An Un-Happy Celebration

My poor hound-mutt, Eddie (short for Edward J. Snuggle-Bottom Pants-Man, III) is already having a terrible 4th of July weekend.  To be fair, Eddie is an extreme case; he's a rescue and x-rays have confirmed that he was shot several times.  The bullets are buried deep in his backside, but his fragile mental state is plainly obvious.

Like many fears Eddie's "consistent concern" with noises has grown to include any loud noises.  A big gust of wind is enough to put him on high alert, but fireworks are the worst and I pay special attention to Eddie each year as the Fourth of July nears.

The climate of San Francisco is virtually thunder-storm free, but if it were not I would likely consult with Eddie's veterinarian and begin the process of finding him the right anti-anxiety medication.  As it is, the incidents are fairly isolated and we have gotten by with the following routine:

Like many sound-phobic dogs Eddie is prone to pacing.  While confinement can exacerbate the panic response (they feel stuck), many dogs do well having access to a small den in a dark room.  Eddie does best when confined to the back of the house in a small room with little light and his crate open and available to him.  Some dogs also enjoy a small fan or a radio.

In the days leading up to the Fourth of July there are often single firecrackers that go off.  For each of these Eddie gets a huge surprise delivery of broiled chicken (about 1/2 cup of 1" pieces).  In fact I often don't feed him much in the days preceding the 4th except his a light kong (his usual meal stuffed into a rubber toy and frozen) and the "Noisy-Snacks!"   Eddie gets these "room-service" style, meaning: he doesn't have to do anything for them, I bring them to him.  

While it is tempting to hold, pet and sooth my terrified dog with sweet words, this has never helped.  In fact it actually seems to make things worse.  So I must put aside my urge to comfort as a human being and just do my best to make him believe that noises bring snacks.  Incidentally these "Noisy-Snacks" are special to this time of year and that seems to really help.  As does getting an early start.

In preparation for the big celebration, Eddie fasts all day (with the exception of a few pieces of chicken for the early booms, whizzes and pops).  that evening I usually give Eddie a nice big frozen Kong stuffed with rice and hamburger and cheese and small chunks of pig's ears.  This is all carefully layered into Eddie's Extra-Large Kong and frozen that morning.  At the first pop that evening I deliver Eddie his Kong into the crate and turn on some music -(Eddie likes Johnny Cash & Patsy Cline).  I deliver additional Noisy-Snacks for outstanding sounds, but otherwise I leave Eddie alone.

He usually has some soft stool the next day (either from the stress of the food, I'm not sure) and is on-edge for about a week.  Still that's a small price to pay.  If your dog panics because of loud noises, please plan to spend some time to make arrangements to help them cope with the fireworks.  Take special care to make sure they are safe indoors.  Too many dogs are hurt and injured each year when they panic and try to escape the scary storm of booming, popping, whizzing noises.  In particularly bad cases, anti-anxiety medication can usually be prescribed by your veterinarian.

HOPEFUL FOR A HAPPY FOURTH

G is for Go!

It is critical that you tell your dog when they are released from duty & free to do what they want.

I really suggest that you use a special Release Word, like "Go," "Free" or "Done!" so that your dog clearly understands when they are no longer required to Sit, Stay, or  be in their Bed.  "Ok" is a poor, release-word choice  because it is so often and casually thrown about in conversation.  Pick a clear word that you rarely use if you want to avoid mistakes.

Dogs love to put together puzzles, especially ones that they think have meaning to them.  

BUT... being clever sometimes gets them in trouble!

Here is an example:

When I leave the house and my Aussie-dog is usually expecting to come with me --He usually is.

When he is invited out the door, he always does a Sit-Stay on the front porch.  

I rarely ask for this, he knows it is expected and beats me to asking nearly every time.  Clever, right?

In other situations he is also proficient at Sit & Stay --He can perform them perfectly in the hardest of distractions.  

But he started breaking his Stay (go before being released) in the mornings on the porch.  

What happened?

I used to hit the car-alarm button on my way down the steps.

Then, open the back of the car for my Aussie.  

I would call him, "Load-up!"

While he loaded himself in the crate, I would load my bags and ever-present mug of coffee.  

Finally I would get him settled in the back, shut the tailgate, go around to the driver's side and we would be off.

NAUGHTY, or CLEVER?

Clever!  Absolutely, clever.  He started chaining the events together.  

Bip-Bip...        Predicted...        Click-Woosh...        Predicted...        "Load-up!"

It took awhile, but eventually my dog learned the sound of the new alarm un-locking the doors and the sound of the tail-gate opening.  

BEFORE I could call him, he would be screaming down the steps and jumping in the back.  

What happened is that the EVENTS over-shadowed (they were bigger and more noticeable) than my words "Load-up."

