Dog Anxiety

Recoup · Guru

Dog Anxiety

toglhot · Senior Member

Dogs have come a long way since they were just backyarders and fed on table scraps, actually, it's probably us that have come a long way to be truthful.

Dogs are now members of our families and enjoy most of what comes with that, some even have birthdays. Unfortunately, in becoming part of our families they are included in most of what we do, they go on holidays, down to the park, go for drives in the car, so of course when they are deprived of our company they get upset. The more reliant on us they become the more that deprivation turns to anxiety. The only way to address that issue is to remember they are dogs and treat them as such, yeh right, that'll happen.

You can only try and get them used to being left alone, toys and items that keep them busy and interested are the go, most dogs are food orientated so anything to do with food should keep them occupied, it should also keep them fat BTW!

Possum3 · Guru

I am assuming your dog is becoming anxious when he is travelling - not at being left behind. If that is the case it is a matter of getting him used to being in the vehicle even when not travelling, big steps slowly by getting him used to car with motor running, so he can fell the car whilst you are petting and reassuring him. Be sure you don't feed him prior to going on a trip nervous dogs have a tendency to throw up which would exasperate his anxiety. I had a red cattle dog that was nervous to begin with but he soon learned to hop in when door was opened as he was happy to go somewhere.

RosieW · Guru

Our original kelpie (red & Tan) loves the car, but the creamy only tolerates it (bad road trip to get to us), and both HATE being in the bus when it is running. The husky loves the car, hasn't met the bus yet........ The lorikeet, on the other hand, adores bus travel, and hates the car (smaller cage).

Recoup · Guru

Well he explores the car , and is not scared of anything inside ,I can take him for a short slow drive down the street and back (100m) and after that he starts shaking. I always make sure that Iam back before he gets to nervous , cheers

Barboots · Senior Member

Our little dog is the same. I'm not sure it's entirely anxiety... we feel it's also a lot of excitement, anticipation and stimulation. She's (generally) happy to get in the car when it's time to go. Curiously, she's far better in our petrol sedan than the diesel caravan hauler even on short trips. I wonder if the diesel clatter freaks her a bit?

toglhot · Senior Member

The trick to any anxiety problem is to make it an enjoyable experience, if they are a foody, and what dog isn't, try sitting in the car whith him/her for short periods and give him treats. Reasuring only convinces them there is indeed something to be anxious about.

matildatraveller · Guru

Hellooooooo to all you dog lovers...How lucky are they to have such great champions on their side! Sadly I lost my best mate (Lady dog) and cannot get myself another yet!!! I have a couple of photos that will make you all LOL for days & days....... so enjoy!

Gwynnie @matildatraveller

Blues Man · Guru

They a re beautiful dogs Gwynnie .I love shepherds .We had shepherds for years and years ,but now have bluies.

BruDi · Senior Member

Our dog who travels frequently with us sometimes shakes when we first put her in her car seat. It lasts a few seconds, thank goodness. Her last trip was just over 8 weeks away. I have heard that there is such a thing as 'rescue remedy' which works for dogs, calms them down apparently.

Whenever we take Pippa to a dog park she talks to us all of the way and is alert watching our route. The closer we get the louder she gets. Coming home she is as quiet as a mouse. When we come to leave the park she runs to the car and stands at 'her door' waiting to be lifted into her car seat. We're lucky.

I guess that because we had a long drive home when we got her she is quite content Melbourne to Adelaide). We took it in turn riding in the back with her, but once we got in she went to sleep, legs waving in the air so we decided when we were almost home that she was fine.

Di

toglhot · Senior Member

Here's some pics of my three boys,

Dante in the 70s and 80s,

Shinta in the 80s and 90s Shinta 2.jpg

and Chum in the 90s. Chum Amberley flightline.jpg

I pinch myself occasionally, just to remind myself how lucky I once was to have had three mates like these!

