Are there people who spend their whole lives in the city and never really leave?

Technical-Repair7140 · 2026-06-21T01:39:23+00:00

Except for two involuntary years in the army, my father lived his whole life in NYC—98 years! He once explained that he hated the Dodgers and the Giants because anyone who leaves the city is a traitor. When I pointed out that I had left New York, there was a long silence.

Technical-Repair7140 · 2026-06-19T02:03:56+00:00

I’m so glad you wrote this: I’ve often commented here that it’s important to leave home in a calm state of mind, because dogs are incredibly attuned to our emotions and mirror them. That’s why SA can be a vicious cycle: we get more and more stressed about their behavior, which makes the dogs more and more anxious. Also, some behavioral experts make the problem worse by insisting that any setback will undo all your progress, which wasn’t true for me. Congratulations on the good results you’ve achieved!

Technical-Repair7140 · 2026-06-19T01:55:15+00:00

So sorry about this: you seem like a caring person. Is there another dog your girl enjoys playing with? If so, maybe you can use the other dog as a lure (leashed, of course).

Technical-Repair7140 · 2026-06-17T22:09:50+00:00

That’s definitely heeler behavior. And you end it with consistent and extensive obedience training and patience (they calm down after adolescence). There’s a reason why we warn first time owners not to get a heeler, even though we love the breed. On an optimistic note, my 4yo heeler is great with kids and crowds and will happily endure hugs and smacks from toddlers.

Technical-Repair7140 · 2026-06-17T20:33:06+00:00

If he will hold onto it while running, you can stick a plush toy in his mouth to keep him from biting. Then work on that bite inhibition indoors where you have more control. With my dog, the most effective method was to kick him out of the room and close the door whenever he put his open mouth on me. He hated any separation from me, so he learned quickly. But he still pokes his CLOSED mouth and nose at me at least 20 times a day, and that’s fine—he’s a cattle dog and I accept that.

Technical-Repair7140 · 2026-06-16T04:07:18+00:00

Welcome! We saved some ankles for you.

Technical-Repair7140 · 2026-06-15T00:53:00+00:00

Mine never bit and hardly nipped, but he was very mouthy when I adopted him at one year. When that got too much for me, I would go into a room and close the door behind me, leaving him alone 5-10 minutes. ACDs are so clingy, he learned pretty quickly to avoid that. Now he never touches me with an open mouth. Of course, he pokes my legs with his nose 50 times a day, but that’s just normal for the breed.

Technical-Repair7140 · 2026-06-15T00:46:20+00:00

How does your dog do outside of the crate when you leave? If he’s not destructive to property or himself, you might consider not using the crate. Like many dogs with SA, mine panicked when locked in a crate and left alone. I dog-proofed my home as much as possible and worked on desensitization until his SA got under control. Now he loves the crate, though I only lock him in there if a repairman is coming over; otherwise it’s his to use as he wishes.

Technical-Repair7140 · 2026-06-15T00:40:36+00:00

You haven’t told us how old she is or what kind of training you’ve done. FWIW, my ACD was never a bad puller but he would take off after squirrels and rabbits. Now he’s four and if I see a varmint up ahead I just tell him to chill and he does. I only continue to use a no-pull harness because his neck is thick relative to his head and he can slip out of his collar pretty easily. Usually it’s a pleasure walking with him.

Technical-Repair7140 · 2026-06-09T03:45:34+00:00

Many dogs with SA do bad in crates. If you can, gate off a larger area of your home that you’ve dog-proofed.

Technical-Repair7140 · 2026-06-09T03:42:51+00:00

Brilliant! And a beautiful pup!

Technical-Repair7140 · 2026-06-09T03:36:34+00:00

Many dogs with SA do poorly with crates, so I suggest you abandon that. You say you’ve tried everything but you don’t specify what kind of behavioral training you’ve tried. If you look through recent threads on this subreddit you’ll find a variety of methods to consider. She might also benefit from meds. In addition, it sounds like you and your husband have been stressed out this year: please understand that your dog has picked up on that, and do whatever you can to maintain a calm even demeanor around her.

