Sonny came back to me last Wednesday night. For a variety of reasons, his adoptive home didn't work out. I'll spare you the details, but the situation was unsafe and Sonny was extremely stressed out. When I picked him up, he was petrified and literally molting. He was hiding in the back of his crate and avoiding human contact. He didn't seem to recognize me. I was so scared for my boy, worried that we would be starting from square one.
When we arrived home and I got Sonny out of the car, he perked up. He wagged his tail a little, but he was still not engaging with me like he used to. But the moment we walked in the door, Sonny was high as a kite. He ran around the house like a maniac, wagging his tail, sniffing everything, and smiling! He remembered Roxy and Buster, and was immediately fond of Sugar, our other foster dog. Rob and I sat on the couch and let Sonny get comfortable. He kept coming over to me and checking in, and was even checking out Rob. He would run over to him, sniff his feet and fingers, lick him, and run away. That behavior didn't last past the first and second nights, but it was so nice to see, especially because that is how his initial interactions with me were.
The night following his return, I spoke with the veterinarian and we agreed to put Sonny back on his medication. He is on 16mg of Fluoxetine 2x/day. He's been off the medication for 3 weeks, so I expect it to take a few weeks to see any effects.
Anyway, on to Sonny's break through. Our typical night with Sonny used to involve Rob and I sitting on the couch watching a movie. Sonny would spend most of the time in his crate with the occasional exploratory adventure. I'd been keeping treats handy and doling them out whenever he left his crate. If he chose to hang back, I'd toss treats for him. If he approached, he got treats. Each day was different than the last, and I just followed his lead as to what he could handle on any given day. He would rarely take his eyes off Rob, regardless of the food in my hands, so there was a lot of offering food while he continued to look at Rob.
Last night, we started an official game of "Look at That!" with Sonny, with Rob as the stimulus. We have had a large amount of success with Roxy using LAT, and I had been eager to do some overt conditioning work with Sonny, but had been waiting for him to be ready (i.e. waiting for him to be able to stand still long enough to do a few trials in a row).
So, we were sitting on the couch in our normal formation (Rob furthest away, lying down) and Sonny was spending a good amount of time near me. He kept looking at Rob, so I began marking and treating him. When I marked, Sonny would look back at me, expecting a treat, which was pretty big progress in-and-of-itself. So, I asked Rob to say a few words every couple of tries. The first time Rob spoke, Sonny ran back to his crate, and then came back to me when he realized I had marked, "Yes!" Then we did a few non-verbal trials, where I marked/treated for Sonny looking at Rob without any vocalizations from Rob, just to keep it from getting too scary for him. Then we tried again with Rob speaking and Sonny ran mid-way back to his crate before coming back for his treat.
The third time Rob spoke, Sonny looked at me, expecting a treat, rather than retreating. He took his treat and stuck around, waiting for more.
It doesn't seem like a big deal on paper, now that I'm re-reading it. But it is huge progress for Sonny. He seems to realize he's in a familiar place, And sure, he's still avoiding Rob under normal circumstances, but for him to not run back to his crate when Rob spoke was something like watching a miracle occur.
Showing posts with label anxiety. Show all posts
Showing posts with label anxiety. Show all posts
Monday, July 25, 2011
Tuesday, March 15, 2011
....of set-backs and successes
Anyway, on to Sonny's behavior.
This morning I was up early enough to try a short jog with Sonny, but he was all over the place, crossing back and forth in front of me, weaving side-to-side, running behind me, in front of me, behind me again... once he'd hit one end of the leash, he'd try another direction and then another and so on. He pooped, but wouldn't pee, so I took him inside and tried again in a few minutes. He peed the second time around, so I let all three pups out for their morning play session.
It's strange though, it's almost like a light switch that turns on and off. Literally, the second we come inside the house, it's as if we weren't just outside and he wasn't just in a pure panic. His tail lifts and he runs to Buster's crate, play bows, woo-woo's at him, then run's to the baby gate and licks Roxy's face and tries to nibble on her ears, then runs to me, play bows and woo-woo's at me. It only lasts a few seconds, but it's showing me the dog that I know he can be with the proper treatment.
In Sonny's case, I truly believe that proper treatment involves medication. Sure, over time, Sonny could potentially learn the same things that Roxy has learned, and then some. But, how long is "over time?" Do we sit back and let this dog suffer in silent fear while we wait it out? I don't think that's fair; in fact, it's neglectful. Trainers, veterinarians, and several individuals on the shy-k9s yahoo group believe the same thing -- it's no different than neglect or abuse to simply ignore the dog's anxiety and hope it goes away. You wouldn't ignore a liver or thyroid problem in a dog, it would be considered neglect or abuse. In those cases, the organ malfunction is the liver or thyroid. In a fearful or anxious dog, is it not the brain that is malfunctioning? Isn't it our responsibility to treat the malfunctioning organ, regardless of what it might be?
