Thanks Helena! I certainly hope whatever programme she gives me actually works! But at least there's also an 8 week back up by email or telephone so it could be tweaked to suit.

Am here just very quickly, and will comment on the above posts tomorrow.

I went to the Three Counties Show today with a friend (had a wonderful day watching horses, dogs, horses, pigs, horses etc. etc. - but the point is, it was the first time that I had left Jimmi for more than an hour or two with husband; in fact we left at 9 this morning and didn't get home until 5. Jimmi seemed confused and greeted my friend as rapturously as he greeted me!! He does have a very small brain and is easily confused Husband said that he didn't put his head down for a snooze all day, and considering that he normally sleeps for several hours on and off that indicates a slight level of worry on Jimmi's part.........but other than that, and being a little clingy around my husband, he was fine. I am really really pleased.

Will comment on Lana and Bessie tomorrow............Helena, where would we be without you?!!! Just don't confiscate that magic bottle please, because the next budget is bound to load the real stuff!!!

Bitkin..... you went out for a WHOLE day How very dare you!!!!!! I fear retribution on Jimmi's part He's conjuring up a cunning plan as he's been pondering all day at home without you! Fancy leaving him ALL DAY with hubby, he can't believe it (I know coz he told me!!!) It's nice out there in the big wide world isn't it??? Glad you had some time to yourself and I love country shows to, we have the bit Ardingly nearby which I go to, but Jimmi, well........

Hmmmph, just stop it Helena ......husband has been out all day on umpteen occasions; he has been out during the evening on umpteen occasions; he has even stayed away overnight twice. Did Jimmi mind? No. I dare to spend a day out with my friend at the Show, and what do I come back to? A small dog who has not had a moment of sleep all day, and who has alternated between windows and gates looking out for my return. A small dog whose skin has suddenly turned bright pink again and whose feet itch like crazy..........well, at least this tells me something - either this allergy is stress based as well as food based, or husband fed him something that he shouldn't have had! A small dog who has slept for almost the entire day today, except for when I set foot outside the door to go into the garden, and he was by my side like a shot. This is not good.........no indeedy. AND, it also means that for two days there has been no training re going out and leaving him alone.

The outside world was rather nice though!

Cardaph, I too will await the results of your Consultation with great interest -it can do no harm can it and may do a whole heap of good Between us on here, we WILL sort these dogs out but I have a feeling that this thread will run and run for many months before we are all happy with leaving our pesky pooches.

1cutedog, I will be very interested to hear how the DAP diffuser affects Lana - and don't be ashamed about having days when you cannot do training; it is simply not possible sometimes, and all you can do is work on it when you have a good day for such things.

I have to agree with you Bitkin, it definitely sounds like it's stressed related the itchy feet (oh I remember those well from your thread ), and the pink skin, that's exactly how Georgie was, I would tend to his skin, bathe him, groom him, smother him in cream, leave him happy, only to come home and find he'd not only chewed all his feet, but he'd worked his way up a whole leg too Oh it was truly a nightmare and I don't want to go there again, ever!

He's in love with you, totally, he missed you like crazy, and that means, you've got big problems doesn't it quite honestly. How do you fix something like that then? You can't detatch yourself from him or act like you've gone off him otherwise it'll stress him out totally and he'll be covered in sores and have abcesses on his feet again Where do we go from here then????

Maybe Cardaph's behaviourist will come up with something smarter than we've thought of, I really hope so, poor little chap, he's got it bad, he must have had a bad time in his past life you know No wonder he's fallen in love with such a nice, caring person who understands such as yourself, who can blame him. I honestly am all out of answers now

We'd better put that whisky on the table and have a good think hey?!!

*puts magic bottle on the table and helps self to a large measure

I didn't really want to voice my concerns Helena, in case I sounded a bit over the top - but this is actually a major blow, and I honestly thought that as he was used to me going out for a couple of hours here and there without any great problem, then a day away would not be a great deal to Jimmi. I was wrong - so we now not only have to work on the leaving him totally alone thing, but also have to address me being out for more than a short spell.

You totally understand, having been through it, the skin thing and I could cry I really could because we thought that we had it under control. So, it is back to the salt baths and the antibiotics etc. etc. Oh, and something else.........you may remember that he was drinking excessively when we first had him, and we had loads of tests done in case it was something aweful causing it. Well, today he has drunk for England again. Soooooo, stress causes ALL of his problems it seems, poor little chap. The road to sanity is going to be very very slow I think.

You seem to have your work cut out Bitkin poor lad is really stressed isn't he. If only there was a magic pill to cure stress and anxiety in them it would solve all our problems!

