The Dog Behavior Answer Book - Arden Moore [38]
Even with careful training, some pets need medications to conquer phobias. Some over-the-counter herbal or homeopathic remedies or pheromone diffusers may ease anxiety levels. For severe cases, however, antianxiety or antidepressant medications may be necessary. Work closely with your veterinarian in selecting and monitoring the effect these medications have on your dog. It is not uncommon for veterinarians to adjust the dosage or switch to a different medication when treating thunderstorm phobias. Be aware that some prescriptions must be given daily for up to one month before they are effective. Others work on an as-needed basis. The long-term goal is to eventually wean your dog from medications, although some dogs may need medications for their entire lives.
SIGNS OF A TERRIFIED DOG
A dog with a phobia may display these behaviors:
Freezing in one place, refusing to move
Pacing frantically
Trembling and shaking
Hyper-salivating, lip-licking, and yawning
Attempting to flee or escape
Hiding
Eliminating inappropriately
Vocalizing by whining excessively
Rhett Overcomes Anxiety
RHETT, AN 18-MONTH-OLD neutered Norfolk terrier, appeared to be an ideal dog, but he had been behaving strangely for two months. His owner, Tanya, described him as unable to sit still and constantly “air licking” (a distinct behavior where a dog repetitively flicks its tongue in the air) and snapping at imaginary flies. These odd displays occurred on and off during the day but seemed worse in the early evening. Tanya could sometimes stop Rhett’s behavior by bribing him with food, giving him a massage, or taking him for a walk, but his frantic activity was increasing, which prompted her to seek my help.
The major relevant fact in this case was that the family was in the process of moving. In some dogs, tail chasing and fly snapping have been associated with partial seizures. But in Rhett’s case, the start of his odd behavior was clearly triggered by changes in the household due to the planned relocation. The sight of packing boxes seemed quite stressful for Rhett.
His anxiety also seemed to be caused in part by Rosie, the family’s second Norfolk terrier, who was younger and had been adopted after Rhett. She pestered Rhett more than he liked during playtime and on walks. I noted that he was showing stress-related displacement behavior that had the potential to develop into compulsive behavior.
To start our multifaceted approach, Rhett was given a low dose of an antianxiety medication after his veterinarian ruled out any underlying medical causes. Tanya began to reinforce Rhett’s place as the senior-ranking dog by ensuring that he was always ahead of Rosie when receiving meals, toys, and attention, and going outdoors. He also benefited from having time to play with his toys away from Rosie and from longer daily walks and other exercise.
When treating compulsive disorders, it is vital to either minimize exposure or desensitize the dog to the stressor that is triggering the behavior. Since the disruption of the move couldn’t be avoided, Tanya diverted Rhett by hiding food in hollow dog toys and burying toys and treats in the backyard for him to discover by digging. This shifted his energy from compulsive flank licking and fly snapping to busily finding goodies. As just having everything boxed up and in disarray was stressful, we made the boxes fun by teaching him to jump on and off them, run the gauntlet, and find hidden treats among them.
After the move to the new home and the introduction of new canine ranking rules for Rhett and Rosie, Rhett’s compulsive ways steadily subsided and his gentle, calm nature returned. This is a case where early intervention helped prevent the escalation of strange behaviors.
Contributed by Alice Moon-Fanelli, PhD
Dog Despises Dishwasher
Q When we’re at work, we keep Sally, our 10-month-old Border collie, in our kitchen, which is gated to keep her from running around the house. For some reason, Sally hates our dishwasher. She barks at it when it’s running. She lunges at the door handle when