Re: how to deal with seperation anxiety

[*jody*]

Im feeling quite depressed now  🙁  Please dont think we have deliberately been bad owners (as it appears we have been).  I have sought so much advice, but maybe too much and it has completely confused him.  I had never even heard of crate training a dog when we got him.

am replying in the post as the board is playing up sorry

it not that i think you have been deliberately bad owners – i can see the struggle can hear the frustration but i do think there was not much research and planning put in place for this lad maybe? how long had you had him booked for – did you visit the litter lots – how did you select him what made you choose that particular pup – what research did you do into housing and homing the breed etc – you say you hadnt heard of crates but there is loads of info re crate training etc – not having a go – just that others will read this and maybe learn from your mistakes ok?

The lady from the APDT also told us to limit the training as this can re-inforce his attachment with us, do the basics but that is all.  He knows more tricks/basics than a lot of dogs I know.

mmm well – you want attachment as the best place to be is…but you also wanted to instil confidence and security and make him feel it ok to be seperate from the pack at times – but he needed teaching that it ok to be left – he needed all those self cues in place – my youngest see’s me put on normal shoes? she gives an air kiss and runs waggy tailed straight to her basket picking up favourite toy enroute – i come in toy delivered waggy tailed with hiya you back then – now when she was learning this – if i had used a stern voice she would have viewed it as a punishment she would have wondered what the hell have i done to be left – ok with me?
so how did i do this? day shoes on – she gets excited thinks she coming – not you sweetie – off to bed good girl have a biccy wnat a toy then ok give us a kiss see ya soon and out i went – come in hiya sweets bring the toy then have ya missed me good lass give us a kiss – it a totally different concept yeah?

The working, how I meant it is eventually I want to get a rig or dog scooter and bring them back closest possible to their original purpose.  The vets had advised that exercise should be limited until he reaches 18 months.  I have a harness and gang line on order for Amber so I can use it with her as she is old enough (which reminds me I must ring culpeppers)

I use backpacks with both of them, but again have been advised not to fill his up yet, so his is empty so he gets used to wearing one for the time being.

I have just read some of your posts, and you really know your stuff so I really appreciate you taking your time to evaluate and reply to my posts.

We have really tried to do it all right, but have failed miserably, I can see that now you have put it all into context.

We are going to go back to the RAW diet, we just have to buy a chest freezer so we can order from Landywoods, as we dont have the freezer space to accomodate, no butchers round here that will help either so when we did it – it all had to be supermarket meat which is why it got so expensive.  Once Christmas is over hopefully we should be able to get that all into place though.  Numerous people have told me Autarky was a good food which is why we kept him on it, but I prefer the raw diet for them anyway.

it is a working dog food – high in commercial proteins from  Chicken Meat Meal, Rice, Chicken Fat, with EEC permitted anti oxidants – it is not suitable for this breed living in a house as a family pet in MHO
have a read of feeding bev on a rant
feeding raw is cheap if you are organised – feeding a mix of raw and home cooked is even cheaper – i spend about 30p per dog per day and i have big dogs the boys 38 – 40 kilo the girls 28 – 33 kilo

I am trying the clicker training with support from a dog trainer, so its Im not strictly doing it alone.

good – are you freeshaping? get his brain problem solving – do the snoozy first then you can use it as a cue when you go out

Thank you again for your time, expertise and knowledge.  I think we needed it put in simple english from someone who knows what they are talking about.  I just wish we had been able to get it right from the start instead of ending up in the mess.