# She jumped the stair gate up the stairs!!



## Debz65 (Mar 29, 2013)

My rescue dog of 10 days and who is 3 has terrible separation anxiety! Sometimes i can move a leg on the sofa and she could be sleeping and her head pops up to check on you. She follows me around everywhere. I've taken 2 weeks off to bond, and get her used to us, which literally took a couple of days, but if we leave her alone, she runs around the house like crazy panting and searching for us. We won't use the crate, as she injured herself and doesn't like it. Today we left her with access to kitchen , hallway and had a stair gate up at the stairs. She managed to jump the gate up the stairs and ended in my bedroom!!! Very dangerous for her..... Just don't know what to do?!! Other than that, she is so well behaved, great recall etc. 

I bought the adaptil plug in today, which is in the kitchen, which is where she is going to be left when we go out and an adaptil collar is on its way.

It may be too early yet, but I think she has settled in, but wondering if she needs something else like drugs!??? 

Please help? Any thoughts. Thanks.


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## VickiGS (Feb 13, 2013)

You really should crate her, mainly to stop her harming herself. I know you've said that she injured herself & doesn't like it, but she could hurt herself far worse if she's going crazy trying to find you.

Make it comfy & you could try giving her her daily meals in the crate so that she associates it with a good thing.

You could get a kong & put some treats in to occupy her while she's in there.

You should also try separating yourself from her. Start off with a few minutes and build it up. Shut her in one room so she can't try to find you, and build it up by a few minutes each time. Can she sit & stay? Ou could say these before leaving the room, and reward her when you enter & she's behaved. 
It may be difficult & she might cry. But you need to have patience and stick with it because it will get worse if you don't solve it now. And if you're due back at work soon, she's not going to like that at all.

She will get used to it.

But you really must think about her. She may not like the crate now, but it will be for her own safety.


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## sbonnett76 (Apr 6, 2010)

We created separation anxiety in our rescue dog. We took time off work for the same reason as you and barely left her side. When it came to getting back to reality, Roxy didn't know what had hit her. We had to go right back to basics. 

You can buy tall gates, which we got and we did desensitisation techniques like picking up our key and putting our coats on regularly, but not always going out. We'd then go out for 5 minutes a few times a day and didn't make a fuss of Roxy before we went or when we came home. We'd say hello to her so we didn't ignore her totally, but none of this "ooh, did you miss us" excited, hyper talk and we tended to wait until she'd calmed down a little. 

We too crated Roxy, but didn't have a problem with that as she loved her crate. I agree that you should try again with it though. Start by keeping the door open and feed treats and meals inside so it becomes a happy place. 

Another thing that worked for us because Roxy would mess in the kitchen is that if she wasn't crated, we'd shut her in the kitchen, but leave the back door open. We're lucky because we're able to do that where we live (and good luck to anyone who tried to steal anything with a rottweiler on the loose!), but it completely stopped the indoor messing and gradually we worked up to where we are now, which is able to leave her in the house with no crate and the back door closed and she's happy and not stressed. 

It's worth remembering that you've only had her for 10 days, which isn't long at all. Good on you for rescuing. It's incredibly rewarding.


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## 1290423 (Aug 11, 2011)

VickiGS said:


> You really should crate her, mainly to stop her harming herself. I know you've said that she injured herself & doesn't like it, but she could hurt herself far worse if she's going crazy trying to find you.
> 
> Make it comfy & you could try giving her her daily meals in the crate so that she associates it with a good thing.
> 
> ...


DONT agree with the crating!


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## 1290423 (Aug 11, 2011)

VickiGS said:


> You really should crate her, mainly to stop her harming herself. I know you've said that she injured herself & doesn't like it, but she could hurt herself far worse if she's going crazy trying to find you.
> 
> She will get used to it.
> 
> ...


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## penguin (Jan 2, 2013)

We ended up crating dexter after he developed SA, we hated the idea of it. But it worked.

Would come home and he had chewed a variety of things. Some which could of been very dangerous for him. 

He loves his crate, its a safe place for him.
When we rescued lexie she was also crated, she now knows to go in when we put our coats on.
We usually leave the tv or music on.
It is not cruel, and no it isn't an answer to everything but it can help with this issue along with training to overcome the SA.


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## 1290423 (Aug 11, 2011)

YES! I do! and the problem were created by me! I took my youngest on ( now five) and the first seven months of her life she lived with me in a caravan (I was on a farm site on the east coast) she lived with me 24/7 slept with me ate with me etc etc etc! if was the biggest mistake I ever made with her!


