Ridiculous anxiety attack
I wasn't gone 5 minutes and when I got back Toby acted like he had been abandoned, running circles around Charlie, jumping and barking. My wife said while we were gone he had frantically looked all over the house for Charlie and finally curled up in a ball at the back door. Charlie couldn't see what all the fuss was about and when Toby settled down a bit, Charlie laid down on the floor of the family room like usual. Toby laid down facing to him, which is not all that unusual lately, but he then proceeded to lick Charlie's face from underneath with enthusiasm until Charlie finally licked his muzzle a few times himself-- which was unusual. I know Toby is a bit insecure, like many of the OES rescues I have had, but this degree of separation anxiety was ridiculous. |
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| sounds more clinical than ridiculous. I would have a good vet evaluate him. |
| I wouldn't worry about it happening once but I'd investigate solutions more if it continued to happen. If this was the first time they've been separated, maybe he was just confused and maybe a little jealous. There's always all kind so of confusion if only one of ours gets to go alone with me instead of all. I'd treat it like any other separation anxiety and start small trips away from one another until he realizes that no one's going anywhere. |
kerry wrote: sounds more clinical than ridiculous. I would have a good vet evaluate him.
There's nothing physically wrong with him. He was just at the vets a couple of weeks ago. Eating well, exercises, and is maintaining a good weight. Toby was not allowed in the house by his previous owner. I don't think he was given a lot of attention either since he was very matted when he was brought into the shelter on a voluntary surrender. They did spend quite a bit of money when he as a couple of months old repairing a broken femur when he fell off a second story deck but that's no indication of how much attention he was given. He still has four steel bars on the head of his femur and one leg is slightly shorter than the other. Clearly he was the wrong dog for that family though. He never had another dog as a companion either, until Charlie. He has, however, become the ultimate velcro dog with all of his new family including Charlie, apparently. Last night was the first time in a year they were separated, even for a few minutes, I now realize-- they even go on their walks and to the vet together. He clearly over-reacted. Maybe I should take Toby out by himself more often and leave Charlie behind once in awhile. |
| if it continues - you need to bring it up with the vet. they are very hesitent to disagnose clinical anxiety issues. of courseif you find a behavioral vet its easier. I spent over a year working with my vets before they realized it was a clinical issue not a training issue with one of my dogs. |
kerry wrote: if it continues - you need to bring it up with the vet. they are very hesitent to disagnose clinical anxiety issues. of courseif you find a behavioral vet its easier. I spent over a year working with my vets before they realized it was a clinical issue not a training issue with one of my dogs.
I know what you're saying and where you're coming from, Kerry, and of course it could be clinical, but in this case my first suspicion would be that he's overly dependant on his buddy. And probably jealous too. If they're never apart he may not even know know how to cope on his own. Might be a good idea to start doing things separately with them, but start by taking him out on his own first, the less stressful option. Short little outings. Then switch dogs. Belle of all dogs (!!) threw a fit once when I was in MN for the regional. I showed Mad in breed as a puppy and Belle in obedience on Friday. I was entered the rest of the weekend, but only in breed. Since I was staying with a friend I thought Belle would be more comfortable if she stayed at her house with a couple of her OES relatives rather than spend all day at the show site. Boy was I wrong 
My friend's partner called her up none too happy with either one of us. As soon as we left Belle had started pacing through the house and then settled onto their kitchen table (what is it about my dogs and tables???    ) where she evidently stood and barked and just generally threw a hissy.
I was surprised to say the least. High in Trial obedience dog one day (OES only, don't get all excited  ), a raving lunatic the next. The next day I brought her to the show site with us and all was fine in her world. I never saw that one coming though.
If Toby starts going out on his own and gains some confidence that way, they can always take Charlie out for a short test drive. Literally just a walk around the block or something. And keep doing that until it becomes a non-issue. Unless it never reoccurs to begin with, but they won't know till they try. The anxiety and stress are real though. It may look ridiculous and overblown, but not to the dog. My present foster threw hissy fits the first few days when I left for work and I came home to some lovely accidents in her crate, she was so stressed out. Within 4-5 days she had settled and she's fine now, but she was a genuine wreck those first few days. It was painful to see her go through that. That kind of anxiety is no fun for anyone. Kristine |
| We raised two puppies together and had some of this kind of behaviour. We realized that they were NEVER EVER apart. When they were both little it was easy enough to take both wherever we went.
So, we started doing things with each one separately. It started with each one going on a walk with ONE of us, but in different directions. That way, one wasn't actually ALONE, but was simply otherwise engaged. Gradually we started doing one dog at home and one coming along, making sure we kept it "even" (probably more important to us than to them). In time we were even able to have one spend a weekend at the lake with my husband while the other stayed home with me, and vice versa. I really cherished those times when I had just the one to pamper and walk and snuggle (one was MUCH easier than two). I think that, if done gradually, this may not be too hard to correct. We did it and I'm very glad. Ten years later we had one dog who was in perfect health and one with many health concerns. There were no separation issues at all by then, and it sure made taking one to the vet a lot easier. Unfortunately, when one passed away, it took a huge toll on the other. I guess no amount of practice being okay on his own was enough to prepare our Portage for life without his brother. We lived with major issues for a few months while we waited for his new little bro (evil puppy) to arrive. Now Portage is back to normal, and we're doing the same kinds of things with our new arrival, so he learns to be out alone sometimes and also home alone sometimes. Good luck to you all. |
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