Need Advice: Distressed Dog

I know that many people on this forum are experienced with keeping dogs and understanding them. I am a total dog lover myself, but due to being in College (temporary living situations and not enough time to dedicate), I haven't owned a dog in 5 years or so.

Anyway, my friend Maggie has a beautiful sweet Pit Bull, Betty. When she asked me if I could take care of her for a few days while she was out of town, I jumped at the chance! Betty just got here, and I'm thrilled. The only problem is.. well.. she's not.

We expected this to happen, Betty and Maggie are very attached. So far Betty is quite distressed that Maggie isn't here. She won't leave the door's site, is whimpering, and even barking at certain points. She only has one toy over here, I was thinking of picking up some pig hoofs or ears to keep her occupied for awhile.

Basically right now I'm giving her her own space and letting her work through it. If I hear something unusually loud in the living room, I'm going out there to check it out, but I don't want to force myself on her when she's pretty distressed right now.

Do you guys have any tips or advice of how to help her relax? Anything I can do to ease the discomfort without forcing myself onto her?

Just a little FYI background, my friend found Betty wandering around Portland in the rain, all by herself. I'm thinking that this dog definitely has abandonment issues.

Really she's being good, I'm just worried about her comfort. She is slightly starting to seek out my company, which is a good sign.

Here are some pictures of this sweet, beautiful girl!

Betty and Maggie




True love


Dumbo dog!!


I love her dopey expression in this picture!


I really hope that in a day or two she settles in and feels comfortable and at home. I'm prepared to give her as much love and attention as she needs!

I don't really have any advice other than to let her work through it in her own time, which seems to be what you're already doing. I did want to say that they are soo cute together! Betty is adorable!

How long do you have her for?

The first thing you can try is doing things that Maggie would normally do with her, i.e. going for walks, playing, hugging...etc. If she'll let you that is.

I wouldn't give her anything that is very greasy to chew on either, because when a dog is stressed their stomach gets "butterflies" like ours does, and things they normally wouldn't have problems with can upset their stomachs.

The next thing I would say is to just leave her be. If she doesn't come around you might try going to a Pet Store and find some calming spray or treats. Believe it or not, that stuff works. A friend of mine had a Greyhound that every time they left the house, the dog would DESTROY their house. Throwing a tantrum if you will. So they tried crate training but that didn't work because, being a Greyhound, that caused her to get arthritis. So they got a calming spray that you plug into a wall, and it goes off every half hour or hour, and it worked really well.

Hope that works for you! And I hope she feels better

I wouldn't go for any medications or "doggie downers" quite yet. She's showing signs of anxiety which can be dealt with, and nothing seems severe enough to be medicated.

Keep her occupied as much as possible, tons of walks and whatnot. That way she can take her mind off of missing her owner. Start training her how to do tricks like sit and stay, keep her mind occupied as well. Make it a daily thing, sit down every day at the same time and start training. If at all possible introduce her to a well mannered doggy friend.

Rescue Remedy can help a dog with separation anxiety.

Find something for her to do to take her mind off the fact that her person isn't there right now: Walks, swimming, pulling, Kong toys, whatever she enjoys doing. You want to make her visit as enjoyable for you both as possible, even if she is stressed.

When her person returns home, you might suggest to her that they "practice" coming to visit you, so the dog gets more comfortable with it. You want her to associate visiting you with some pleasurable rather than something unpleasant (i.e. her person going away). Be gentle with her soul, and there's every possibility that not only this visit to your home, but visits in the future, will be something for you both to look forward to.

What a pretty blue brindle bullydog! I hope she relaxes soon and enjoys her stay with you as much as possible.

Could she call her on the phone and just talk to her a little bit?

The next time Maggie goes somewhere, tell her to leave an item of clothing that she's worn recently (and not washed) - a sock, a t-shirt... Whenever we travel and have to leave our dogs at a kennel or a friend's house, we leave articles of clothing - our dirty socks actually comfort the dogs. Just make sure it's something that she doesn't mind Betty chewing or slobbering on.

