Gabi nka Abby went to her forever home last November. After about three weeks she started showing signs of severe separation anxiety when her dad went to work. He was devastated, thinking that he wasn’t providing her the right environment. We talked, and he agreed to try to work with her and get her past this issue. And he has been true to his word!
We hired a behaviorist to meet with Abby and her owner, and she was able to give him some tools and products that are helping Abby feel much more relaxed both when he is gone and when he is at home. He said they work everyday they can on desensitizing her to things that trigger her anxiety (picking up his keys, putting on his shoes, etc), and she gets interactive treats and toys while he is gone. She gets two 45 minute walks every day, and he is using a Dog Appeasing Pheromone collar and diffuser as well as an herbal supplement to help her stay calm.
They are also working on her socialization and have made a lot of progress with her anxiety around other dogs, strangers and unfamiliar things. He said there is still work to be done on that and on lowering her prey drive so she doesn’t catch any more squirrels. But, all in all, things are going much better.
We wish everyone would devote this much time and energy to making their pups well adjusted. By the time dogs get into rescue, they all have baggage–much less than we would have if we had gone through what they had, but baggage nonetheless. It is a special person who understands that and commits to help them get through it. Thankfully, Abby found such a person, and we are forever grateful!
If you would like to help us pay for Abby’s behavioral consult, you can donate by visiting www.houndhaven.org.