You probably get this a lot... separation anxiety

[jsarn]

Hi all,

So I adopted my husky from a rescue facility 3 months ago and for the most part he has been the best dog I have ever had...except for his separation anxiety. This is my first husky so I knew that after doing some research that this could be a potential problem. However, it really didn't hit me until I actually got him home. A little background on him although very limited: He was picked up on the side of the road with another husky. The rescuers had no history or name on him and he and his companion were both still in-tact. When I went to meet him, his companion had already been adopted and taken home so I was not able to adopt his friend. The facility told me he was very submissive and very laid back especially for a husky. He lounges most of the time and rarely vocalizes; they said he only vocalized when others were howling first, then he just chimed in. He is the definition of a beta- any dog he meets, human he comes in contact with, he submits with little questions asked, which for me is perfect! The facility estimated him to be around 2 years old but he definitely has puppy energy in him still. I do believe he was abandoned/abused because when I met him, he had some training on the leash, potty trained, and seemed to know sit but definitely needed work. Plus, the odds of finding two feral huskies roaming mid-Missouri is not likely. After the first day I had him (and after he was neutered) I noticed that any time I left my room, he would whimper and whine. Of course with my training of other dogs, ignore the behavior until he is quiet. Well he didn't quiet down for about an hour. It's the first day and I decided I needed to start his training sooner rather than later. Like what everything said, the first thing I did was get him adjusted to the kennel and make him fall in love with being in the kennel. That was easy. He didn't hesitate with the kennel and he has fell in love with the kennel. It is where he sleeps, eats, gets his toys, etc. This was done with the first weekend I had him. Well if you havent read my bio yet, I am a veterinary student and I had class the following Monday, so now became the test to leave him alone for a few hours. Well, after taking him out for a walk for about an hour, I put him in the kennel, and he fell asleep...that is until I made my way to the door. As soon as I left, all the energy that I thought I had gotten out of him seemed to come back and used at thrashing and whining. It was heart wrenching but I had to be strong and ignore him. Well I was at school and started reading some articles on anxiety and started getting anxious myself because of all the stories I heard of escape and destruction. So the first break I got, which was 2 hours later, I decided to make a trip home. Well I came home and the howling had stop but I could see black fur under the crack of my door: Luka had escaped the kennel. I was super lucky this time. He had only knocked my trash can and tipped his food bowl over and scratched the door a bit but nothing too serious. So my friend and I rigged the kennel so that it is close to impossible to get through (using zip ties). It worked! Well he was still howling and things didn't seem to get a whole lot better. I talked to my brother who had a German shepherd with separation anxiety and he told me that his trainer recommended recording him. So I recorded him using my computer while I was away. The freak-outs would range from 15 minutes-1 hour sometimes with intervals of 10 minute rests. However, one day he was completely quiet the entire morning I was gone! I was happy because I knew it was possible for him to be quiet while I was away. Unfortunately, this success wouldn't last long because I needed to go to my hometown for a meeting and he was coming with me; a new major change in his life when things were going so well. Well as expected he did take steps back but he really took several steps back. I forgot to re-zip tie one of the sides of the kennel and he managed to weasel his way out. This time I wasn't lucky. I come home (only after an hour and this was preceded with a 40 minute walk/run) and the carpet in my room was pulled up around the door and shredded. With Luka still freaking out. Unfortunately I did not record him that day. Once again I was somewhat lucky because things could have been so much worse but at least it was something fixable and not too terribly bad for what it's worth. $136 later, the carpet was fixed by my landlord. Well I decided from then on I would record him and ensure all nooks and crannys of his kennel were completely sealed and only by an act of God could he get out. Well this worked for about a week and based on my recordings he was actually getting better. His freak outs would last for about 10 minutes or be non-existent. About a week after repairing my carpets I come home and my carpets are completely torn up again and he has gotten out once again. This time I caught him on recording and found out this smart dog figured out how to unlock the door by simply biting it and shaking it around. I fixed this by using pad locks on the door and it is absolutely impossible for him to get out (so it seems anyway). Of course devastated by the destruction again, I decided that it was time to see a professional trainer. I went to her and she taught me some things about how to curb his anxiety and taught me some tips about the breed. Well I started seeing some results but the howling and the barking and attempt at digging was still getting under my skin. I did at this point started to notice that every morning for school, he would be completely time most of the time. He wouldn't whimper, bark, howl, etc. He would just sleep. However, once I came home, spent some time with him, exercised him again and want to leave to maybe you know, hang out with friends, family, buy groceries, etc., he would freak out! This pattern seemed to continue but I diligently tried to keep up with what the trainer recommended and results varied. A few days, he would not freak out at all while others he would freak out both times I left or just one of the time (always the second or third time). Well finally my summer break came at the beginning of July and I decided that to go back to my hometown with my parents because I needed surgery and well one of my dad's doctor friends was cutting me a deal (no pun intended). Dad and the trainer thought this might be good for me because I can really get some 1:1 time with my dog and start to develop more trust. Well towards the end of July I started seeing results! For the first time I felt I could leave the house and not have to worry about him! He didn't freak out at all and was extremely calm and patient! I thought maybe, just maybe, I was seeing the tail end of his anxiety. This continued for about a week and a half even when i got back to my house in mid-Missouri. I was extremely pleased! Well a few days ago, he started up again. The first time I kennel him up, he is fine, passes out and sleeps the duration I am gone. The second time, however, he freaks out! Honestly, seeing this return was of course painful for me because I thought he was finally starting to feel comfortable being alone! Unfortunately this is not the case and I am worried because school is starting pretty soon and I am afraid that he might get worse. I have done a lot of the suggested ways such has the interval training, leaving a Kong full of treats (he sometimes freaks out after he finishes the kong), leaving toys, desensitizing him to my leaving cues, etc. I am at a loss. I know a lot of this just requires more time but it seems that as we make strides with this, he then takes steps back. It is stressful for me and honestly, I am starting to become afraid to leave my house because of him! I am just afraid that he will freak out and maybe escape or even hurt himself in a way. This is very unhealthy and I understand that huskies are a huge commitment, but does that mean to the point where I cannot even leave my house for even just a few hours in the evening? I love Luka so much and it breaks my heart that he acts like this and I don't want to (nor do I plan to) give him up. Is 3 months still very early for this condition or should I be seeing more results? I am unsure because I have not ever dealt with a dog with separation anxiety. He has gone through basic obedience training and is great at sit, down, shake, up, stay (to an extent- we are working on this one a lot) and he walks great on a leash. Running, he doesn't do so well because at first he runs by my side, then he gets excited and starts to bolt ahead so of course I try to get him back to my side and sometimes he will even cross me which scares me because well....I will for sure trip and fall and injure myself or him in the process (i have made it as clear as possible that crossing me is a huge NO! which he seemed to be very responsive to but in his excitement he forgets i guess). Is there any advice on how to deal with this? It just seems like something isn't connecting. At times he feels secure and safe, other times he acts like death is upon him. Is time really the best medicine? Or should I consider getting him medication? I have a thundershirt for him and well, I actually haven't had the chance to try it on him while I was away but he still seems unsure about it and I am very skeptical of it. Any advice would be greatly appreciated. Sorry for the long post.

