Dog separation anxiety help needed!

[T.O.W]

So we have this dog, "Hank the Tank". He's a great dog except he has a case of separations anxiety. And at 105 pounds of pure muscle that's not such a good thing. We have a hard time even leaving the house now because of what might happen. He has went through one door, numerous gates, heavy duty crates, two door handles, knows how to pick locks and turn handles with his teeth, eats door frames, digs holes under fences like a convict and can squeeze through gaps fit for a field mouse. He's a five year old Weimer and I know they are known for this and we are trying to deal with it. We have tried some recommendations from our vet, going for long walks/runs, giving him plenty of time distracting toys, putting him in the house, garage, back yard but he still dedicates his time to trying to bust out of anything he's in while we are gone, no matter how long or short. Get this, my car was in the garage with him and he tried to break into it, tore the weather stripping off the window. We are afraid that one day we are going to come home and find him on the road or with his head stuck in something he couldn't get out of. If anyone has suggestions that might work we would greatly appreciate them.

[gspman]

You may want to enlist the help of a professional dog behavior trainer to determine how to address this issue as it sounds fairly severe.

Do a google search on...

dog behaviorist minnesota

... and you'll get some hits.

Disclaimer: I have never met or used a dog behaviorist for a problem dog. Nor can I recommend any. Ask lots of questions and proceed at your own risk.

[muskyhunter57]

I had the same problem with a German Shepherd. She destroyed anything in her path. We left her in my brother's car one time as we had not had a problem if we took her with. Bad idea. The interior of the car was completely destroyed when we returned. She eventually grew out of this stage as she matured but then became overly protective. I was in my early teens and the dog would go beserk if anyone came near a family member. Eventually we gave her to a farmer. So hopefully maturity will cure your dog.

[TR21]

Put him down

[Tinkhamtown]

Get another dog he can be best friends with and problem will go away.

I got my chocolate lab because of this problem. Put him with my english springer and problem went away. Chocolate is one in my picture and one of the best dogs I've every had. Super attached to me and great on pheasant, grouse, and ducks.

[T.O.W]

Next option.

[T.O.W]

I've heard that suggestion before but were a little afraid of double trouble and all the extra goodies in the yard plus two dogs in my fish house could be trouble. Thanks for the input though. Could you bring your dog over to my house when I go somewhere, and then pick him up when I come home?

[AlwysFshn]

Have you thought of hiring a dog psychic?

[Ryan_V]

Put him down

geez.........this is someones pet and loved one, have a heart and show some compassion, it's opinions like this that should be deleted, not called for at all. At the very least, you could have phrased it a little...o.k.... ALOT better.

T.O.W. hats off to you for trying to help your buddy!! Good luck, if I had any advice, I'd share, but I'm sorry I don't.

[Down2Earth]

Shock Collar

[T.O.W]

Originally Posted By: TR21

Put him down

geez.........this is someones pet and loved one, have a heart and show some compassion, it's opinions like this that should be deleted, not called for at all. At the very least, you could have phrased it a little...o.k.... ALOT better.

T.O.W. hats off to you for trying to help your buddy!! Good luck, if I had any advice, I'd share, but I'm sorry I don't.

Thanks Ryan_V for your support. He really is a great dog. He's already been given up on at least twice as he was at the St. Paul animal shelter and rescued by a wonderful kennel club, then adopted out, only to come back to the kennel after a domestic issue. We have had him one year now.

[jigging-matt]

Kudos to you. That is probably part of the problem. He has already been given up on twice. Wish I had better advice than that, but glad you can ignore the "Put it Down" there always has to be one. Good Luck, Keep us posted on what you do.

[gspman]

Don't use an e-collar. I would suggest a professional who knows and has dealt with separation anxiety. Try that first. Getting a second dog is a gamble not worth taking. Things could be a lot worse or a lot better with a second dog but it's not a solution to the first dogs behavior. I think the first step should be some behavior modification for the dog in question.

[Surface Tension]

When some dogs learn they can break out they'll have a one track mind and that is, getting out again. Yes it can be to the point of obsession.

First you need to get him into a kennel he can't get out of.

The instant that behavior starts, you stop that thought process right away.

The dog needs stimulus.

You'll need to step up the obedience training.

You'll need to put the dog to work.

[T.O.W]

Great suggestions coming now. Thanks guys. The breaking out has certainly become an obsession for him. About a kennel that he cannot get out of, any ideas on what type of material to use or companies, designs? The standard Fleet Farm outdoor kennel just yesterday proved to not hold him. He literally pushes his body into the smallest opening and bends metal brackets and clasps until he's out. He's been to obedience class and he responded well and minds us very well when we are with him. It's just the leaving part. He goes on 2-3 miles runs. Not sure what type of additional work he can do now with winter coming. If he needs to feel like he can't get out, then I need to come up with a supper kennel. Or like gspman says get a professional. I have just never heard of someone like that making any difference. Anyone have any examples or experience with someone who does behavioral modification or how to even go about curbing this psychological condition?

[PurpleHaZe]

Sounds like a good project for the Dog Wisperer good luck i hope it works out.

http://channel.nationalgeographic.com/series/dog-whisperer

[jeffreyd]

call the dog whisper guy, he might help you out. just a thought, i thought about it when i only had one dog

[T.O.W]

I looked at his site and he's currently only doing auditions in Southern California. I do like his work and have learned a few things from his show.

[hanson]

T.O.W.-

I'm no dog pro by any means but my new lab puppy had a bad case of separation anxiety and we were able to shake it. I don't think it was so much separation anxiety but the fact is he hated the crate, as a result of me being a dumbass.

