Thundershirt

[JMFS]

Gertie's Thundershirt arrived today (eBay for the win, btw, $20. New in Box, but the box was taped up, lol). I put it on her. She's now rolled on to her side and given up on life.

 

 

Abbi's shirt is on the way. :D

 

Both girls have separation anxiety so I'm keeping my fingers crossed these work. Even a little bit.

[Adrienne Farricelli]

Have used thundershirts for dogs with separation anxiety, fear of car travel or brontophobia. They sure help some dogs, others less. In any case, the higher success rates are obtained when their use is combined with behavior modification. Used alone, haven't seen much effect in the long run.

[JMFS]

I'm not Quite sure how to handle Abbi's separation anxiety. Gertie will be easier with desensitization and counter-conditioning and trigger / tell limiting. For example, this morning I put my purse on my shoulder, walked to the kitchen, set down the purse and walked back into the office. Gertie was watching me, waiting for me to leave. It confused her when I sat down and went back to work. :D

 

Abbi, on the other hand. She doesn't really respond to triggers other than the "bing bongs" on our door when it's opened. Otherwise she chills out until she notices she's alone and then there's howling, barking, baying, hyena chuckling, chimpanzee hooting, and this high pitched thing I don't even have words to describe. She does the hyena chuckling, chimpanzee hooting, the indescribable high pitched thing, and heavy panting when the husband gets home. Me, not so much because I ignore her. :D It's as much training him as her!

[Adrienne Farricelli]

Yup, the goal is just that, to confuse them and break the association between our pre-departure cues and real departures until they no longer evoke strong emotions.

 

Separation anxiety is common in dogs, but it also is one of the most overdiagnosed conditions in dogs. Many dogs are being misdiagnosed by dog owners (but often also dog trainers and veterinarians). So any dogs who are whining or destroy the owner's slippers or want to get out of a crate when confined alone are often labeled as having separation anxiety when they are just dogs who are just bored, plain lonely, reacting to noises or have confinement anxiety. Telling these apart can sometimes be a challenge because we can only see the "aftermath" and the behavior when we come home.

 

One way to gather more info is to have a recording of the dogs when away and watch it from start to finish. For example, both Einstein and Petra used to do the most mournful howling when we left the house. We could hear it the moment we closed the gate to up to the end of the road. This would seem like separation anxiety because the howling was always contingent on our departures. A recording though revealed that that after a few minutes of howling, they both would settle and go on to a nap. Sometimes they would awaken and react to noises (they were always on guard mode when left alone) but then back to nap until our arrivals.

 

Another example, a dog who used to be very anxious in the crate. Barking, whining chewing on the wires when confined in it upon the owner leaving. One day the owner recorded when this dog managed to find a way to get out of the crate. The recording revealed that once out she stopped vocalizing despite the owner being away, she cared less about looking out of the windows or scratching at doors or pacing by them. Instead, she chose to have fun and chew the remote control and do other non-legit stuff in the house she was reprimanded for doing when the owner was at home.

 

Now, not saying your dogs don't have it, but it may be interesting recording and watching Abbi's behavior during the absence (several minutes after departure) and see whether she appears in distress or whether the heavy panting is associated with arrivals. If it' just contingent upon departures/arrivals, but she's calm (or at least able to self-soothe herself) in between, then the program may focus more on these two portions (practicing departures and arrivals and undoing the high emotions around them). The Furbo camera may come handy for this.

 

Also, is this a new behavior or has it been there for a while? There is also senior-onset separation anxiety in older dogs that is the result of cognitive changes, physical changes and/or declining hearing/sight that makes these dogs feel more vulnerable when left alone and feel safer when they are around their family.

 

Most likely you read these before but here are links about this:

 

https://www.braintraining4dogs.com/members/archive/senior-dog-separation-anxiety/

https://www.braintraining4dogs.com/members/archive/separation-anxiety/

 

If time permits, I will post in the next few days a more in depth protocol for separation anxiety.

Edited December 15, 2018 by Adrienne Farricelli

[JMFS]

Hmmm, you just may be correct. Shocker (not, lol). We watched with the Furbo yesterday and Abbi mostly chills out on the bed, while Gertie just stares out the window from her crate. Once in a while Gertie will start whining and barking, maybe even toss in a little howl, but for the most part we Are finding that they're pretty chilled out. We'll keep watching!

 

Abbi, once the husband leaves the house and I'm still in the bedroom, will carry on for a couple hours, non-stop. Totally different than what we're seeing on the video. I suppose we'll have to keep watching to see what happens and Then I'll post back if she's still going bonkers. This is something she's done since I met her at the age of 4, she's 10 now.

