Re: Anxiety and aggression

In Reply to: Anxiety and aggression
Category:   Behavior Problems
Posted by:  Erin
Posted on:  September 28, 2002 at 17:54:56

: Hi,

: I recently adopted a 3 yr old neutered female JRT. She's had kind of a rough start (first owner let her run amok in the house, and second owner's answer to her problems was to crate her for 20 hours a day) and I know she will be alot of work. Separation anxiety makes her cry and scream (although only for about 5 seconds after I actually leave the house) follow me very closely and try to run out of gates and doors ahead of me. I am working on this problem by leaving and returning throught different doors of the house, and trying to leave without her noticing (actually not terribly difficult). Today, however, I took her in the car with me and she bounced around, cried, screamed and barked the entire length of the car trip, creating a dangerous situation for both of us. When we brought her home with our other 2 dogs (neutered M Cairn terriers), on a 3 hour car trip, she was an angel. What should I do to help her relax in the car when it's just the two of us?

: Thanks very much!

Response:

Hi Erin,

The best and safest thing you can do for her and you when riding in the car is to crate her. A screaming, bouncing all over the car terrier is a recipe for disaster as you well know.

You might also want to try something like Bach's Rescue Remedy when planning on traveling with her. It's an holistic way of taking the edge off of her. You can discuss using this with your vet if you would feel more comfortable.

Also as a side-note I would strongly recommend getting her enrolled in basic obedience. It's so much easier to deal with a dog that you can refocus if necessary by them knowing basic commands.