DIANE LINDNER

Again thank you so much for your time, understanding, knowledge and advice! I have begun to tease through this email and keep you posted! Just hearing that s9me of the things going on “make sense” with her age helps. I just really want to make her life the best I can and I good thing for both of us! So thanks again and I will be in touch soon!

Just another side note….I know all dogs have different levels of affection and show it in different ways but I’m just hoping Cosmos lack of affection isn’t because I’m too hard on her or not giving her what she needs. I am truest trying everything!! She is just not a cuddler but she shows affection in different ways im guessing. Thanks

Hello! So sorry this took so long but I came down with this flu and upper respiratory thing that I thought was going to take me out for good! Lol still not great but at least upright long enough to answer some of the question because things here seem to continually be getting worse!! I need help! As an update… her pacing is much more consistent no matter what I am doing or where I am. I have tried different places to sit, different areas of the house and even sitting on the floor once just to see if she would calm down. But you guessed it….nope just kept pacing and pacing and pacing. She is also now panting a lot more with the pacing. She has also started barking excessively at the slightest noise, people walking by or just randomly at the TV. I have tried taking her outside in the backyard on a long leash so she can explore which she seems to love but as soon as we come back in the pacing and panting starts again. I have been using the calming chews which help but sometimes not very long and I can’t give her more due to dosing. Is it normal for an 8 month old puppy to all of the sudden become fearful and protective? She was never a barker until a month or so ago. Some of it seems protective and some seems fearful. She is also suddenly not jumping into the car which she did for months and barking at people who come in the house. I know I’m a lot with all these issues….I just am so lost and no one I have here between friends, puppy day care workers, dog walkers, and trainers at puppy preschool have any real answers for now. I get a lot of oh she is a puppy and keep working on training her. So to being to answer some of your questions from the last post…here we go!! The first thing I tried while I was crafting was to change the craft a couple times (different days and times) to see if that affected anything but it did not. Next I worked on trying the DRO exercise which seems to work for short times but as I got to longer times I had more difficulty. I have a hard time finding chews that she does not plow through. But as you know the bones she likes to chew on tend to lead to her pacing with the bone. Next I tried the leash and treat activity. This also worked as I was doing it but as time gets longer it was hard to keep her focused. But with all of these or other things like walks or long leash plat outside as soon as done she is back to her anxious behaviors. As for new things in the home I have racked my brain but there really has been nothing new. The house is brand new ( finished building and moved in last August) so have not had critter issues or many other changes. And yes the barking at the TV, people or dogs walking by and now at any little noise is brand new! I really didn’t know she had a voice in her for the first 4 months! She was not protective at all either. People could walk in the house with no issues at all! Now all of the sudden she is very protective. When she does bark my reaction is to say quiet one time and then give her the come command. When she comes I give her a treat and then another command. But she will usually just go right back to barking at the window or TV. Cosmo was Spayed in the middle of Jan 2022. I have not noticed any fears that she has in the home or on the walk. A couple of times it has seemed like she is a little fearful of tall guys who come in the house but it is not consistent. Nothing on walks that myself or dog walker has noticed. As for her day she is walked once or twice for 20-30 min. I also spend an hour or so in the back yard with her on a long leash allowing her to sniff and roam. She is a big fan of sticks so I have to make sure she doesn’t eat too many! I also feed her all her meals in slow feeder bowls (I rotate between 3 different patterned bowls) or a sniff mat. I also play the hide and find game with her some days. During the day I have different toys that dispense treats or toys with puzzles. She also has a number of plush toys she loves. I keep them in a basket and she will poke through and pick out toys and chew them and then pick another. She does love her toys. I try to switch the toys out every week or two so they seem “new” to her! Lol I also use frozen peanut butter Kongs in her crate maybe 1 time a week. She is still pacing when I sit on the couch too now Finally I have been giving her the chews when she just won’t calm and nothing I am doing seems to help. It says I can give her 1 a day so I cut it up into 2-3 pieces. I give her one piece to see if that helps calm her. Again I really appreciate any and all advice. I am really struggling certain days feeling like maybe I’m the wrong person for this girl but I love her so much! I did just buy a tie out stake to place in the yard to give her more time outside as the weather is improving. I just want to do right by her. She goes to doggy day care one day a week, puppy preschool one day and has a dog walker for a longer walk during the week since I am limited. Looking forward to hearing from everyone. Thank you so much.

