Anxiety

[Margaret Curry]

I have a Labradoodle, Sadie who is 4 and a Goldendoodle, Sara who is 3.

Sadie is very frightened of loud noises.  She was ok until she was about a year old.

She has developed a fear of gun shots, fireworks, riding lawnmower and sneezes.

 

Sadie has become increasingly more disturbed by loud sounds.  Sara our other dog is not affected by noise. 

If one of us is on the riding lawnmower she paws at the other person, pants and shakes. We have about 2 acres in lawn so this happens every week.

 

Both of my dogs are about 75 lbs.  Does anyone know of anything which will calm a dog down without affecting her health.

[shelly]

I agree... someone suggested that, but I really didn't want to use it until I've exhausted everything else.
As far as the beach....I'll rub my toes in the sand extra just for you! LOL I never take Tori... we'd have quite a mess by the time we got there through all of those winding roads!
But maybe by next summer she'll be 'cured' of her car anxiety! Fingers crossed! XXX

[Joanne ~ Spud*]

Margaret--another thought about the loud noises ( we also have this with Starlit) is to leave the TV on, radio, and most of all a fan for her during the day to drown out unpleasant sounds. Fans are a comforting hum and Starlit does love the TV. This has posed another problem.
When they are shut off the silence can also make her anxious. At night we place the TV on a timer. She will wake up when it shuts off and begins to cry so for this case the fan has helped a lot.

In the winter we will probably freeze but if it gives her peace of mind--I'll do anything to keep her comfortable. Sneezes--well I can't help that one. A choo. Some sounds and some things they are just going to be afraid of and we can't protect them from everything.

Another thing--if you know the noise is going to happen--don't show her your anxiety for her. I don't make eye contact or coo her but just go about my business. There were some great suggestions in a recent discussion on fireworks. Be sure to read that blog also.

[Frannie & Callie]

Callie has an anxiety problem with a noise my neighbors make. It seems to happen when they are cheering for a sports event at their house (townhome, we share walls). It's a muted thumping noise and it absolutely freaks Callie out. I can't give her anything for it because I can't predict when or if it will happen (who knew they liked the World Cup so much??). I've tried to not coddle her through it, but she crawls into my lap and shakes. How do you not comfort that??

[Joanne ~ Spud*]

Awww, Frannie I know just how you feel. I certainly have tried everything. In that situation I let her stay in my lap and I hug real real close, singing softly. Starlit loves a lullabye. Just like babies sometimes they just need to be close, held, and coddled. I love the World Cup too. :)

[Frannie & Callie]

Joanne - I wouldn't be able to resist Starlit either! She's so cute (you know me and the black doods!). When Callie gets scared from that noise, I do hug her and do sing to her. Not really lullabyes, but the silly made up songs I sing to her.

[Joanne ~ Spud*]

Frannie--I call them lullabies! When really they are silly made up songs too! LOL I'm better at remakes of current songs not traditonal Lugabyes

Usually I sing-Hey Spud's sister, ain't dat Mister Mister on the Radio......
....the way you can't cut a rug, lovin you's the only dog I need...your the only cookie I'm dreaming of...blah blah.

The high pitch,way off key sounds, take her mind off loud noises --of course until I break the glass with the voice

[shelly]

LOL!!!

[Laurie, Fudge, and Vern]

We use a fan too for our dogs to mute outside noises. We use it year round. I have one in our bedroom where the dogs sleep and one I turn on when I crate them in the foyer when we go somewhere. Fudge, also gets very scared when someone sneezes. She will get up slowly and walk into another room. Believe it or not, I try and stop myself from sneezing, which isn't easy to do :) I try and ignore her or sometimes I will just say something goofy in a sing-song type of voice until she comes back. I have heard some people use the Baby machines for white noises also, but I find a fan works great.

We had an old rescue dog that barked long before a thunderstorm started and long after it ended. We used drugs on those occasions, because she could not calm herself down and often made herself sick.

We worked with a trainer that said the worst thing you can do is play into their fears by reassuring them that everything is ok, but that too is easier said than done, when your dog is shaking and upset. I used to just try and pet her and tell her she was a good dog.

[Nancy, Ned, Clancy, and Charlie]

Our Springer has anxiety problems also. It started when he was a puppy - only when we were gone he became extremely destructive, AND he had our old lab-mix as a leader and a companion. We consulted a trainer who told us to keep him outside when we were gone, until he outgrew these behaviors (which we did not agree with or follow). We did NOT know it was anxiety at that time. He outgrew the destruction but whenever we return home (even after going to get the mail), he greets us with jumps, whines, spins etc. We have gotten where we don't really want to take him in the motorhome because 3 times he has howled when we left him inside and other campers (justifiably) complained. We have no solutions in our bag of tricks. Noises do not bother him, it is our presence that he needs.

[Joanne ~ Spud*]

So many of us have dogs with anxieties--all have thier funny situations. A Mental Health Group on Dk maybe?

We can all have Group Doodle Therapy

[shelly]

Great idea... soon we will be needing (D.O.T.) a Doodle Owner Therapy Group for us Humans!!!

[Joanne ~ Spud*]

Well if therer are enough of us ( sometimes I hate to admit I don't have the perfect doodle ) then maybe a gruup to debate and discuss dogs and medications and techniques to improve the quality of life is needed???

I'll submit a proposal for this type of group and see what happens The Doodle Anxiety Group.