Hi all,
I posted here about 6 months ago totally stressed out because my 3-year-old rescue mutt (we think he's part cattle dog, part who-knows-what) was destroying my apartment every time I left for work. I'm talking shredded couch cushions, scratched up door frames, the works. My landlord was NOT happy.
I got a lot of great advice from this community back then and wanted to share what ended up working in case anyone else is dealing with this nightmare.
What didn't work for us:
Leaving the TV on (he couldn't care less)
Those thunder shirts (waste of money for us, though I know some people swear by them)
Puzzle toys (he ignored them when anxious)
What actually helped:
Crate training - I know it's controversial but he actually seems to feel safer in there
Exercising him HARD before I leave (like 45 min minimum)
Practicing leaving for just 30 seconds, then a minute, building up slowly
This is going to sound weird but I tried some CBD treats after reading about it here. Was super skeptical but honestly I think it takes the edge off for him. I use ones from Innovet that my vet's office actually had a poster about
The biggest thing was consistency though. It took like 3 months of the same routine every single day before he started to chill out.
He's not perfect - if I'm gone for more than 6 hours he still gets stressed - but he's not destroying everything anymore. Small victories, right?
Anyone else have a dog with separation anxiety? What worked for you?