 

Of course I did my homework before raising my hand, thank you for giving me benefit of the doubt. :D I Try not to make things repetitive. Try.

[Adrienne Farricelli]

That's sure interesting, just to point us out how dog behavior can be unexpected at times! We may think one thing and then remote monitoring reveals a different picture. Particularly, interesting is the fact that when you are both gone it sounds like Abbi is chilling out, but then when hubby is out and you are home, she goes on howling/barking for hours non-stop.

 

Keep me posted on what you see next time you must go out and leave the gals alone. Also let me know if there are any other behaviors you see during your video monitoring that seem to suggest distress.

 

A disclaimer is warranted here for anybody reading this with dogs with severe cases of separation anxiety: while remote monitoring is a good way to assess dogs during absences, if being left alone is a too distressing experience and the dog has a history of putting himself/herself into peril or getting injured, it is not worth the risk recording them for the sake of seeing what happens. We already know with these dogs that things are severe, so best to start behavior modification right away and not leave them alone (unless with somebody) until things get more manageable. At which point, best to use remote monitoring only once the dog is calmer and better capable of coping with absences.

 

Forgot to mention a small but important tip: if you are planning on using thundershirts when you leave the home, make sure your dogs wear it also occasionally at other times when you are at home or you are taking them out. This is to prevent the "putting-on-Thundershirts" from becoming another pre-departure cue. One may imagine smart Gertie saying something along these lines: "Hey, Abbi, did you notice? Every time they make us wear that thing, they are getting read to leave, eeek!!!" --Add sound effect of increased heart beats and increased respiratory rates.

 

Just an interesting little-known fact: in dogs, separation anxiety refers to dogs who have formed a dysfunctional attachment to one person in particular. When that particular person isn’t present, the dog goes into panic mode and can care less of who is with them.

 

Isolation distress instead refers to dogs who tend to panic when left alone. They just want a human and anyone will do eventually. This form is often to a milder degree compared to separation anxiety also considering that with these dogs taking them to daycare or having another person watch them when the owners are away helps them cope.

[JMFS]

I'm so glad you posted that about putting it on them even when we're not leaving. I've been doing it for about 15 minutes each day, giving them treats while they're wearing their little shirts. It's a nice looking outfit, actually. :D Today the shirts were met with wagging tails.

 

My husband will tell you Gertie is addicted to me. She'll be snuggled on the couch with him, passed out, and if I get up she does, too. I've been working on getting her to stay with him when I go to the restroom or if I get a glass of water. Baby steps, right? When she hears my keys oh boy, she gets all jazzed up. I put on her shirt today, crated her, picked up my purse, treats, sat down, got up, treats, stepped to the door, stepped back, treats, rinse and repeat . . .. I finally made it about 10 feet away. Even still in view she was whining and barking at that distance so I now know where her threshold is. It was interesting because her whine changed from one of desperation to one of annoyance. It was as if it went, "Doon't leave meeeee!" to "Whyyy are you leaving Again?!" This is going to take some time!

 

I have to leave for a couple hours tomorrow so I'll have to see what happens. I won't be able to watch during my appointment, but with luck he'll run a little late so I can sneak a peek before we get started. Otherwise I'd have to watch while driving and I won't even talk on the phone while driving so that's out.

 

Abbi is fine when the husband leaves if I'm in the room with her. If she doesn't know I'm there she'll carry on. And on. And on. And on. Once she knows I'm here she's okay - I don't even have to be in the room, just in the house. It's interesting, though, she doesn't seem to do it all that long when we're both out of the house. It kind of makes me think that little stinker knows I'm trying to get those last precious minutes of shut-eye and that's not working for her (we stagger our sleep schedule so he gets a couple hours of sleep free from me beating him for snoring and I get a couple hours of real sleep in the morning where I'm not having to accost him. Light sleeper + loud snorer is Not a good combination!).

 

I have to nip this in the bud before we go on our Ireland trip - 3 weeks and they're both going to be a mess! I have 3 months before our trial run of 1 week. Gertie and Momo will be boarded, Abbi will stay with family (she can't get vaccinations any more & I think the husband would kill himself with guilt if we boarded her).

 

Cheers from the house of lunatics! :)

[Adrienne Farricelli]

Great to hear the dogs are greeting their Thundershirt with a wagging tail, sounds like you got a CER there (conditioned emotional response)!

