Separation anxiety: Not all dogs crated or kenneled successfully

Within a few months, Solo's separation anxiety had decreased and he could be left alone for an hour or so. As often happens with rescued dogs, he had also begun to show some other, less savory behaviors.

When certain human males approached, Solo would lunge and nip with almostno warning. While most of this was inappropriate herding behavior, it wasalso driven by a combination of protective and fear aggression, based onhis body language. The head collar saved more than one unsuspecting soulfrom a firm nip. Solo did get one guy on the street but broke neither skinnor fabric.

However, the fact that he was able to grab someone meant that he waseither being placed in inappropriate situations or that he was not beingwatched carefully enough.

Both options were discussed with the client.

We also decided that the time had come to neuter this dog. Neuteringcan decrease reactivity, but not directly affect diagnoses.

We were delaying this because of the potentially provocative nature ofanesthesia and an unfamiliar environment. Her veterinarian worked with theclient and Solo was a day case who was returned to the client's care justa tad woozy. There were no untoward behavioral effects of the neutering,and we were never sure if the loss of testosterone had any effect on hisreactivity.

Additionally, Solo had started to attend some classes for basic mannersand agility and was becoming increasingly wary and reactive to dogs that"crept" up from behind, and he snapped at them. While he neverconnected, his reputation made it difficult for others to enjoy events withhim present, and he was getting less exposure, not more.

Finally, he had been taken to a horse and dog show where he'd been doingwell, and then he flipped out. The animal was shrieking, snapping and remaineduncontrolled and unconsolable.

The client removed him from the event, and reported that it took hima couple days to return to normal. These behaviors were accompanied by anincrease in clinginess and some backsliding when the client left. When shetried to kennel him to minimize damage, he panicked and damaged himselfand the kennel.

Crating caution

This is a cautionary tale: not all dogs can be crated or kenneled. Onlythose dogs who view crates or kennels as safe, comforting spots can be kenneled.

Other dogs will panic, as did Solo, and such panic will make them worse.The myth here is that dogs are denning creatures. Dogs haven't been wolvesfor at least 135,000 years and most of them would never den. Ask if thedog is comfortable enclosed, and whether they seek such closure when theywant to get away. If the answer is "no", the dog is at risk forpanic and can be made worse quickly.

Adding alprazolam

Because the panic was now associated with unpredictable reactions tooutdoor events and with being left behind, we added alprazolam (Xanax) (0.02-0.04mg/kg po prn) to Solo's drug regimen. The client was to give this at leasttwo hours before she left the dog and before going to any event that mightprovoke him.

Additionally, she could boost the intermediate metabolite level by repeatingthe dose again in two hours (the t1/2 of the parent compound in dogs appearsto be about two to four hours in dogs and that of the intermediate metabolite~ 2h).

This technique works best if the lower end of the dose is used as thestarting range. If the dog is already panicking or the drug is not goingto be boosted, the clients should start at the upper end of the dosage range.

The wonderful thing about alprazolam is that it is truly panicolyticin humans, and apparently in dogs as well, and that it can be used in combinationwith the TCAs, SSRIs and antipsychotic medications without incident.

Because its intermediate metabolites are hydroxylated, not part of theN-desmethydiazepam pathway, impairment of glucuronidation is less of anissue than for diazepam and clorazepate.

Solo's snapping behaviors also became worse when in crowded situations,or in situations where he was unsure, so we added a very low dose of fluoxetine(1 mg/kg po q. 24 h x 2 months minimally) to his regimen.

Within a few months, Solo was doing wonderfully, and had very few signsof separation anxiety left, and was snapping rarely. Instead, he was attendingto the client who had also clicker trained him to look to her for guidanceon almost everything. We weaned Solo from the clomipramine without adverseeffects, and made certain that the client had alprazolam, in case a panicattack occurred, but there had been few in recent months.

Then the client had to go away for the summer and Solo could not accompanyher.

Solo was placed with a member of the herding/training community whomthe client had come to know on-line and through different events. This ladywas familiar with his needs, his treatment and the client's concerns abouthim. Everything was fine for the first few weeks until Solo was startledby a man on the property. Solo snarled and lunged at him. This fellow lassoedSolo with a choker and hung him until he was almost unconscious...the fellowthen reported that Solo now "listened" to him.

