Cardaph - that is what I have thought all along......Lana and Jimmi don't give too hoots about being alone in a room or even the house, just so long as someone is around somewhere. I can work in the garden for two hours and he will happily snooze away in the study/kitchen/lounge. This is why I think that Bessie has true separation anxiety whilst the other two have something slightly different - a fear of being abandoned perhaps? Who knows. I think that with your patience and willingness to take things extremely slowly you WILL win through in the end.

Meanwhile, I am in despair because Jimmi's foot looks inflamed again and he has started to have licking sessions. The new smaller boots have arrived, which are much better width wise but I am not sure that the length of suede on the bottom of the paw section is adequate to accomodate his long claws. When I do a "fitting" tomorrow all should become clear, but once again all my attention is focused on his feet instead of working on leaving him alone.

I wonder how Wissansean is getting along

Cardaph it is strange with Lana and Jimmi. As Bitkin says it could be something else as ours are happy on their own in different rooms in the house whereas Bessie isn't. So glad you seem to be making progress with Bessie, slowly, slowly catchee monkey. You'll get there one day and even having to buy a new carpet it will have been worthwhile.

Bitkin I'm so sorry to hear about Jimmis foot being inflamed again, that is such a shame for Jimmi and also for you. I wonder if dog boots ever fit any dog properly. I do hope you have more luck with the smaller size and I hope his foot doesn't get any worse.

He'll be fine when you go overnight, as you say he only needs someone in the house and he knows your daughter and her family.

I used to wonder if something bad had happened to Lana when she was in the house on her own but I've always had the impression she was well cared for before I got her and came from a loving home, she was so well trained. Although she was scared of men when I got her I think it was because of the police and dog wardens as it was mostly men with dark clothes or with hats, she's stil a bit wary sometimes. She always sits on my dads feet when we are at his house. My nephew came in the other day and he's 6'4" tall. Lana barked at him all the way up the stairs but once he was in and sitting down she sat between his legs almost the whole time getting petted.

I think it was the experience in the pound and kennels that's done it for Lana. She was so scared. When I first met her she was in the kennels and when I bent down to talk to her she only growled at me. What a different dog once she was out of the kennel on the lead, it's also why I can't use a crate, although she did sleep in one for a while but after I shut the door once for a minute or two whilst I was sitting there afterwards she always made sure her paws and head went over the front so the door couldn't be closed. It was also the beginning of November she was in the kennels and was terrified of the fireworks. On the 13th November this year I shall have had her for 1 year

Lana's finished her season so from Wednesday was able to be off the lead in the park the whole time. She was sooo much happier. Thinking that now she was happier I would leave her alone and see how she was. I went out for 5 minutes, recorded her as usual and I almost cried when I listened to the tape.

She only gave one bark but didn't do her usual whining it was heartbreaking crying she did. I was so shocked at the recording, have never heard anything like it before. The whining was bad enough but this was really something else. I never want to hear that sound again.

She has been whining more than usual. When we were waiting on the dog walker on Monday she stood and whined the whole time and the other day going downstairs she was whining away. I don't know if it's because of having been in heat and her hormones are all over the place or what.

I ordered Zylkene yesterday and it came today so she had some with her dinner tonight so I'll see how she is with this. I won't be leaving her on her own for a long time, I couldn't bear it if she cried like that again. Just when I thought I was getting somewhere.

Oh heck 1cutedog, my heart goes out to you and to Lana.

Thank goodness she has found you, because nobody could be more sympathetic and understanding of her distress at being left alone in the house. If you are anything like me, you will have a sick feeling in the pit of your stomach over this latest setback, and will be finding it hard to get on with normal life - but I agree with you that leaving her alone at the moment is really not fair.

