Doodle Rescue??

[JPolly]

• Hi Doodle friends.

  Does anyone know of a doodle rescue in southern Ohio/Northern Ky area. We have a 10 month of Goldendoodle who unfortunately is not working out in our home. After several (and I mean several) attempts, his seperation anxiety is getting to be to much to handle.  We have a 2 children (3 & 5) as well as an 8 year old Goldendoodle.  He has really become part of our family which makes this decision so heart breaking. He is house trained, follows basic commands and is an excellent dog as long as you are home. 

  He was never able to be crate trained.  He would get so worked up that he would soil himself even after relieving himself outside. The first 4 days, I would end up bathing him in the middle of the night and he would soil himself again.  I wondered how he can produce so much!! He barked for hours until he was hoarse. We crate trained our first one....its not new to us.  On the 5th day, I called it quits with the crate.  We put a baby gate in our room and he never soiled during the night again.  

  Once the evening situation was taken care of, we moved onto the chewing.  We later found out that it was all anxiety driven.  If you left something out while you were gone, IT was gone by the time you came back.  Eventually, our vet put him on medication to try and help the anxiety. We began crate training again as he could not be trusted when we left the house.  He was doing well for about a week.  However, he has now broken out of the crate, broken the plastic tray that slides in, and has begun to soil himself. It has been 6 weeks and the vet has changed it to a stronger medication which we will begin tomorrow.  I consider myself a patient person especially with my animals.  I unfortunately have lost it.  If this medication does not work, I am afraid he needs to find a new home.  Thus my question regarding a doodle rescue.  

[JPolly]

We got him from a bredder in Indiana.  He was 14 weeks when we got him.  We believe he was returned to the breeder.  She told us a story about a family who returned a puppy because he wouldn't crate train after a week.  She told us that he was doing well in the crate.  Indy has never been good in a crate...ever!  We believe he was the puppy who was returned.  I was not happy with the breeder and the conditions and therefore I would never return him to her.  

He joined our family Aug 28th.  He truely is a part of the family.  I have taking him to puppy classes and simple command have gone well.  We brought in a trainer for private lessons to deal with the anxiety.  

[Jane, Guinness and Murphy]

Wow, so there may have been something that happened during that really impressionable time before you got him that is causing this.  All I can say is that he's doing this because he's terrified when you leave him.  I would definitely try the new medication.  I'll also do some research.  I know I recently read an excellent explanation of separation anxiety and it included some strategies to deal with it.  I'll look for that article, and get back to you with more.  It may be in the morning.

[Karen, Jasper and Jackdoodle]

I'm thinking that when you got your older dog, you didn't have children yet and probably were able to spend more time exercising him/her, too. Sometimes anxiety and destructive behaviors can be the result of the dog not getting enough exercise. As they say, "a tired doodle is a good doodle". Is the puppy getting a chance to run and play offleash every day? Long walks, etc?

[Lucy & AnnaBelle's Mom]

I was going to ask about exercise as well because the only time that Lucy and Sophie ever chewed up anything was when we were snowed in and they weren't getting outside to exercise.  Have you tried him at daycare?  Is he anxious out in public when he is with you?  We had one foster that we could not contain in any manner.  He went crazy if you put him in a crate for anything other than to eat and if you put up a baby gate he would just jump over it, even the tall size.  But if I left him in the house alone uncrated or gated he did fine.  Took me a while to get up the nerve to do that though.

[Suzanne & Jack]

I know you must be beyond frustration to be considering rescue.  Like the others have said, try the new meds.  At 10 months he is still very young.  When we first moved to our house we had had Moose for about 6 months. He had gotten in a chewing phase so we had used the crate in our old house.  When we moved I put his crate and Jack's in the basement so they could be together.  The basement has open stairs and glassblock windows so it wasn't like a dungeon.  Moose become so anxious when we left that the plastic tray would be full of saliva (sorry to be graphic) by the time we came home.  This was new for him.  Our vet put him on anti anxiety medication and he still was bad.  One day I brought his crate upstairs and put him in it.  No problems, no pool in his crate.  He now goes into his crate on his own and shuts the door. I think he just didn't like the basement.  Like the realtors say - Location, Location, Location.

