in the positive way.  What I have done and seems to work well is only treat her when she goes in her crate if she is behaving.  But if she's been bad I don't treat her.  That way it wasn't that her crate was her punishment it was the lack of a treat that was a punishment.   Also with pooping in the crate, don't put any blankets or mats or anything in the crate just leave it the bare bottom.  I have never found a dog that likes to sit in their own excrement and it is almost impossible to cover up or push away poop and pee when there's nothing else there but the dog and the crate.  My dog pooped a lot in her crate when she was a puppy (partly my fault cause of not knowing to keep out blankets) but she knew that if she did she'd go straight to the tub.  As opposed to when she went potty outside and always got a treat after (notice always - you have to be consistent until it becomes a habit for you and the dog).   I also bought my dog a doggie seatbelt, which was great when I was training her to ride in cars properly.  Also, I wouldn't use a collar.  I would get a harness so you have more area to grip if need be.  It also doesn't choke them as much when they pull.   And the suggestion to get a neighborhood kid to walk him is great!  I used to walk my neighbors dogs cause my parents wouldn't let me have one.  I loved it!   I hope this help, it's just what I've done and what I would do to train the dog myself.  The main goal is to associate something he likes either a treat, or favorite toy with training time.  Use what he loves and use it to your advantage.  Eventually all you will need is your voice and a good pat on the dogs back.

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• 07-26-2007 3:47 PM

  In reply to talenak

  talenak Joined on 07-26-2007 Posts 151 Points 0

  RE: Seperation Anxiety and Fear when I try to teach him things Reply Contact re: lostcoyote He is insanely high energy, something I could have handled at one time, but I wasn't expecting to not be able to walk.  Back and hip issues caught me off guard and with a vengeance when Methios was about 6 months.  I can't AFFORD a dog trainer/behaviorist.  Unless one wants to volunteer... lol  I'm looking for work.  Til I have a job, nothing like that is gonna happen. He goes to my mother's house frequently with us, so we'll spend some more time with the cats/correction. re: mudpuppy Yes, but maybe more like 5-6 weeks.  He's out of the yard constantly.  I have a 3 year old.  We go to parks, friends, family, beaches, random weird or fun looking places.  He always comes back when we call his name so he is allowed off the leash in appropriate places to wander around and play with kids/people/other dogs.  I don't take him for WALKS where I hold the leash and we walk with a MISSION.  There's a big difference between a dog I don't walk and a dog that never gets to leave a certain place.  No obedience classes.  But I've never had a dog in my life that went to obedience classes.  And I've never had a dog who didn't sit, stay, come, and learn to obey commands in english or not.  I've had a wide variety of dogs from little (which I can't stand) to a doberman/rottie mix (who was the love of my life and sometimes this poor dog annoys me just for not being her).  I don't think pointing at an obedience graduate certificate is the end-all-be-all of dog care.  I've never had a problem training my dogs before.  I've just never had one who got scared when I tried to teach them what to do.  I'll consult a professional when I can afford it. Until then, I think it's perfectly possible for my dog to learn and for me to cope with the right advice, without one. If I told him to sit right now, he would, the problem is he'd follow through with laying down and rolling on his belly.  Well he might.  Twice today I've put the leash on him and he sat without laying.  Leash.  Thanks for your advice. Even if it does try to deny my entire life's experience.  re: espencer He's a really good dog on a leash, he walks great with kids.  I don't KNOW any that live in my immediate area though.  I might make a little flier to put in a few mail boxes though.  That's something I hadn't thought of. Treadmill, I want one of those for myself!  I've been keeping an eye on freecycle, I hadn't thought he could use it too.  He's only afraid when we leave.  When we get the leash on him and open the car door, he's the first one in.  He just gets desperate to be the first one OUT too, to ensure he's not going to be alone for any amount of time.  My first instinct when he started demonstrating sep anxiety was to comfort him.  So I guess I have a LOT of that to undo.  I'll read through your links after I'm done responding to everyone.  Thanks! re: janet_rose Haha, I trained my betta using a laser pointer and feeding.  I should have thought of something like this!  I can't make the same noise consistently.  I'll check out your links. We got him a harness and a seatbelt connection for the car.  The problem is it isn't honestly secure.  It slides along the belt enough that he jumped out hte car window once when we stopped and hung halfway out the door.  I almost came unglued, I was soooo happy that wasn't just a collar he was hanging by.  I'll look at the Ruff Rider to see if it's going to be any safer.  I'll read through all the links you posted after I reply to everyone.  Thanks! re: AussieLyn83 I swear, that's exactly what we've been doing since he was a baby.  It's worked for other dogs, all my mother's dogs, just this one refuses to adjust after a full year.  As long as he sees me, or doesn't hear the door, he's fine.  But the second he loses sight of family he starts with the whining/howling.  I tried once to just hide and wait for him to stop and then let him out.  I kid you not, I spent an hour in the entryway.  When I came around the corner he was asleep.  That's what it took for him to stop.  Sleep.  There is nothing in his crate because of the poop.  He does it anyway.  Like I said, I really don't think he means to poop.  His favorite thing on the planet is a squeak toy.  I think I'll take it from him and use it only during training.

