Separation Anxiety? and Barking
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| Hi, welcome to the forum and I am so sorry about the loss of your brother.
I'm sure part of the problem is still part of the dog's grieving process. If the dog witnessed the passing maybe this is part of his distress? I'm sure it will take some time for him to adapt to you & your family too and all the unfamiliar surroundings & smells must be a bit overwhelming too. It just seems so coincidental that he's attaching himself to you. He must miss your brother so much. The only suggestion I can offer, even though I'm sure you just want to comfort the dog, is an ignoring technique. Whenever you leave the house, don't fuss over the dog, talk to him, etc., so he doesn't relate the fuss to you leaving. Whenever you return, walk into the house and completely ignore him until he settles & lays down. Go about your business, do not even make eye contact, talk to him, etc. A good sign of dog relaxing is sighing. Once he settles down, give yourself 5 minutes and then you can call the dog to you. You can start with short exits like taking your trash out, etc. to help him get used to it. It will take a while for it to work but hopefully it should work. This is the book that I got the information from which explains to you the reasoning behind the technique: The Dog Listener: Learn How to Communicate with Your Dog for Willing Cooperation, by Jan Fennell I'm sure other folks will chime in with their suggestions. Good luck with everything, and the people on this forum are here to help with any questions that you have about sheepdogs. I'm sure that he will be a wonderful companion for you, sooner than you think. |
| Thank you so much for your suggestions. Actually, I am the sister. We were familiar with Denver before, he would visit our home every Christmas for 4 or 5 days. Denver did witness the passing and actually went to the neighbors and sat on their porch until they went to my brothers house to see why the dog was out alone.
I certainly will use your suggestions as we are becoming very attached to Denver and his lovable temperment. I neglected to mention that he is also a certified therapy dog and is well trained. |
| I am so sorry about the loss of your brother.
Was your brother a member of the forum? If you're not sure, what is the dog's name and what city did he live in? I agree with Verve, you want to ignore him when the dog's behavior is not what you would like. Once he has calmed down then and only then do you praise him. I have to believe since the dog was well trained, it is use to certain commands. He may be confused since he is no longer getting those specific commands. There are others here on the forum that their dogs are also trained for therapy work that could educate you more on the commands to use. I hope everything works out for the best. Please feel free to roam the forum or even join and ask plenty of questions. You will find that we are more than willing to try to help. |
| Hello and thank you. I do not know if he was a member. The dogs pedigree name is Ch. Denver Millenium Alexander and was from Wichita Kansas. He originated from a breeder in Colorado and was in the top 25 AKC sheepdogs in 2003. I am not sure what his total point standing was as all of his paperwork has not yet been shipped to me. |
| Sorry to hear about your brother and thankyou for looking after Denver.
Give him a little time and hopefully he will settle down for you. Verveup said should help, ignore the behaviour, start getting him into a steady routine with everything and hopefully when he settles in a bit more and gets use to his new enviroment he will settle more for you. No fussing when you go out and same when you return. When he is quieter then that is the time to fuss. He sounds like a sweetie and I wish you all things good for Denver, he has been through a lot, so be paitient with him and glad he is bonding with you too.  |
| Welcome, I am very sorry about the loss of your brother.
I know that if I pass away the greatest thing anyone could ever do for me would be to love and care for my Sheepies. So I don't have any advice for you, I think Denver is probably just really freaked out. Sheepies are real velcro dogs and he probably is really grieving for your brother. I just wish you well. |
| Welcome! I am so sorry for your loss and so glad you found this forum.
Having adopted an anxious hyper dog, I agree with what has already been said -- ignore the dog until he settles himself down. I won't look at, talk to, or touch mine when they are riled up and I will walk away from them if they are persistant. My adopted senior dog, Chumley, figured it out in less than a month and now greets me calmly and patiently. Young Maggie still has a ways to go but she has gotten so much better. I am also a big fan of crating to keep the dog out of trouble and to help him settle himself down. He sounds like a wonderful dog. I hope you will post some pictures of him. Best, Val |
| I am so sorry for your loss.
I agree with everyone with ignoring. I use it with The Muppets...they are awesome when I come home now. It's just training my friends that seem to be the problem!  I have a way to go with them!
Poor baby Denver! I'm so glad you chose to take him in! I'm sure he will be fine in a while, just needs time to grieve as I'm sure you do. Please keep us updated and we LOVE pictures! hint...hint! |
| I don't have any input on the attachment but I wanted to let you know how sorry I am about your brother. That is so great that you took Denver in and I am sure that your brother would be pleased. Good luck to you and Denver. |
| Welcome to the forum, even though it's not under the best of circumstances.
