Paw Prints the Magazine

17 Responses to “CONTEST: Does your dog have trouble “ADAPTING?” Tell us your story and you could win a remedy for that.”

1. 

   Erae
   

   16. Aug, 2012

   I have a twelve year old Jack Russell Terrier that is quick to lick… as in he gets stressed and starts licking until his nose is raw. He will lick his paws, lick the floor, lick the air, etc. I walk and run him for at least forty minutes every day. I invent games to entice him to play, I teach him tricks to stimulate his brain… but still this nervousness comes over him.

   A few years ago, after he got attacked by a bigger dog, and became so aggressive that I had to keep him from crossing paths with my other pets. He’s come a long since then and gets along alright with my toy poodle, but still that anxiety keeps popping up in his life.

   I would love to see him relaxed and calm all day long, not just for a few hours after walks/training/play. Thanks for the contest.
2. 

   jill c
   

   16. Aug, 2012

   I need this so bad for our newly rescued 3 year old Cocker Spaniel, Casey. This poor darlin’ has separation anxiety like you wouldn’t believe. Everyday I come home to a crate filled with drool ans soaking wet paws of my girl. She is fearful of people, dogs, children and just cant seem to relax. We want to keep her but are looking for something in addition to our obedience training. Please pick us!
3. 

   Ashley
   

   16. Aug, 2012

   This sounds like something that may actually WORK! I have 6 dogs in all, 3 fosters and 3 of my own personal dogs who are all Siberian Huskies, one is a no content wolfdog ,shes the baby. However the issue is with my oldest Sib who is only just a little over a year old. She would go everywhere with us so to be sure that she was WELL socialized as she was being trained as a therapy dog. Took her to Petsmart,Petco, and even into Walmart as part of her training and everything was going well until she hit 5 months old. She started to become fearful of loud noises,people and she’s started to fear bite. Theres been nothing that happened to her to make her this way! She did go into heat early wasnt expecting that for another month but we immediately had her fixed and now she’s a month over a year old and she is still fear agressive to people and loud noises (like the lawnmower) She can be inside the house and hear it going and she will pace and sit there and do this HIGH pitched scream until they are done cutting grass…She’s tried to bite people she doesnt know, she does fine with us and other dogs but people…she wont have nothing to do with. And I work from home so Im always here with her and its not like she gets left alone. I just dont know what to do anymore. I as a groomer always have new people coming in and out,I work with her everyday and have had a trainer give me tips to try and help and I just dont know what to do. I miss taking my girl out with me when I leave the house Please help me help my girl Lyka!
4. 

   KRMeuse
   

   16. Aug, 2012

   Hazelnut is a ten year old mixed breed with some Chow in there for territorial/protective fun. We rescued her when she was 4 months old and already imprinted by abuse. She was intended to be my son’s dog, but she quickly became my shadow and constant companion. I love her and cherish our bond, but she is a challenge when we have visitors to our home. Hazel loves people now (still wary of some men), but becomes anxious when they are in our/her space – especially near the food source, “Goodies” the refrigerator. I’ve tried training methods to “chill” her when company comes for dinner, even using music to relax her — but she remains high maintenance throughout meals with guests. We’d LOVE to have her chilling with a goodie in her own space and letting us have our time with guests unaccompanied by panting, whining and pacing.
5. 

   VAL
   

   16. Aug, 2012

   I have 6 dogs. 2 schnauzers, 3 border collies and 1 poodle mix.
   One of my border collies has a lot of behaviour issues. Lunna is afraid of fireworks, get nervous with thunderstorms and is reactive/agressive witho other dogs.
   Since the 8 months old she decided to attack one of my schnauzers. The attacks are very serious even needing surgeries and a lot of stitches. She attackes the other dogs in the house too.I was “instructed” to put her to sleep for several times, but she is so sweet to people and children that I really think she needs a chance.
   I started to study canine behaviour to treat her by myself. Today, she is 6 years old and we are having a lot of progress with homeopathy treatment. We don’t have an attack for 6 months already. \o/
   But she needs more. She is still afraid of noises, she is still a litte spooky and she barks a lot to all different things. She’s still uncomfortable with changes in routine and coexistence with other dogs and she never relaxes.
   My vet, friend trainers and I think that the combination of homeopathy, training and the Adaptil would be the ideal treatment for her.
   Please, please help me to help my sweet LUNNA.
   )
6. 

