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Help! Separate anxiety with new rescue
We just rescued a german shorthaired pointer off the street and not sure the best way to keep her safe while we are gone. i bought her a wire crate and tried to get her familiar with it before we had to leave her, but today she tore it to bits and got out of it. (We've left her in our room a different day and she tore up the carpet before the crate came in the mail). We exercise her in the evenings and she has tons of toys she's just a super energetic pup with a TON of anxiety. Any suggestions? Thundershirt? pheramones? I have to take my son super early in the mornings so it's hard to get her exercise in before we leave.
I'm can't leave her in the kennel because she chewed out of it....don't want to leave her out in the house for her safety and don't want to leave her outside because I'm afraid she'll dig out. Any suggestions?? I'm only gone for no more than three hours at a time.
Open to any suggestions, please be kind. We really love her and are tring our best, I just don't know what to do. We have two Westies who were perfect puppies so this is all new to me!!
Re: Help! Separate anxiety with new rescue
Do you crate her while you are home? (I'm a new dog owner so not an expert and my pup is a rescue too)...our girl is big and strong but acclimated well to the crate_ she was a freaking handful in the beginning...her foster mom did a lot of work with that too..but maybe for now try to give her a really vigorous workout during the day and give her a few treats as you put him in the crate...Im hoping maybe if he's tired and drained that energy and you are there maybe he will settle and take a nap? Our girl is like a toddler, when she's tired she throws a tantrum and cant settle down, drags her bed around the house but as soon as we put her in the crate- she's asleep in 5 minutes. I think the key is to get a lot of that energy out...and reward the going into the crate with toys or treats. Try to ignore him if he doesn't settle-he will associate you freaking out with getting let out...Keep doing it little by little, feed him his meals in there so he associates the crate with good things.
I know its super tough ( and you have kid so its harder) but the exercise is key. My husband does the morning walking for our girl but he was away on a business trip this week- I am so NOT a morning person but I woke up 45 minutes early to give her a really brisk 30-45 min. walk (in the freaking cold and dark) before I left for work, that might help a ton, otherwise, ask a trainer/your vet...google away! and good luck!
Side note- we had another beast that got out of a wire crate so we ziptied the whole thing to make it more secure.
Id ask
(If this shows up twice, I'm sorry, something weird just happened with my computer...) But anyway. As I'm sure you know, German Shorthaired pointers are CRAAAZY energetic, so I'm sure that's not helping. I'm not sure how long you've had her, but continue exercising the heck out of her, and hopefully she'll establish a routine. That's hopefully the key, get her in a routine and get all her energy out.I agree with you - don't leave her outside while you're gone, that's asking for trouble. Either get a sturdier crate or pick a room you can leave her in(make sure she can't get into anything), since you aren't gone for too long.
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