I am posting some separation anxiety protocols I have been using for some time. Of course, these are just general protocols as each dog may need an individualized plan and some exercises may need to be split into smaller steps.

 

One of the most challenging parts of separation anxiety behavior modification is that it requires management when the dogs aren't in "training." This means that to "protect" the hard work and preventing dogs from rehearsing the problem behavior absences should be avoided during the behavior modification process. In other words, if you are at the point in the process where your dog can successfully remain calm in a room for 15 minutes in your absence, you may need to hire a pet sitter or have a friend stay with your dog if you need to stay away for longer.

 

What Will Be Needed? First of all, patience, determination and consistency. Helping a dog suffering from separation anxiety is not an easy task. Many dog owners wonder how long it will take and there's no easy answer as each case is different. The more a dog has been rehearsing the problem and the more severe it is, the more work may be needed. Severe cases may require the addition of medications and the assistance of a professional as some dogs are just anxious at any time of the day on top of during owner absences.

 

Interactive toys, treats, food, a mat, baby gates and some technological gadgets such as remote monitoring devices and/or automatic treat dispensers are used in the exercises. Although optional, the use of these technological gadgets come extra handy considering that they allow to monitor dogs remotely so to evaluate whether it's a good time to raise criteria or whether a dog is being pushed too hard.

 

A safezone will also need to be established. This safezone is the dog's confinement area where the exercises will be performed. For comfort, it is best to use an area that is central to family activities such as an office, kitchen or living room. Dogs who enjoy their crate, exercise pen or playpen and love to lounge in it, can have it placed in the safezone as long as these enclosures remain open as some dogs with separation anxiety suffer from concomitant containment phobias. A safezone should be blocked out by a baby gate or in homes with open-plan layouts, a super wide gate may be needed.

 

Tier 1: Protocol For Dogs Who Follow Owners Room- to- Room

 

One thing many dogs suffering from separation anxiety share is extra clingliness, so much so, that many dog owners have started to nickname their dogs "Velcro Dogs." These dogs follow their owners from one room to another and like to sleep by their owners' feet so to be the first alerted when their owners are about to get up and walk around.

 

This component of treatment for separation anxiety in dogs needs its proper protocol since it would be non-productive starting practicing outdoor absences if these dogs aren't even able to tolerate brief absences within the home. The goal of these exercises is to gradually build on distance until the dog can be left in a room while the owner is in another.

 

On top of these exercises, it's ideal to encourage these dogs to sleep at night on their own bed or mat and sleep there as well during the day (rather than sleeping constantly on the owner's lap, glued to the owner's body or at the owner's feet).

 

Note: some dogs are particularly attached to one person. To start the exercises easily, it is best to start with the person the dog is less attached to and then progress using the person the dog is attached to.

 

Step 1:

 

The first step entails having the dog to be able to relax and cope without following their owners everywhere. These dogs need to learn to perform brief sit/stays or down/stays on a mat or other comfy place while the owner walks around, but initially remains always in the dog's sight.

 

Initially these sit/stays and down/stays should be very brief for just 1-2 seconds while the owner just takes a step or two away in various directions and then returns to reward. Criteria is then raised with the owner just walking a few steps away (3-4) and then returning to reward.

 

Gradually, distance and duration can be added, but it's important to make sure to not make increases in time and distance predictable as dogs will soon come to predict this increase in difficulty and may grow incrementally anxious. To avoid this, mix in shorter (less time) stays and closer stays (less distance) frequently. For example, 2 second stay, then 4, then 3, then five, then 1, then 4, then 6, then 2 etc or 2 steps away, then 1, then 3, then 4, then 1, etc.

 

Distractions at some point can be added as well. Clap your hands as you walk away, count to five out loud, turn your back to your dog, lift your arms, walk around your dog etc. If your dog ever breaks the stay just say a casual "oops" and send your dog back to the area where he was asked to stay. Resume the exercise, this time making it a bit less difficult before progressing to asking for more.

 

Many clingy dogs follow their owners every time they get up from sitting. If your dog gets ready to follow you every time you are sitting on a chair or couch, and you put your hand on the arm rest or put down the remote, practice sit/stays and down/stays as you repeat these actions over and over. Then increase criteria, and start to get up repeatedly from your chair/couch/. Then get up and take a few steps and may be even walk around your dog and go back to sitting.

 

These exercises should be done until fluent and the dog appears totally relaxed and no longer eager to follow. End the sessions with a jackpot of treats.

 

Step 2:

 

Gradually increase distance/duration. With longer duration, it's best to request down/stays to prevent tiring. Take more steps away (from standing or sitting) and for gradually longer times and start going out of sight.