   Melissa
   

   16. Aug, 2012

   My foster dog Fiona is an amazing little girl – but a very anxious one.

   She came to our rescue at 8 weeks old and was a regular, happy little puppy. Though many other dogs in her litter of 9 were shy and hadn’t been around people very much, Fiona took to socialization very well and eventually found a family to adopt her. This family though had three kids, and the parents had trouble getting those kids to mind. After just a few months, the family had taken to leaving Fiona in the backyard instead of including her in the family, and letting the kids play rough with Fiona without correcting them. By the time the shelter was called to take Fiona back because she was “too big”, Fiona was suffering from a huge amount of anxiety and was very unhealthy.

   Of course I took her back in as my foster. The first thing I noticed was they’d been feeding her table scraps instead of good quality dog food – and her coat was not just dull, but wasn’t even the same color as her littermates’ any more.

   The second thing I noticed was that Fiona could not settle down – everything was a constant source of concern, worry, or even sometimes just interest. She could sit and cuddle in front of the TV for no more than 5 seconds at a time before she would begin pacing again.

   After a few months with me, on good food and with good care, she improved some. Her coat came back, she slimmed back down to her healthy weight, and she seemed happier – but she also still was unable to settle down. In addition, she developed a tendency to pick fights with her sister – fights that got so bad we had to separate them for good.

   After much discussion with the doctor we decided to put Fiona on Prozac. I was worried at first that this was too much – that she’d turn into a zombie, or that it wouldn’t work at all. But 6 weeks later, we were able to see a measurable difference in Fiona and since she has been on it (four months now) she seems happier and more content. She is able to sit down and receive pets, even lay down and chew on a rawhide or nylabone for minutes at a time. She doesn’t pace very much any more indoors, except for when she first comes out of her crate in the morning. She used to run laps around the backyard so much (a symptom of OCD) that she ran a trail into the ground – now she seems much more comfortable outside, and isn’t showing that same repetitive behavior.

   I say all this to say that I know what it’s like to have a dog with anxiety. Fiona is one of two in our house, the other is anxious with other dogs and people so it’s another complicated case. I don’t know if Adaptil would help Fiona (or our other dog) but I do know I’m willing to try anything if it will make her feel good and help us find just the right family to adopt her and love her for all her quirks.

   Thanks for reading this far
   Melissa
7. 

   Anna
   

   16. Aug, 2012

   Millie the Beagle could definitely use some calming. We moved from Wisconsin to Oregon by car about 2 months ago. Millie really doesn’t like car rides. We now live in an apartment building with numerous other dogs. Millie is reactive and barks like crazy when they walk past or when she meets them outside on leash. She has started having accidents in the house, which my vet and I now believe are stress-related. My nervous little girl needs some Adaptil!
8. 

   Katherine
   

   17. Aug, 2012

   I adopted a 4 y/o silky terrier almost 2 years ago and he is extremely reactive/aggressive and gets very stressed in new situations. I’ve tried a calming cap, counter conditioning, thundershirt and nothing seems to work. When he sees a dog even 25 feet away he goes berserk. He is fine with the resident dog but if we’re out walking together and the terrier spots another dog he gets so worked up that if the other dog happens to be in his line of ‘fire’ he will snap at her or even me. It’s like ‘the lights are on but nobody is home’. There is no getting his attention and if he were a bigger dog it would be dangerous. Help!
9. 

   Repoleon
   

   17. Aug, 2012

   I have a 5 year old lab mix, named Obi, who is terrified of a number of things. Mostly, he is afraid of thunderstorms. When it storms, he tries to hide in very small spaces. We’ve come home to find him in the bathroom cabinet – above the sink. Curled into a small ball on the kitchen counter, behind the coffee maker. In the back of the bedroom closet with his head under the hamper. The most suprising was the day we came home to find him IN the refrigerator. A 60 pound dog squeezed onto the bottom shelf of the refrigerator with only his tail hanging out – into the vegetable drawer – and with his head resting on a zucchini. He was safe, but cold!
10. 

    Dawn
    

    17. Aug, 2012

    My new dog Pierson is having trouble getting along with other dogs. He gets along with my Labrador Maya well enough. But out in public we have a lot of trouble. He goes insane when he sees another dog on a walk or when we are out in public eating lunch on a patio or visiting a park. Actually, my dog Maya could use it too. She doesn’t get mean, but she is so excited that she barks at other dogs she sees.
11. 