[JPolly]

Not graphic at all!! I had that along with all other types of bodily waste.  His crate is in the kids playroom which is in the main part of the house.  We have toys and a special bone that comes out only when he goes into the crate. I appreciate all of the suggestions I'm receiving.  I have only used this site once and that was to find another doodle...Go figure! Thanks for your response

[shelly]

Hi Jennifer!  I so hope the new meds will bring a desired ending....You don't say how big he is, but have you thought about some kind of an expen instead of a gate that he can break through?  Does your other doodle stay with him?  Maybe he would be able to stay together in the pen.... Tori gets so nervous that she has diarrhea when she gets upset.  I tried the Thunder shirt for rides in the car and when my son has friends over... both situations that make her anxious, and it didn't work well really... I am sure you must be at your wits end.  I hope it all works out.  Good luck!

[Joanne ~ Spud*]

Exercise: I know you are busy, but is he really getting a good workout each day.  I don't mean a walk around the block, I mean a good half hour, three times a day, all out running, workout?

Poop:  What are you feeding him?   Dogs who eat corn-based food poop all day long.   Maybe a diet change would help out greatly here!  That was my first thought. Join the food group here on DK and get information on better foods. Ones that don't have the dog going all day and night long.

Crate: My dog panicked in crates. So much so, she injured herself badly several times.  Once we took her out of the crate all was fine, but we did have to supplement the time alone with a good chew bone. It helped relieve stress.

Meds:  Good for you and the vet for getting this dog something for anxiety.   I know, if it were me feeling that way, I would also want something to help me feel good, act good, and enjoy the day.

My last dog was on medication. It did take an entire month to see a complete change in her but it was a God Send for her.  We were able to do extensive training after she got the much needed medication she needed.

Training: Nothing can replace the tried and true method of training.  The dog wants to know what to do. It may be nervous because... well it  just does not know how to behave.   Training should never be underestimated.

Even if you are dog experienced seek out a good 10 week training program to help you and the dog.

[Nancy, Ned, Clancy, and Charlie]

I have a dog with separation anxiety that we didn't recognize as such when he was a pup.  When we got him as a puppy we already had a dog, so this guy was never alone.  He absolutely panicked in the crate so we abandoned it and confined him to our bedroom or the den/kitchen when we left.  Even confining him to the den/kitchen was a challenge because we had to block an open hallway.  We tried an ex-pen and even a hutch.  He could push the hutch - and I am talking full size and loaded with stuff - when he really wanted to.  He was really, really destructive as a puppy - only when we were gone and even though he had a doggy friend who was alpha to/for him.  We never knew what we would come home to find destroyed.  We consulted a trainer who told us to leave him outside until he was two.  We didn't do that and eventually we could leave both dogs home alone with full run of the house and Gordie was ok.  A year and a half ago we lost our alpha dog and Gordie has become increasingly anxious.  He is still fine when left at home with the doodles, but if we are gone too long in our RV, he will howl.  We feel medication might help, but haven't brought ourselves to change vets and try it because as long as he has a human with him, he is happy as a clam.  My son even takes him to college with him and he behaves awesomely.

One thing that was suggested to me that might work for you is to leave him inside for short times (like begin with 5 minutes) that you increase. Another thought is doggy day care or a petsitter.

PS He recently had surgery for a torn CCL and he would stay in an ex-pen when people were nearby, but even with a gimpy leg, he managed to climb out several times.....

I really feel your pain. Gordie is eight and except for the leaving him alone part he is an awesome dog. We just live with some limitations.

[shelly]

WOW.. a whole hutch!  That is one strong dog!  When they get in that "state of mind:, they can really do the unbelievable tings.  We had a golden retriever that ate through our basement door once.  We put him down there thinking that wold be the best place for him one fourth of July - so he wouldn't hear all the noise - boy were we wrong!  When Tori gets 'in her frenzied state", NOTHING can break her if she doesn't want to be broken...

[JPolly]

Wow......you hit the nail on the head!  He really is a great dog.  He wrestles with my kids, spoons with our other doodle, and while my husband was away he never left my side. He usually stays in my son's room and he knew I was alone.  Its just when he is left.  Everyone has mentioned exercise and to be honest he probably doesn't get as much as he needs.  I will really start making an efforts.  The kids could use some exhausting activity too.  I will keep everyone posted.  I must stay I am so impressed by what a wonderful site DK is.  Talk about support!!

[Joanne ~ Spud*]

Jennifer,

One thing we do is go to the playground when NO ONE else is there.  The area is fenced and we throw balls to fetch until my dog is out of breath.

For you, this might be ideal. The kids can play on the playground while you run the dog. 

We choose off times when the school is closed.  This time of year is easy but when baseball begins it is harder to find an empty time at the field.

But it is one idea for you. 

Yes, wear that dog out.  :)