Separation Anxiety in Dogs.
So my pitbull has some abandonment issues. She was a pound dog, and I’ve only had her about 2 and a half months. When left alone for long periods of time she starts to freak. She chews/eats anything in the way of her escape. windows, doors, fences.
I was wondering if anyone has had this problem before, and what did you do to stop it.
Most people suggest crate training…however I think most people are stupid and think that because your dog CAN’T eat your belongings that the problem was solved. Lately I have been spending atleast an hour a day making frequent visits and rewarding her for not freaking out. By doing this I hope to communicate to her “no worries, I’ll be back soon.”
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i sent your post to a friend of mine who is a foster mommy for pit bulls (plus she’s a pit bull owner). she works at the shelter in philly and hates mike vick.
this is what she said:
Crate training isn’t a way to mask seperation anxiety, it is a way to learn routine. Crate training is definitely the best way and rewarding when outside of the crate for NOT doing something. For instance if the dog begins to chew something and you say ‘no’ and it stops you reward it with praise or treats. Dogs are still animals and are very much like children. By crate training them, you aren’t providing them with temptations and ways to fail if that makes any sense. It’s like putting a toy on the floor and yelling at a baby every time it goes after the toy. The best way to resolve that is to remove the toy altogether. The most important thing is to make sure you aren’t feeding into the anxiety behavior by doting on the dog or acknowleding the behavior with attention. Not sure if this makes any sense. There’s also other ways to ease the anxiety. There is a few sprays you can order online, the DAP stuff. It basically is made with female dog pheromones to mimic the feeling that the dog had as a puppy with his/her mom. There’s also an all natural drop you can get at GNC, humans take it too. I forget what its called but it’s to make you calm and relaxed. Hope these help.
Crate training dexter was probably one of the best things we did for him, not only did it stop him from destroying our kitchen and potentially hurting himself (he literally ate cabinet doors) it also gave him a “safe” place to go when he’s nervous. Dexter is a very timid dog and terrified of new people, if he didn’t have a crate he would hide himself underneath chairs and in the corners of rooms desperately trying to make himself as small and as invisible as possible. With his crate he knows at any point if he’s tired, bored or nervous he has a spot to go where no-one will bother him.
You can try bitter apple spray. Some dogs will stop chewing whatever you sprayed pretty quickly others…like Dexter…don’t mind the extra flavoring.
A friend of mine has a part Pit bull/part Rhodesian Ridgeback rescue from the pound in Philly. A very sweet dog, two years later he is still a menace to everyone and everything. She tried crating him and he was able to get out of it, even when she added bungee cords. Last month he tried to eat another male dog who came near her. I think the frequent visits are a good idea but I think some pound dogs are just what they are.
I would be more considered about her behavior when you take her out. I know you don’t want your stuff destroyed but if she goes after someone else or another dog, she won’t be your dog anymore. Good luck and try to listen to some of the advice you get. Not everyone is stupid about these things.
Hey Guys. Thank you very much for you advice. Crating training was my first attempt at beating this thing. She seemed to do ok in the crate…she never got out or chewed herself raw. However, it was her behavior outside of the crate that concerned me. She was acting totally crazy and disobedient. Once I came home from work and when I let her out of her crate she ran straight to my shoes and started to eat them. haha. Since I put the crate away she’s been listening to my every word.
What I meant by “I think most people are stupid and think that because your dog CAN’T eat your belongings that the problem was solved.” was not so much a stab at the idea of crate training, but the people who don’t care about their dogs happiness. Crate training is not for every dog. Right now I have her tight up outside in a fenced in yard. She hasn’t eaten anything weird in a few days. But today I work 9 hours so we will see how she does haha.
I used to feel similarly about crate training, but now I would never raise a puppy without one… Sounds simplistic, but I just started with short periods unattended “free” time outside the crate, and kept on incrementally increasing it as long as shoes and small electronics were still intact when I got home (several Chuck Taylor’s and a Samsung were injured in this process).
That was with lying cheating bitch ex-girlfriend’s (semi-shared) Akita. I did the same thing with Little Sarah (my Akita) and it worked out great in terms of chewing things.
It was more difficult to get her not to pee inside. I ended up teaching her to ring a bell every time she needed to go pee. Took a month, but since then she can hold it all day.
I think it’s the routine thing like was mentioned earlier. When the dog goes for a shoe, consistently redirect into another behavior.
Now if I only had the patience to follow my own advice when she pulls too hard on her walk…