 

Ask your dog to down/stay on a mat as you briefly get out of view behind a wall or door for a split second, then return and reward. Repeat several times as you gradually mix in shorter absences and longer absences and shorter distances with farther distances, making sure to not allow you dog to detect an incremental pattern of difficulty.

 

You can mix in brief errands too such as opening/closing a closet, grabbing a beer from the fridge or closing a window as long as they don't cause you to be out of sight for too long.

 

These exercises should be done until fluent and the dog appears totally relaxed. Always end the sessions with a jackpot of treats.

 

Step 3:

 

Increase more the distance and duration. Install a baby gate, hide several treats around the enclosed area, send your dog there and have your dog explore his new confinement area and find the goodies. Leave the baby gate open for a couple of days so that the dog can freely visit and discover goodies in there.

 

Next, practice briefs stays as you get in and out of the baby gate and return. Stay always in sight. Gradually increase the time you stay out as always mixing in briefer stays with longer ones, but not more than a minute in length.

 

At some point, get out of the baby gate and start preparing a stuffed Kong that can be easily unstuffed in just a minute or so. Place the stuffed Kong behind the baby gate where your dog can see it and smell it and cannot get it. Your dog should try to get the Kong. Wait for a little bit of frustration to set in such as your dog trying to paw it or whine. Grab the Kong and give it to your dog as you remain in view at a distance behind the baby gate for 1 minute. Return inside.

 

Repeat, reloading the Kong again making it more challenging to unstuff and then less challenging, so that you can increase the the time you stay out as always mixing in briefer stays with longer ones. Try to return when you know your dog is just about to finish unstuffing his Kong.

 

Step 4:

 

Start incorporating the treasure hunt game, using a portion of your dog's meals as outlined in the course. Have your dog sit/stay or down/stay as you get a portion of your dog's meal allowance and hide the kibble around. Have your dog watch you in anticipation and then as you leave the room and release your dog. Allow your dog to hunt as you are briefly out of sight.

 

Return and repeat the exercise hiding the remaining portion of your dog's meal allowance and leaving as your dog goes on his hunt. As always, gradually increase the time you stay out of sight, mixing in briefer stays with longer ones, but not more than a minute in length.

 

Alternatively, in lieu of the treasure hunt game, you can stuff a slow food dispenser such as a Kong Wobbler, Buster Cube or regular Kong with the kibble and let your dog work on it while you are away.

 

At some point, start delaying your returns a bit so that your dog has finished hunting or eating from the Kong but doesn't appear to anxious about running out of food and being alone.

Edited December 20, 2018 by Adrienne Farricelli

[Adrienne Farricelli]

Tier 2: Protocol for Uncoupling Pre-Departure Cues

Dogs are masters in reading body language and learning all the cues that culminate into our departures. It's therefore not surprising when they start acting nervous when dog owners get up, have breakfast, and then put on makeup, shave, brush hair, put shoes on and grab the keys. These are all pre-departure cues that put dogs on high alarm, as these cues have been chained one to another and associated with departures.

 

Uncoupling these associations requires some work. The work encompasses desensitizing to the pre-departure cues and breaking up their associations with the departures. These exercises are done when not leaving the home. Make sure that you therefore have time set aside for this.

 

To start, compile a list of behaviors you perform normally when going to work or head out and identify the ones your dog seems to react to. Then, place them in order chronologically, starting with the one that is farthest away from leaving the house.

 

You will then work on exposing your dog to these behaviors starting with the first and then chaining them one by one until the dog becomes uninterested in them as they lose value due to them no longer leading to departures. For instance, if your list looks something like this: put on shoes, grab briefcase, grab keys and walk out the door, your exercises will look something like this: (please note, sit on the couch/watch TV is an example, you can do many other things that your dog associates with you being home like knitting, washing the dishes etc.)

 

Put on shoes, sit on the couch, watch TV (when you sit down and watch TV or read a book or go prepare a meal, do so for a few minutes each time)

 

Put on shoes, grab briefcase, sit on the couch, watch TV

 

Put on shoes, grab briefcase, grab keys, sit on the couch, watch TV

 

Put on shoes, grab briefcase, grab keys, walk towards the door, sit on the couch, watch TV

 

Put on shoes, grab briefcase, grab keys, walk towards the door, touch the door knob, open the door slightly, close door, sit on the couch watch TV

 

Put on shoes, grab briefcase, grab keys, walk towards the door, touch the door knob, open the door, take a step out, then back in, close door, return, sit on the couch watch TV

 

Put on shoes, grab briefcase, grab keys, sit on couch, walk towards the door, touch the door knob, open the door, take a step out, close the door (with you outside), quickly reopen door, close door, return, sit on the couch, watch TV.