It became pointless for my dog to listen for a "release word" because he could PREDICT what was going to happen.

I like when he does this on the porch -he predicts that I am going to ask him to sit, so he just does it.  

However, I did not want him predicting a release before I checked that the coast was clear -what to do?

The solution.

I mix up the routine a lot more now.  Sometimes I call him BEFORE the alarm, sometimes after.  Sometimes I load my bags first, sometimes after.  Sometimes I have him heel to the car and sometimes I come get him.  Sometimes I open doors I don't need to, just to test him.

BUT I ALWAYS, ALWAYS say, "Done!" (his release from the stay) before I call him.  That way he knows that until he hears "DONE!" he needs to STAY!.  The word is now more important than ever because I made it THE MOST IMPORTANT CLUE.

Do you have a question for Kelley? by DogTime blogger Kelley Filson

kdlanning 
Murrieta, CA

FEBRUARY 26, 2009, 4:52 PM

How do you resolve separation anxiety with a 6 month old puppy? We've left her alone at the house a couple of times and she's torn up the area that we left her at. Thanks.

Dear Six-Months & SepAnxie,

It is unclear from the information that you have given me whether your pup has the disorder called Separation Anxiety or whether you have a very normal, rascally pup who just got bored or frustrated when left alone.  Is that her picture?  She looks very cute.  For both your sakes, I  hope your pup is just a rascal; Separation Anxiety is not easy to fix and rarely gets better without professional help.  

I am a little concerned that she is already 6-months old and has not been left alone more than a few times.  Did you just adopted her?  Are you taking her to work or doggie daycare?  Is someone almost always at home?  Or, have you avoided leaving her alone because of the mess she makes?  

Always staying with or taking along your pup may seem "better."  However, puppies who are not crate/confinement-trained and/or left alone before 3-4 months of age are more likely to vocalize excessively and behave destructively when left alone later in life.  It is not too late to teach her to be alone, but it might take some patience & dedicated training.  Again that she is 6-month and making a mess does not mean she has Separation Anxiety Disorder, she may just be a normal, messy pup.  Even if she does not like being left alone, there is hope.  I hope the post below can guide you.  

Thanks for inquiring,

Kelley

IS YOUR PUPPY PITCHING-A-FIT WHEN LEFT ALONE?

For many owners/guardians it is hard to gauge a "normal" amount of puppy barking, whining, flailing.  This is increasingly hard when one is trying to accomplish crate/confinement-training.  Depending on the dog, it can seem like your puppy is suffering horrifically when you leave her alone.  While it often sounds awful, there is a good degree of hyped up hysterics that can just be ignored.  This is easy for trainers and other dog professionals, but hard for new puppy parents who are justifiably protective of their new pup.

Puppies come pre-programmed with a highly-successful attention-seeking behavior: bark, howl, cry, whine.  When this doesn't work, (because you ignore their barking (look away, stay away, or stop talking, looking or petting) they throw a puppy-temper-tantrum.  This can look and sound downright scary, so it is understandable why owners panic and grope for information about what is happening.  However jumping to a diagnosis of Separation Anxiety for a pup that barks is like determining that someone who ate dinner and then threw up is bulimic.  Let's rule out normal puppy tantrum and learned barking (flu or food poisoning) first. 

Pups can learn that barking gets stuff -AND they learn it quickly at a very young age.  The truth is that most pups who bark, whine, howl, and yip when left alone are just being normal pups.  When they are born pups learn that whining, whimpering and yowling gets them food, relief and warmth.  Later when the pup moves in with people, it must learn that barking does not work.  Ignoring the noise is the only way to teach your pup that barking does NOT work.  

Punishing a pup for barking is a mistake, it will ruin your relationship, and possibly make the dog aggressive.  Or, the dog will learn to bark when no one can get there to deliver a punishment, but will bark freely when you are not around.  It is hard to ignore a barking dog.  Here are some tips.  IGNORE means:  Do not look at, talk to, touch or go towards your pup.  

Do not return to or let your pup out until the pup has completely given up making noise & settles into doing something else, like laying down, chewing, or eating.  When it is time to let your pup out again, praise your pup clearly from outside the room.  Then, go get your puppy.  In this version, once you praise the pup, they get out -even if they make noise once you enter the room.  Use the same phrase each time you praise your dog.  Here is a harder, tough-love version.  Enter the room, leave immediately if your pup starts to make noise again (don't choose this version if your pup has been in there a long time and is ready for a potty-break).

Puppies are messy!  Pups that chew, shred, smear, and gnaw on this are also normal.   There is no fancy label for their behavior, they are just young.  They can, and will make a mess especially if left alone for long periods of time (more than 2-3 hours).  It is not unusual for pups to chew on paper, shred wee-pads, or smear their pee & poop around.  They don't do it on purpose -it just happens to be there when they are romping around and making up their own games.  