Hello again!! I just wanted to check back in with an update and to get some more advice or guidance. I have been trying a variety of the techniques you discussed but nothing seems to be helping and she is actually getting much worse. The pacing is now throughout the day no matter where I sit or what I’m doing. She had also suddenly been growling and barking randomly at the TV up on the wall. She also is doing the growling and barking when looking out the window. I have tried redirecting her with commands and treats or praise but sometimes she is so focused nothing will stop her include I physically get up and block her from seeing whatever she is fixated on. i have tried the calming chews as you suggested which do work great. I just don’t know if I should rely on them. I just feel like such a horrible owner. I try to provide her with everything she needs. Any more advice would be great. Thank upi Cosmo and Diane

Thank you, thank you, thank you!! I will definitely give some of these a try and keep you updated! I really appreciate all the time and thought you have put toward Cosmo and I! Means a lot!

Good afternoon! Thank you again for taking the time to work through this with me! A lot of what you said about the ignoring not working or not being the problem makes sense. I was also thinking that it at be some sort of anxiety behavior but just not sure why either! Also the ignoring when crate trading worked fairly well and quickly with her but this is not doing any thing this time! As for some of the other questions here we go! What I do when I sit on the couch really differs. There are certain times Cosmo will come and sit in between my legs, others she will just sit on same couch. I do not always pet her on couch either. There are times I eat meals or snack on the couch and she knows she gets nothing at this time, food or pets, and she will sit on the other side of the couch. A lot of the times when I come to the couch she goes and lays on the other couch where I am not or lays on her bed or the floor. But I would say I don’t pet her or give her a lot more attention on couch than I do the table. As for working at another table, I don’t have another table but I have done some crafts on the kitchen island with not as much problem. I am definitely higher up and moving more with the crafts I do there. I did put one of her beds next to the island and she would lay there which is why I put one near the dining room table but that didn’t help. But the island is not really a place I can do the stuff I am working on now. The timing of when I am at the table really varies along with what I do after. I really can’t think of any pattern. I may have fed her once of twice in the middle but because it was time for dinner. But that may be part of the problem. I have tried a peanut butter stuffed Kong in her crate before. She was good while eating it but when done she started going crazy in her crate cuz I was still there. Her crate is always covered on all sides when she is in there when I leave, when I’m home and when I leave. I would also say the time she has been whining and pacing varies before I sit on the couch. I am on disability so I am home quite a bit but I do volunteer and get out daily. It is just me and Cosmo so she is not getting mixed signals from other people living here. When I sit at the table for other things, which is not very often, I have not noticed the behavior. I really only sit there to eat if I have friends over and then Cosmo is very interested in the food and people. Other details of the crafts….diamond art has just a canvas, diamonds and application pen but no smell at least to me; the paining I do is just paint by number canvas with basic acrylic paint in individual tubs; no extra crafting light but the dining room table overhead light is on; she does do the whining if she sees a person or dog outside through the window but not much pacing otherwise; and finally I can not think of anytime I scared her while crafting. Hopefully some of this has helped and look forward to continuing our puzzle! Lol

Thank you so much for taking the time to help me! It has been a bit trying with her lately but like you said is to be expected! Lol I hope some of these answers give you more of an idea of what I’m dealing with and how to help! She has always exhibited this behavior with me sitting at the dining table far as I can remember. I am on disability so I am home quite a bit. I usually sit there at least once a day to work on something and I will usually be there for an hour or so. I do not believe that there is any specific sound or smell that bothers her. I am either doing diamond art or paint by numbers but it doesn’t matter which one I’m doing….Cosmo’s response is the same. Once I sit down the pacing seems to start fairly quickly and just doesn’t stop. I think one time it went for over an hour because I was trying to fully ignore her to see if she would calm herself down at all. The different things I have tried include ignoring the behavior, getting a second dog bed that I put near the end of the table where I sit so she can be close and put her favorite toys there, giving her a “special” bone like a Himalayan salt bone or cow knee cap, putting her in her cage with a kong filled with peanut butter and treat dispensing toys. When I do give her the bone she gets very excited to take it but then she just starts pacing and whining with it in her mouth. She will stop for short periods to chew it but no longer than 30 seconds and then she is back up pacing. As for her sleeping during the day I would say maybe 4-6 hours during the day. She is crate trained. She is in there when I am not home and at night I have a cover for it and she has done well. I do not have an exercise pen but I do close off all the rooms during to day so she has a limited area to play in. I hope this helps and I appreciate any help you can provide! Diane and Cosmo

I am really struggling right now with my 7 month old German Shepard Mix rescue. I have literally tried everything I can think of or read up on. The main time that it occurs is when I try to sit at the dining room table to do my crafts. My house is open concept so even when I am at this table she can see me from everywhere. I have tried to just ignore her for over an hour. I have tried to take her out to use the restroom but as soon as I sit back down it starts again. I have tried to give her a special bone or treat to chew and put a dog bed near the table. This is all after I use slow feeder bowls for meals, treat dispensing toys, play dates with other dogs and walks. However, nothing has worked. But as soon as I sit on the couch she stops and lays down. I am really struggling so any help would be appreciated.