Need Dog Help!!

[sq764]

I am all out of ideas with the way our dog reacts when my wife or I leave the house. He goes crazy – jumping on you, barking like crazy, just generally freaking out. This has become such a problem for various reasons, the main one being that some days I have to go into work at 6 and my wife doesn’t have to go in until 8, so he wakes her up by his rampant barking.

It’s really getting out of hand and we have no idea how to fix this with him. I was curious if anyone has run into this before and if so, how it was fixed.

(By the way, he’s a little over 2 years old, a yellow lab, about 80 lbs)

[chrisg]

Possible something has spooked him while you're at work & he hasn't got over it...BUT my solution would be to exercise him first thing.

Even a short walk may do the trick...he gets your attention first thing & he gets fresh air & exercise.

If you absolutely positively can't get up early enough to do that, then maybe give him some exercise before you go to bed.

Did your vet say that 80 lbs. is a good weight for him? just curious. I would have thought smaller for a 2yo.

Oh yeah, check his feeding too. Does he prefer morning instead of night? or vice-versa?

Just taking a stab at it...but I've found exercise goes a long way for a dog.

[sq764]

Well, he certainly does not get the exercise he should (and that is our fault)..

He would eat from the time he got up to the time he fell asleep, labs LOVE to eat..

Actually the vet said he is skinny for his build.. He eats so much, but he has so much nervous energy, he burns it off..

We'll take him for a long walk tonight and see what happens tomorrow morning.. thanks.

[blind squirrel]

your dog might have separation anxiety when you leave.
dogs are pack animals and you have to establish that you are the ALPHA dog.

start ignoring your dog 10 minutes before you leave and 10
minutes after you get home.i had a problem with my AUSSIE
SHEPHERD when i first got her and this technique helps.

regular exercise also helps.i read an excellent book on relating
to dogs,THE DOG LISTENER,by an english lady JAN FENNELL.
she adopts some of MONTY ROBERTS{THE HORSE WHISPERER}philosophy for dogs....i found it useful.

[sq764]

The odd part is that when we both leave (or the last one to leave) puts him in the basement while we are gone. When the last one leaves, we open the door to the basement and he runs right down with no problem.

The problem I was describing happens only when 1 of us leaves.. It makes no sense (well maybe it does to someone, not me..). How can he be upset that 1 of the 2 people are leaving, but when both are gone or leaving, it’s cool.. Strange.

[fiveouttasix]

When my schnauzer was young and acted similarly, I read that leaving a radio playing softly in your absence, preferably a talk-format, calmed pets with separation anxiety. The human voice must have made her feel not so alone because it did the trick, after a couple of days. Of course the exercise before you leave is also very important!

[so.cal.fan]

RESCUE REMEDY:
http://www.bachcentre.com/centre/remedies.htm

This is a great product, cost $12 to $15 a bottle, in any health food store.

I use it for my epileptic dog. A friend uses it for her dog who is a lab like yours, SQ. she has terrible separation anxiety.
It works very well.

Or you may ask your vet for CALMACON (not sure on spelling).


note on Rescue Remedy,
This product is used by people, but works even better on dogs.
You can't overdose your dog with it, give him several drops on a treat or in his water. No bad side effects. Very safe product.

[Observer]

I have no idea on this one .. just wanted to say .. I personally wouldn't want to go the route of some potion .. best to get inside the workings of what's really the problem, rather than masking it with some artificial means. But that's just me .. I think there's way too much over-medicating these days .. there seems to be a pill or potion for everything.

Have you spoken to your vet about these episodes?? If your vet can't help out with the mental workings of the dog, maybe he/she can put you in touch with a specialist who could offer some tips/advice.

Now, I'm just wondering .. you said your dog only freaks when one of you leave .. but when you both leave .. there's no problem with him going down into the basement. So, I'm curious .. if when you leave, and your wife is still sleeping .. could you get him into the basement?? (before it's obvious you're leaving) for at least until your wife got up and needed to put him back down into the basement before she left???

How does your dog react at other times when you and your wife go your own ways .. say one outside doing something, the other inside??

[Tee]

Does he have a kennel in the basement?

& does he have his original equipment or is he "altered?"

[JustRalph]

Originally posted by blind squirrel
your dog might have separation anxiety when you leave.
dogs are pack animals and you have to establish that you are the ALPHA dog.

start ignoring your dog 10 minutes before you leave and 10
minutes after you get home.i had a problem with my AUSSIE
SHEPHERD when i first got her and this technique helps.

regular exercise also helps.i read an excellent book on relating
to dogs,THE DOG LISTENER,by an english lady JAN FENNELL.
she adopts some of MONTY ROBERTS{THE HORSE WHISPERER}philosophy for dogs....i found it useful.

bingo....this post is right on. I dealt with this a couple years back..... I have two dogs and only one had the problem. They learn by repitition. When one of you leaves he senses the cycle is starting and soon he will be alone. This starts the anxiety effect and he starts acting up. check out this web page

http://www.doggiedoor.com/sepanx.shtml

[Observer]

Originally posted by JustRalph
... When one of you leaves he senses the cycle is starting and soon he will be alone. This starts the anxiety effect and he starts acting up. ...

I don't agree with the above quote .. but rather, it seems to me the dog is having a different kind of anxiety .. since sq764 said the dog only acts up when one person leaves .. that he is fine and goes right into the basement "no problem" when both leave, or when the last person leaves .. giving me the impression the dog has no problem with being alone.

[sq764]

That is the bizarre part.. As a matter of fact, one day I left (after my wife had left earlier), and I went to the outside basement window and looked to see what he did. He climbed right up onto the chair down there and started to go to sleep.

I don't think he has a problem with being alone, which is what baffles me as to why he freaks when only one of us is leaving.

[hurrikane]

I gotta tell you maybe it's mars.

My neighors dog is 7 and has never been a problem. In the last 2 months he has jumped out a second story building..dug through a wall and out through the siding of the house...chewed through a window sill trying to get out...destroyed 2 carpets and I don't know what else.

She has him on heavy medication and still he freaks when she leaves.

I think is the alignment of mars

[trying2win]

--Give the dog to the SPCA and get a cat in exchange.

--Neighhbors that go to work and leave their dogs out in the yard to bark all day are a disturbing nuisance. In addition to increasing fines for unthoughtful owners of habitual, barking dogs, towns and cities' bylaw enforcement departments should enact tougher laws like they have in some jurisdictions in our country...i.e. three complaints about an dog and they take your dog away for good.. Now there's a jurisdiction that gets it!

--Also, people shouldn't be allowed to own the vicious breeds of dogs in towns or cities. Too much of a danger to people, especially young children.

--I don't mind responsible people that have quiet dogs. If their dogs get out of line with a little bit too much barking, I've noticed these thoughtful owner's voice command to the dog to "shut up" works. Good for the owner. These are kind of people I like and appreciate. They have respect for their neighbors that like peace and quiet.

--We have two cats. They're a lot cleaner animals than dogs and a lot quieter. They don't annoy neighbors like some dogs do with their loud barking.

Trying2win