[Removed #2]

Wow...you sure have your hands full, though it doesn't sound all that abnormal. When we got Andy, (the red one) things were similar. I was at home for a while and he was great, and much a velcro dog. The few times I left him and crated him, I thought things were okay until I got home. Seems the foster he was at was not totally honest. He also figured out how to get out of the crate and I too feared he would get hurt. Decided after the fourth break to leave him out. He was good as gold, but still not happy. About 3 months in we got him a pal, Jackson, the B/w...they did great together. Jack had been tied to a tree for most of his 5 or so years, loved having a yard, a friend, and a home, and aside from having few manners, was really good and learned the routine from Andy.They became fast friends and were good, no marking or destruction, so a year later we added Little Jessy bug, the little girl. Then it all started over...upset the apple cart, disturbed the pack order, and the marking began. About 9 months later, and things are finally starting to improve some but now Andy is sulking all the time, acting strange, and only wants to be inside, this from the dog you could not get to come in for anything. So, I do think 3 months is a short time to have it wrapped up, but that's just me. We have learned to wrap the places they pee in plastic to make the cleanup easier. It's not about scent, because there is none, and sometimes they don't mark, and other times it's like they are really teaching us a lesson about leaving them. We had to start crating Jessy because she was becoming destructive, and that seems to be working. Keep working at it. Huskies can escape anything if they want to bad enough. My last husky broke out of her crate and ate the walls. We are considering an antidepressant for Andy because he is so darned moody, but don't want to medicate if we don't have to. Good luck and Welcome! How about a photo or two?

[ICE & SHADOW]

cliff notes? lol

[jsarn]

I would post on my profile but I haven't quite figured that out just yet

[Luna's Mum]

Wow. That's a lot of information to take in! Firstly, well done on taking in a rescue! I did the same thing just over a year ago & it isn't always easy. When we bought Luna home she was my shadow, I couldn't even go to the loo with the door shut because she'd whine & cry & sniff/scratch at the door. I had three weeks of trying to crate train & get her comfortable with being left....it was tough. My neighbours thought I was nuts, walking in & out of my house 30-40 times a day! Then I left for a minute & came back, next day 5 minutes.....and so on. It was awful, she didn't make much progress but I was consistent.

