Medical treatment for behavioral issues
 I have started her on Prozac to help calm/dull her.  It will take 1 - 2 months before having an effect. Has anyone had experience with this or other treatments? I am also looking into the Depo provera shot which apparently will raise progesterone and have a calming affect. I feel it is ridiculous that I go (and have always gone) to such great lengths when others around do nothing. However, I am not willing to risk my dogs. Any suggestions? It would be so nice for my dogs to be able to enjoy our backyard. Unless my neighbors start training their dogs or bring them inside I don't see how I can risk it without further protection. |
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| If there is no clinical issue and she is barking because as you pointed out you don't have the time to properly exercise her, no medication a vet would ethically administer will work. |
| Boy, I think I'd just move if I had the ability to do so.
It sucks that you have to resort to bark collars 24-7 on all your dogs. I'm assuming these are the citronella kind? Are the neighbor's dogs out all the time? I can't remember from what you had said in your other posts. Our neighbors and I try to let the dogs out in shifts to minimize the neighborhood noise. My gay couple next door is super good about it but my single guy on the other side is kind of a dummy and believes his dog every time it barks to go out. Needless to say, it does help but you need the neighbors to cooperate. Have you tried any natural supplements before treating with Prozac? Some dogs chill out a lot with a daily melatonin supplement. Bear can get a little high strung and I've found the melatonin to be just as effective as Elavil, which he has also tried. I've found that just doing some good old fashioned separating of dogs in the house had the best effect in calming him down if he gets barky and excited. He goes in the dining room where he can still see us but he's behind a gate and the other two stay on the other side, allowing him time to himself. It seems like just taking the other dogs out of the mix for a short time can be really helpful. In fact, Bear is drug free now. If it's all of them, each one gets a corner until they've calmed down, like a time out. I really don't know much about hormonal treatments for dogs (especially dogs with seizures) but I know a few women who have had the Depo Provera shot and it made their hormones (and, consequently, them) crazy and they couldn't wait for it to wear off. It's hard with multiple dogs though, it's like juggling. One can do this but can't do that but then the other two like one thing but it makes the third upset. It goes on and on. You've got a lot of dogs with probably a ton of energy to burn since they're pretty limited in what they can do so you and the dogs are probably going nuts, which is probably not helping the barking situation either. What are your fence options? Can you put up some kind of solid fencing that would help block the view of the dogs next door? Perhaps just designate a dog run that is away from that side of the yard? |
| Nyssa has always been high-strung. We have worked with behaviorists as well as reg. trainers. She calms down a bit if we exercise extensively and after our regular obedience sessions. When she was younger, she was on Clomicalm for separation anxiety and general antsiness. She has a beef with one of the neighbor's dogs as it has bitten her three times (once during their last playdate and twice through the fence). Over time, her 'defending' the one fenceline has gradually turned into all as none of the neighborhood dogs are trained, all run the fences and most are outside 24/7. We have a separate area attached to the house that is fenced off within the backyard. As the other dogs will still bark at her, I am afraid to let Nyssa spend even extended times there as I am afraid that she might bark back. For some reason, she sounds louder in my neighbor's house than she does outside & is barely heard in my house. I think it is just bad luck involving the height of their house (most houses around here are 2 stories while mine is a ranch). The neighbors are against me putting slats into the fence. (They were here first so I technically only own the back and front portions which are relatively dog free.
The collars we are using now are shock collars. Nyssa outsmarted the citronella collar, dismantled the ultrasonic collars and ignores the ultrasonic box. The melatonin is a good idea! I'll have to try it. Mojo takes it every night b/c it seems to help prevent seizures. As the medication is also to help Nyssa have a calmer state of mind while in the presence of our cats, the vets have no qualms about treating her. They also recognize that beyond being helpful for her, it is also to benefit the entire group & cats. Even after running several miles, Nyssa is still on the hyper-alert end. She is a true working dog. Unfortunately, it is difficult to find her a job in the yard. During good weather, we play ball for at least 45 min. a day. In bad weather, we just run endless obedience drills in the house. It seems that the more restricted she is from the backyard, the more likely she is to bark when actually let into the yard. It is almost as if she is making up for lost chances.
I'll definitely try the melatonin today. If that works, it will be a quick and harmless fix! |
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