The Pet Thread

[MoeTE87]

Originally Posted by Gritty

How old is the dog and does this happen when you leave the dog alone or all the time? We rescued a 6/month (Portuguese water dog) and it took some time for her to become comfortable staying alone in the house, probably another six months. All dogs are different, so it can be hard to say how long it will take. I have no experience using CBD meds for calming and relaxing dogs, but would be interested on how they would work for me?
This is what helped us with the dog:
1. Make sure you exercise the dog as much as possible - Easier said than done depending on your property and locations. 2. Provide lots of chew toys keep them interested / distracted. 3. Leave the TV on while you are gone. 4. Initially leave in short intervals, say 10min and gradually leave for longer amounts of time. Good luck.

The dog is a mini dachshund. We got him from a foster family first week in Sept and he was about 12 weeks old then. So he is about 28-30 weeks old now. He is currently about 10-11lbs.

Their breed is known to have separation anxiety but I didn't know it was this bad. The foster family had other big dogs and he would get along with them great and the foster family's son would let him sleep in the same bed with him every night.

So fast forward to our place, he HAS to see you and if he doesn't..he will run around and whimper until he sees you. You cant go anywhere without him and his whining. For example. My wife was gone during the day recently and I needed to grab some tools from the garage to complete an electrical project I am working on and I wasn't even out in the garage for more than 10secs and you can already hear him scratching at the door and whining. This is every time we leave no matter if it is 10secs or half a day. He hates his cage and I want to put him in his cage every night for bed time. My wife doesn't want to and likes him in bed with us. When I put him in his cage, it sounds like he is tearing down the house and the crying is just too much to the point where I put our throw pillows from the bed over our two vents so we don't hear him crying. Some nights he only cries for a few hours but majority of the nights he cries all night.

We try to play with him as much as we can. He sleeps all day if either my wife and I are home working.

This has been going on since we got him. I am at my wits end and can def tell my blood pressure has gone up because of it.

[Maynard]

Same as for people, you seldom find a medication that will really fully 'fix' things. Meds can certainly help, but often best if combined with behavioral program. I'd consult with a good animal behaviorist (your vet should have suggestions).

[HondaRC51]

Originally Posted by MoeTE87

Question for all of you.

For your dogs anxiety / whining / barking...what methods do you use? Also, any recommendations on CBD meds for calming and relaxing? The meds we got from the doctor..we have used it for 1.5months and see ZERO improvement.

Thanks!

Hey Moe sorry I didn't respond to your other post sooner. I asked what brand my buddy uses and he said he doesn't remember off hand but its on spamazon. I'd assume its https://a.co/d/9aoJ8vR. Id ask your local vet if they recommend anything else. Worst case is give the dog some zanex like my cousin use to for his Rottweiler, but I kinda don't recommend it.

[DETRoadster]

Evening zoomies!

[Esteban]

Originally Posted by DETRoadster

Evening zoomies!

Nice pic. Looks like a low flying doggie.

I didn't know dogs had zoomies too. Thought it was only cats.

[DarkishM5C]

This is my baby Biscuit He had just woken up from a nap lol

[DETRoadster]

Originally Posted by Esteban

Nice pic. Looks like a low flying doggie.

I didn't know dogs had zoomies too. Thought it was only cats.

Oh God do they ever! Her favorite racetrack course involves jumping full speed over the sofa. She gets a lot of air, considering her stumpy basset hound legs.

[Esteban]

Originally Posted by DETRoadster

Oh God do they ever! Her favorite racetrack course involves jumping full speed over the sofa. She gets a lot of air, considering her stumpy basset hound legs.

Learned something new today.

[Gritty]

Originally Posted by MoeTE87

The dog is a mini dachshund. We got him from a foster family first week in Sept and he was about 12 weeks old then. So he is about 28-30 weeks old now. He is currently about 10-11lbs.

Their breed is known to have separation anxiety but I didn't know it was this bad. The foster family had other big dogs and he would get along with them great and the foster family's son would let him sleep in the same bed with him every night.