Two steps back

Solo regressed to the frozen stage. When I spoke with the nearly hystericalclient, I was frank with her: this was abuse, and if she could not carefor the dog while doing her field work or find a better place for him tostay, it would be more humane to euthanize him than to subject him to suchtreatment. The client, who was sobbing by the time she ended the call, retrievedand rescued the dog.

The client was extremely concerned about what I thought of her becauseof this baby-sitting placement. I realized she'd been in a bind, but whenI tell people that special needs dogs require special care and decisions,it's almost as if they believe that that's advice for other people, forthose less talented, less generous, less loving. Simply, it's a fact. Idearly love my own rescues, but we rearrange our lives to accommodate theirneeds, which is why they appear so "improved" to others. We minimizedthe chance that they could do anything other than improve.

So, after much backsliding again, Solo began to improve, and he startedherding. The client was anxious to try this because the chap from whom she'dobtained the dog said he was a disaster at herding.

Well, dogs are not born knowing how to run sheep. In fact, even the onesthat learn by watching mom, have to learn, and the question to me was, couldSolo learn? Actually, after the first time where he nailed the sheep straightoff, he displayed a remarkable talent and he genuinely seemed to enjoy it.

So, when the client had to go away for the next summer's research, sheleft Solo with one of the guys who kept the sheep for a local herding group.

Once solely in his possession, this guy took Solo off his fluoxetinebecause the guy

"didn't believe in drugs." He didn't call me. He didn't discussit with the client. He didn't discuss it with anyone in the training groupwho had previously babysat Solo and knew what he could do. No, this stockman,who had no training in pharmacology, medicine or much elseknew better thananyone.

By the time the client returned, the dog had been off his drugs for abouttwo months. She was angry, scared and afraid to tell me. Well, I gave thelecture of my life on responsibility, and how she should sit this guy downand explain the potential damage that was done. Unfortunately, since thisguy controls access to one of the local sheep groups, many people are afraidto tick him off.

The thing that bothered the client was that the dog had seemed to blossomunder this guy's gruff tutelage. Let's rethink that. Solo was with otherdogs from whom he could take his cues. By taking his cues from clear rulesand the other dogs who knew which end of a boot to avoid, Solo created apredictable rule structure in a world in which he could function.

What do we think the probability is of that rule structure and functionbeing maintained upon return to the city? My guess would be about zero,but we would get to collect the data here.

Back on medication?

The client wanted to know if she should put the dog back on drugs. Becauseof the way SSRIs affect these receptors, if the dog needed drugs long-termshe would begin to know within a month. It takes three to five weeks tobegin to see the changes associated with alterations in protein receptors,and six or so weeks for these changes to routinely occur.

In turn, if drugs are maintaining these changes and the animal cannotdo it on their own, you'll see anxious behaviors begin to return on aboutthe same time scale.

Like clockwork, Solo began to show uncertainty, anxiety and snapping.Within two months back on medication he again improved, but not back towhere he was before the summer. The client and I now have an agreement:unless there are renal, hepatic or cardiac side effects from the medication,Solo will be on drugs for life. His annual laboratory evaluations are flawless.

New beginning

Once he improved, the client continued with herding. She started to reallywork Solo on agility, and she added another Border Collie, Fly, who wasalready trained to sheep.

Fly is a totally delightful, scruffy little Collie about Solo's size,who cares little for agility, but who lives for sheep and balls. The clientneeded this dog for herself, because she wanted a sweet dog who would workfor her in a hobby she had grown to love. She also purchased Fly becausewe both hoped that she would be able to be used by Solo as a model. Thisis why it was important to get an adult dog whose ways with humans and otherdogs was known. Solo is as well as he has ever been. He adores Fly, whois very tolerant of him. He has learned to play. He watches her when heis uncertain, and the massive weight of having to perform is lifted fromhim. Solo recently qualified in his first agility event. This is prettyremarkable since we added the agility as a way to have Solo associate thepresence of other dogs as something fun and predictable.

Story's not over

This is a long story, but it's not over. There will be downs and dips,but they will be greatly exceeded by the gains. This client has committedto helping this dog improve, and he has. Remember this dog was basicallylocked in a room for the first year of his life, and was mentally frozenby the experience.

How many people would put in the time that it has taken to rescue Solo?Very few is the answer. How do we measure the price of saving an unsalvageabledog? For this client it's been time, money, pain and a real delay in herthesis completion, but this dog has forever changed her. As one who hasbeen tutored by another unsalvageable dog, I can tell you the educationis priceless.