separation anxiety

[reen]

Hi everyone,
i have some issues with my Sarah girl and separation anxiety. she is 4 and was abused. (rescue girl). i have had her 1 1/2 yrs now. Whe she came, i had to hand feed her to eat and become comfortable at our home. Time has passed and she is a joy. Still afraid of open doors to go outside etc. She acts afraid as if had been slammed on her in the past. She has grown closer to me that any other family member- I love it, but things are getting crazy. She follows me from room to room ..never sitting down until i do and she kknows I am not leaving. She sits outside the bathroom door for me. She now gets up in the middle of the night and follows me downstairs if i go down there. the worst and is too much for me.......she WILL NOT go outside to go potty for anyone but me.. MY husband and my son chased her around the house last evening to go out. I was sitting in the family room. she looked scared to death. I finally told them to stop.. and called her to me and went to the door with her. this happened with my last girl- Cleo. She got so bad that she damaged furnture when I left. Anyway, I would appreciated any feedback. I do not feed her and have stopped doing everything for her. I cuddle with her the same as I do with Mandy. Believe this or not.....Sarah is the alpha dog over Mandy, my 10 yr old. Look forward to hearing from you all .

 

[Obscura]

We had some pretty severe separation anxiety problems with Belle and we didn't know what it was. It was so bad she developed a terrible smell like rotten vomit. It was terrible.

When we got Tex, Belle got better unexpectedly. Now she follows Tex around and her stink is gone. She is happy again. (was very depressed before)

We also spent an evening with a Trainer and pet behaviorist. The cost was something like $50 and the suggestions he made have made a world of difference. Both of our dogs have benefitted greatly.

 

[ssleighter]

Have you tried having your husband or son take her out, while you stand close by? Let them open the door, give commands (out) etc... but be there for her reassurance? After a while, stand further and further back while they take her out? It sounds like she needs to gain the same trust for them that she apparently has in you! Just a thought! Good luck!

 

[MarleysMom]

Poor Sarah :( It sounds as though she was severely abused by her previous owner - probably a male - which is why she won't obey your husband or son. You are doing the right thing by detaching yourself from her. It is sooooo hard to do, but it will make things easier in the long run. My rescue girl, Kaya, is 10 months old and has SA, too, but not quite as bad as Sarah does. She follows me everywhere and cannot stand to be away from me. If I leave the house for 30 minutes to run to the store and the dogs are left alone with daddy, Kaya will be in the same place I left her at, just waiting for my return - and daddy tells me that she hadn't moved an inch the whole time - never even diverting her eyes from the front window. She does well in a crate if I"m not home, but if I dare crate them for a bit while I am home, to get something done around the house, she will wine and cry and try to dig her way out of the crate. The only advice I can offer (you are already doing the #1 thing by detaching yourself) is to talk to her. Really talk to her - and have your husband and son talk to her while you are there with her at first. You can get books on the subject of communicating with your animals. I know it sounds silly, but it has helped tremendously with my Kaya. If I am leaving her for a while, I sit down on the floor with her and make very direct eye contact and let her know where I am going and what i will be doing and that she knows I will always be back soon to give her loves. I talk to all my animals - and plants, too :rolleyes: - and I am completely certain it's why I have a house full of love and wonderful animals! Good luck to you and Sarah!