So fast forward to our place, he HAS to see you and if he doesn't..he will run around and whimper until he sees you. You cant go anywhere without him and his whining. For example. My wife was gone during the day recently and I needed to grab some tools from the garage to complete an electrical project I am working on and I wasn't even out in the garage for more than 10secs and you can already hear him scratching at the door and whining. This is every time we leave no matter if it is 10secs or half a day. He hates his cage and I want to put him in his cage every night for bed time. My wife doesn't want to and likes him in bed with us. When I put him in his cage, it sounds like he is tearing down the house and the crying is just too much to the point where I put our throw pillows from the bed over our two vents so we don't hear him crying. Some nights he only cries for a few hours but majority of the nights he cries all night.

We try to play with him as much as we can. He sleeps all day if either my wife and I are home working.

This has been going on since we got him. I am at my wits end and can def tell my blood pressure has gone up because of it.

Yes not easy - In my experience this will take 6 to 12 months. I'm no expert but I've recused dogs and they take longer to settle. At around 18/mo they seem to mature into adult dogs and no longer need constint attention All the best

[DETRoadster]

Originally Posted by MoeTE87

The dog is a mini dachshund. We got him from a foster family first week in Sept and he was about 12 weeks old then. So he is about 28-30 weeks old now. He is currently about 10-11lbs.

Their breed is known to have separation anxiety but I didn't know it was this bad. The foster family had other big dogs and he would get along with them great and the foster family's son would let him sleep in the same bed with him every night.

So fast forward to our place, he HAS to see you and if he doesn't..he will run around and whimper until he sees you. You cant go anywhere without him and his whining. For example. My wife was gone during the day recently and I needed to grab some tools from the garage to complete an electrical project I am working on and I wasn't even out in the garage for more than 10secs and you can already hear him scratching at the door and whining. This is every time we leave no matter if it is 10secs or half a day. He hates his cage and I want to put him in his cage every night for bed time. My wife doesn't want to and likes him in bed with us. When I put him in his cage, it sounds like he is tearing down the house and the crying is just too much to the point where I put our throw pillows from the bed over our two vents so we don't hear him crying. Some nights he only cries for a few hours but majority of the nights he cries all night.

We try to play with him as much as we can. He sleeps all day if either my wife and I are home working.

This has been going on since we got him. I am at my wits end and can def tell my blood pressure has gone up because of it.

Dachshunds are tough. We've had 2 of them. They are strong willed, stubborn, and will wear you down. You cant give in. We used to have to put Bella in the basement at night just so we could sleep. if you give in to the whining while they are in their crate you just reinforce that you'll come rescue them if they cry. No different than a toddler. I dont think you needs meds here, you just need consistent training and a ton of patience. Most dachshunds are food motivated so you've likely got that going for you. Start small. Get a baby gate so that you can have the dog in a different room from you but still able to see you. Give him a chew toy treat to keep him busy. Slowly work up to being able to be out of sight. You leave, he gets a treat to keep busy. Try feeding toys and activities that will keep his mind busy at the same time like these. The trick is to start small (you being in a different room but in sight, then in a different room but out of sight. Seconds at a time, then minutes, then hours.) Make the crate a place he wants to be as opposed to a punishment.

[MoeTE87]

Originally Posted by DETRoadster

Dachshunds are tough. We've had 2 of them. They are strong willed, stubborn, and will wear you down. You cant give in. We used to have to put Bella in the basement at night just so we could sleep. if you give in to the whining while they are in their crate you just reinforce that you'll come rescue them if they cry. No different than a toddler. I dont think you needs meds here, you just need consistent training and a ton of patience. Most dachshunds are food motivated so you've likely got that going for you. Start small. Get a baby gate so that you can have the dog in a different room from you but still able to see you. Give him a chew toy treat to keep him busy. Slowly work up to being able to be out of sight. You leave, he gets a treat to keep busy. Try feeding toys and activities that will keep his mind busy at the same time like these. The trick is to start small (you being in a different room but in sight, then in a different room but out of sight. Seconds at a time, then minutes, then hours.) Make the crate a place he wants to be as opposed to a punishment.