I'm so sorry for the loss of your brother. And thank you so much for taking Denver into your home. All the advice you've gotten is right, and I'm sure he'll settle down soon. He's a smart dog, he'll catch on quickly. Please remember, though, that Denver is grieving right along with you. Sheepdogs are velcro dogs in general, and he's being extra clingy because he's grieving. Once he settles down, since he's a therapy dog, you can use that to both of your advantages. Take good care, and again, thank you for adopting Denver. My thoughts and prayers are with you as you grieve. |
| Thanks so much for everyones kind words and suggestions for Denver. I have added a pic of him as my avatar. Please continue to offer any advise as I am sponging in all the info possible. |
He's simply GORGEOUS!!  |
| Welcome to the forum!
I only sorry you had to join us under such difficult circumstances. Please accept my sympathy for the loss of your brother. You've gotten good advise as to how to work with Denver. He is a beautiful boy and will settle in nicely with your family. In time you'll wonder what life was like without him. Please keep us posted on his progess. |
I'm sorry about your brother 's passing. 
I am glad to hear you have taken Denver in...what a great name... Lots of great advise. Denver's barking is a sign of stress. He neesds to feel that he is going to be OK by himself. A couple of things that came to my mind are that as he has his championship I am assume he has traveled and spent some times in a crate. If this is so I would use that expereince to my advantage, and crate him for small periods of timeeven when you are home. Give him a Kong filled with goodies that will keep him occupied so he will not be stressed. It may take a long time for him to settle down and feel comfortable. I took in a rescue dog almost 6 months ago, and she still needs to be either clinging to someone or sitting on a lap when she is not sleeping. If I try to leave the room when she is napping she jumps up and follows me. Still with a baby gate she will whine and often just jump it to be close and in the same room. However, she will be nice and quiet in her crate....She wasn't always quiet in her crate, but we worked on it and made it a special place for her. It may be a slow process, but by easing into it the stress will be reduced for him, and he can start to relax. Good luck. |
| I just had to tell you that he is absolutely stunning. What a gorgeous sheepdog. |
| I'm sorry for the passing of your brother. You are obviously honoring his memory by taking care of his beloved Denver. He is a very beautiful dog and I hope he is able to settle within his new pack comfortably soon. |
| Everyone in the household is mourning your brothers loss in their own way. In some ways, Denver feels the loss at a more personal level, since he lived, took direction and felt attached to your brother, in a way we will never understand.
Give it time and space. Soon Denver will learn his place within his new family and appreciate your devotion and understanding. And in turn, his presence will allow you to still have a piece of your brother. All the best. |
| What a great group you have. I would like to thank everyone for their info and for expressing their sympathies. I will certainly keep connected with the OES forums. You have been wonderful.
Sincerely Ch. Denver |
That's great! Please do! I'd love an update on the adjustment and more pictures!! 
Ch. Denver wrote: I will certainly keep connected with the OES forums. You have been wonderful. |
| I have recevied Denver's paperwork from Kansas as well as a ton of photos. Everything from his pictures from his show wins to having fun in the local park. I would like to post a couple of his pics but not sure how to do that. Can someone instruct me? I also found a lot of interesting things. He has a locator chip as well as vials of frozen sperm in storage. I learn more about him everyday, what an interesting sheepdog. |
| Here's the picture posting info:
http://forum.oes.org/viewtopic.php?t=6185 Who knew there was a Sheepie Sperm Bank! |
| I know I'm a little late getting in on the discussion but you might also try one of those D.A.P. diffusers: http://www.farnampet.com/behavior_info/ ... lk_dap.php
I don't have any experience using one myself but I know how stressful it can be with a barking, anxious dog. Our OES, Clyde had a heck of a time with separation anxiety when he was younger-- our scratched walls are evidence of that! We were going to try the D.A.P. thing next but then he started getting better so we never got it. I don't think it'll work miracles, but in combination with the other things that people have already suggested, it might be something to supplement your efforts. |
| I posted 3 pics of Denver playing in the park in Kansas. I will post some of his show pics as soon as I get them sorted out. |
| He's a magnificent dog. |
| Denver is positively stunning!! Wow!!
Thank you for posting the pictures of him! |
Wow...Panda is in love.....again  |
| He is gorgeous. Keep those pictures coming. |
| Wow, he is beautiful!
I'm sure your brother was proud to have such a beautiful dog! One thing not mentioned is contacting your vet and seeing of a short round of anti anxiety drugs might help Denver. They may be just enough to get him over this rough period. Rescue dogs often go through this rough time, but strong and consistent human leadership will greatly help. He needs a new leader and isn't sure you are the one. Walks, lots of walks, some general obedience work and just general being there, letting him be velcroed to you but also encouraging exploration and independence. Do you have a dog park where he could interact with other dogs? At first, of course, on lead. What about grooming? Are you doing the brushing? That's a good way to bond. He's been thru a lot and is praying (in doggie fashion) that you will be there for him. It takes time. It took Jack a good two months before he settled down and 8 months before he was truly trusting me, my husband, our other dogs ......and was comfortable. |
| It sounds as if Denver truely was your brother's significant other, and Denver his. Be patient, he too is in mourning. He is one of the most handsome Sheepies I've seen. I'm sorry for the loss of your brother, thank goodness Denver was there to alert the neighbors...what a hero.
