We just finished up a 6 week kitchen remodel. Mostly every day there was at least one person working here and it was really noisy a lot of the time - demo, sawing, pounding, nail guns, etc. Between that, and the fact that the kitchen is where Kasey spends a lot of his time, his life was more than a little disrupted. He turned 8 last week so he's pretty set in his ways as far as daily routine, and he didn't appreciate the change - in particular the noise. Which is weird because fireworks, outside noises, and loud noises never really affected him.

Shortly after the remodel started the anxiety started. A LOT of panting, drooling and following me around like he was glued to my leg. I did my best to behave the same and didn't coddle him or act like anything was wrong. But it got to the point that he was miserable and I was going nuts! I talked to my vet and she said at his age this is not uncommon in this situation. She gave me some Xanax (which was for Kasey but I wanted to take it!!). I used it on days when I knew things would be particularly noisey - it helped a little but not a lot (in fact sometimes it seemed to make him a little worse - maybe he felt more out of control). So I tried Rescue Remedy - that helped to a point.

The problem now is that yesterday the house a few houses down from us was demo'd, and is being rebuilt. There is all the same noises that we had and as soon as this noise starts in the morning, so does his panting and following me all over. He acts like it's going on in his own house.

What can I do to help him (and me!), get over this? Again, I am not responding to his behavior with sympathy, and am trying to do normal activities, but he's not buying it!

It almost sounds like the returning military K9s with doggy PTSD. You may have to live with it until the other home is built. That or move him to a family members house till then. Hopefully there is no permanent damage done. Keep an eye on him and see how he reacts to loud noises ie: thunder, fireworks, car horns etc to determine if he is actually suffering from PTSD. Those previous noises that didn't bother him should be a litmus test.

I'm not a trainer, but I had a similar thing recently with my ageing Pointer.

We had a couple of fairly hefty thunderstorms a couple of weeks ago, and normally none of the dogs could care less, but the old boy out of nowhere completely freaked out, and I didn't comfort him, or fuss him, but he was pacing and panting for hours after it finished.

The next night, when all was calm again, he went crackers when I put him and Bon in their large walk in cupboard (which is where they have had their bed for years) scratching and panting like the devil was after him!

I did a bit of reading on this sort of thing, and there was a general consensus that it sometimes has something to do with an older dogs' hearing, and that they can be freaked out by noises that never bothered them before, and in Hootie's case, I think the old duffer is going a bit senile! Since then, I have left their door open at night, and don't confine them during the day; when I'm at work, I still segregate them from the Boerboels, purely because big boy would arse about, but whatever it was about that storm on that night, I will never know, but within a few weeks, he was fine.

I know that dogs hearing is very acute, so the loud noises can affect them more than it would us humans, and so I guess if it was going on for a long while, he was probably anticipating it and getting himself in a bit of a twist.

Hope he is okay soon, it's horrible when they get distressed, especially when it's out of character.

Ask your vet about trying something else. L-theanine might be one to look into and there are a few OTC products that contain it. I used Pet Naturals calming chews and regular NOW brand capsules with Kipp for his thunder/ noise phobia. I worked really well - almost as well as diazapam. IMO, when it's affecting a dog so much and they can't avoid it or get comfortable in their own home then trying to make them comfotable is the #1 priority. You're not going to just be able to train away a true phobia or desensitize if you can't control the source.

Having had and seen some success with setting up the dog in the tub of the bathroom farthest from the reverberating noise (mainly thunder), I wonder if that might help .... maybe if you were there with him (not necessarily IN the tub ... lol) for a while.

The tub would have something comfortable on the bottom, of course, and an easy way in if he needs it (like maybe a pile of a couple of sofa cushions, if you don't have a dog-stair).

If there's a windowless bathroom, even better (because of the other house).

I vote for trying L-theanine, too.

Tryptophan might be another one to try. I take it myself for insomnia. I order a pure form of it online through an Amazon seller but you can buy capsules of it most places that sell vitamins. I mix it into vanilla almond milk and can't taste it.

There's a version sold for pets called Nutri-Calm. Might be able to get dosage from that.

There was a rash of Eosinophilia–myalgia syndrome (EMS) cases in the early 90's from tainted Japanese tryptophan but they isolated what particular manufacturer was producing it. I still feel better buying a pure form that they send the purity test sheets with.

Thanks everyone for your posts. I have some l-theanine and started giving it to him today. I don't think PTSD is what we're dealing with - he doesn't care about other loud noises such as cars, motorcycles, and we even had a rare thunderstorm a couple weekends ago that was right over the house and he just laid there. It is definitely the sound of power tools - especially saws.

Hopefully between things getting back to normal in his own space and the l-theanine he'll begin to relax over time. Connie, I offered him the tub and he looked at me like "are you nuts, that's where you soap me up and do my anal glands! Why would I want in there?!" Haha

Did you first line it with something not-tublike and then lure him in? He can't know that it blocks a lot of the reverb until he's in it with a chewy.

Yep, put a rug and a towel he likes in there, and coaxed him in with goldfish crackers just now. He doesn't want to stay in there. We only have one bathroom and it has a window that faces the construction! Isn't that awesome! One thing I've noticed is that if I'm up walking around doing things, he's worse. Like now, I'm sitting in the living room and he's laying behind my chair (one of his places) sleeping fine. But if I were to go out to the kitchen especially, but even to another room and fold clothes or something, he'll start the panting and looking at me with his ears back. He's bad when I get home from being gone for a little while too (which he never was before).

Gotcha.

Well, I have to agree with Mara ("trying to make them comfotable is the #1 priority") that right in the house (and right next door), and unavoidable and constant like this --- I don't think it can become a training thing, either. And the older the dog is, the tougher.

I have seen the bathtub thing work, but if it doesn't, it doesn't.

After that, in this situation, then IMHO (and I know this isn't universal), I no longer adhere to "don't coddle because it will reinforce."

I would probably start doing the most comforting thing for the dog. I'd probably consider a tether (to me), since he's less anxious when you're right there, and pretty much taking him with me on errands.

These habits can both be gradually weaned away from. But constant inescapable daily anxiety in and near the home of the dog, especially a senior, I'm thinking could be worse than a couple of comforting new habits to break later.

JMHO, though.