What I decided to do was start over once I realized we had a problem that I caused. Many, many guys here recommended ways to get him accustomed to the crate and I don't wonder if thats where you need to go.

For example, lead him into the kennel and leave him in there for a minute or so, then let him out. Repeat a bit later. Praise him, give him a treat, etc. Keep doing this and increasing the time he's left in there. Do this over and over and over again. He needs to learn that you will be there and let him out when he's good. Then start doing this and leave the room. Then leave the house... etc, etc. Keep increasing the length of time you are gone, etc. He will catch on that you are coming back and the kennel is a safe place to be. Where I went wrong is I stuck him in the kennel thinking he'd be good to go. Wrong, he wasn't. I had to slowly build him up to that.

The other important thing is praise and discipline. If you're not catching him when he's breaking out, punishing him isn't going to accomplish anything. You need to praise him when he's doing what you want him to do and keep doing it. If he's content in his kennel, praise him.

My recent problem has been mouthing/biting and I swear that my consistant corrections are finally starting to work. Things are getting better and I've been at this for over a month now. I asked for help on the forums here after a good 2-3 weeks of realizing he had a mouthing problem that wasn't going away. Another 2 weeks later and I "think" I'm making headway. Guess I'm saying results won't be instantaneous and reassurance from others keeps you heading in a positive direction when you think your actions aren't doing any good. Just got to keep at it.

None of this advice is my own, its what many members on the forum have recommended that seam to have worked for my pup. I'm just dealing with a puppy but it sure seams like there are parallels with the behavior.

[nofishfisherman]

I know someone who had a similar issue with their dog, perhaps not as severe but similar.

One thing they did was when they went on walks they would have the dog wear a back pack full or rocks. It made the dog feel like he had a purpose (to move the rocks from point A, take them around the block and bring them back to point A). It sounds dumb but it helped. It also made the 2-3 mile walk a lot more tiring for the dog so when he got home he didn't have as much energy to do his Houdini act.

Its worth a shot at least.

I'd also try to crate idea if you haven't already. Going through the steps to crate train a dog can make your life 100% easier. I'd probably go with the hard plastic crates with the wire doors as they seem to be sturdy. I'd also add some reinforcement to the gate though. Maybe bungee cords that wrap all the way around the crate or something to that effect will help.

Also putting the crate in the corner of a room with a couch or large piece of furniture pushed up against the other side leaving only the gate open should add some extra reinforcement.

Good Luck

[CRAZYEYES]

This happened with a friend of mines yellow lab. Friendliest dog you could ever hope for but could not be lef alone. They got him on drugs that the vet prescibed and it seemed to help a little. The dog destroyed nearly everything in the house, furniture, doors windows. They figured 12,000 in damage. The dog finally broke his teeth off trying to chew the metal bars on a kennel and had to be put down. Sad deal. My buddy told me that the vet said some dogs can never really be cured when they have this bad of a case. I guess its almost like a super panic attack.

[hunter322]

I have a yellow lab that my wife and i adopted when he was 10 months old. now a year and a half. he has seperation anxiety as well. we started out by leaving him run around the house when we were gone and that didnt work. then a plastic kennel. that didnt work, he got out. then a wire crate, that didnt work again got out then another plastic kennel and i had modified it to keep him in that worked for a while then he started [PoorWordUsage] in it and it was not so fun to come home to. and then i built a kennel in my garage and that has finally worked. he learned that when he is in it im leaving so he hates it, but it holds him. my dog is so bad that he doesnt care if he is causing harm to him self. ive herd the same as hanson though.

[Surface Tension]

It is more like a temper tantrum.

"The dog finally broke his teeth off trying to chew the metal bars on a kennel and had to be put down"

Yes that is a concern. Chain link fence will not hold a dog that has learned that it can get out. They will chew chain link and they will chew though chain. Yours has escaped enough times that he is convinced he'll get out. He will start that thought process and it will escalate. You have stop the behavior right away. Hard to do when your not around. As Chris said put him in the kennel with praise. Small steps here. Don't leave him and the second he shows any sign of acting out stop right then to stop that thought. Increase the distance and time but be there to stop the behavior. I take it the dog is in the house when your home. Guess which place he'd rather be.

Not in the kennel that is for sure. Thing is if kenneled full time that is where he'll want to be. Water and feed in the kennel from now on. If you must bring him in the house he will not have the run of the house. Crate him and be there when he tries to bust out.

This is an extreme case. When kenneled you might find when you try and stop his behavior it does no good. Like I said it can be trance like. I would use a shock collar with a quick light buzz and the command No. I hate say that because your messing with what should be a dogs safe place. You could make the situation worse by fear of the kennel. Like I said this an extreme case but the dog needs to obey. If the dog stops the behavior then a quick reassuring word. If he continues then so does the negative stimulus till he stops. What your doing is altering a bad habit and it is tough at first. The dog needs to pay the price every time he challenges that fence. Repetition, consistency, and praise will win over.

[Down2Earth]

I would hook up a web cam, drive down the block so the dog thinks you're gone. Watch him on the lap top. Then every time he tries to bite, break, etc the kennel shock him. Not sure why some wouldn't think this would work. Bark Collar, dog barks dog gets shock, dog stops barking. Dog runs away, put in underground fence, teach dog about fence, dog gets shock and learns not to run away. It all has to do with the timing of the shock. Make sure you find the right setting for your dog. It doesn't need to make his hair stand on end jsut enough to get his attention.

[meatfish]

Get him a chew toy,like a cat or a poodle.My buddy had a weimer(a rescue also) with a similar problem and when he rescued a cat from the pound his dog switched his obsession to the cat.The problem was he ended up with a very angry cat,but the dog was much better.Maybe try foster a cat or small dog to test it out.