I do hope that the Zylkene works it's magic again, - it is especially important with the wretched fireworks coming up that she is given every chance to feel calm. You may well be right about the pound experience giving her the horrors, and as she can still hear all the dogs in there perhaps it is a constant reminder. Who knows what goes on in these dog's heads. Perhaps if the Zylkene has a good affect, then before long you can try again with leaving her........how many people would bother to leave a tape recorder?? Therefore how many dogs are incredibly distressed when left and nobody knows about it. I am afraid that the three of us are not hard enough to just shut their dogs in a crate (which would be disastrous for poor Lana) and go out shopping or whatever, saying what will be will be.

Cardaph........from what you say about Bessie being okay in another room just as long as it is she who chooses to go in there, perhaps you need to wait for her permission to go out??!!! If she is in charge, then all is well

Bitkin you know I have gotten so used to having to take Lana with me that I accept it now. Maybe the other day when I wanted to go the post office it would have been nice to leave her at home and go to the one 5 minutes away instead of doing a 20 minute walk to the other one

It would be nice to think of her safely at home instead of tied up outside a shop. I worry and hate if there's a queue and I can't just grab the milk and bread and run out again.

The couple downstairs are out this evening. Their dog yelps/ squeeks/ screeches, wierd sound probably because it knows it's going to get zapped by the zitronella collar if it barks. It's obviously distressed. Maybe this flat isn't the place for Lana with the dog downstairs and the ones in the kennels opposite. An old building with wierd noises and pipes that bang.

I don't know if moving from here would be better or worse for her and it's the difficulty of getting a place that accepts dogs. Would going somewhere new be even worse for her or if it wasn't in a flat with a stairwell and lots of other people would it be better for her.

Because of the recession my business isn't going well and I have nightmares of having to get a job. How could I possibly get one with Lana being like this and there's no way I would/could rehome her. How many people would be able to spend all their time with their dog. I'm lucky in that I like being on my own, don't have nights out, want to go shopping all day or any of the other things normal people do. It's a worry, what if I got ill and had to go to hospital or if I had a heart attack and died what on earth would happen to her. How would she cope if she was dumped in the kennels again. It doesn't bear thinking about. Luckily I am quite optimistic so don't sit and worry about these things very often but they do cross my mind sometimes when she's being especially 'bad'. Bad as in not coping not bad as being naughty.

I wish I knew someone who would be willing to take her if something happened to me but there's no one who would want her. Some say she should just be left on her own to bark, that she has to learn, and others say they would have given her back to the kennels by now as there's no way they would want to cope with her.

Hopefully the zylkene will work again and if I have to keep her on them constantly so she's happier then that's what I will do.

1cutedog - you are as bad a worrier as I am; perhaps we should both take the Z cure along with Lana! I do know exactly what you mean though about the hospital thing etc., and can only say that the only sure way of making sure that Lana is well cared for and sympathetically treated whilst waiting for that ideal home if anything should happen to you, is to sign up with the Dog's Trust scheme. I don't think that it costs anything at all, and it might give you some peace of mind.

It's an interesting point regarding your flat - yes, a move might unsettle Lana initially but if it was to somewhere less noisy then it may help her. It perhaps wouldn't do any harm to just keep your eyes open, and you never know - a lovely place at the right price, where dogs are allowed could just pop up.

Quite honestly, I feel that anyone who tells you just to leave her to it, or to take her back, just does not understand. That sort of thing is rather short of helpful isn't it At least you are not hankering after a wild social life!!!! Neither am I, but sometimes when my husband is out at his Masonic thingies I feel a little trapped - if only Jimmi's paws were good, then I could take him out with me. Hey ho..........the new smaller boots are absolutely perfect widthwise, and stayed on an absolute treat, BUT, as I suspected the leather pad on the bottom of the foot is not quite long enough, and the seam where it joins the fabric coincides with the tender area just behind his back pad. After twenty minutes he was feeling it, so I had to remove them. I am going to write to the makers, (who sound lovely) to see if they will alter them, because they claim to be able to sort all problems out.

I don't know what I worry about more - his feet, or not being able to leave him alone!

