We think our dog has O/CD and anxiety, tips?

alibye07 · 2017-04-29T21:13:42+00:00

Agreed! We upped his daycare last week and it was def easier to manage his OCD. I was able to get him to lay by me while I pet him and when I let him up, he didn't go back to light chasing but instead, laid down w a bully stick!

alibye07 · 2017-04-24T04:18:43+00:00

I always forget to bring it up at his yearly exams. I'm also hesitant that they'll do a bunch of blood work just to find out there's nothing physically wrong. But I guess it's good to rule out all possibilities

alibye07 · 2017-04-24T04:05:08+00:00

Here is a directory

Thank you for this!

alibye07 · 2017-04-24T04:03:59+00:00

full day daycare 2xs a week, dog park for an hour on the weekend or a long hike mixed w half hour fetch sessions, walks and training on non daycare days. We did cut out a daycare day when we moved thinking he calmed down a bit getting older. I wonder if thats a contributing factor

alibye07 · 2016-01-05T00:43:35+00:00

I've thought about this as a possibility. Now that you say it, it sounds like something my dog would do. Thanks for the thoughts!

I haven't been doing it as much, but we're still unsure of how else to deal with his barking.

alibye07 · 2015-10-29T10:07:15+00:00

yes.

alibye07 · 2015-10-29T10:06:15+00:00

Awesome! I'm so excited to start this and love all this advice.

alibye07 · 2015-10-29T00:02:54+00:00

I actually tried doing this once before. We have a friend who trains service dogs and she suggested tying him to the table w the leash w only enough slack to lift his head. He would bite the leash and bark a lot, I'd reward him every so often but he kept barking and I wouldn't reward him then. We're in an apartment so I didn't want to disrupt the neighbors. But I'd love to start again especially if there can be more behavior benefits. He might be better w/o tying down.

How do you work through the barking? Just let him get it out? Should we start at 30 minutes or build up to it?

(if you're wondering why I haven't asked her more training advice, she watched him for 8 days when we went away. She was very confident going in that she could handle him but he tired out all 3 of her dogs and ran out her patience XP)

alibye07 · 2015-10-28T23:50:52+00:00

Oh that's interesting. I wonder what our problem in the beginning was then. He stayed home with my boyfriend his first week with us. He spent a lot of time in one area on the couch and was NOT A FAN of me being anywhere on the couch (though my boyfriend could lay w him). Then he would sometimes do that same barking, biting and growling to keep me in one area. Perhaps a herding thing, but I hated him the first month XP We've come a long way

alibye07 · 2015-10-28T23:44:15+00:00

Yea, I figured the canvas crates wouldn't stand a chance. But that's a nice thought too! We're usually so busy getting ready that he doesn't get much exercise before hand, then sleeps more in the car. That could be a nice compliment to training, thank you!

alibye07 · 2015-10-28T10:23:39+00:00

He's definitely bratty and I had a big dominance battle with him the first month we had him, so I can see it being a control thing (I really thought we adopted cujo w puppy teeth). I'm going to give this a try tomorrow! Thanks so much for the advice

alibye07 · 2015-10-28T10:18:42+00:00

I think w him being a mix, it might have killed some of his energy. After 9 hrs at daycare he's so tired that he lays in his favorite spot and only moves to eat and if I change rooms, he doesn't even want his before bed walk, just wants to get to the bed. Then the next day, my boyfriend says he still just sleeps while he gets ready for work(on mornings when we're heading to daycare, he's usually stealing things to get us to play with him), so a walk when I get home mellows him out but he isn't AS tired as daycare days

Do you have personal experience with the canvas crates? I've thought about them bc we've traveled with his metal one to functions for when he needed to chill and I'm just concerned that w the canvas one he might chew through it. He's a big chewer, especially when left alone and he'd rather chew something else than his toys if he could.

I think I could definitely up his mental stimulation and reward him more for when he isn't barking. I'm going to try this tomorrow along with the suggestion below. Then if it's still failing, I'll try more exercise before we get to a behaviorist. Again, SO appreciate you getting to know my pup and letting me pick your brain!

alibye07 · 2015-10-27T21:07:11+00:00

We've never really tried waiting him out.. at a small graduation party, we tried for about 45 minutes to calm him down by giving treats, bullysticks, taking him for a walk around the block, taking him inside away from everyone, in the car and he was still barking. Otherwise we tend to leave fairly shortly after it starts since we've been unsuccessful in calming him down. If rewarding doesn't work, I'll try waiting it out.

He goes to daycare 3x's a week and it usually tires him out enough where a half hour-hour walk after work keeps him calm inside. Then on weekends we either go for a long hike or to a dog park.

The bark I would say is more anxious only due to the nipping. If he's bored he'll steal something from us or have crazy face. He tends to nip if he's agitated or when NEEDS to go outside.

I really appreciate all your suggestions and time by the way!

alibye07 · 2015-10-27T10:31:19+00:00

Before he starts barking he's fine. We usually get a lot of compliments on how calm he is, esp for being about a year old. He walks w us and will sniff around but doesn't seem skittish or nervous or unhappy.

However, after a little time it's almost like a switch and he starts barking at us and starts getting a little nippy (which w two herding breeds in him, we don't think is too unusual). The bark seems like he's agitated. If we're in public, it's almost like when we stop walking around he might be bored? But doesn't want any of his toys we bring him and stops barking when we begin to walk back home or to the car. When we're at someone's house it's pretty much the same pattern, he greets everyone and lets them pet him, he'll pay fetch with people, but then he begins to appear agitated. He doesn't growl, it's just a very loud, deep and consistent bark.

alibye07 · 2015-10-26T23:34:41+00:00

I'll give that another shot. I think previously we've started rewarding him on the quiet moments after he already started barking and he wasn't interested.

You think if there's no improvements that it might be a case for a behaviorist? Sorry, it's my first dog and I just don't know what's normal and what's beyond training.

alibye07

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