    Deanna Christian
    

    18. Aug, 2012

    Will Adaptil be at Petco soon? I have four dogs who think I might never, EVER come back every time I leave the house. But the worst is that three of them are TERRIFIED of the severe thunderstorms that regularly roll through Western Kentucky. Best remedy so far is the homemade herbal collars I make and hugging them TIGHT through every storm — but I really need three arms to do that. Can’t wait to try your product.
12. 

    Stacy Smith
    

    18. Aug, 2012

    Deanna,

    My understanding is that the Adaptil collar is only available through a veterinarian. Our vet said he doesn’t carry them, but would special order them for clients if they ask. You should talk to your vet about that.

    In addition, you might try a Thundershirt for each of your dogs during storms. That is just like the “tight hug” you mentioned in your post. That is a product highly recommended by both vets and behavior specialists. They’re easily found online and possibly in pet supply stores in your area.
13. 

    Stacy Smith
    

    20. Aug, 2012

    test
14. 

    Heather
    

    20. Aug, 2012

    Hi and thanks for doing this contest!!
    I have a rescue dog that I gave to my dad 9 years ago and I have now had her for over 3 years due to my dad’s passing. We believe she is around 14 years old.
    She has separation anxiety (My husband says she hardly sits still when I am gone though it has gotten a little better she still has her bad days) along with fear of thunder storms, gun shot, fireworks and any other real load noises you can think of. .
    I have used the Thundershirt (though I think there needs to be a 1/2 size because the medium is to small and the large has to go right to the end of the velcro so I am not really sure it is snug enough). I am also using Rescue Remedy some but of course that only lasts so long.
    I would love for her to be relaxed during these hard times for her even more so during her older years when she deserves to be at ease.
    Now I am wondering if you can help me with my separation anxiety from her!? I have not left her home if I was going to be gone over night in a long time but the last time I did (2 years ago Nov) I cried when I left her :’(
    Please consider Lady to be the winner for her and myself!!
    Thanks again!!
    Heather
15. 

    Crystal K. Wiebe
    

    20. Aug, 2012

    I have two dogs on whom I’d like to test out an Adaptil collar.

    Luke is an 8-year-old, 85-pound golden retriever with severe storm-phobia. At the first drop of rain, he turns into a nervous wreck and spends the duration of any stormy weather alternately tangled up in my legs or panting heavily in his “safe place” – the bathtub.

    Charlie Machete is my 60-pound black foster dog of the Heinz 57 variety. He gets real stressed out about new situations and people. With careful training and attention to triggers, he has come a long way, but he still struggles with his fear in public. It’s my hope that an Adaptil collar could help him remain in a peaceful state of mind at adoption events so that it’s easier for potential adopters to see him for the loving, affectionate animal he truly is – as opposed to a barky blockhead.
16. 

    Kat Riley
    

    23. Aug, 2012

    Our girl Eva is one of the Missouri 500. (She is pictured here, the dog being walked out – not the one being carried. http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-504083_162-5147727-504083.html) We guesstimated her age to be about 5 when we brought her home, so she would be closer to 8 yrs old now.

    Who knows how long she spent on that chain out in the middle of nowhere, but what I do know is that it was long enough to make her terrified of any loud noise, and to say that thunder storms frighten her would be a gross understatement! Eva literally LIVES in her crate now (by choice) with this years storm season being so active and she now fears going outside as the sun goes down. Lightning or any flash of light does her in as well.

    We’ve tried TTouch therapy, various herbal supplements, aroma scent therapy, sound therapy (soft music / white noise)… with very little to no result. Eva hides in the back of her crate when she hears anything that resembles the sound of thunder and anymore we can’t even take her picture because the camera scares her and causes her to shut down. (with or without the flash)

    It’s terrible to know that my dog is suffering mentally because of what those criminals did to her. We have a children who adore her and she is wonderful with the kids, when she’s not afraid. We want our Eva girl to be comfortable in her skin and we would love it if she could relax enough to be a part of our family once again. I would love to try this collar with her and would definitely update you all and let you know how it works for her if we could win this contest.
17. 

    Sheila Magnuson
    

    27. Aug, 2012

    Thunderstorms. Fireworks.