When it came to me going back to work, she was about 80% happy to go in her crate, with a Kong. But she would howl & cry on & off all day (luckily we have very understanding neighbours). So we got her a DAP diffuser to try & help. It's basically a man made copy of a pheromone that mummy dogs produce to calm their puppies. We plugged it in near her crate & saw around a 60% improvement! It isn't a cure but it did help Luna.

I think the biggest key is routine. If you can settle your dog into a pattern then he'll begin to recognise that you do come back & being alone is not so bad. Luna now knows that when the alarm clock goes off in the morning its time for a walk (and she even let's you press snooze once), when she sees her Kong she trots straight to her crate, when my oh comes home to let her out at lunch she gets about 40 minutes with him & then a fresh frozen Kong for the afternoon, then we come back after work & go straight out for another walk.

That's her routine, it took around 9 months for all the crying & howling to stop & we no longer use the diffuser.

You've only had your boy 3 months, he's still settling in but he'll get there. Don't forget he was apart from you a lot longer than he's been with you. Good luck x

[Luna's Mum]

Sorry, forgot to say, we leave the radio on for Luna. A station that has a fair amount of talking between songs but not one where the hosts or the people ringing in get all angry & shouty. I actually wonder whether she knows when to expect us back depending on which voice is on the radio because it's the same people every day!!

[jsarn]

i should throw in some extra details. Don't worry it won't be a novel this time. I live with two other people, one of which lives right across from me, the other right below me. Fortunately, one roommate is very supportive and understands what I need to do with Luka, the other however has never raised a dog in his life and has no idea and is very unsupportive and not so understanding (the one that lives below me). This will change next year because I am planning on living on my own. With regards to his anxiety, in the beginning, Luka was my shadow and I couldn't go anywhere without him being there and I mean anywhere! If I went to the bathroom and didn't take him with me, he whined and complained (never scratched the door or attempt to dig under it amazingly though, just howling). So for the first few weeks I took him into the bathroom with me and yes it was extremely awkward. This of course changed as I really started to train him of course. What he will do now is he will just sit outside the door and sleep or play with his toys while im in the bathroom or if I need to go outside and grab something from my car. Doesn't seem to get too anxious either. When I go downstairs, he just sits on the top step and watches or sleeps but doesn't usually come down unless something really interesting is happening or I call him. Sometimes he will go back into his kennel but sometimes he just passes out on the top of the stairs. This is all assuming I just walked him. If i haven't he will usually bring every toy he owns downstairs and play with them. When I have had pet sitters (mainly my friends or a roommate that Luka is comfortable with), most of the time he paces or sleeps by the door until I return. I am a little hesitant leaving him out of kennel while I'm gone because of the possibility he will destroy something, especially if it is my roommates' stuff but I want to try somehow to see if he would be calmer. At this point I just don't know how to go about this. I will also say I have tried leaving the TV on and it seemed to help a little bit but not too much. I left the radio on and it just seemed to feed into his anxiety. Maybe I should try a talk show or classical station this time and see if that changes anything.

Edited August 11, 2012 by jsarn

[Removed #2]

@Luna's Mum ... you are lucky with the DAP diffuser...it was just the opposite here. We got it also when Andy and Jack were going pee crazy right after getting Jessy. After it was all gone, I returned it for the guarantee and free refund. I think that Andy thought there was another dog in the house, and a female at that, who he could not find, so he was going to mark everywhere...even peed in Jack's bowl once. OMG!!! It does take time and I'm not sure we do our dogs justice by staying home with them because the routine they will have is what they should have from day 1. Unfortunately, I was unemployed when Andy came, and it took 9 months before I would leave again...had Jack by then. They did okay, and now we just wrap the house in plastic to avoid pee destruction!!!

[Laura980]

Hi Jsarn,

I totally feel for you, our Kira, also is suffering from SA we have had her for 3 weeks now , she is one year approx and we adopted from a shelter, her owners didnt want her back. She was also abused beaten, chained up by previous owners and also escaped 3 times from them. Seems she lacks socialisation training and fears other dogs, fears getting into the car (these are her issues) She totally goes beserk when nobody is home. Last week she destroyed all the plants in the kitchen table, chewed up papers. We have also tried leaving radio on and excercise her play and train her. We are going to see an animal behaviouralist next week and see what we can do to reduce SA in her. SHe is a lovely dog, very affectionate and submissive to people. Soon as somone pats her she drops down ears back and cowers. Not so much with us now but people outside she does this. We love her and will be trying to help her. She use to also initially sleep holding her head up as if she feared dropping her head down and relaxing something would happen. She is not doing this any more so seems she trusts us and knows we wouldnt hurt her.

Kira looks similar to your doggy to I noticed.

[Laura980]

Hi Jsarn,

let me know how you are going with Luka and separation anxiety any tips let me know.

this is our Kira, the resemblence is incredible but we are in Australia