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Please Help Me Save My Dog


Jellyblush
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I saw a TV program where trainers were helping a man with a Jack Russell with separation anxiety. This dog caused damage by scratching at the door & going to the toot on the floor. Other times he'd use a doggie door to toilet appropriately.

I recognized the other strategies recommended. But the behaviourists added a tape of the owner's voice (he was reading from a book).

Hidden camera showed the dog's reaction. It was obvious the sound of the voice cut across the dog's usual scratching/toileting protest.

He paused as if not certain now if the owner was at home or not. His voice sure was! The dog seemed to settle a lot more . Behaviour became less frenetic.

I'd heard of tape of owner's voice being included in the strategy plan. And was ready to do that if our Sheltie hadn't responded to the rest of the strategies. I wonder if anyone else has experience with using it... & how it went.

Edited by mita
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Thanks, Rosetta. It sure confused the Jack Russell to the point he didn't seem sure if his owner were there or not. Sort of took the wild wind out of his sails!

You're right... different courses for different horses (er... dogs).

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Thanks all - I have messaged Brooke. I also looked into the Underdog training but yes, it's quite a drive. Not out of the question though local would be better. I'll keep looking.

Meanwhile, we've had a hard working weekend and I'm dizzy from all the going in and out of doors I've been doing - no sign of any lessened anxiety in the yard yet but we'll keep plugging away! Poor old Roo is also on rations with her usual diet due to all the treats I have been giving her as well.

Back to the Uni girls for 3 days this week...

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Just curious Jelly - did your vet behaviourist not have you doing a program around desensitisation etc? If not that is very surprising as it forms the basis of most SA programs at the first level. I would hate to think that you have come to the stage of considering PTS without even being advised of such methods :shrug:

Hey Rosetta, yes, she has. We have done several programs based around desensitization before over the last couple of years.. It is hard with Roo as there are so many cues and triggers and it's impossible to know what they all are - we've had success with some of them though, for example putting my shoes on used to be a cue so did getting in the shower and we managed to work on these but other triggers just replaced these ones.

This time, due to the size of my current backyard (courtyard really) after a recent move (which is probably what set everything off again) she wants me to do a crate training program first, treating the yard as a crate. Then back into a further program.

What I'm doing currently with the door is trying to get to a point where the click of the door closing doesn't trigger any anxiety in Roo...Out, treat, in, shut door, immediately open door .... ad nauseum.

All suggestions re training and what we should be looking at are welcome. Thanks for your post :)

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Hi all. Well I wish I had better news for you than I do.

Today, Roo ran away from the Uni girls. I got a panicked message from them while I was miles away at a meeting. She's escaped, we still don't know how.

A mad dash home and she was found on the front step - she crossed four major busy road and many smaller ones. She spends all her time trying to escape home when left here, and trying to get back here when left elsewhere.

It's so weird, because I had all that anxiety before she first went to the girls that she was going to run away and get hit by a car - when I got the call I was sure that's what had happened.

I'm now in a very hard place - we haven't started the new meds yet (still waiting on script to be filled), neither training now meds will have any effect for weeks, I can't left her at people's houses, she's too crafty and too keen to escape and find me..

Dog daycare would be safe I know but I cannot afford 5 days per week of dog daycare. I called to ask for a discount on the basis of her being a 5 day per week ongoing proposition but they said the fees were the fees.

I have no idea where to from here. I feel like I have run out of options.

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Hi all. Well I wish I had better news for you than I do.

Today, Roo ran away from the Uni girls. I got a panicked message from them while I was miles away at a meeting. She's escaped, we still don't know how.

A mad dash home and she was found on the front step - she crossed four major busy road and many smaller ones. She spends all her time trying to escape home when left here, and trying to get back here when left elsewhere.

It's so weird, because I had all that anxiety before she first went to the girls that she was going to run away and get hit by a car - when I got the call I was sure that's what had happened.

I'm now in a very hard place - we haven't started the new meds yet (still waiting on script to be filled), neither training now meds will have any effect for weeks, I can't left her at people's houses, she's too crafty and too keen to escape and find me..

Dog daycare would be safe I know but I cannot afford 5 days per week of dog daycare. I called to ask for a discount on the basis of her being a 5 day per week ongoing proposition but they said the fees were the fees.

I have no idea where to from here. I feel like I have run out of options.

So sorry, Jellyblush. I was so hopeful about this situation, as I'm sure many others were.

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:( :( You must be absolutely shattered :kissbetter:

Have you spoken with dr Robert Holmes in Melbourne? he has been doing vet behaviour stuff for over 30 years ... he may be a good one to give a definitive 'clean' diagnosis/prognosis , perhaps, to support your thinking...

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Thanks everyone. No, I hadn't heard of Dr. Holmes. Off to google now, cheers :)

I don't even know how to manage tomorrow let alone future days. I can't keep taking time off, plus I am a contractor - no work, no pay. I have taken this afternoon off but it is hard to pay for specialist, dog daycare, plus factor in a drop in income due to taking her to specialists, day off to find her.....

I feel so defeated and lost. I have failed her :(

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I have failed her :(

You've not only put in an enormous amount of time and effort.... but you've also now got a huge swag of information on what didn't work. No way would I use the word 'fail' for you.

Finding quality diagnosis & management strategies are what counts, IMO. When I thought we had a hopeless dog, I went to a vet-behaviorist associated with our University here. I got a superb understanding of both dog behaviour and the principles of behaviour modification. Shaped to our dog's needs.

I've just searched & found a vet-behaviorist associated with the University of Melbourne, Dr Gabrielle Carter. She includes separation anxiety in her treatment interests. And she studied behaviour at one of the leading US universities, Purdue. Also, with the dual skills of medical vet & behaviourist, you'd have a context for medications & any thought of PTS.

And, as I said, all the experiences that didn't 'work' so far, are actually valuable information for a vet-behaviour's assessment of the dog & situation.

http://www.goodpetbehaviour.com/about/about-dr-g/

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So sorry to hear this, Jelly. From reading previous posts I assume the uni girls had her physically with them all the time and she appeared to settle ok? Was there something different this time? If the girls didn't know how she escaped, was she perhaps locked outside for a time? Ok so I'm a suspicious old dear, lol, but maybe there's a reason for her escaping, just like to know all the details :o

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