While at work today I called the vet to set our follow-up appointment, and since Sonny's stools are still not fully formed, she wants to keep him on the prescription food for another week and follow up next week. So I asked her what we are doing with regards to his mental state, especially considering that Sonny's food and treats are 100% limited to his prescription food, so now more than ever, I'm not able to work with him because kibble is not exactly a high-value reward. After some back and forth, the receptionist on the other end of the call let me know the doctor was putting together a prescription for Clomipramine for Sonny.
Finally, I don't feel like I'm fighting an up-hill battle for this dog to feel slightly comfortable in his own skin.
Then I was sent home from work for being sick. I came home and took Roxy and Buster for a quick walk, then came back home to take Sonny out. We went outside and he dragged me across the street and pooped right away; then his normal panic routine ensued: crossing back and forth in front of me, pulling in all directions, trying to back out of his collar, etc. So we came back inside and figured I would try again in a few minutes to get him to pee. I brought Buster to the water bowl and came back to the living room and Sonny had peed on the floor. Great. The medication couldn't come at a better time -- Sonny is becoming too afraid to even stay outside long enough to go to the bathroom.
When we came inside, I put together some food for him, with some water and his first dose of the medication and put his bowl down in his crate. I walked away and I'm not exactly sure what happened, but he wound up spilling the whole bowl all over his crate, and then he wouldn't eat it. He pressed himself up against the back of the crate, like he was trying to be invisible. I left him be, thinking he'd eat the food, plus it's stressful for him to have me right there in his crate cleaning up the food while he's in there.... but 10 minutes later, he still hadn't eaten. I cleaned up the food non-nonchalantly and he devoured it the moment I closed his crate.
He came out of his crate and had a moment of joy, where he ran around the living room, smiling.
Here's to you, Sonny... and here's to working towards a more relaxed face, like this one, moving forward!Now he's laying in the Papasan Chair, and for just a moment, I heard him sleep-woofing, for the first time in over a month and a half, he's sleeping with me sitting so close. Actually sleeping too, not sleeping with one eye open.
Saturday, March 12, 2011
an up-hill battle
Sonny and I have been struggling a lot lately. He seems overall better inside the house. He's more relaxed with me, Roxy, and Buster. He's slowly getting more relaxed with Rob, in the sense that he'll come out of his crate when he's around, as long as Rob isn't moving or talking. He doesn't cower in his crate when Rob walks around, but he's still obviously uncomfortable and watches him like a hawk, just in case.
Outside is a different story.
Sonny's walks have been shorter lately because he seems to be becoming more fearful and anxious than he used to be. We've just been going outside for potty and back inside because he literally will potty and then drag me back inside because he doesn't want to be out there. Any noises he hears outside set him into a panic where he will lay down on his belly and try to leap-frog away, despite being attached to me by a leash. I've learned that the moment he hears a noise or see's a human, it's over. We have to go back inside, he will not go potty after that, even if the person leaves or the noise stops.
Some mornings, I'll jog him a few houses up in the, to get him some sort of exercise; but it really depends on what time we get out in the morning, how he's doing, and if there are people out there.
We went to the veterinarian on Thursday to discuss his loose stools, and after much debate and argument with the rescue Sonny is being fostered for, I was given permission to discuss the idea of medicating Sonny as part of his treatment. It has been almost 6 weeks and although there is some progress, he was definitely regressing in some areas and he was obviously suffering mentally. I went and talked to the force/aversive trainer that the rescue uses, despite my protests in using him because of the force and aversion techniques he uses. But I was told he needed to see their trainer before discussing medication. I spoke to the trainer without Sonny and explained that I thought bringing him there would be too stressful, and after telling him about Sonny's behavior, he also said it sounded like Sonny was a good candidate for medication and "the gimmick" of clicker training, even though he doesn't really like gimmicks.
(Ironic note here, I brought Roxy with me to see this guy, to get an idea of how he responds to fearful dogs in case the rescue refused to medicate him unless the trainer actually saw him. I was less concerned about her, because she's at a point where even if he went to pet her before she was ready, I could easy mark and treat her for the interaction without doing damage. Anyway, it worked out nicely, the trainer was great with her and very polite in his actions towards her, which made me feel better in general. But he was saying how clicker training was a gimmick, and he doesn't use it, but it might work for Sonny. In the same breath he was saying how wonderful Roxy was, and how well she was trained, etc... so I politely let him know that she was clicker trained, with a marker word instead of the click... he didn't know what to say. I giggled.)