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## penguin (Jan 2, 2013)

It was a very hard decision to crate Dexter, but now I don't think about it. We had my brother in law visit and called it cruel. I think it is more cruel to leave your panicked dog loose in the house where they could chew and eat anything that could hurt them. As long as they are introduced and used properly crates can be very effective.


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## penguin (Jan 2, 2013)

DT said:


> People like you really get up my nose!
> fooking crates AINT the answer in this instance!
> Come back when you got some solid advice
> time, trust and REASSURANCE


Ermmm. This. Rude and aggressive to someone offering advice. 
Either offer a sensible bit of advice, which so far you have failed to do or go something else.


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## 1290423 (Aug 11, 2011)

I would NOT crate a dog that suffered SA! certainly after just 10 days!


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## 1290423 (Aug 11, 2011)

Debz65 said:


> My rescue dog of 10 days and who is 3 has terrible separation anxiety! Sometimes i can move a leg on the sofa and she could be sleeping and her head pops up to check on you. She follows me around everywhere. I've taken 2 weeks off to bond, and get her used to us, which literally took a couple of days, but if we leave her alone, she runs around the house like crazy panting and searching for us. We won't use the crate, as she injured herself and doesn't like it. Today we left her with access to kitchen , hallway and had a stair gate up at the stairs. She managed to jump the gate up the stairs and ended in my bedroom!!! Very dangerous for her..... Just don't know what to do?!! Other than that, she is so well behaved, great recall etc.
> 
> I bought the adaptil plug in today, which is in the kitchen, which is where she is going to be left when we go out and an adaptil collar is on its way.
> 
> ...


Hello and welcome to the forum, SORRY If I have unintentionally trashed your thread but I was a little 'miffed' at the suggestion by some that you crate your dog at such an early stage

You have said yourself you dog does NOT like the crate (others seem to have missed this) That area I would forget right away TWO weeks is not a great length of time, and things WILL get better - not very good at putting things into words (as the thread will show) but its all about confidence and trust - try a little at a time, my dog suffers terrible SA but she now 5 and I can leave her in the house for maybe 4 hours without problems, this did not happen overnight we built up to that, take small steps and soon mountains you will climb.


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## penguin (Jan 2, 2013)

I offered what worked for my dog which was crating.

Just because they don't like the crate at first doesn't mean they won't come to accept it.


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## laurahair (Apr 21, 2011)

My rescue dog came to me with a history of seperation anxiety so I was prepared for it, the sticky at the top has got loads of great advice in it and I followed it pretty carefully with good results. My dog still panicks sometimes when I go out unfortunately, its worse after spending lots of time with her eg during school holidays, when kids go back I have to go back to a lot of the original techniques like going out regularly or putting on coat etc but not going anywhere, building up the time apart. At first she wanted to follow me everywhere but I discouraged that quickly, made sure that her bed was her safe place, warm, quiet and the only place she got treats. She still paced when I went upstairs but it improved very quickly.
Nights were hard the first 2 weeks, she paced, whined, howled and was very destructive. I confined her to the kitchen (where her bed is) and still do when I go out as it would be impossible to dog-proof my living room. I must admit the rescue offered a crate as a solution and if I had not had the kitchen area as a secure, safe place I may have considered it. I've never used one though so cannot offer any advice regarding them.
Just take it one step at a time, try to stay calm but firm, don't make a fuss when going anywhere or returning and have a good read through the SA sticky 
Good luck, it is such early days, I'm sure you will be able to work through it though.


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## thedogsmother (Aug 28, 2008)

Closed for moderation


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## thedogsmother (Aug 28, 2008)

Can we please keep the thread on track without resorting to insulting each other, I think the op would appreciate your opinions and experiences, it would be such a shame to have to close the thread permanently when someone has asked for help.


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## Debz65 (Mar 29, 2013)

DT said:


> Hello and welcome to the forum, SORRY If I have unintentionally trashed your thread but I was a little 'miffed' at the suggestion by some that you crate your dog at such an early stage
> 
> You have said yourself you dog does NOT like the crate (others seem to have missed this) That area I would forget right away TWO weeks is not a great length of time, and things WILL get better - not very good at putting things into words (as the thread will show) but its all about confidence and trust - try a little at a time, my dog suffers terrible SA but she now 5 and I can leave her in the house for maybe 4 hours without problems, this did not happen overnight we built up to that, take small steps and soon mountains you will climb.


Thank you DT, not a problem, appreciate your honesty! I was told she was used to a crate, however she was probably not put in it willingly, as she had a scrape on her nose when we got her, which was from pushing her nose through the crate. Today she was left 3.5 hrs, and not panting or stressed out when we got home, as you said tiny steps, which is happening....again thanks.


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