I need help...ideas...anything...at my wits end!!
So we moved to a new house, and it's only been 5 days. This is the aftermath so far...
We bought a big kennel to keep the dogs in when we're gone. My german shepherd has severe anxiety, so a small kennel is not an option. As you can see, they tore up the bottom of the kennel and shimmied out--so we zip tied it today, and that worked just as well as without the ties. Three of them crawled out today, and the above carpet shot is the aftermath of that escape. I want to note though, that out of all three dogs, MY corgi Seanna, was the only one that stayed in the kennel where she was supposed to. (My husband says she's just the smartest- she heard him coming and went back IN the kennel). So, how do we deal with these destructive escape artists? My shepherd is already on Prozac and Xanax when we leave.
I am considering doggie daycare but it is SO expensive. (Of course so is replacing my house). I considered muzzling them when we leave, one they can still drink out of. My husband is on his way now to get a heavy duty welded kennel similar to the one in the picture. Other than the above, I have nothing else to think of. Can ANYONE help me??
Replies to This Discussion
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Permalink Reply by Bev Levy on
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Oh what a drag! The only thing I can think of is a better kennel. We had a dog many years ago that seemed able to escape anything but fortunately the only damamge he did was trying to get into the house. Once we figured that out we left him out and no more damage. Is there someone that can come in and walk them during the day? That might help. Also I always kennel our chewer with a Kong with cheese in it so she will calm down while licking it out after we leave.
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Permalink Reply by Jennifer Markley on
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We did go buy one that is welded all around, so hopefully that helps. My husband comes home every day for lunch to let them out...
If I don't kennel them somewhere, the Shepherds (German and Australian) get into TROUBLE. The german shepherd has ripped the trim from the front door, bent the bottom of the metal door up from chewing it, chewed up multiple door knobs, and lastly--ripped all the screens off of our windows. That's just the beginning. Her separation anxiety is horrible. She was left overnight tied to the front post at the Humane Society, and was there four months before we took her home. They had her in a 8 ft kennel because she jumped straight up non-stop. So, she is absolutely terrified of being left again. Hence the Prozac and Xanax. We can run her for hours, and it's still there. The aussie I think does stuff more for mental stimulation than anything else. And the two of them together I'm sure egg each other on.
I hate to give them food to focus on in case there would be a fight. Seanna would hog them all anyway I'm afraid. We'll see how the new kennel goes....
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Permalink Reply by Jane Christensen on
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Oh Jennifer...wish I had a solution...but I don't:(
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Permalink Reply by Melissa and Franklin! on
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Do you have a garage you can put the kennel in? Just thinking maybe if they get out but are locked in a garage or shed then they can't do as much destruction. Maybe try separating them in the kennel as well that way you can give treats and they don't feed off each other as much. The last consideration would be switching up her anxiety meds, clearly they aren't working! Lol. There are lots of options out there which work differently on different dogs so maybe this combo just isn't right for her.
Of course, one of you could just quit your job and stay home with her :-P I'm sure everyone would love that! Some pet sitting/daycare places aren't too expensive considering the destruction shes done. Where I live there are good all day day cares that charge about $25 which would be totally worth it with these two and often they will charge $25 for the first dog and less for the second. Maybe just do daycare for the GSD and let seanna and the aussie stay home together?
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How is Jackson doing with his new home???
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He is absolutely loving it!! Eating lots of strange poop and rolling in lots of stinky things....which reminds me--how often do I need to worm them now, and what do you use? I don't want to have to take them to the vet every month..
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Permalink Reply by Lemmy Winks on
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If he has anxiety issues, then you should have a smaller crate just for him, and cover it so it's dark, give him a kong stuffed with treats or something to focus his energy on. So it's his safe place, just like how you retreat to your bedroom after a long day. You may have to start crate training, which, is a pain in the ass. It took 3 month for Pilot to be fully crate trained and it was frustrating, but we managed. He'd freak when I left, but with patients and training he calmed down... Mind you due to the *bleep* of a neighbor I had at my old place, he's back to barking when I leave but I'm situated so he can just bark without someone screaming at him threw floors or walls. So it is very slowly getting better. This is my idea anyways.
Hopefully it helps, and hopefully you find a solution.
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Permalink Reply by Sam Tsang on
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Hi Jen,
Besides reinforcing the kennel, you may want to consult with a pharmacist to re-adjust his rx, this is an rx dosage problem.
When you mix Benzo with an SSRI, there is a taper off period when the SSRI kicks in, it is a delicate situation especially when your patient cannot tell you how he feels. You simply cannot take or discontinue these rx, an adaptation schedule must be followed.
Benzo can cause the patient to exhibit many side effect including unusual risk taking behaviour like the photos shown above, especially in the adaptation phase. I've personally been through it myself and know exactly how powerful the rx combo is, it brought me on my knees.
As a medical professional yourself, please consult with a pharmacist, I wish your german shepherd a speedy recovery.
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just want to clarify....consult with a veterinarian or behaviorist (who will know the ins and outs of behavior modifying drugs in animals), not pharmacist on this issue. I've seen human pharmacists make fatal mistakes when discussing giving medications to animals, its a whole different ballgame. But again, I agree its a medication issue as well.
Maybe talk to the vet about getting her off of prozac and onto clomicalm instead. Also, the human version of xanex can do funny things to dogs, I've found the dog specific version much more effective. Have you tried Ace? Clomicalm and Xanex combined worked well for Kirby the destructive escape artist, just waiting the 4-6 weeks for it to kick in was difficult.
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Thanks for the ideas guys. Unfortunately, crate training is out of the question. We've worked on it for three years, and it is just not going to happen without her seriously maiming herself. She does fine when we're here, will even sleep in there on her own if we leave the door open. But we leave, and she freaks. She managed to bite, claw and bend her way out of a metal wire cage one time and when we came home there was blood everywhere. I refuse to make her that psychotic again. We just added the Prozac a week ago, so I guess I'll just wait to see if it kicks in better- the vet said it may take up to 3 weeks to see effects. I do notice she's calmer when we're here...
Today they were still in the welded kennel when I got home, so maybe I found a solution....
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Oh my goodness! Tha'ts terrible :( I hope the new kennel is what she needs, best of luck!
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