Seperation Anxiety

[ooohyaaa]

Hi all, I am new to this site and hope maybe some of you have some advice. I have an 11 month old Male Cane Corso, which is an Italian Mastiff. He was flown here from Europe when he was 11 weeks old. I got him in Nov. 2007. He is a great dog and has always been a very laid back puppy but he hates being alone. We noticed about a week after we got him that he escaped from his crate which I returned and got a vari-kennel instead, he also broke the gate right off it. Well to make a long story short I had put him in a kennel this past weekend and he completely rubbed his nose raw. i dont even know why I left him cause I just felt sick to my stomach worrying about him. I have not been seperated from this dog since Nov. When I go out for under an hour I leave him a meat bone and he does ok but any longer than that and he will scratch at the garage door cause he thinks that he can get to us. I have tried phermones, kongs filled with peanut butter. Any info you can give, books or advice would be great cause I do not want to have to put him on anxiety drugs. My dog is just not happy unless he can see you. I did forgot to mention that he has not chewed anything in the house only scratched at the frame around the door so I had to wash white pay prints that were all over the house. He also whines and barks. I don't even try the kennel as I am afraid that he will hurt himself.

[armash]

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[JamersRN]

Have you tried lengthening the time away from your dog gently (increasing by small increments how much time you are apart from each other?)? Are you triggering anxiety with the same departure routine? Just something to think about. I've got my own probs with my Sophie. Good luck!

[cattychew]

I had this problem with my dog when we moved, dealing with it required a lot of restraint.

When I would get home, my first reaction was to go to my dog and calm her down and reassure her that everything was OK. But this is the worst thing you can do for a dog with separation anxiety. It's hard, but when you get home and your dog is excited and seeking reassurance you have to ignore him. Which means no eye contact, petting or anything until he reaches an appropriate level of calm. Once he is calm you can praise him all you want.

The same goes for when you leave the house. You need to treat your leaving as no big deal. Which means no petting, goodbyes or treats. Get what you need ready a little beforehand, put your dog somewhere he will be entertained and wont injure himself (do it without talking to him) and then go.

See, in dog language petting and fussing over a dog when they are upset isn't saying "I'm sorry, I missed you, too." but rather "You were right to be upset. Something horrible could have happened."

You can also give it a few practice runs with varied lengths of time away. My dog managed to get the point in about a week or so. And she had been so bad she would urinate on the floor if she thought I was even contemplating leaving. She still gets a little upset when she sees me get my shoes, but she deals with it well.

Good luck!