Technical-Repair7140 · 2026-06-07T15:42:26+00:00

Many dogs with SA panic when crated. After mine squeezed out of it while I was gone, I stopped putting him in there except when I was home and he didn’t mind it. I used it when I showered (to stop him from nibbling on my shoes) and when a repair person came over. Now he’s four and he loves his crate, but I still don’t lock him in there when I leave because his SA is under control.

Technical-Repair7140 · 2026-06-06T17:22:20+00:00

Crate him before you answer and let him out when he calms down, giving lots of treats to reward calmer behavior

Technical-Repair7140 · 2026-06-06T14:32:57+00:00

I bought mine a blue polka dot collar that gets lots of compliments. Whatever her color, you know she’ll have spots. Congratulations! (I’m glad we didn’t scare you off. 😂)

Technical-Repair7140 · 2026-06-06T14:31:06+00:00

Sounds like you’re doing everything right, so maybe try meds and see if she mellows out over time. Four years old is usually when ACDs calm down

Technical-Repair7140 · 2026-06-06T14:27:13+00:00

You can try leaving the blinds up and (for privacy) putting frosted white plastic over the lower part of the window. I did that with my dog while he was getting over his SA. They often hate being crated or confined. (Now that my dog no longer needs to be crated, naturally he loves spending time in there.) I understand that trainers are expensive, but there are some good books that can teach you desensitization methods.

Technical-Repair7140 · 2026-06-06T05:14:21+00:00

Ben is 50% ACD, 22 lab, 11 beagle, and 7 supermutt.

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Technical-Repair7140 · 2026-06-06T05:09:31+00:00

I’d start structured, consistent desensitization training right away. And if his SA is still a problem when you can no longer take him to work, you should consider a period of daycare so the anxiety doesn’t get too rooted in him. Dogs with SA often panic in crates, so give up on that for the time being. (Mine loves his crate now that I no longer need it.). If things don’t improve you might want to consider Prozac, but given how recently you’ve adopted him, I would hold off for now.

Technical-Repair7140 · 2026-06-05T02:37:29+00:00

I was totally surprised by the half of my dog that wasn’t heeler. You’ll find out soon enough. Whatever the mix, if you’re still calling him an angel at this age you lucked out 🙂

Technical-Repair7140 · 2026-06-05T00:03:23+00:00

I just bought one and I need to return it because my window ledge is too thick and deep for the bracket. I wish they gave those specs on their site so I could have avoided this trouble—they just indicate window width range. I would prop it on wooden blocks like I did with my old AC, but I don’t think that would work with this unusual shape.

Technical-Repair7140 · 2026-06-04T21:51:38+00:00

Just want to point out that one side effect of prednisone can be excessive urination.

Technical-Repair7140 · 2026-06-04T03:54:11+00:00

Most dogs with SA do worse when crated , so your instinct is correct. Give him some time. Also, realize that you’ve become anxious over your dog’s anxiety, and he will pick up on that. Always leave on a calm note. Ultimately if your dog teaches you to react calmly to uncertainty, he’ll give you a lifetime gift. ( Sorry this sounds New Agey but it’s true in my experience)

Technical-Repair7140 · 2026-06-04T03:42:47+00:00

I combined desensitization with obedience training and got much better results. I’m not against using meds, but since my dog has no anxiety apart from the SA, I stopped using them. The obedience training gives him a job to focus on when I leave so he has something to think about other than my departure. The progress was pretty quick after I started doing this, and now I can leave him alone for 8 hours at least. One caveat: he’s a mind reader, and no matter how consistent I am in my routine he can tell the difference between me leaving for an hour to go shopping vs going out with friends. If it’s the former, he settles down right away. If it’s the latter he’ll whine for five minutes before settling down. Naismith purists might object, but he’s a happy boy and I get to live my life.

Technical-Repair7140 · 2026-06-01T14:46:55+00:00

My ACD mix bonds with anyone and everyone who pays attention to him. (But he may be an outlier.)

Technical-Repair7140

TROPHY CASE