Insecure OES
 ) and recently adopted my 3rd one.
He was rescued from a Puppy Mill by his 1st owner and so were a few of his other siblings. I drove to the place once and was horrified to see the kind of condition they kept his parents along with hundreds of other dogs in cramped and dirty cages made of corroding zinc boards. It was really sad and they were still trying to push for the sales of both my sheepie's parents to me. 
Byron has been through 3 adoptions and returned on every occasion, everyone liked him for the shaggy OES look but rejected him once they found out about the maintenance needed. In Singapore, they need aircon 12hrs a day and it's summer here 365days! When we took him in, he was so sweet and gentle he just melted our hearts. But we found out that he couldn't cope when we needed to leave for work or or groery shopping. He'd whine and cry at the gate and refuses to go back into the house no matter what till we get back home. At home, wherever we go, he follows, if we need the restroom, he stays outside till you're done and follows you everywhere. How can we help to alleviate this kind of fear in him? Pls help! |
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Wow! Singapore! This has really become an international board! 
I am not experienced with seperation anxiety personally, though my Guinevere does tend to get a bit depressed when she has to stay with a pet sitter longer than a weekend. It does sound like Byron's (great name!) 3 previous adoptions have left him very nervous about the possibility of a 4th. I'm sure that having had 2 previous sheepies that this would NEVER happen with you, but you certainly know of the amount of care that these wonderful beasts require, and that they give it back 100 fold. Maybe you could try leaving him for just a few minutes at a time during a day's time. Don't make a big deal out of leaving. Just go. Walk around the yard, just for a couple minutes. Let him do whatever he does, and don't pay attention. Then go back inside, again not making a big deal of things, and take him outside and play with him. Then give him lots of praise, a treat, and lots of hugs. A few hours later, try it again - this time walk around the block, stay away 10 minutes. Come back inside, no big deal, play with him, etc. I have read this in a book some where, and maybe there are "experts" out there who have more knowledge than me who can help. But I do know that with sheepies it is a "game of inches" to train them, and each step teaches them. I think that once Byron is convinced that you are going to come back home and that is going to be a good thing he will settle down and learn to guard the house while you are gone. Please keep us posted with the progress, and you might also check on the internet for help. Try searching training books under "seperation anxiety." Good luck! Cheers! Guinevere's Dad, Kevin Z. |
Thanks or the advise, Kevin Z! I'll try it. Wow, Guinevere has a really black nose! Do you know how I can help Byron's nose turn black? He's got patches of pink on his nose.  |
| I don't think there is anything you can do about noses, other than to let nature take its course. I think it has to do with genetics, and there is no real way to tell how black they will get. Guinney has some pink on the sides of her nose, but it has changed since she was a puppy. I know from what I have read on the list that they continue to change in this regard until they are full grown - usually about 18 - 24 months.
Would love to see a pic of Byron - you should get one to go with your posting! Hugs to him! Cheers! Guinevere's Dad, Kevin Z. |
I had a dog with an extreme case of separation anxiety and it was alleviated through training and the help of a drug called ''Clomicalm" This was monitored very closely by my vet and the drug was not prescribed as a long term fix. It is like a doggy prozac, and with behavior modification a rug-chewing(down to the sub-floor) destructive animal became the member of the family I knew she could become. I am a stay at home mom, so it wasn't like she was left for very long, she was just anxious. Now she is confident, and yes, still very attached, but her confidence in training with the added element of the clomicalm allowed her to focus on the training not the anxiety.  |
| I'll try looking for it, wonder if the Vets here allow such prescriptions. Ppl in Singapore are not as pet-oriented as ppl in the States and other Western countries are. To be straight, we do not have laws here that really protect animals. Most ppl here detest animals.
Do you guys have any email? I can mail you Byron's Pics!  |
| First, bless you for providing a loving home for this sheepie. Kevin Z's post is right on target.
There is a wonderful book by Dr. Nicholas Dodman entitled "The Dog Who Loved Too Much" and the book covers several cases of dogs with separation anxiety. He has another book entitled "Dogs Behaving Badly" that also has great tips on how to modify the behavior. My deaf sheepie has slight separation anxiety when I leave her out loose in the house. She is fine if I put her in her crate before I leave. (She was adopted through Rescue in Jan. 2002 and came with some "issues" that were a result of her former life). We have visited Dr. Dodman, and his recommendations in person are very similar to those in his book. His approach tends to be: Help the dog to develop self-confidence Make sure the dog has at least 30 min. active aerobic exercize every day Make sure you are feeding an appropriate diet (not too high on protein) Turn leaving into a "fun thing" by leaving wonderful treats/toys that the dog only gets when you leave (like a rubber Kong toy filled with peanut butter and kibble, frozen). Don't make a big deal about leaving or returning. Lastly, Dr. Dodman is a BIG advocate of using medication for dogs with separation anxiety, namely Prozac, or other drugs in that family. He has had a lot of success treating dogs in this manner. Best of luck to you |
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