Still whining, crying & making seagull sounds in crate in car.

[alixb]

I finally got a crate for Hope for the car. She is still whining, crying & making seagull noises. THE NOISE IS AWFUL.
Any tips? Should I put a blanket over the crate or something? I have also heard of Dog Appeasement Pheromone. anyone used this before.

[barry581]

Refresh my memory, was she doing this in the car before the crate? Is she ok in the crate at home?

[Sue-Ram]

I think it’s natural that we have a tendency to compare our pets to others that we have previously owned. Considering your other threads I wonder if this could be the case with Hope and HRH King Maxx. Although Maxx loved meeting people and was a very calm dog, Hope seems to be very anxious and easily stressed.

IMO, I don’t think that continually trying to force the issue of having Hope in the car with you and taking her to work is particularly helpful if it creates further anxiety and stress not only for her, but you as well. Just the noise alone could be a major distraction when driving and therefore not safe.

I would think that the best way to help an anxious and stressed dog would be to provide as calm an environment as possible and introduce stressful situations very, very slowly. I think Hope has been thrown into the deep end and expected to swim with little consideration or understanding with what she’s trying to tell you.

I don’t know if an animal behavourist would help, but you never know.

Pet Therapist | The Granville Island Veterinary Hospital
Pet Therapist | Does you dog need a personality profile?
Dr. Rebecca Ledger (@DrRebeccaLedger) | Twitter

[alixb]

I think it’s natural that we have a tendency to compare our pets to others that we have previously owned. Considering your other threads I wonder if this could be the case with Hope and HRH King Maxx. Although Maxx loved meeting people and was a very calm dog, Hope seems to be very anxious and easily stressed.

IMO, I don’t think that continually trying to force the issue of having Hope in the car with you and taking her to work is particularly helpful if it creates further anxiety and stress not only for her, but you as well. Just the noise alone could be a major distraction when driving and therefore not safe.

I would think that the best way to help an anxious and stressed dog would be to provide as calm an environment as possible and introduce stressful situations very, very slowly. I think Hope has been thrown into the deep end and expected to swim with little consideration or understanding with what she’s trying to tell you.



I don’t know if an animal behavourist would help, but you never know.

Pet Therapist | The Granville Island Veterinary Hospital
Pet Therapist | Does you dog need a personality profile?
Dr. Rebecca Ledger (@DrRebeccaLedger) | Twitter

I have just started to work with Keltie Lang who is one of the best trainers in Canada. I am following what she says. "I think Hope has been thrown into the deep end and expected to swim with little consideration or understanding with what she’s trying to tell you." I agree with you on some level but all I do is consider her. I have spent a lot of money & time trying to figure this out.
I adopted her never really knowing what I was getting into. i didn't know there was such a big difference with English /show labs & Field labs. The breeder/owner didn't give me much to go on. I emailed them a lot but didn't get answers very often. I have done my best to figure out what is best for her. I have considered not bring her to work, but then I have to deal with leaving her alone all day crated which also stresses her or I would have to pay out a lot of money on a dog walker etc. if it comes to that, I will do it.
An animal behaviorist would be one more expense.
I do realize that her & Maxxie are completely different dogs. I have had to change my life a lot to accommodate her issues. I never leave her too long. She has at least 4 walks a day & has been to field trial training ( so I could understand her better) obedience training & now we are in obedience training again. i also had another trianer help me with some barking issues.
My training Keltie is going to do a house visit.
so your comment about me not considering her is totally unwarranted.

[Sue-Ram]

so your comment about me not considering her is totally unwarranted.

My apologies, I hope your trainer will be very helpful.

[Snowshoe]

I have only seen DAP on other dogs and I did not see the dog without the DAP but the owners swore by it. ONe was a dog at Rally trials who wore a DAP collar for the trip, the wait in crate at the trial and then it came off for his round in the ring and then was put back on again.

A similar tool is Rescue Remedy. I used small drops on an elderly deaf cat who was distressed at night. It worked for a couple of months to calm her so we did not need to listen to that awful "deaf cat howl" every evening and night. When the bottle was empty I was out of it for a few days and discovered it was no longer needed. Not sure why that was, could be Ginger just got to the point she had no energy left to howl, she was 21.

Note: Do NOT use Rescue Remedy candies. They contain xylitol.

My own, completely out of the blue, idea, calming music? Google, it might be some marketing ploy but there are a lot of websites.

Have you tried Hope in a different car? What about in a different car driven by a different person and you not there at all? My sister's dog had all sorts of phobias about her car but the odd time he came with me, alone, in my car he was fine. Now, sorry, if you find Hope is better I don't know what to say you can do next as Sis was still stuck with a phobic dog in her own car.

[alixb]

My apologies, I hope your trainer will be very helpful.

Thanks for that

[alixb]

Hi thanks: I remember someone told me about rescue remedy. I will check it out. I just keep putting out money for stuff that doesn't work. I have thought about getting someone else to drive. I know she is usually better if there is another dog in the car.
I am getting a feeling that hope is around the corner for my Hope.

[greenfreak]

I'm not sure if its been suggested elsewhere but have you thought about the Thundershirt as a training tool? If she's good with another dog, can you setup specific training times with a friend that has a dog?

When I needed to work on fear issues with my first dog and separation anxiety with my second, I set aside time for training every day. The process went faster and we got better results too. Each time, we would reinforce the lessons from the day before and then up the ante slightly. That brought confidence for both of us, and a stronger bond as well.

I am not a fan of "fixit" measures with no plans to wean them off. It's harder and more time consuming to go the behavioral training route but to me it is worth it. Just keep learning about dog psychology, body language, and paying close attention to her reactions to training. Be open to trying new measures if something doesn't work. And be patient, because it might take time to find the solutions you need, but they are worth it.

[alixb]

I'm not sure if its been suggested elsewhere but have you thought about the Thundershirt as a training tool? If she's good with another dog, can you setup specific training times with a friend that has a dog?

When I needed to work on fear issues with my first dog and separation anxiety with my second, I set aside time for training every day. The process went faster and we got better results too. Each time, we would reinforce the lessons from the day before and then up the ante slightly. That brought confidence for both of us, and a stronger bond as well.

I am not a fan of "fixit" measures with no plans to wean them off. It's harder and more time consuming to go the behavioral training route but to me it is worth it. Just keep learning about dog psychology, body language, and paying close attention to her reactions to training. Be open to trying new measures if something doesn't work. And be patient, because it might take time to find the solutions you need, but they are worth it.

thanks you for your tips. I did have a Thundershirt but it didn't work. I do take her in the car with other dogs & she is usually better.
My friends said " just get another dog" ..........I don't think so. One day I will. I do agree with you on the "fit it" methods. I do spend time every day with her on obedience. We are in an obedience class & I'm slightly afraid of the teach. LOL. She is amazing but tough, so I have been practicing all we have worked on so far. I have a class tonight.