Believe it or not, Dante suffered separation anxiety, when I finished shift and left him in the kennels to go home I could hear him howling as I drove off down the road. And he was the toughest of the three!

Glenbrook 3 trophies.jpg

-- Edited by toglhot on Saturday 26th of August 2017 11:30:12 AM

Aus-Kiwi · Guru

Find .. Best not to feed hen before going on trip . Short trips to park where it's an enjoyable thing . You'll find after two or three trips he'll jump in when you open the door .. Reminds me of the bulls at Ruakura .. When they first send the trailer out to pick them up they are slow . But after they've collected his seaman a few times . They run and jump on bull trailer !!

toglhot · Senior Member

That's funny!

Khouji · Member

Recoup wrote:
Our little man is 16 month old ,well behaved and never had any problems with him . BUT , he starts shaking and crying soon after we start moving the car. I know I have to desensitize him, it is a long project ,but I think he will manage it and get over it . I wonder how many dogs suffer from the same condition ? Cheers

-- Edited by Recoup on Friday 25th of August 2017 01:48:58 PM

I saw your post and I know that you find it hard that your dog is experiencing anxiety. Several pet owners find that their dog has little energy or appetite; this could be due to the lack of nutrition your pet is getting. Some animals have mineral deficiencies which will prevent them from absorbing into the body cause weakness and fatigue. Vitamins and supplements will give your dog more energy throughout the entire day. Start giving your dog a healthier lifestyle by implementing vitamins and supplements made to specifically suit their needs. The food we feed our animals does not offer complete nourishment, thats why it is important to implement vitamins and supplements into their daily life style

-- Edited by Khouji on Thursday 7th of September 2017 11:03:46 AM

Moose2 · Senior Member

Had a mate with the same issue.

He went to the vet and was given some sort of pill to calm the dog down. It was the only way he could take his mate with him.

There's also a thing the vets have that emits a "scent" that has the same effect. I believe it supposedly reminds them of their mum.

So I suggest a trip to the vet might be the solution (and for the record I'm not a vet!).

Recoup · Guru

We use Adapil spray , it mimics a natural comforting pheromone produced by dogs. I don't know if you can buy it in pet shops , our daughter works with a vet and that is where we got it from, cheers

Khouji · Member

Hi Recoup, before, my 3-year-old Lab had also experienced anxiety. Even though I'm giving him some nutritious food such as Pedigree (Meat of Lamb) and other foods to make her energetic and strong, well she's still down and always quiet which I know he already has anxiety. I let him did some exercise which improved his wellness a little but it is still enough, then I bought a vitamin for pets online which gave him extra energy to fight and prevent anxiety. I do suggest you give him vitamins as well. It Improves your dogs nutrition can drastically change their behavior; your dog will feel rejuvenated with life. Vitamins and supplements will act as a defense mechanism, fighting sicknesses, and other ailments. This pet supplements will also help support arthritis and will improve your pets coat. Keep your dog healthy with the finest vitamins and supplements

Kantiki · Senior Member

Our Taffy loves travelling and we never have a problem. Unfortunately he is a basket case if the wind is blowing strongly. We have a thundershirt, calming pills from the petshop and sedatives from the vet but I dont like using them. The funny thing is, in the last few days I have discovered he is very calm if I play my ukulele. I am terrible at it but for some reason he loves it. A good excuse for me to keep playing instead of doing housework lol. Hope you find something to help.

Recoup · Guru

An update on our little man ,
after quiet a few trips ,long and short ,he is a bit better. Still shaking and whining ,I came across a video on youtube and I wonder if anybody has heard for this ,spitting in the dogs mouth.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=urHRIZpMIJE
Cheers

Possum3 · Guru

Sorry to hear he still has some anxiety about travelling - Question; is your car Petrol or Diesel? Could it be fumes that are causing his stress? Their sense of smell is so much greater than humans and petrol fumes could upset him.