There are things you can do to minimize messes.  Unless your pup has caused serious damage to a door, window, gate, crate or worse themselves, they are a normal pup.  Most messes are NOT done in a panic, but that instead the results of a darn good solo-puppy-party!  However, if your dog has done serious damage to a door, window, gate, crate or bloodied their paws or face, then you may have a dog with Separation Anxiety Disorder.

Understanding & DEALING WITH NORMAL PUPPY BARKING

Barking can be done anywhere and so it is the most difficult to manage.  There are many things you can do to channel your pups play-energy into appropriate places.  Exercise, play fetch and tug, Kong-feeding, chew-toys, puppy-proofing, gating, and crating all help minimize and contain a mess.  More importantly a tired pup is a quiet pup.

Confining and/or crating a pup is important and should be done despite the fact that your pup might rather not be away from you.  Toddlers that fuss when put in a car seat do not get to ride on your lap simply because they want to be there.  Eventually kids stop fussing about car seats and seat belts because it fails to work.  However temper tantrums are aweful -they are more than complaints; they are last ditch efforts to get something, or get out of something.  Puppy barking can be very loud if the pup is frustrated.  This can happen when they are learning that what used to work, crying for food, milk, warmth, companionship, is no longer an acceptable way to ask for things (that worked with dog-mom, but not people-parents).  

IF THEY DON'T LIKE IT, DO YOU STILL HAVE TO CRATE/CONFINEMENT-TRAIN YOUR PUPPY?

Yes.  Imagine if you boarded a plane and the person next to you just started sobbing, them screaming and rolling on the ground.  When a baby cries it is annoying, but acceptable age-appropriate behavior.  For an adult to do this instead of asking for a blanket or beverage is abnormal.  The times in your life at which you learned that screaming and crying would not get you things was probably stressful and frustrating for you and your parents.  Crate/confinement-training is not easy, but it is necessary for a well-adjusted dog.

Now that you understand WHY your puppy is barking...

You can TEACH YOUR PUPPY TO BE ALONE!

If you have never left your puppy alone it is important to do everything that you can to set them up for success.

Puppies should have an area that is safe and can be gated-off. If you have a jumper, try stacking two gates. I prefer this to shutting a door. Door need to be opened to see what is happening, and they can be scratched. If you aren't sure... start by stacking two gates so that any jumping attempts will fail.

This area should be easy-to-clean, in case your pup has an accident. Tile and linoleum floor are best. Cement is porous and will absorb odors unless protected with a sealant. The puppy confinement area should be safe. Remove any items of value and anything your pup might chew or make a mess with such as plants, books, baskets, clothing, cleaning items etc...

This area should have a crate. The door can be left open and a comfortable bed can be inside the crate. There should be some water in a spill-proof bowl. You don't want to have to go back because they barked, jumped and knocked over the water. This will give your dog the idea that barking & spilling = mommy and daddy come back.

Try putting your puppy in this area when she is:

EXHAUSTED! Think a 3-hour walk or hike, a doggie-play session at the beach, an afternoon with the kids from the neighborhood.

HUNGRY! I encourage you to skip or go light on a meal or two. It won't hurt the pup if they miss a lunch meal just once.

You should be:

RESTED! Don't do this when you are tired, cranky or short on patience.

READY FOR SOME NOISE! Earphones, movie, music, home-workout.

NOT GOING ANYWHERE! Don't actually leave during or after the first time you do this.

THE PLAN FOR PUPPIES FIRST SUCCESSFUL ALONE-TIME.

1. Skip breakfast, but prepare a really tasty Kong and put it in the fridge.
   
2. Check that the confinement area is fully prepared and puppy-proofed.
   
3. Take your puppy out for a really, really long hike, play session, walk or combination of all of this.
   
4. Bring the pup back home (don't let this be a long nappy car trip (this will undo the exercise).
   
5. Take your pup to their potty area and allow them time to take care of business.
   
6. Go to the kitchen and get the Kong and a few chew items.
   
7. Put the puppy in the confinement area and give them the Kong. Secure the gate (stacking if necessary).
   
8. Walk away and out of the room -IGNORE what you hear.
   
9. Wait until the puppy is quiet for at least 10-15 minutes, then listen (without disturbing).
   

Does it sound like the pup is asleep? Eating from the Kong? Chewing? Congratulations. Now just let your pup out BEFORE they start to cry again.

Feed your pup like this everyday.  Soon they will need only normal amounts of exercise and you can start putting their regular food in the kong with less and less of the really amazing treats.

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