Sorry Have't posted in a while but have been busy!

and Bitkin I think you may be right about Milo having that fear of abandonment he follows me everywhere in the house and out, but lately he has gone and taken off and I had to chase him which I learned is the way wrongest thing to do and when I don't chase him he usually comes back.

I have decided to wait on the SA thing until I am certain that that is what it is and let him settle in for a while longer and get into a routine so I may not be on here as much

Good Luck with Bessie and Lana!!!!!

Bitkin I've looked on the Dogs Trust pages but can't find anything. When I type Dog's Trust scheme into google it's all about getting them neutered cheaper. There's actually kennels not too far from here who are brilliant with the dogs they have in care. They check all the homes first and try and match people and dogs up so I've said to my son I want Lana taken there.

I'm not sure about the move. I don't know if I could cope with the stress of moving again and whether it would make a difference to Lana. She was as bad in our other house and moving again might not be the best. I'll see how it goes.

I want some of that stuff from Honey I Shrunk the Kids and will give it to Lana so she shrinks and fits inside my jacket or bag and I can then sneak her in everywhere with me. I bet she'd start barking though and give the game away

Thats good that the smaller boots stayed on Jimmis feet but a shame the pad on the bottom wasn't long enough. It would be really good if the makers could come up with some boot which will fit him perfectly and stops all the trouble with his feet. You've got double the worry with Jimmi, I'm lucky in that Lana is fit and healthy and I've only the SA to worry about. It must be terrible seeing Jimmi suffer so much with his feet. It must be awful for him as well as you.

Wissansean I think you're right to let Milo settle in a while longer before deciding what to do about him. It's still early days and once he's into a routine he might well settle. I will keep my fingers crossed that after a couple of weeks he'll be fine and you don't end up with problems like we have.

Thanks for the good luck wishes.

1cutedog that must have been heart wrenching hearing Lana cry on the recording. I wonder if it is her hormones making her more emotional just now. Bessie had a phantom pregnancy after her first season and to see her with a new toy pitifully crying and trying to lie on it and hide it, wandering around with it in her mouth all the time was awful. Once we realised we took it off her.

I worry too about being in a situation where I have to leave Bessie, say one of us was in hospital how would the other visit, or some emergency cropped up who would we take her to at short notice, things like that.

I've had people say to me too to just leave her in the house and let her get on with it - tough love they call it. I just couldn't shut the door on her knowing how she would be on her own. How could anyone wander around the shops or go for a meal knowing their dog was barking it's head off and panicking at home.

Bitkin it may well be worth it to contact the makers of the boots to see if they could make a pair to suit Jimmi. Nothing's easy is it The last thing you want is for the boots to cause more pain for him.

Wissansean Thanks for the good wishes and good luck with Milo. Hope you will keep popping in to see how we are doing.

I was over the moon today at training class. Bessie did her first long stay letting me walk to the other side of the room and back. The trainer actually remarked on how well she is doing and said it reflected on her improvement at home and she must be feeling more confident in herself

So tonight, flushed with success and praise we actually went right out the front door, closed it then came back in and she just sat half way down the hall not really that bothered at all. We did that four times in all and will continue for another full week before trying to lengthen the time (dare I hope!!)

Oh WELL DONE Bessie, what a good clever dog! (*primes magic bottle with Champagne). Slowly but surely she is making progress.

1cutedog, here is the link......hope it works
http://www.dogstrust.org.uk/legacies...ecard2009.aspx

It might just help to give you some peace of mind. It doesn't cater for temporary problems though, as Cardaph has pointed out and I am in the same boat. If either my husband or myself have to go into hospital, then I wonder if a small Jack Russell can be smuggled in at visiting times!!! Not sure Bessie or Lana would fit under a coat!

The company that makes these boots are going to do a bespoke pair for Jimmi.......they really are so helpful and friendly. Poor little chap, he is so good about having the boots put on, he does seem to know that we are trying to help him, and I really hope that we can get it all riight. In the meantime, we have altered our walks so that there are no gravelly rough bits whatsoever. It's not easy, but we are getting there.