Tuxedodog Posted January 29, 2010 Report Share Posted January 29, 2010 Sorry, this is long. I came home from work on Tuesday to be greeted by Buster running down the driveway to meet me. I opened up the door and he rode up to the house and I let him out into the yard. I though my husband ( a major creature of habit) had slipped his clutches and forgot to put him in the garage before he left for work. Not so, Buster clawed and chewed his way out of the bottom fiberglass panel - hunks of bloody fiberglass all over the garage floor. Plywood was applied across the bottom of the whole door, and a call to my neighbor was placed in the unlikely event that it happened again and he was out roaming the neighborhood. Day two was a call from my neighbor who went to walk him home and he ran ahead and stood at the gate barking until he was let into the yard. Another level of plywood was added after the temporary fix was applied amd failed, and he was at my neighbor's when my husband got up to let him out in the morning. This following a comment that he is fine when we are home and doesn't try to get out, so there was no need to fix it that night. Day 3 was a mid day call from my neighbor, she thought she saw another hole in the garage door, so she drove over and Buster was sitting at the gate waiting to be let into the yard. This was from the 3rd tier of the door. Right after we went to bed last night we could hear him freaking out in the garage, and my husband went out an screamed at him, this is way out of character for my husband. I don't blame him, half of it is my husband being distressed over this increasingly destructive behavior,and worrying what is going on in Buster's little doggy mind. He told me do something for the dog! This morning it was 14 degrees when we left for work, and we left him out in the yard. If somehow he got through the top level of the door, he would probably kill himself from the fall, I was surprised he wasn't really hurt from yesterday's events. We had resigned ourselves to Buster trashing the place while we weren't at home since no matter how much quality time we spent with him and a round of Prozac made no positive changes. There are a few things about his behavior that make no sense to me. I can take him in the car and leave him there while I run short errands, and I come back to him sleeping in the back seat, or looking out the window. He shows no distress when we leave each day, all of this happens after we are gone. Last night I took off his collar to attach his 2010 license and he was extremely uneasy. I had the worst time trying to get the tag attached while he was trying to get me to put his collar back on. I would ask for some Mojo to help Buster through the next week until his appointment a week from Monday. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kelpiegirl Posted January 29, 2010 Report Share Posted January 29, 2010 Does Buster sleep in the garage at night? It sounds as if what may have started as anxious behaviour has progressed to profound clinical separation anxiety. The behaviourist is good, but I would see about video taping him to see what is happening after you are gone. He may start immediately. It's serious, that's for sure. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WildFlower Posted January 29, 2010 Report Share Posted January 29, 2010 I am sorry to hear that things have progressed like this.... Good vibes coming to you and Buster. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest echoica Posted January 29, 2010 Report Share Posted January 29, 2010 wow! so sad. i hope you all figure things out soon!! mojo for buster from me and mine Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ms.DaisyDuke Posted January 29, 2010 Report Share Posted January 29, 2010 I hope you don't find these questions intrusive, but why does he sleep in the garage? And, what have you done to this point to help alleviate his SA? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lokisaab Posted January 29, 2010 Report Share Posted January 29, 2010 why can't you crate the dog? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cody & Duchess Posted January 29, 2010 Report Share Posted January 29, 2010 When I first read your post I decided not to respond because I don't know how to fix your problem. After reading again thought I would tell you about our dog Cody, who we got from rescue- took a whole year before he would step foot in the garage. We had to back the car out for him to get in- he just wasn't going in. Now- he will follow Duchess into the garage for a quick jump into the car- but I am absolutely confident, if I were to leave him in the garage all hell would break loose. Cody has never destroyed anything- but put him in a garage and all bets are off. I don't know if the border collie intelligence simply has decided that the garage is not a good place. His people are not in the garage, their scent is not in the garage, maybe he is trying to tell you he should not be in the garage. In the end- good luck with the behaviorist. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ms.DaisyDuke Posted January 29, 2010 Report Share Posted January 29, 2010 Actually, crating a dog with true separation anxiety can make it 1 million times worse if not done correctly. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bcnewe2 Posted January 29, 2010 Report Share Posted January 29, 2010 I don't have an answer but a question. Why so much garage time? Did I get it right.... He sleeps in the garage, then when you both leave for work he's locked in the garage again? So how much time does he spend out of the garage? Does sound like SA but I'm wondering if it's brought on by the garage. Like it's the garage setting him off? Doesn't sound like full SA as you say he seems fine when you leave him outside. Or did I miss read that? Simple answer for now would be not to put him in the garage. For me, I'd skip the BH for now (I'm cheap) and see if it's just the garage. Could you try a crate in the house? Or if worse came to worse, how bout a nice warm dog house in the yard if that's where he's happy? What could have happend in the garage that would make him resent it so much? Is there stuff going on in the neighborhood while you're away, like construction, kids playing loudly outside? Something that makes him "need" to see what is going on? Or something might make him think you are right outside the garage? I'll be interested in hearing what the behaviorist or others here have to say. ETA: How old is buster? I leave all my dogs loose in the house when I'm gone with no issues. Maybe I'm lucky but after potty training and the initial puppy chewing everything stage, I find no need for a crate. But that's what works for me. Others milage may vary. