Dog with Anxiety Attacks
The dog has chronic anxiety attacks - not separation anxiety...
Anxiety Question:
My husband’s German Shepherd is going to be 7 this year and he has chronic anxiety attacks - not separation anxiety.
He loves to go bye-bye, but then he freaks the whole time!
If we go outside all together, he runs around whimpering and pacing the yard. If we light a fire, he freaks out. Yesterday, we took him on a picnic and he was freaked out in the car, at the picnic table, etc.
He was neglected for the first 5 years by my husband's ex-wife, and my husband used to travel frequently. Now, the dof lives in a loving home where our three dogs are house dogs, sit on the furniture and sleep on the beds with us, but Sam just won't relax and it's so annoying that after a while I stop being so sympathetic.
It's been over two years now of him living in doggie paradise, but he's not calming down! What can I do for this dog?
Anxiety Answer:
First, everyone in the family needs to be calm and in-control when they're dealing with him. Then LOTS of strenuous daily exercise (at least two thirty minute RUNS a day) and anti anxiety medication from your vet.
Put him in obedience training so he knows what behavior you want - that will make him less anxious. Don't pay attention to him when he's acting upset - you're not reassuring him, you're rewarding the behavior you DON'T want! Make him lie down and be calm before you pet him.
These are the books that I recommend to my students; you can get them on Amazon.com:
- What All Good Dogs Should Know - Volhard
- Good Owners, Great Dogs - Brian Kilcommins
- Dog Tricks: Eighty-Eight Challenging Activities for Your Dog from World-Class Trainers by Haggerty and Benjamin
- Don't Shoot the Dog - Pryor
- Training Your Dog: The Step by Step Method - Volhard
- Dog Problems - Benjamin
- Cesar's Way - Cesar Millan
Also, watch the Dog Whisperer on the National Geographic Channel. Cesar Millan is the best trainer I've ever seen on TV.
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