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Brandy, our Border Collie (see my photos), is new to our family and fits in rather well. Unfortunately, she suffers from separation anxiety. She does not want to be left behind, ever. As soon as we get up she wants to go out where she can sit by the car if she thinks that there is the slight possibility we might be going somewhere. If the car door is left open for any reason she will get in and wait....and wait....she won't get out. She just wants to go with us. Sometimes she'll go cool off in our pond and then go sit in the car. She will hide behind the car and peek around the corner when we start calling her (if we want to leave her at home). We will sometimes leave her inside or outside to roam on our property (we have 2.5 acres). But, she prefers to come with. Any tips or suggestions for Brandy? I want her to feel secure that we are not going to leave her for good. Her previous owner(s) live just up the road from us...they got a divorce and the wife and kid moved away. They'd visit the dog and husband on the weekends. She gave Brandy to the folks across the street from her husband's place and Brandy would run back and forth across the road. Every time she'd hear a car she'd run out to the other yard (in front of the car!). I guess some of the anxiety could be caused by that.....but, is there anything we can do to ease her mind?
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Re: separation anxiety
Mon, December 6, 2004 - 8:47 PMi don't know if this will help your particular situation, but it might. i give my dog treats and toys before i leave (she stays inside though) i started doing this and just leaving for short periods of time (at first just long enough for her to consume the treats. this gets them used to you leaving=treats and then you are back. eventually you can extend the time you are gone and pretty soon the anxiety goes away. i use treats like peanut butter inside a hollow bone and a ball that is hollow and can be filled with treats so that the dog has to push it around to get the treats out. these keep her pretty busy, entertained, etc. -
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Re: separation anxiety
Tue, December 7, 2004 - 5:49 AMWow, thank you for all the advice and help genevieve! Her favorite treat is a raw cut bone from the meat dept. I figured it would keep her busy while we were gone. But, when she's stressed (because we're leaving) she doesn't care about bones, food, etc. She's gotten better over time (the first time she tore the door to shreds). It almost seems that she'd prefer to come with us and wait in the car for as long as it takes us than stay at home. We've left her outside (it's very safe here, dead end street and large acreages) and she seems to do well but we can't always leave her out, especially if we're on the road. The only thing I've noticed that distracts her from anxiety (like during a rain storm, etc.) is a laser light pointer. If she even hears me picking it up she's right there..looking down and all around for that dot. I don't know what she thinks it is but she forgets she's scared. Maybe it takes the right toy or treat and we just haven't found it yet. We have a hollow ball, Buddy goes nuts for it but Brandy...she's got a mind of her own. I wonder if anxiety is more common in Border Collies?
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Re: separation anxiety
Tue, January 4, 2005 - 10:53 AMWe experienced that with our goat. We took in an unwanted goat. He was a Future Farmers of America project for someone. He was bottle fed and spoiled. When we first took him in, he would cry every time we left in the van. He wanted to go with us! He also would cry when we would go in the house.
We would give him lots of TLC when we could. The kids play soccer with him. We hand feed him veggie and fruit peelings. We also made it a point to give him an extra pet, and talk to him before we left him to go inside or to go for a ride. In time, he adjusted to us leaving him. He still calls us when we go. But, he no longer stays upset. -
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Re: separation anxiety
Tue, January 4, 2005 - 5:33 PMAwww....that is sweet! Makes me feel sad for all the farm animals that are so terribly mistreated. All animals are sensitive, emotional, loving beings. It makes me sad that people prefer to certain ones and butcher other ones for food :( I just go nuts inside when we drive by those little cubicles that hold baby calf flat so that they stay 'tender' for human consumption. I can't imagine what sort of terrible hell they must be going through while they live out their short, ill-fated life. I'm glad you're taking extra measure to make the single goat feel more secure, it makes me happy knowing that there are others out there who love and respect other animals' emotions. Some day I hope to have a little bit of land away from the human community so that I may take in a few farm animals, to let them live out a full life with no human threat. In the meantime I'll try to do my best raising the few souls that are living with us. They're all so individually complex and sensitive, even the unrully ones. At the moment I've got Brandy shivering between my legs because she hears someone shooting off fireworks. Oddly, it just happens to be her original owner.... -
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Re: separation anxiety
Thu, April 14, 2005 - 8:25 AMOh my, you are such sweetie, sweetie pies! I don't understand either how people can neglect or do any harm to any animal. (Don't get me started)
The reason for my post is~Zeelala, have you tried Bach's Rescue Remedy? My friend Cooper is like velcro to me. My vet said that since I was his first contact with his new "nice" life, he will always be that way. (Cooper had been living in a rough part of Philadelphia for for some time, and who knows what before that...) Anyway, I have learned more than a few things from Cooper...
*Rescue Remedy can be purchased at your local healthfood store. It's a mix of herbs and flowers and it aids in taking the edge off. Try it yourself, it's nothing major, just a calming effect. I gave Cooper three to four drops on something tasty and it helped him to chill out a bit. My vet was the one who recommended it, and I almost never use it anymore, but it was a staple, and it's good to have around.
*Also, my yawning relaxes him. I read it somewhere and will try anything, and it really does work.
*Like was said before, little trips help, that way she will know to expect you back and won't feel so insecure.
*I give both of my friends a treat before I walk out the door. Maybe you could fill one of those Kong things with peanut butter so that she'll have something to keep her mind on.
Good luck, I see it was January when you last posted. How are things going?
Scratches and wet noses~ -
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Re: separation anxiety
Mon, May 2, 2005 - 9:21 AMHi :)
Yes, I have Bach's Rescue Remedy...it is also a staple in this household. I just found out that I am Brandy's 4th owner! She's had a 'past' but I will never know what sort of things she's been through. She has changed since my last post and now finds security at home. She still wants to go for car rides but she doesn't tear up our bus door to get out. That, thankfully, was a one time experience. She has however, become addicted to chasing that little red laser dot from those laser pens. She will wait and wait beside me until I will pick it up and let her chase it. What fascinates her about this pen is beyond me..the other dog just ignores it for the most part, but she is obsessive about it. I'll be outside and call her to 'come' and she'll dink around chasing squirrels up trees and somewhat ignore me..but, if I say the magic word DOT, she bolts right to me and looks down...goofy girl. She likes to jump down and squish the red dot...in her vision, she sees it and as soon as she jumps on it her head blocks the dot from her sight so it appears (to her) that she's squished it and she begins to look for another one to squish. -
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Re: separation anxiety
Thu, July 14, 2005 - 12:11 AMHow's it been going? Way back in January you asked whether Border Collies were prone to separation anxiety. I have noticed that they tend to be anxious in general, and have heard that this is due to their ability to watch over and herd a flock of sheep from sunup to sundown. They seem to want to be watching or chasing something almost all of the time--laser pointer, frisbee, squirrels, other dogs, etc. I've never had a Border Collie but it sounds like they bond closely to their people, like herding dogs do with the shepherd. Maybe you can give Brandy some kind of substitute "flock" to watch over, to give her herding drive an outlet? A real behaviorist (unlike me) might have some specfic suggestions on what to use as substitutes. I dunno if it would help the separation anxiety but it might lessen her stress in general, having some kind of "job" you've entrusted her with. That's one of the things the Monks of New Skete stress in their training of German shepherd dogs and of dogs in general.
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