 

Put on shoes, grab briefcase, grab keys, sit on couch, walk towards the door, touch the door knob, open the door, take a step out, close the door (with you outside), lock the door, unlock the door, return, sit on couch watch TV.

 

Put on shoes, grab briefcase, grab keys, walk towards the door, touch the door knob, open the door, take a step out, close the door, lock the door (with you outside), and increase duration of staying outside gradually, but for no more than half a minute (always mixing in shorter absences in the midst of longer ones), then unlock the door, return, sit on the couch, watch TV.

 

Note: If your dog seems upset by any of these behaviors, you may need to split them further. For example, if your dog is doing well up until you start opening the door (like you catch your dog whining), then, you may want to split the action of walking to the door in further segments (e.g take a few steps towards the door, return, sit on couch, then, walk to the door and stand in front of it, return, sit on the couch, then, walk to the door and touch the knob for a split second, return, sit on the couch, then walk to the door and open the door a bit for a split second, return, sit on the couch. Do this until the door can be successfully opened without the dog worrying about it.

 

Tier 3: Exercises by the Door

 

Monitor your dog for signs of distress

These exercises are more difficult, and therefore, require dogs to be very well proficient at the previous tier level. Dogs should therefore have reached a point where they are fine with being left alone for up to half a minute as the owner stands behind the closed door.

 

Because these absences are longer and more distractions are added (car engine starting), it helps to provide some high-value long-lasting goodies for the dog to consume such as a strategically stuffed Kong with layers (e.g a layer of cookies stuck at the bottom, kibble mixed with peanut butter, a cookie stuck midway, canned food, another cookie at the top). For longer absences, on top of a Kong, an automatic treat-dispenser set to release treats at frequent intervals can turn helpful.

 

When providing goodies to consume for these absences, it's important to provide them as well while you are at home to prevent them from turning into a pre-departure cue signaling to your dog you are about to leave.

 

At this point, it may also be important to use some form of remote monitoring so to assess how the dog is doing and keep tabs on progress and/or setbacks. Body language should be carefully assessed. Anytime a setback is noticed, it means that one must work more on a lower level until the dog is perfectly comfortable with that level.

 

For example, if the dog becomes anxious upon being left alone for 8 minutes, more time should be spent practicing at lower times. Increments should be done in seconds rather then chunks of minutes always mixing in briefer times to make the exercises as variable as possible. Build the time gradually up to 30 minutes if possible.

 

Arrivals should always be no big deal. Ignore your dog as you walk in and just go straight to the couch.

 

Example of exercises:

 

Put on shoes, grab briefcase, grab keys, walk towards the door, touch the door knob, open the door, take a step out, close the door, lock the door, start car engine, then unlock the door, return, sit on the couch, watch TV.

 

Put on shoes, grab briefcase, grab keys, walk towards the door, touch the door knob, open the door, take a step out, close the door, lock the door, start car engine, spend a bit of time in the car, then unlock the door, return, sit on the couch, watch TV.

 

Put on shoes, grab briefcase, grab keys, walk towards the door, touch the door knob, open the door, take a step out, close the door, lock the door, start car engine, move the car a bit ahead and then back into parking space, then unlock the door, return, sit on the couch, watch TV.

 

Put on shoes, grab briefcase, grab keys, walk towards the door, touch the door knob, open the door, take a step out, close the door, lock the door, start car engine, drive the car around the block and then back into parking space, then unlock the door return, sit on the couch watch TV and so forth. Gradually increase more time spent away, mixing in shorter absences.

 

A Word About Treatment For Separation in Anxiety in Dogs

It's important to consider that slow and steady wins the race in behavior modification. It will take time, commitment and determination to attain results. The goal is to get a dog to be calm and reward that. Setbacks are always possible during behavior modification no matter how well planned the program. To reduce the chances of setbacks, it is best to perform separation anxiety exercises with the help of a professional for in-person evaluations and coaching. Once the dog appears calm in the safezone, it's time to generalize the behavior and practice in other areas of the house and with other family members.

