I need your help!

JerseyGirlsMom · 08-11-2011, 03:58 PM

As you all know we've had Jersey Girl about six weeks now. We're concerned about some of her personality querks. She is very skittish. She whines if I leave the room. If she can't find me, she will bark. She barks continually if I leave the house, whether she's crated or not. She follows me from room to room and I can't even use the restroom without her right on my heels. We've had a lot of dogs but we've never had a Basset, so we don't know if this is a 'basset' thing or just her own personality. I've written the previous owner but they won't write me back. They made it no secret that they were happy to get rid of her and told me that if she didn't work out for us they didn't want her back. They told us to find her another home if that was the case. I don't know what to do or even how to begin to train her for these problems. What should I do because this behavior is really wearing my nerves thin....

Thank you so much!

Soundtrack · 08-11-2011, 04:00 PM

Sounds like separation anxiety. If you do a search of this forum using that term you should come up with lots of good information.

bubbad · 08-11-2011, 04:55 PM

6 weeks is not long enough, she is insecure,I can't understand why a dog following someone becomes a problem.I understand the barking being a problem and you must take steps to correct that as Soundtrack said you can find most of the answers here

CatherineM · 08-11-2011, 04:59 PM

All my bassets have followed me around. They are pack animals, and don't like to be alone. I think the worst is having one lick the back of my wet leg as I get out of the shower. That'll creep you out.

Mikey T · 08-11-2011, 05:41 PM

Corrected on all counts first bassert are more social that the average dog and need social contact It is one reson most basset owner do not have a single dog they generally do better with a companion when no humans are around. That said simply addding another dog, cat etc is not always the answer some time it makes the problem twice as bad.

There is no clear definining line when this needyness becomes an anxiety but if the behavior it troublesome then it is likely reach the anxiety stage

some thing that help

1. down play greeting and departures. Make sure the dog is calm an quite before axknowledging it when coming home

2. thin about thge triggers most dogs start to get anxious before you even leave like pick up the keys etc

3. practice departure very short seconds at the most slowly increasing the time.

4. Medicate in the more sever case it is virtually impossible to modify the behavior without antianxiety medication

5. seek professional help you will need a vet for a perscription and a certified applied animal behaviorist to work on the behavior the other option is a number of vets are board certified behaviors ie veterinary behaviorist and can do both.

eperation Anxiety

Quote:

Separation anxiety is often triggered by either a high contrast situation – months of the owner home all day followed by sudden eight-hour absences – or some sort of life change – rehoming, a stay at a boarding kennel, a death of a key family member or major change in routine.

...

In severe cases, the informal interventions above will usually not help. What’s needed is a formal program of

systematic desensitization to change the dog’s deeply ingrained emotional reaction to departure. The track record of systematic desensitization is excellent for resolving separation anxiety, however it is a huge amount of work for the dog’s caregiver!

The key is to observe the dog for the first signs of anxiety during the owner’s usual ritual prior to leaving the house. Most dogs with severe separation anxiety start becoming anxious before the owner leaves. They have learned the "picture" associated with imminent departure and begin panting, pacing, salivating, whining or hiding.

...
Once the kick-off point of the pre-departure anxiety is found, treatment begins by repeatedly commencing the ritual at this point but not adding the subsequent steps or leaving, to teach the dog to relax in the presence of the cues that formerly triggered anxiety. Once the dog is relaxed, subsequent steps in the ritual leading up to departure and, finally, real absences are gradually introduced, always contingent on the dog’s continued relaxation. The dog is then, over time, worked back up to normal length absences. The hard part for the owner is that, for the duration of this treatment, the dog cannot experience absences in day to day life that are longer than the point he has reached in treatment exercises. This means essentially that, early on in treatment, the dog cannot be left alone

08-11-2011, 03:58 PM	#1 (permalink)
JerseyGirlsMom Junior Member Join Date: Jul 2011 Location: Amarillo, Texas Posts: 24	I need your help! As you all know we've had Jersey Girl about six weeks now. We're concerned about some of her personality querks. She is very skittish. She whines if I leave the room. If she can't find me, she will bark. She barks continually if I leave the house, whether she's crated or not. She follows me from room to room and I can't even use the restroom without her right on my heels. We've had a lot of dogs but we've never had a Basset, so we don't know if this is a 'basset' thing or just her own personality. I've written the previous owner but they won't write me back. They made it no secret that they were happy to get rid of her and told me that if she didn't work out for us they didn't want her back. They told us to find her another home if that was the case. I don't know what to do or even how to begin to train her for these problems. What should I do because this behavior is really wearing my nerves thin.... Thank you so much!

08-11-2011, 04:00 PM	#2 (permalink)
Soundtrack Senior Member Join Date: Jul 2001 Location: Ottawa, Ontario, Canada Posts: 2,581	Sounds like separation anxiety. If you do a search of this forum using that term you should come up with lots of good information. __________________ Rosie-Ch Soundtrack Cracklin' Rose CGN AGN RA Am RN TT Melody-Ch Soundtrack Unchained Melody TT Sailor-Ch Soundtrack Expedition Sailor RN TT Chili-Ch Soundtrack Spice Up Your Life Curry-Ch Soundtrack Canadian Brass Pepper-Ch Pennieslogon Living La Vida Loca CGN Vina-Ch Soundtrack Grand Illusion Leila-Ch Soundtrack Almost Paradise Deela-Ch Soundtrack Wink Of An Eye Hermione - Soundtrack Spellbound Eowyn - Soundtrack Rain Dance

08-11-2011, 04:55 PM	#3 (permalink)
bubbad Senior Member Join Date: Jul 2004 Location: Boiling Springs,Pa Posts: 1,347	6 weeks is not long enough, she is insecure,I can't understand why a dog following someone becomes a problem.I understand the barking being a problem and you must take steps to correct that as Soundtrack said you can find most of the answers here

08-11-2011, 04:59 PM	#4 (permalink)
CatherineM Senior Member Join Date: Mar 2011 Location: Edmonton, Alberta Posts: 692	All my bassets have followed me around. They are pack animals, and don't like to be alone. I think the worst is having one lick the back of my wet leg as I get out of the shower. That'll creep you out.

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