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lokisaab Posted January 29, 2010 Report Share Posted January 29, 2010 Actually, crating a dog with true separation anxiety can make it 1 million times worse if not done correctly. The reason I was asking why the dog can't be crated is because they obviously don't want to leave him loose in the house if he's kept in the garage. So why not have crate trained him from the beginning? The garage can be a pretty scary place especially if there are noises outside and the dog can't see what it is through a window at least. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tuxedodog Posted January 29, 2010 Author Report Share Posted January 29, 2010 Buster was my husband's dog before I met him. Buster and Bubba, his lifelong buddy had their quarters in the garage, Bubba had a bed and Buster always slept in his crate with the door open. My husband really didn't spend a lot of time with him, Bubba was his leader. All of this started when Bubba died a few years ago. When we are home, Buster is either in the yard or in the house with us. I take him with me when I go to the barn on the weekends, and we plan our vacations so that Buster can accompany us. We tried locking Buster into his crate, but it was as close to a disaster as I ever want to come with an animal, he broke the welds and there were wires in all directions, fortunately he did get stuck! We live in a semi-rural area, there is nothing going on during the day outside. I don't trust him in the house, he is weird about the cats and I can't crate him, and he has enough accidents in the garage that I would prefer they not happen in the house. We have a shed with a dogdoor in his yard, but he doesn't go in there either. My neighbor suggested claustrophobia. When Bubba died, he mourned for months, I spent a lot of time with him, we went for walks - only one way, he has panic attacks going the wrong way down the road. He was allowed in the house for the first time on a regular basis (my husband grew up with outside dogs), letting them into the garage was a big deal for which he got a load of crap from his parents who built the house. Note to all, never buy a house from your in-laws. The other dog was very domineering, I think a part of his issue is that he has no direction during the day, the other dog got after him when he got out of line. He has always acted like a beaten dog, but no human has laid a hand on him in a nasty way. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ms.DaisyDuke Posted January 29, 2010 Report Share Posted January 29, 2010 Well, it sounds like you've answered your own question. It sounds like he's not confident enough to be on his own. Especially if all this started after Bubba passed. Hmmmm... How do you feel about another dog? It also sounds like he has some anxiety issues, so perhaps a behaviourist is in order... is this a vet. behaviourist? One that can prescribe meds? Medication might be useful while you work with him on his issues... how old is he? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kelpiegirl Posted January 29, 2010 Report Share Posted January 29, 2010 Thanks for clarifying. My suggestions are for you to tether him to you, so you can watch him when he is in the house, and keep him with you at night. He clearly is not adjusting to the garage. He appears to think the garage is nothing more than a large crate, which is why he is getting out. The messes you find in the garage may be related to the panic. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lokisaab Posted January 29, 2010 Report Share Posted January 29, 2010 Well that sounds very frustrating. Definitely hard when people of the same household aren't on the same page when it comes to the dog. I hope the behaviorist can help. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tuxedodog Posted January 29, 2010 Author Report Share Posted January 29, 2010 Buster is a really wonderful dog, he is kind, obedient and trustworthy, as long as we are nearby. He has house rules, he isn't allowed past the step out of the family room unless invited so he is fine while I am elsewhere in the house. He is easy to train if you are adding on to his existing knowledge, he acts as though you are punishing him if you ask him to do something new. Staying in the family room took 2 corrections, he was led out of the kitchen the first time and told stay in here, the second when he began to walk in, I held up my hand like stop and told him no and that pretty much set the boundary. Buster is 11 years old, he has been sleeping and staying in the garage since he was a puppy so it isn't like it is a new place for him. I have thought about getting another dog, but I have reservations about getting a pet for a pet and what if it is a dominant dog like Bubba and makes his senior years miserable. I am torn between the companionship for him and him feeling neglected when we split our attention with another dog. He and my horse don't get along, they don't like that I am paying attention to the other one, so I make sure the barn dogs come out to play with him so has someone to keep him company. The behaviorist that I am taking him to is a vet. There is a 3 hour consult and then 3 months of phone and e-mail support as follow up. We did try Prozac for a month, but he was so much more destructive and terrified of everything. My husband and I were both relieved when a few days of the lower dose to wean him off made him his old happy self. