Should we medicate

[TeddyDoodles]

My 2 year old goldendoodle is off the wall 24/7. He gets so worked up and excitable we have no control over him. He's very strong we have a hard time time taking him for walks and he is just jumping all over the place it's embarassing. He loses his mind whenever someone walks by the house and I know that's normal but we cannot calm him down at all. And he does this thing when someone comes to the door he runs so hard that he jumps and bounces off the door to the window. I honestly feel like he is going to smash through it one day. We can't even take him for drives in the car and when ppl come over to the house we have to put him in his kennel upstairs (and barks the entire time and tries to get out). I really thought he'd calm down with age but he's getting worse. We tried taking him to obedience classes which was fail and he doesn't listen to us ever so I'm not sure what else to do. It's even so bad that none of our other friends that have dogs want him around their dogs. Should I consider medicating him?

[Adrianne Matzkin]

You need to get a full vet check up with lab work. I am sure Karen will pop in her and tell you what she would talk to the vet about if this was her doodle. You need to make sure that he is in perfect health before any decision is made about meds.

Do you give him lots of exercise every day? Sounds like he needs to play ball twice a day. Then you must find positive training trainer in your home to work with all of you. These behaviors sound like they are fear based. It isn't the energy level IMHO but fear in his mind about all these things that he can't control.

[Karen, Jasper and Jackdoodle]

Actually, in order to put your dog on medication, he is going to need a full vet work-up anyway. Most veterinary behaviorists (actual veterinarians who specialize in behavioral issues, not trainers or other people who call themselves "behaviorists") will not put a dog on meds until they have run a full work-up with blood panels, etc to make sure that the behaviors don't have a physical cause. General practice vets are not your best option when considering using behavior altering medications. They do not have enough experience or knowledge with the use of behavior altering medications. We recently had a member here whose vet thought that this type of medication was used "as needed", which could have been a disaster. 

And medication alone will not "fix" this. They only work in conjunction with a solid training program. You have allowed your dog to think that he is in charge. What I would suggest is a good formal training program. I know you said you went to obedience classes, but the classes are only where you learn how to train your dog. The actual training comes every day, day in and day out, when you work on teaching your dog what is expected of him and what he can expect from you. There are all kinds of different training philosophies and methods; perhaps the ones taught in the classes you attended were not the right ones for this particular dog. I recommend the "nothing in life is free" philosophy of training, where the dog earns his food, attention, affection, playtime, etc. You need to find a good trainer who can help you implement a good training program, in which you are the leader and not the dog. Every time he ignores you, it reinforces the behaviors. You need to learn how to communicate with him. The behaviorist will have recommendations for you on trainers and programs. 

Exercise is also important. A tired dog is a good dog. A very high energy dog like yours needs more than leash walks, he needs a chance to run off-leash on a regular basis to burn off some of that energy. 

Several members here have had success with using medications in conjunction with a good solid training program. 

Here is a link to the American College of Veterinary Behaviorists website, where you can find a specialist in your area. Good luck. http://www.dacvb.org/

[Allyson, Peri & Taquito]

Peri is 5 years old and still gets off the wall at times.  That's when we know she needs exercise and a good training session.  Saturday I ran her for 30 minutes and then trained.

 

For your specific issues, I agree that you need to seek a vet, but more likely, a trainer.

[Adina P]

I would keep searching out other trainers or classes.  There are trainers that would not exclude ANY dog from class and find a way to help you train him.    Find that trainer.

[Deborah Brown]

Suzanne Clothier has a great page about determining if a dog needs medication:  http://suzanneclothier.com/the-articles/3-ps-does-your-dog-need-med...   You definitely need to discuss this with your vet but it's good to go in prepared.  And Karen is right that a veterinary behaviorist is the best choice.

My Wayne has been on prozac for years.  It's main benefit is allowing him to calm himself and get himself under control.  Without it, he would pace, whine, beg to be played with forever.  He wasn't happy and we weren't happy.

After 5 years, we are working on weaning Wayne off the prozac.  We are taking it very slowly and supplementing with a combination of L-theanine and lactium.  My thoughts are that the supplements will be gentler on his kidneys and liver than the prozac.  These supplements are best in combination and for treating general anxiety.

Start with the doctor appointment and then get a good trainer.

[Tammy and Violet]

has he always been like this ? does her get lots of activity to tirehim out ? you onlytried one class ? o ? have you thought of a personal trainer ? so sorry you are going through this ...I have the issue with people coming to my house......sigh

[Jane, Guinness and Murphy]

First of all let me say that I can sympathize with you.  Dogs like this need a lot of work...I know because I have one.  You say you "have no control over him"....you absolutely need to gain that control for your sake and for his.  That will not happen without a carefully executed program which will involve exercise, training, and virtually managing his every "move".   This is a big commitment, but for me it was totally worth it.  My Murphy was prescribed anti anxiety meds for a few months while we worked a total program and it all helped tremendously.  We saw a Behaviorist who helped with the medication and worked with us and our trainer.  Our regular Vet managed the monitoring after that initial Behaviorist visit.  We worked with him every day (several times) and managed everything around him.  You need a very knowledgeable trainer who will come to your house to work with you.  DO NOT let him jump at the door when someone walks by the house.  If necessary for now put a gate right in front of that door....we did that for quite awhile during that phase of training.  Why can't you take him in the car....what does he do?  A good trainer will work with you on managing him when people come to visit...it's a whole training process, but it can work.  You have a lot ahead of you.  I know because I've "walked in your shoes", but he deserves to have your support and commitment.  I'm not opposed to medication at all....it can be a helpful component of a total behavior modification program.  I wish you luck and I'm here to support you in any way possible.  As I said I understand how difficult this can be....but with the right program and work you can turn it around.

[Kyoko]

Hi, there.... Sorry to hear about your struggle... I am wondering how much of training did he have? I was not sure what you meant by "Tried taking him to obedience classes.." It takes a lot of practice and trials.....

If the school was not successful, maybe you can look into the different school, trainer, etc.....

[Maryann,Roo and Tigger]

You have a lot of work ahead of you, but it will be worth it. 

First a complete vet work-up

Then a really first quality trainer.  You might even consider a " doggie boot camp" to get a jump start.  Someone will chime in that they would never allow their dog to go to a "boot camp", but I know dogs and their families who it has really helped.

You can usually tell a really first quality trainer by how your dog behaves when the trainer has the lead.  Also the trainer will be able to explain to you easily what and how to do things. 

Then practice, practice, practice.

Remember you will have a dog that is happy and fun and not a pain in the neck after all this.

Lastly, many many of us have less than perfect dogs and are less than great trainers.  You have a lot of company on here.

[Debbie & Gibbs]

How much and for how long does he get exercised? He sounds like he just really wants to get out and visit and enjoy being outside.

We have 3 Westie's that we have to exercise by throwing the ball and running them for about 30 minutes, before we can take them out of the backyard, they are just crazies if they aren't.

Are you home during the day or work outside of the home? Gibbs is really full of it during the work week because he has been crated, not all day because my husband can come home and let all of the dogs out for about 30 minutes for a potty break and outside time. When we are home during the weekend, our dogs are at their best as they are in and out all day long and they are ready for down time at night and ready to sleep. If obedience didn't work, could you possibly hire a trainer to come to your house and work him?

But like it was mentioned, a vet check with blood work first before medication. Is there any place locally that he could do doggie daycare?