Hi everyone, I'm new. I searched on separation anxiety on the board, but people have a tendency to not follow up! So there's no confirmation the advice is working.

I read on the SA Q&A here that one way of dealing with separation anxiety is to keep the dog in his crate whenever he is in the house. I've been trying that and I'm willing to continue, but one question:

Is this an appropriate method for a sensitive breed like my Vizsla? Is it OK if he is depressed in the crate? When can I stop leaving him in the crate while I'm at home? I didn't get the dog so he could sit in a box all the time.

I get him running at least four miles a day and fit in at least 15 minutes of training. He goes in the crate willingly. After a day of not eating, he finally ate his normal meal in the crate. He drinks VERY little water while in the crate.

While I'm away, he'll stay quiet for a good two hours. Then he'll bark, bite the crate door, scratch the door, and hyper-salivate constantly until I come back. When I come in, he gets quiet because he knows I won't let him out until he is calm.

I don't reward nutty behavior and he does his sit-stay and down-stay great.

Please let me know if I should continue this!

-Tom

The short answer?

Yep. You're doing good.

Ummm,
How old is this dog Tom? How long have you had him? What does the dog do when left out of his crate when you're home? Where did the diagnosis of separation anxiety come from? Whats with the not eating but finally?
Sorry, there's more questions than answers enre to your post.

If my dog isn't learning, I'm doing something wrong.
Randy

 Quote: randy allen

Ummm,
How old is this dog Tom? How long have you had him? What does the dog do when left out of his crate when you're home? Where did the diagnosis of separation anxiety come from? Whats with the not eating but finally?
Sorry, there's more questions than answers enre to your post.

If my dog isn't learning, I'm doing something wrong.
Randy

I would like all that info too, and most particularly how long the dog has been with you.

Tom,

I am interested in your replies to Randy's questions as well.

I have a Dutchie that came to me with severe seperation anxiety and his "symptoms" were to the point where we had to use an aluminum crate and some tough love.

This went complete with vomiting/diarrhea and full blown temper tantrums.

He still has some anxiety when left alone, but we are up to 8 hours now.

 Quote: randy allen

Ummm,
How old is this dog Tom? How long have you had him? What does the dog do when left out of his crate when you're home? Where did the diagnosis of separation anxiety come from? Whats with the not eating but finally?

The dog is eight months old. I've had him for four months. Before I started the crate while at home approach, he's been a velcro dog - never letting me or my wife out of sight.

He's always had separation anxiety. At first, we let him roam the house while we were gone. But one day he started tearing up the corners of the rooms and eating wires. We started leaving him in the crate after that.

The crate makes him panic. Even while we're home he hyper-salivates and whines sometimes. He never plays with toys or chews his bone in there.

We've tried many approaches and did work him up to at least two hours of not barking after everyone's gone. Sometimes he's good up to six hours. I started the 24/7 crating while he's in the house two days ago.

Prior to two days ago he ate and drank in a special place in the kitchen. Previously, I tried feeding him in the crate, but he wouldn't eat.

After two days of the 24/7 crating he ate his last two meals on schedule in the crate. He drank his water last night. Two nights ago he was hyper-salivating, but he settled down after a while. He started to whine a bit yesterday. I used the bottle of pennies to cut that out. He stopped whining after two attempts. So there are some improvements.

Please ask away if you need more details! I'm exicited about the progress, but I don't want to ruin my 'sensitive' dog.

And thanks so much for the quick replies!

Tom, a dog is a dog.

We, as owners, shape our dogs temperment and personality more than we are truly aware of. We create the dog we picture in our head.

If you insist on seeing the dog as "sensitive", you will make it so.

Realize that your dog is a dog, and that there is nothing "hard" or "demanding" about expecting it to live in the house without destroying it, spend quiet time in it's crate, or be obedient.

You are taking the right approach with the crate, and it is working- NOT because your dog is "sensitive" or suffers from "seperation anxiety", but because your dog is a dog. Dog training is not breed specific.

Dogs are often destructive when they haven't been taught better- and it isn't necessarily a sign of anxiety. More often that not, the dog is bored and/or doesn't truly know better.
8 months is rather young to give a dog free reign of the home.

Furthermore,

 Quote:

The Vizsla thrives on attention, exercise, and interaction. It is highly intelligent, and enjoys being challenged and stimulated, both mentally and physically. Vizslas that do not get enough attention and exercise can easily become destructive or hyperactive. Under-stimulated Vizslas may also become depressed or engage in obsessive-compulsive behaviours such as persistent licking.

Of course your young dog freaks out in the crate. He has had 4 months of absolute freedom, and suddenly had it all taken away.
It takes awhile to adjust to the sudden change, and his obvious confusion and stress at his new predicament is liable to cause some anxiety- but it doesn't mean the dog is sensitive.

Did you ever read "The Secret Garden"? Don't turn your dog into Colin.

I agree that you create the dog you envision. I only mentioned his sensitve nature because that description has been in everything I've read about the breed: they need close human companionship. When I'm crating him like this, I feel like I'm depriving him of some of that companionship.

Being in the crate is not a drastic change. He's been around and in the crate since he was with us. Like I said, he's good up to six hours sometimes. I just want him to not ever be nervous in the crate. Maybe this is the trick!

Today he was with me at work and was way more chill than he's been before. He should have been! We climbed 500 stairs at lunch time!

I got the bark limiter that's sold here. It stopped my dog's barking after 5 barks on the "2" setting. Great product. Nothing else worked.