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• 07-26-2007 5:06 PM

  In reply to talenak

  talenak Joined on 07-26-2007 Posts 151 Points 0

  RE: Seperation Anxiety and Fear when I try to teach him things Reply Contact @espencer (and anyone with a clue) On the first link in the 2nd subject something caught my eye.  How a dog will obsess over something it thinks it can dominate.  My dog is all over the vaccuum.  Whenever I vaccuum he runs around it, does that front legs bent crouch, lunges at it,puts his mouth over the hard plastic.  I always thought it was funny and have laughed.  I'm thinking that might have not been so funny. [linkhttp://www.dogpsychologycenter.com/blog/Season2ep18.php]http://www.dogpsychologycenter.com/blog/Season2ep18.php[/link] Is that a problem, or am I reading too much in to play? @Janet_Rose The ruff-rider, belt slides through the same way our restraint does.  It's what he jumped out the window with.  He can slide back and forth along the belt.  Which gives him a lot of room to move around.  Have you got one?  Are you able to keep your dog actually IN place? Found this bit in one of your anxiety links You can start preventing separation anxiety even before you get your puppy. First of all, do not take the puppy away from its mother until it is 8 weeks old. "There is a greater likelihood that your dog will develop separation anxiety if it is taken any earlier," says Dr. Eurell. "Mandy, was taken at 6 weeks, and this may have contributed to her anxiety disorder." I have theorized that somehow, despite him being so young, he was freakish about being seperated because he remembered us getting him.  It seemed backwards, but now I see, it isn't really backwards.  Thanks for all the links and advice, I am learning a lot, and I have a few plans to put in to effect.  Too bad I already fed him today!  But we can still start.  Yay!  I'm already feeling better just having some ideas

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• 07-26-2007 5:29 PM

  In reply to talenak

  espencer Joined on 09-25-2006 St Louis Posts 3,206 Points 300

  RE: Seperation Anxiety and Fear when I try to teach him things Reply Contact ORIGINAL: talenak @espencer (and anyone with a clue) On the first link in the 2nd subject something caught my eye.  How a dog will obsess over something it thinks it can dominate.  My dog is all over the vaccuum.  Whenever I vaccuum he runs around it, does that front legs bent crouch, lunges at it,puts his mouth over the hard plastic.  I always thought it was funny and have laughed.  I'm thinking that might have not been so funny. [linkhttp://www.dogpsychologycenter.com/blog/Season2ep18.php]http://www.dogpsychologycenter.com/blog/Season2ep18.php[/link] Is that a problem, or am I reading too much in to play? Well then it seems that the 1st subject in this post was made for you []: [linkhttp://www.dogpsychologycenter.com/blog/Season3ep07.php]http://www.dogpsychologycenter.com/blog/Season3ep07.php[/link] This is a video of a dog obsessed with rocks [linkhttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_Z0sDKOdEnY]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_Z0sDKOdEnY[/link] "There are not bad dogs, only bad owners"

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• 07-26-2007 5:45 PM

  In reply to talenak

  talenak Joined on 07-26-2007 Posts 151 Points 0

  RE: Seperation Anxiety and Fear when I try to teach him things Reply Contact Wow!  Methios is NOT like that.  He only barks when I encourage it, and he would never ever challenge me for anything.  When I need to lift the couch and vaccuum, or do anything where he's getting in my way, I just say "No!" and he immediately backs off.  So I guess I'll stop laughing and stop letting him go after the vaccuum, just to prevent a possible escalation.  But wow.  That dog was beautiful though. The closest we've gotten to anything like that is when I throw his ball.  It took me a couple days to teach him he was absolutely never to lunge for the ball when it was in a human hand or a human hand was reaching for it.  Now he drops it and lays down to wait for it to be picked up.  When you have it he'll jump up and down but not AT you like he did at first.  Otherwise, he's never acted like that.

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