Edited December 20, 2018 by Adrienne Farricelli

[JMFS]

Whew! Thank you for posting all that. :) I'll start incorporating these things in our daily routine. The bed part will be difficult because Momo is getting grumpy about her going near his bed - or maybe it's me, it's hard to tell. He snapped at my face the other night and I think that's because it was dark and he may have thought Gertie was coming over. He got to sleep in the crate in the office that evening - not sure if that was right or wrong, but we can't have him snapping at us in the dark! He likes the crate so it wasn't a punishment to be put in there, but being moved to a different room may have seemed like one. Or, he could have been perfectly satisfied with that - he's hard to read sometimes. I'm afraid some of his increased grumpiness may in fact be due to age. :( He already has his own thread, though so back to the girls . . .!

 

I have started increasing the number of times I leave her with the husband while I go do something else for a few minutes and she's doing well with that. She still keeps an eye or ear on me, but she's staying with him instead of racing to catch up with me. The husband is beginning to participate as well, which is going to be a major help. Gertie is also beginning to stay on her bed instead of jumping up to follow me to the kitchen or bathroom, which has been a nice development. From what we've seen on the video she seems to do better when Abbi is in the room with her. When we see Abbi leave the room Gertie starts pacing and today she did a full-blown howl. Once Abbi came back in the room they sniffed each other, wagged tails, and settled down.

 

Eventually I want to be able to move Gertie from the crate, but this office has to be pared down before that can happen and I Hope to get that done over the holiday since our business should be nice and quiet during that time. Should. I've gotten it Almost there and then life happens. She's proven herself to be untrustworthy currently outside of the crate when we're gone. She Kind of responds to the speaker when I talk to her through the Furbo so I'll reinforce that as well. All-in-all she's fairly quiet while we're gone until Abbi leaves the room, my daughter is leaving for work, or she sees our vehicles. The biggest obstacle is going to be our two trips next year. 1 week and then 3 weeks. I'll have to board her and Momo so I have until March to work this out. Momo could stay here if I can count on my kiddo to feed him daily since he's outdoors and has a climate-controlled area he could sleep in. Heck, he may not even notice I'm gone as long as he's being fed. Although, he has enjoyed being boarded in the past.

[Adrienne Farricelli]

I wish you good luck on the process, it's one of those things that takes time and it may feel at times like watching paint dry, but it's also rewarding in the long run when you see progress being made. If there are ever concerns about other dogs in the household resource guarding beds, food, interactive toys, please practice caution and do the exercises with the dog you are working with in separated areas.

 

Mention Momo's recent snapping episode to your trainer, it sounds like he is acting protective of his sleeping areas. If you ever need him to get off a bed, mat or a piece of furniture do not use physical methods (collar grabs, pushing) but from a safe distance (where he doesn't feel threatened and can't snap) toss a treat on the floor or grab his leash from a closet or drawer or ring the doorbell (as long as this doesn't lead to scuffles with other dogs from over excitement). Or more simply, if he has a good recall, call him and reward him.

 

It sounds like darkness puts him over threshold and is causing him to react before thinking. An exercise that comes to mind doing with your dog behavior professional is doing several reps of using a cue like "Hi Momo, it's me" and associating this with a treat just as you charge a clicker, and then using this cue when announcing yourself when you first entering the well-lit room followed by a tossed goodie, then doing several reps of this in the semi-lit room and then with increased darkness, and then, gradually increasing criteria, and possibly at some point, adding announcing yourself walking in the room with Gertie on leash just at the entrance (but extra care is needed here at this point so not to "poison the cue" with Gertie's addition so this may need to be split this further), but for the time being, yes, by all means play it safe and use management (crate) to prevent further episodes until you talk with your dog behavior professional about this. It's always best to nip things in the bud if this is a fairly new behavior.

 

Sometimes, rather than doing lots of reps of behavior modification (especially on behaviors that are instinctive/unpredictable which can be to a good extent when darkness is involved, some dogs are just prone to react before thinking in the dark) it's more convenient and just safer to use use management, and a crate works well for this if he's content in there. One thing that comes to mind is that some dogs are reactive no matter what upon hearing tags from collars jingling. If Gertie has tags making noise, this can cause Momo to react. Sometimes, silencing the tags with an elastic band can help reduce this type of reaction, but then we must worry if Momo not being aware of Gertie's whereabouts can make him more reactive in the dark due to the unpredictability of not sensing her and then seeing her pop from nowhere.

 

A vet visit can be insightful since you mention age. At 8, age-related issues can always pop up and some can cause dogs to be more reactive (hypothyroidism, changes in eyesight) Interestingly, not too long ago a dog that presented as being reactive and acting oddly was found to have eye floaters.