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Root Beer Posted January 29, 2010 Report Share Posted January 29, 2010 We did try Prozac for a month, but he was so much more destructive and terrified of everything. My husband and I were both relieved when a few days of the lower dose to wean him off made him his old happy self. The vet behaviorist can talk to you about medication options. Keep in mind that not all medications are alike and even though it did not work out with Prozac, something else might do the trick - and keep him his happy self. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tuxedodog Posted January 29, 2010 Author Report Share Posted January 29, 2010 I am open to trying another type of medication, although I was not when he came off the Prozac. Even my husband who initially made a big fuss about having to totally replace the sheetrock, doors and doorframes in the garage, said he would rather have Buster continue being a crazy happy dog, than what we were living with on the drugs. Right now I know Buster is way unhappy when we are not with him. I try not to live in fool's paradise thinking that he willl get over this on his own. I just can't reconcile the out of control, hysterical BC with the kind, mellow dog who spends his eveings and weekends with us. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
flyer Posted January 30, 2010 Report Share Posted January 30, 2010 Could Buster be losing his hearing or eye sight at all? I know my Piper dog started losing her hearing at 12 and this affected her behavior for awhile. She became uncertain in situations that had never bothered her previously. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tuxedodog Posted January 30, 2010 Author Report Share Posted January 30, 2010 Could Buster be losing his hearing or eye sight at all? I know my Piper dog started losing her hearing at 12 and this affected her behavior for awhile. She became uncertain in situations that had never bothered her previously. Interesting thought, I will bring that up with the vet. I have not noticed him having any issues, but it may be subtle changes that make him see the boogie man in the garage. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bcnewe2 Posted January 30, 2010 Report Share Posted January 30, 2010 Yes I was wondering too. He's 11, that's old to be developing this sort of issue after all this time. Was there a time after his buddy died that he seemed ok? Or has he gone down hill since then? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Blackdawgs Posted January 30, 2010 Report Share Posted January 30, 2010 I hesitate to post this.... I had a dog develop SEVERE seperation anxiety after I moved from a roomate situation to my own home. Her anxiety and level of destruction was so bad that I seriously considered putting her down. At the time, the vet and I attributed the seperation anxiety to the move, as the dog was never wired right to begin with. We medicated her and she improved. It turned out that the dog had a major underlying medical problem. We don't know if the medical problem caused the anxiety or the anxiety caused the medical problem. We hadn't been looking for a medical problem because the dog passed a physical/ blood work with flying colors a couple of months before going nuts. Anyway, since this is a relatively new behavior, you may want to consider that there is something physically amiss with the dog. Your veterinary behaviorist should be able to look into this with you. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jack & Co. Posted January 30, 2010 Report Share Posted January 30, 2010 Actually, crating a dog with true separation anxiety can make it 1 million times worse if not done correctly. This was a mistake that I made. It led to Jack breaking off most of his teeth. ETA: He has been under the care of a vet. behaviorist since last December. He takes 50 mg of Clomicalm twice a day and he is able to handle being left alone. I still crate him when I leave but he does not stress out like he used to. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ms.DaisyDuke Posted January 30, 2010 Report Share Posted January 30, 2010 I had a foster that was like that.... she was also on Clomicalm. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Root Beer Posted January 30, 2010 Report Share Posted January 30, 2010 I had a foster that was like that.... she was also on Clomicalm. Dean is on Clomicalm. He's actually on it for his noise phobias, but it really took care of his Separation Anxiety, which was actually beginning to worsen at that point. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ejano Posted January 30, 2010 Report Share Posted January 30, 2010 Interesting thought, I will bring that up with the vet. I have not noticed him having any issues, but it may be subtle changes that make him see the boogie man in the garage. If he is getting cateracts, an unlighted area like a garage would make it even more difficult to see. Add that to losing the other dog with him for years, telling him what to do, he is now totally without direction. We actually ended up putting our sweet Wille down at age thirteen because he lost Lucky who had been together with him all their lives and she led him around (he was blind and deaf). He just couldn't cope without her and it was affecting him mentally. He was so afraid to stay alone, and at the time I was working about 45 minutes away from home and couldn't get home at lunch to reassure him. He had severe arthritis too, so it was really the kindest thing, but it broke our hearts. Buster might really benefit from just giving into the "S.A." and letting him be with somebody when you are not around. My first thought would be not to get another dog, but maybe a "puppy sitter"? Is there anyone that you know who likes dogs but perhaps can't own one for some reason and would enjoy having Buster with them during the day? -- i.e. an older person - that is of course, if Buster likes other people and is comfortable visiting a new place? (Understand about the in-law thing -we bought my Mother in Law's house and she raised a holy fit when she found out we let dogs in "her" living room. Good grief. I thought I bought the entire house . Liz Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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