The vet I work for sells this stuff called "comfortis" that seems to work really well on dogs that have separation anxiety issues, fear of thunderstorms, gunfire and the like. I would talk to the dog's vet FIRST about your concerns and see if this is a situation where they would recommend something like this. Or maybe they have a better idea. So many times I've had an idea and run it past the vets and they have a different idea OR bring up a point I never thought about which changes my mind completely on the situation.

Devon

Pal-O-Mine said:

The vet I work for sells this stuff called "comfortis" that seems to work really well on dogs that have separation anxiety issues, fear of thunderstorms, gunfire and the like. I would talk to the dog's vet FIRST about your concerns and see if this is a situation where they would recommend something like this. Or maybe they have a better idea. So many times I've had an idea and run it past the vets and they have a different idea OR bring up a point I never thought about which changes my mind completely on the situation.

Devon

Click to expand...

The product is called "Clomicalm" (clomipramine) and it isn't an instant cure. What it does is help the dog be more susceptible and receptive to retraining. "Comfortis" is a flea medication.

Check around for some of the homeopathic anxiety drops. They are perfectly safe, can be given in a repeat dose after 10 minutes and then later in the day as well, starts to work fairly rapidly (if it works...not all dogs respond to them), are inexpensive, easy to give (I just let the drops soak in a treat or just a piece of bread), do not make the pet drowsy or dopey, and do not need a prescription and can be sold over the counter to anyone. I've used both the Homeopet brand and Rescue Remedy.

I have to agree with someone above I forget who made the comment. Take the dog for a long walk. Exercise is a great mental stabalizer for dogs. Plus a walk renforces the bond between you and the dog. Just make sure you stay calm and happy through the walk and the dog will feed of those vibes. They can read body language really well, and if you are worried about them a worried walk will just continue to make the dog more stressed. So just live in the moment and enjoy the walk as if there is nothing wrong and you do it every day for your fun.

Let me know if you find something that works. I just inherited a old English Bulldog. It breaks my heart because I know he is looking for his mom (my stepsister) but she passed away 3 weeks ago. He has bone cancer so I am worried about taking him on long walks, especially since it was found on his leg. I really don't want to try drugs at this time, only if I have to.

I found this website, I know that her owner will be gone for a little while, but there is some good ideas. I am going to try some Kongs w/ treats etc.. to see if it will help Papa.

http://www.petplace.com/dogs/do-dogs-grieve-their-owner-s-passing/page1.aspx

WOW! I had no idea that Rescue Remedy would work for dogs! I actually have some for my healing leg.

Thanks for all of the comments and suggestions, guys! Sorry I didn't reply last night, I was a little busy and distracted.

Betty seemed somewhat distressed, waiting by the door, unable to relax. I had an old jar of peanut butter, and I know dogs LOVE peanut butter. I wish that I'd had a strong enough bone to put the peanut butter in, but my boyfriend wasn't home, so I couldn't run to the pet store.

I gave her this (and took it away before she could eat any of the plastic).


After that we went on a nice long walk. I know that walking bonds the dog and the walker and asserts leadership. One thing that kind of disturbed me a bit was that my friend told me, "she really doesn't need lots of exercise, she just needs attention."
ALL dogs need physical as well as mental stimulation, ESPECIALLY Pit bulls. I figured that the walk would give Betty the satisfaction she needs, as well as tuckering her out.

It definitely worked! After the walk, Betty made herself right at home.







I think the biggest problem I'm going to have is giving her back..


I love her eye freckle!


She's already become very attached to me. She follows me into every room. When I go into the bathroom she lays down next to the door and waits for me. It's rather sweet. I have no idea how she'll react though when I'm at school tomorrow. I suppose it will only be for an hour, so whatever happens, it can't be too terrible.

Her main issue that still remains is that she doesn't like men. She barks at my roommate and my boyfriend, and seems somewhat protective of me. All it is is a little barking though, no other signs of agression.
She warms up to them after she's been in the room with them as well, it's just the initial apearance that she doesn't like.

She even slept in bed with my boyfriend and I last night! ..so she BETTER not be barking at him... :sidestep:

I have a feeling that given her history, she's been abused or neglected by a man in the past. Poor girl. I'm just trying to give her as much love and comfort as possible.