Edited December 21, 2018 by Adrienne Farricelli

[JMFS]

Aw, poor pooch. I've had floaters and halos all my life and they're annoying! I won't night drive because of them. I didn't walk until I was 18 months old - I guess I didn't trust the ground! My vision is the pits even after LASIK so I empathize with the pup. They can't reason out why they're seeing these things and that's got to be maddening. How on Earth did they figure out the floaters thing?! We didn't find mine until I was in Middle School and we got to look through something that reflected on your retina and let you see all these squiggly lines (it's been a few minutes since I was that young so my memory is foggy on the Exact details). I asked what everyone was seeing because I wasn't seeing anything. Turns out I Was seeing them, but I didn't need the special gizmo - it was normal for me, lol. I can remember playing with a black dot I see. I'd bounce it all around my field of vision, thinking it was normal and everyone had one. I can only imagine a dog with that issue thinking there was something to catch! Maybe that's what's wrong with cats who suddenly look at the ceiling and then take off running . . . they just have floaters they're trying to catch or run away from.

 

Mo did fine last night in the room so I'll keep him there and implement your suggestions unless something changes. I think I'll stop saying goodnight to him since he seems to be struggling with night vision and I do hover over him to scratch his ears or chin. I also like my nose where it is so I'll save those affections for the morning when it's light. It's weird because he's never been possessive over a bed before - he and Abbi shared the office bed. Maybe since he's getting over his food thing he's finding a new vice. Oh brother! Next he'll be bumming catnip off of Monkey. I'll be sure to mention it to my Behaviorist tomorrow.

 

It's a sloooow and sometimes arduous process getting all these little issues in check. Having done some form of alpha training, and now using force free, I think I have enough perspective to impart an informed opinion. Alpha training yields immediate results, sure, but there's a greater potential for issues down the road and quite frankly, it's exhausting keeping up the "I'm the alpha" attitude. Some days I want to be the beta and others I want to be the omega, just leave me alone. Additionally, most alpha fans are quick to insinuate (or say) you are a gigantic ignoramus and that x problem is solved with training, but they never divulge How to train - you just Make the dog do it, duuuh. :rolleyes: Science-based method is repetitive and slow going, but I feel the lessons are more deeply ingrained. Looking back on it, the things Momo does the best with are the things I didn't need to alpha train. I think Gertie would shut down with alpha training, she's too sweet for that in your face tactic. Abbi would keel over in fright or flip the bird, I'm not sure which.

 

I have determined I would fail as a dog. I wouldn't pick up half the things these guys do and instead I'd go lie down in a corner out of frustration. Go ahead and eat those treats, human, I'm resting! :D

[Adrienne Farricelli]

Hello Jennifer,

It took seeing a veterinary opthamologist to diagnose the floaters. Yes, there are also specialists for dog eyes and many of them are awesome in treating eye conditions that vets may miss or have no clue about. I used to work for one back in the days and he had all this specialized equipment to read eye pressure and stain eyes to detect corneal ulcers etc. It was quite fascinating.

 

Good deal keeping Momo in the room and avoiding putting your face close to his to say goodnight. You can never be overly cautious and I am a big proponent for that. Hopefully, this bed behavior is just a new thing that can be nipped in the bud.

 

Some behavior modification processes can be slow, but sometimes they can be fast too in attaining results, only that it takes time for them to seep in and become ingrained. It takes some time for unlearning to take place and to establish new habits, but once you're on a roll and pass the initial slumps it is often downhill from there on (other than the occasional extinction bursts or spontaneous recoveries).

 

I am a "crossover trainer" by definition so to say, who started with the alpha methods because back then this was way far more popular and almost a "fad." I learned the hard way some side effects that came with this method (dogs growling at me, snapping or acting tense and suppressed) but luckily I caught up on time before any damage was done to my dogs. Since I crossed over, I never looked back because the advantages were far too many.

 

Wishing you happy holidays to you and your doggies.

Best,

Adrienne

Edited January 28, 2019 by Adrienne Farricelli

[JMFS]

That is just too cool. I generally think of dogs as being physically superior to us so I didn't consider things like eyesight. You have had quite the trek through your doggy career!