We haven't done any training for a few weeks now with going on holiday and then Bessie being spayed so I think I will leave it until we see the behaviourist and start again with a clean sheet.

1cute dog how is it going with the dap infuser? We tried that and it did nothing to help but I think that's because the room we are most in is too big being the kitchen and dining room in one.

Just nipping in here for a quick one I went out on Friday, up the end of the lane and back down again, was away for about 3 1/2 minutes. Listened to the tape and Lana started her barking, whining, crying, pacing, panting after 2 minutes.

Didn't do any trialling yesterday as we went for long walks. The sad thing is I have to go out for an hour on Monday I am inclined to leave her at home, either that or I take her to the doctors and leave her tied up outside, where she will no doubt bark like mad and send my blood pressure soaring I don't know yet which is the lesser of two evils. If I take her with me she won't be on her own for such a long time but I will be able to hear her and if I have to wait I will get so agitated and maybe end up walking out or won't be able to concentrate.

Bitkin, so sorry to hear about Jimmi and the symptons caused by the stress of you leaving him.

forgot to add that I don't think the DAP diffuser is making any difference. I think now maybe I should have got a collar as the windows are constantly open here so maybe it's all going out there.

Cardaph I think that you are sensible to wait for your consultation with the behaviourise because there is little point starting a new regime now and then having to change it all again. How was your science at school??!!! We could try concocting a potion....you know the sort of thing, eye of bat wing of toad etc. We would make an absolute fortune if we found the answer in a simple potion, but I have to say that the Separation Anxiety drops that I bought for Jimmi have no discernable effect whatsoever

1cutedog, I do sometimes wonder if dogs get it into their skulls that if they bark for long enough then the owner will come back. It is difficult for you with your stairs to repeatedly do the one minute thing, and if Lana is not fooled by you waiting just outside the door, then it may be a hard one to crack. I am hoping that we can get to three minutes without Jimmi barking, because if he does we shall just have to drop back down to two again and so on and blinking so forth. He is not a young dog you know...........he could turn his paws up before we sort this problem out

Just popping in here for a quick one .

I've only got a few comments and this thread is so long that I must admit I can't remember everything. I do some behavioural work so just wanted to give a few tips in case they help (as you know I would always suggest a proper behaviour consultation, IMO it's hard without, and its' hard anyway with it, but I know for various reasons some owners like to try things themselves ).

For serious cases of SA, the idea is to not get the dog to the state where they react at all. So you can't really, unfortunately, do desensitising, good work one day, then a few days later go out and leave the dog, or even take the dog to a place where it may get anxious ... it won't really work.

The idea is to build up very slowly to desensitising the dog to all the things that are previous to othe owner going out - ie the routine, picking up keys, brushing hair, picking up the post, putting on shoes (certain shoes? certain clothing/handbag/umbrella etc).

This consists of picking up or putting these on and then NOT going out .... and doing it many many times until the dog does not associate them with the owner going out

Then owner touches the door handle, then comes back over and over, then opens the door and comes back, over and over... and then goes out one step,then comes back,over and over....

until the dog does not react.

It's hard

That is why some use drugs to help. But they should only be used with reputable behaviourist help, as you don't want a dog who is not reacting due to being calmed by a drug, all the time. You want the dog to learn with the help of the medication, not just be kind of doped up.

Once the whole going out thing has got to about half an hour to an hour, and the dog is not reacting, then usually it is then onwards much easier to start going out for longer... with great care

Best too to not do a continual lengthening process, but to come back early sometimes, or pop out for a few moments and back again.

Some dogs - well, they are either very attached to ONE human (seem to have one on here? ) or are scared of being alone. Other dogs are scared of being in the house alone due to perhaps noises, ansaphones, postman, builders, mice, (yes, reallyl!), central heating noises, smoke alarms etc ... if this is the case then clearly if the noise happens again it will put everything back.

Some peeps believe their dog is anxious due to being left, or attached to them, but also they may not realise the cause of the anxiety, and accidentally leave the dog to being exposed to it again....there are also regular anxieties such as the postman or builders next door....the dog may even be OK with the owner there, but scared if not. This is partly why talking to a reputable professional can help, because they would put the jigsaw together as much as possible and would notice little things not all owners might, IYSWIM.E.g. they may recognise that it's not a problem of being alone, but a problem of what happens when they are alone.

I don't know if this helps or not, but anyway I want to wish everyone lots of luck , it is wonderful to read how dedicated you are

This may be useful to read, and there is the booklet which is inexpensive and may help ...

http://www.patriciamcconnell.com/hel...n-anxiety.html

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