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PLEASE HELP ASAP! 2 y/o rescue with Separation Anxiety BAD

920 views 2 replies 3 participants last post by  BowWowMeow 
#1 ·
I adopted a 2 year old GSD from the local pound about a week ago. He is a great dog as far as very gentle, great with other dogs, amazing with small kids & small dogs, makes bigger dogs know that he is the dominant dog but once they know then he goes great with them, barks at our horses in an excited manner, and paces the house from room to room kind of like a patrol route, but if I leave him he will do everything in his power to get to me. For example ripping blinds down and trying to break through my window, if I leave him in my "Dog" room he literally tries to break the door down, if I put him in my fenced in back yard he whines while trying to shove his face through the fence, he can easily jump the fence if he realized he could. If I leave the room he follows me to the next room and lays down where ever I stop. I am in between jobs right now so I spend most of my time at home but when I have to leave he will destroy what ever I leave him in & then get loose. I HAVE TO FIX THIS ISSUE. I DO REALIZE THAT THE PROBLEM ISN'T ALWAYS THE DOG BUT SOMETIMES THE HUMAN. I would like to think of myself as a decent dog trainer considering the dogs I have trained in the past but I have NEVER been successful on fixed separation anxiety.

I am in love with this dog and it will kill me to have to re-home him (which I have NEVER done in my life) but I have to resolve this!

P.S. He also has the issue where he will do all of his commands with a treat in my hand but if he doesn't see a treat you couldn't get him to even sit down if you tried.
 
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#3 ·
Buy yourself a copy of Patricia McConnell's little booklet, "I'll be Home Soon." It gives you a step by step plan for counter-conditioning a dog with SA. Rafi had terrible SA when I adopted him. He would get so distraught that he would drool, throw up, smash his face into the crate, hyper-ventilate, etc. I followed McConnell's protocol and, after 7 weeks, was able to leave him home without any problems.
 
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