Spitting in mouth seems to be "Way out There", but try it, perhaps put your fingers in your mouth and cover with saliva and place in dog's mouth.

Local Pet Mart may have some calming meds for K9's.

Recoup · Guru

Possum3
We have a petrol car, I don't think it is the smell because I can have the motor running and have the back open. He seems happy that way ,but after a short
distance he starts playing up. But like I said it is a bit better now. I will try the saliva treatment , It may work, cheers

SouthernComfort · Guru

Our girl is a marvelous traveller, we're very lucky. She's a 10 y/o Cavalier/Maltese X and has been diabetic for the last 2 years. She needs insulin shots twice per day so literally goes everywhere with us. The only thing that freaks her is thunder, and as with all dogs she knows it's coming before we do. Anxiety can an added problem for diabetic dogs (messes up the blood glucose count) so during bad storms if it's really necessary we use Bach calming drops which work well. If you use these, just be sure to get the pet ones and not the human ones as they are alcohol free. They are available online and at some pet stores, we get ours from Habitat. She's a high maintenance pooch alright, and we wouldn't be without her!

Possum3 · Guru

Tony, A 10 year old Cavalier with Diabetes is only still here because of your devotion to her - Not "High maintenance" just an opportunity for you to spend more time spoiling your loved one.

SouthernComfort · Guru

Possum3 wrote:
Tony, A 10 year old Cavalier with Diabetes is only still here because of your devotion to her - Not "High maintenance" just an opportunity for you to spend more time spoiling your loved one.

You're right of course, Possum3. We've never resented her high care needs for a moment. We feel privileged to have her and she rewards us in countless ways.

Recoup · Guru

Update, well he is hardly shaking now , still whining a bit , have not tried the " saliva treatment ". A few more short tripps and I think he will be fine, fingers crossed , cheers

Recoup · Guru

Hi there, we have done over 3000 km in 14 days and I must say the little man is doing ok. The first day , or the first 200km we had him in a cage ,covert up so he could see only us . Well that was no good , he was whining for over two hrs. Then we put him on the back seat and he stoped. Bingo. I build the gap between the back seat and the front back up so he could come a bit closer. That way we could pat him . He liked the van , and our bed . We had to put him for two nights in a boarding kennel , I only hope that I don't have to do that again, it was sad to see him all confused and scared .When we picked him up again he he did not know what was going on. After one hr we pulled over and he had a good feed and drink , soon after that brake he went to sleep , while we where driving, he was completley worn out. Now he is home resting. Cheers

Spook · Senior Member

Recoup wrote:
Hi there, we have done over 3000 km in 14 days and I must say the little man is doing ok. The first day , or the first 200km we had him in a cage ,covert up so he could see only us . Well that was no good , he was whining for over two hrs. Then we put him on the back seat and he stoped. Bingo. I build the gap between the back seat and the front back up so he could come a bit closer. That way we could pat him . He liked the van , and our bed . We had to put him for two nights in a boarding kennel , I only hope that I don't have to do that again, it was sad to see him all confused and scared .When we picked him up again he he did not know what was going on. After one hr we pulled over and he had a good feed and drink , soon after that brake he went to sleep , while we where driving, he was completley worn out. Now he is home resting. Cheers

Hi to all.

We don't ever leave our dogs with anyone else even for a short while. If they can't stay at home for a short time we either take them with us or we don't go. That's us and I would not for a moment expect anyone else to work to my ideals.

Recoup · Guru

Update, this weekend we are travelling to Melbourne , this will be another big trip for him . At the moment he will cry a bit ,but settles down after a while , no more shaking ,we are happy about that. We are going to have two or three stops on the way , that will keep him quiet , cheers

Possum3 · Guru

Are you still pacifying with saliva on fingers or is he just becoming more accustomed to travel?

Recoup · Guru

No I have not tried it , I just talk to him to keep him calm and a lot of praise when he is quiet ,cheers