 

We took the girls with us to the in-laws' and Gertie did great even with a little bit on the floor playing with his toys. She was curious about this tiny human but she kept a respectful distance without being guided, and when he say "go away puppy," she did. Resource guarding, it's not just for dogs! Best of all she refrained from jumping on my mother-in-law, who's a little unsteady on her feet these days. I do believe Gertie will be welcome in the future. Hopefully they'll have the horses there next time - I was looking forward to seeing that reaction and exposing her to Big stimuli. :D Poor Mo had to stay home. I'm pretty sure he was a-okay with that. He was chasing goodness-knows-what last night, it was dark so I have no clue what had him riled up. All I could hear was panting, paws on the ground, and brush snapping and whipping as he was running the fence line back and forth. Crazy dog! Yesterday I taught him how to open the door to the insulated bathroom. He's freaked out by doors for some reason, but he's got that one conquered. I was wondering why he wasn't sleeping in his bed until I saw he was hesitant to try the door. Good thing Florida doesn't get terribly cold!

 

I hope y'all had a great holiday. Pets and scratches to those beauties of yours.

[JMFS]

We set up a play pen today. Of course the husband had to "rig" it rather than use it as intended. He installed tethers in the form of L brackets to a bookshelf and my desk and we were able to stretch it across the room to cordon off "Gertie's area." She had plenty of room to move around, she was able to stay on her bed instead of slumming it with a blanket in a crate, and she could see out of both windows. She only got riled up when Abbi started serenading the empty house. They sang a few lovely duets throughout the 4 hours we were gone. Other than the occasional bark at whomever dared to move outside this was a big improvement. I went with a 42" tall pen so there would be no way she can jump over it and despite my doubts regarding the rigging, she never even tested it. With the way he set the L brackets the now fence is going nowhere and it does allow her quite a bit more room than she would have if it were put together as intended. Better yet, it folds neatly into the space between bookshelves so storage is easy. I'm still glad to have the camera, though. Now we just need to figure out how to rig That so we can see both girls and both can get treats. Ever the work in progress! I have determined the next house will have built in pens for each pooch in the office and I'm Trying to convince him to make a dog door so they can go in and out to a small fenced area (Gertie is Not trusted to make good decisions about rolling in the stinkiest item available).

 

I had to laugh yesterday because my brother with his "highly trained in Germany Pointer" devoured three packs of tortillas, a bag of tortilla chips and something else (I forget what) from their pantry. They decided to let ol' Gordo have free reign of the house one day to see what would happen while they were out and now they know. It's nice to be reminded we're all in the same boat at some point with our furry companions. :D Gordo Is darn amazing (he figured out how to open a pantry and opted for that instead of tearing up the couch after all), and athletic as all get-out, but at the end of the day, he's still a dog, hehe.

[Adrienne Farricelli]

Sounds like you have a great project there! Glad to hear your dogs are improving.

 

I recorded Einstein the other day curious to see if he still howled when we left the home. Before, Petra used to be the initiator of howling and he would follow through and I could hear them all the way down the road. Since her passing, because I hear nothing upon closing the gate and driving away, I assumed he just didn't like to sing solo. However, my recording revealed that he does still howl, only very softly. Poor baby! The rest of the recording fortunately showed him napping in between and getting up every now and then to whine at the airplanes (we have C130s flying low doing military briefing exercises) as this has become a new pet peeve of him.

 

I hope Gordo had no tummy upset after eating so many tortillas! Smart dog.

[cammidge]

Don't forget the doggie music! I depend on that for Bracken and his thunder phobia - loud enough to drown out the noise.

[hridika]

Since this is about Thundershirts, I just got mine for you rescue Remie a few days ago. I walk her, then when she's relaxed I put the shirt on her with a peanut butter Kong. But I am worried that when we move to the cabin where she barks, it won't work, do I proceed with leaving for 1 min, then back, treats when calm, wait, leave for 2 min, back, treats.. etc. with a slow build up to leaving for 1 hr? Does the thundershirt either work or not?

[Adrienne Farricelli]

How has she been responding to it so far? What have you used it for so far?

Thundershirts can help take the edge off, but they aren't a cure-all, they can complement though behavior modification if dogs seem to be responsive towards them.

[hridika]

I'm not convinced it's working 100%, she is ok with it on, and I try to train her with it by putting it on her when everyone is relaxed, or she's tired after a long walk. She is ok in it, but I don't really notice a difference. But I think it helps a bit, sometimes, at the cabin location.

[JMFS]

Super quick, Adrienne - separation anxiety and confinement anxiety, are those the only terms for the varying levels of separation anxiety?  I feel like you've used another term before.  I'm typing up the email to the potential trainer now and want to get the correct terminology.

[Adrienne Farricelli]

There's also isolation distress which happens when the dog does fine with anybody as long as she's not left alone. 

[JMFS]

That's the one!  Thank you.  :)