Awesome advice! That actually helps a lot and will start working on it asap. Yes, he is def food motivated.

I like that pad with the peanut butter. Might be something very helpful. We have the red toy. Haven't tried that yet.

Thank you!

[DETRoadster]

Originally Posted by MoeTE87

Awesome advice! That actually helps a lot and will start working on it asap. Yes, he is def food motivated.

I like that pad with the peanut butter. Might be something very helpful. We have the red toy. Haven't tried that yet.

Thank you!

No worries. Happy to help. I’ll post up a few more things after work today. We have a new rescue puppy that is super high energy, separation anxiety, and needs a lot of mental stimulation. I’ll post some more of what we w done to work through that stuff.

BTW I may have missed it but how old is your Dachshund? Puppy or full grown?

[MoeTE87]

Originally Posted by DETRoadster

No worries. Happy to help. I’ll post up a few more things after work today. We have a new rescue puppy that is super high energy, separation anxiety, and needs a lot of mental stimulation. I’ll post some more of what we w done to work through that stuff.

BTW I may have missed it but how old is your Dachshund? Puppy or full grown?

Thanks!

Still a puppy. About 28-30 weeks old.

[DETRoadster]

Originally Posted by MoeTE87

Thanks!

Still a puppy. About 28-30 weeks old.

Oh that's good! Plenty of time to change behaviors and teach him how to be a well adjusted, independent dog.

When we adopted our puppy the humane society told us that the first 3 days the dog is pretty much in shock. 3 weeks before they start to settle in. And a full 3 months before their personality comes out. We've had ladybug for 4 months now and I'd say at this point she's fully adjusted, but man, it was a struggle to get here. She would do the same thing where you couldn't be out of her sight for even a second before she was screaming and crying. We have a dog gate at the top of our stairs to the basement and I couldn't even make it to the bottom of the stairs before she was freaking out. I go down there every day to get the mail and it probably took 3 weeks before she was OK with it. I would practice going down there and being out of sight but would still talk to her so she knew I was there even though she couldn't see me. Rescue dogs are like foster kids. They get bounced around so much they have a hard time trusting so you just gotta build that trust.

Also, and this was HUGE for us, puppies need naps and lots of them. We never knew that before our current dog. I'm not sure how we all survived the prior 2 puppies without knowing this. Puppies need about 16 to 18 hours of rest a day. And when they don't get rest, they get wound up, punchy, and cranky. Think of your puppy like a toddler. The key is routine. Ladybug was about 8 months old when we got her. Our daily routine was a lifesaver and was as follows:

6:30 AM = Wake up and breakfast
8:00 AM = Walk
9:00 AM = Crate (covered with blanket to make it dark and cozy) nap.
11:30 AM = Wake up, fun time, lunchtime walk
1:00 PM = Crate nap
4:00 PM = Up and about. Self entertaining with toys. Afternoon walk.
5:00 PM = Dinner
6:00 PM = Crate nap
7:30 PM = Hang out with us. Watch TV. Snuggle on sofa. Play.
8:30 PM = Bedtime in the crate

I cant stress enough how important the crate has been to our success. I'd recommend a book on crate training if you're struggling. We lucked out and our puppy took right to it and loves her crate. Remember, puppies get wicked FOMO so if they hear you or see you, they want in on the action and the more tired they are the more they fuss and want to join. We put Ladybug in a back bedroom and completely cover the crate with a blanket.

Next tip: Mental stimulation is as important, if not more so, that physical stimulation. We play hide and seek with Ladybug. One person holds her on one end of the house in the guest bathroom, and the other goes and hides. The hider will call her name periodically to keep her interested. Of course lots of praise and treats when she finds us. 5 or 6 rounds of that and she's exhausted!