Kathy |
| I posted one of Denver's show pics and also something my brother was especially proud of: His invitation to the Eukanuba even though he was unable to attend the show that year. |
| Wow!!
So how are you doing with the grooming? Is he still in full coat? Have you attempted it? |
| He is an absolutely gorgeous dog. Are things getting any easier as far as his velcro-like attachment? |
I AM SO SORRY FOR YOUR LOSS! 
i will say that olive is in love with your Denver. wow what a beautiful dog, and what a loyal one to go and announce there was troublt. That is such a touching story. Will you continue to show the dog, or is he now a pet only. As far as the barking am sure he will settle in once he is settled and less nervous. it took a week or so but as long as my dog olive is in the same room with me, but in her crate she will just lay down and rest. i bought a crate that is light weight and made like tent so it moves easy. I like the konk idea and i also freeze the stuffing so that it takes a long time for them to get through it and it won't get all over your carpet or floor that way. Bless you for taking in Denver and i hope you are as well handeling your grief. i will keep you and denver in my prayers |
| I guess I need to confess now. I was unable to spend the 3 hours every evening that my brother spent on grooming Denver's coat and was forced into having him clipped into a puppy cut. (It is really cute though). I am able to spend 30 minutes a day on him and can keep his coat under control now. He loves to be groomed and will take it upon himself to jump onto the grooming table to let me know he is ready for a good brushing. He is still very attached to me and we are still working on the barking issue. I purchased some Pheromones(sp) and am giving that spray a try. His checkup at the vet was excellent and I have located some of his other records, eye checks, hip checks, etc. I don't plan to use him for breeding since I have located 8 vials of frozen sperm in storage in Kansas. I am sure that will be sufficient if I am contacted by someone for breeding purposes. One of the things the vet addressed was if I had planned on having him neutered. He indicated it was very beneficial for the health of the dog, warding off cancer, etc and said it may help take a little of the "edge" off Denver's anxiety. Does anyone have any thoughts on the neuter vs non-neuter? Denver is the first male dog I have ever owned. We have small female dogs in our home. (Interesting that he doesn't have any thoughts of them being female. He just treats them as his buddies, nothing romantic at all) Please let me know your pros and cons on neutering.
Thanks Ch. Denver |
| My deepest condolences on the passing of your brother.
The other thing to understand about Denver is that sheepdogs have an intense need for affection and really like to be with their people. Some breeds are more independent and a few are even aloof. An OES is not. My dogs tend to follow us around, too, even without the sadness of such a loss. So, to a certain extent, wanting to be with you --a lot--will probably always be part of the Denver package. I neutered my male dogs and plan to spay and neuter the two puppies we have when they are a little older. However, with the exception of my first dog, who has since passed away, none were probably ideal breeding stock. They're nice, pet quality dogs, with good health and good temperments, but not ideal as far as conformation goes. You have a proven champion and so you might want to do a little investigation before you make a decision. If you know any of your brother's sheep dog friends, especially if they are breeders or show dogs, you might talk with them. Since I have never bred one of my dogs and don't show, I can't give much advice. However, if it weren't for the fact that Denver is a champion, I wouldn't hesitate to suggest he be neutered. There are health benefits to neutering, and it does tend to calm down dogs, as well. |
Ch. Denver wrote: I guess I need to confess now. I was unable to spend the 3 hours every evening that my brother spent on grooming Denver's coat and was forced into having him clipped into a puppy cut. (It is really cute though). I am able to spend 30 minutes a day on him and can keep his coat under control now.
There's no shame in that ! particularly since you didn't exactly choose this very demanding (from a grooming perspective) breed. That's actually quite a bit of time spent on grooming, really. I keep Maggie in a puppy cut or shorter. Whatever it takes for you to enjoy having your brother's dog sounds right to me! If the shorter hair makes it easier, good for you both I would love to see pics of his puppy cut. I bet he looks very cute. |
| For Shame! It's a shame that you feel shame for doing what the vast majority of posters in here do...
My dog never has more than 3 inches -- maybe 4. I say go for the neuter, but I'm not a breeder. Perhaps someone on here can help you understand Denver's pedigree and see fi there's a need in sheepiedom for his bloodlines? If there is, is 8 vials enough? Then either have more vials preserved (or not) and have him neutered. But again, I'm not a breeder. Good luck! |
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