Re: Schnoodle - Whining

Doogie wrote:

He gets very upset. Whining, going to window, etc.


Dogs can be a little like Rorschak tests in this regard. It's possible
for the behavior to mean nothing, just a behavior, a bunch of ink blots
on the page, until a human comes along to interpret the behavior and
decide what it means. The result is that the interpretation tells more
about the human than about the dog.


I have a dog that does not suffer from separation anxiety. She's
allowed the run of the house whether we're home or gone (with the
exception of the computer room, but that's for reasons irrelevent to
this discussion). When we're getting ready to leave (shoes, keys,
jackets, close door to computer room), she runs around the house and
whines and then as we go out the door, she runs to the front window and
looks out.


We assume that the whine means that she's excited and interested, not
anxious or in distress. She makes the whine other times, like when
there's something cool outside, maybe a squirrel or a leaf. We assume
running to the window means that she likes to watch us pull out from the
driveway, not that she's bothered by our leaving. She runs to the window other times too, like when there might
be a squirrel outside, or a leaf.


Since whining and looking out the window are acceptable behaviors to us,
we don't mind. When we get home, there's every evidence that she's been
sleeping on the couch the whole time-- unless she gets up to check the
window. Nose prints on the window. We wipe them off with vinegar every
few months.


Your dog MAY have separation anxiety. Or not. I'd try leaving my dog
alone and outside the crate for 5 minutes. Come back and see if he's
done anything that would suggest anxiety. Peeing or pooping in the
house could indicate that-- or it could indicate a lack of
housetraining. Shredding things could indicate separation anxiety too--
or it could indicate boredom or never having been taught not to shred.
But it sounds like you're assuming separation anxiety on the basis of a
whine and a desire to look out the window. That's just not enough
evidence to make the diagnosis.


--Lia

.

Relevant Pages

  • Re: At Wits End - Need Help Badly
    ... I know Danny has Separation anxiety. ... The vets all try to "fix" it and consider it a real problem. ... I stole him out of a specialists care that thought ... waiting room for five days and nights, while my dog was on the other ...
    (rec.pets.dogs.behavior)
  • Re: An article about Protecting your pets in all kinds of weather in the local newspaper
    ... officer in uniform dropping off his dry cleaning. ... car and steal his dog. ... Saw the animal in distress and broke the window to get out they ...
    (rec.pets.cats.anecdotes)
  • Re: New Puppy. Need Help. Separation anxiety.
    ... The puppy is 3 months old. ... the dog FEARS his owner's RETURN. ... She's locked in the crate. ... Because separation anxiety is CAUSED BY MISHANDLING ...
    (rec.pets.dogs.behavior)
  • Re: Search Assistant Not Working Right
    ... I get only a gaping window... ... Besides....I feel the choice of a dog is biased. ... Now, I see the same Search window in the panel, but, the Customize is ... doesn't seem to be a way of getting the old Search Assistant back. ...
    (microsoft.public.windows.inetexplorer.ie6.browser)
  • Re: Uh-Oh..... Another foot story :-/
    ... abnormal, or whatever he doesn't llike about it, lab results. ... "so we piled them into the truck, ... now the Lab and husky hang their heads out the window. ... :: side where Danni was so she rolled the window down a bit for the dog.. ...
    (alt.support.diabetes)