Last tip: Sniffing, licking, and digging all burn off a ton of mental energy and stress. We deploy an arsenal of toys for things for this, all easily found on Amazon or a pet store. Top of photo below is a "snuffle mat" that you hide their kibble in and they nuzzle around sniffing and scratching to find the food. For a solid 2 months we just put Ladybug's dog bowl in the cupboard and used this for her breakfast and dinner feedings. Right side of photo is a wobbler. You can load these up with treats, kibble, peanut butter, greek yogurt, or sweet potato and let them lick away. Bottom of photo is a collection of toys we can load kibble in. Left side is a lick mat. Same idea as the wobbler. Get a spatula and smear on no salt peanut butter, plain (not sweetened) Greek yogurt, sweet potato, or pumpkin. Pro tip: Chuck it in the freezer. It'll take them 30 to 40 minutes to lick it all off! Just watch the calorie intake. If you have a lick mat or wobbler heavy day you might want to skip dinner, for example.

Good luck and keep us posted!

[MoeTE87]

Wow, I cant thank you enough for all of that detailed information! Super helpful and hopefully the wife and I can get our dog, Magoo trained. He gets ALOT of sleep. I work from home and so does my wife and he sleeps pretty much the whole time we are home or either one of us is home, but we play fetch or play with his toys after we are done for the day to get him some exercise and run around the house. Those toys will be a life saver as well for us to keep him mentally stimulated. Right now he licks everything around the house and it drives me nuts.

The cage thing I am worried about, but will make that a top priority to focus on him feeling comfortable in there.

Once again, appreciate the information and I will let you know how it goes for sure!


Thank you!

[DETRoadster]

Originally Posted by MoeTE87

I work from home and so does my wife

Was wondering about that. Do a little Googling on "Pandemic Puppies." Our friend is a vet tech and theres been a massive uptick in dogs with anxiety, fed by the pandemic that had owners working from home. Our dogs just got used to having us around all the time and don't understand when we leave. it's really critical that you get started with Magoo being comfortable with your absence. The older he gets the harder this will be and the less likely you'll be to succeed.

I work from home full time and have for the past 3 years. We are just now talking about returning to the office a minimum of 3 days per week. It's going to be a big adjustment for everyone. We've slowly worked Ladybug up to being alone at home with our 10 year old dachshund, Sophie, for about 4 hours at a time. Working our way up to 8, 9, 10 hours. it takes time, patience, and repetition. Start small. I realized it maybe wasn't the best idea to have both dog beds in the office with me. I loved having the dogs there while I worked but it was creating some dependancies. So now I keep their beds in the livingroom by the fireplace during the day. They mostly snooze out in the livingroom, periodically wandering into the office to see what I'm doing every few hours.

[MoeTE87]

I will talk with my wife tonight and do some research of the "Pandemic Puppies" you mentioned.

If my wife is home working, he lays in his bed next to her or plays with his toys or has a chew bone that he likes to chew on every now and then.

If I am home and my wife is out, he is with me up in my office on the 2nd floor in our house in his bed sleeping and snoring. I will leave to use the bathroom and he is fine because he can still hear me. But will take him downstairs with me to take him out to use the bathroom and I will fix myself a meal or snack..depending on the time of day. Then he comes back upstairs with me and lays in his bed and sleeps until we go back downstairs..

[Nahlem]

Here is our little Perro! Not to happy after a shower ! But thats what happens when you roll in the mud you get the shower!

[JJ 911SC]

Birdies 1, Tiggie 0 and wet paws

[ShopVac]

Sadly, one of the varmints got the best of my boy (who knows, payback for killing a family member?). He cut himself in the paw while digging. House looked like a CSI murder scene with blood absolutely everywhere.

4 weeks of bandages, waterproof booties, and vet bills.

[Wolf 335]

To all the pet owners here, do you have pet insurance?

[Lady Jane]

Originally Posted by Wolf 335

To all the pet owners here, do you have pet insurance?

Never had any. (Fingers crossed)