Anyway, at the vet Thursday, I explained Sonny's situation, and we spent over an hour discussing his behavior, our struggles, and his overall anxiety. I explained how Sonny is too afraid to learn, that I haven't had success with any desensitization or counterconditioning, that I couldn't even teach him to sit or target my hand, that he wouldn't reliably approach me or anyone for food or anything, we can't approach him at all, etc. I also explained to her about his loose stools that he's had since he came home with me, and she decided to put him on a prescription diet in order to "reset his digestive system." He can't have any other food or treats for the next week while we work out his stomach issues.
When it came to discussing his behavior, it culminated in the vet telling me that she didn't want to medicate him because he wasn't showing any signs of aggression -- she told me how she has several fear aggressive patients that she's chosen not to medicate, and they are much worse than Sonny. I asked her how long she wanted to wait, and she said he might need to be medicated "down the line." So I told her I honestly didn't care about any other patients, that we're not here to discuss how Sonny's behavior compares to other patients, we're here to discuss the fact that Sonny's quality of life sucks, and will continue to suck since we can't make any progress training wise. I don't understand, does she want to wait until after he bites someone? Medication is not a solution to aggression, it's a training aid meant to bring Sonny's mind to a point where he's relaxed enough to actually learn to prevent him from becoming fear aggressive.... And as she forcibly pet Sonny, she told me, "he looks like he's going to be just fine," and then told me that when he's afraid, I should have him sit. Right. Because he knows how to sit, or I'm able to teach him to sit. I can't even approach the dog, let alone attempt to teach him to sit!
Then, when we were leaving, Sonny was running back and forth in his typical panicked state of mind, and I was just talking to him, "It's okay, Sonny," and "Let's go see Roxy and Buster," and "It's okay, buddy." I know ultimately if he's that afraid he probably doesn't hear me, or doesn't get any benefit from what I'm saying, but it's natural to want to console your pet. And the veterinarian told me not to do that because it was rewarding his fear. I politely told her that you can't reward fear. I don't think she expected it, to be honest. But she said she would send me the behavior evaluation and we would see about putting him on meds, but I got the impression she wasn't interested in medicating him.
Late last night, the vet emailed me information on desensitization and counterconditioning, and a tranquility protocol that was similar to Dr. Karen Overall's Protocol for Relaxation.... I wrote back letting her know I've more than familiar with d/cc due to having my own fearful dog at home, and I'm working with her on the Protocol for Relaxation right now, but that Sonny is not capable of handling any of that work at this point because he's always in an anxious state and I can't even approach him or toss or roll treats in his general direction without sending him running.
We're supposed to go back for a follow up next Thursday. I expect that once she's read my email, her mind will be a bit more open to the fact that Sonny is not going to just "be fine" and even if he would be "fine" in several months, that he will be mentally suffering in the meantime and that's unacceptable.
Even today... he was laying in the Papasan Chair, with one of his ever-so-watchful eyes open.
Outside is a different story.
Sonny's walks have been shorter lately because he seems to be becoming more fearful and anxious than he used to be. We've just been going outside for potty and back inside because he literally will potty and then drag me back inside because he doesn't want to be out there. Any noises he hears outside set him into a panic where he will lay down on his belly and try to leap-frog away, despite being attached to me by a leash. I've learned that the moment he hears a noise or see's a human, it's over. We have to go back inside, he will not go potty after that, even if the person leaves or the noise stops.
Some mornings, I'll jog him a few houses up in the, to get him some sort of exercise; but it really depends on what time we get out in the morning, how he's doing, and if there are people out there.
We went to the veterinarian on Thursday to discuss his loose stools, and after much debate and argument with the rescue Sonny is being fostered for, I was given permission to discuss the idea of medicating Sonny as part of his treatment. It has been almost 6 weeks and although there is some progress, he was definitely regressing in some areas and he was obviously suffering mentally. I went and talked to the force/aversive trainer that the rescue uses, despite my protests in using him because of the force and aversion techniques he uses. But I was told he needed to see their trainer before discussing medication. I spoke to the trainer without Sonny and explained that I thought bringing him there would be too stressful, and after telling him about Sonny's behavior, he also said it sounded like Sonny was a good candidate for medication and "the gimmick" of clicker training, even though he doesn't really like gimmicks.
(Ironic note here, I brought Roxy with me to see this guy, to get an idea of how he responds to fearful dogs in case the rescue refused to medicate him unless the trainer actually saw him. I was less concerned about her, because she's at a point where even if he went to pet her before she was ready, I could easy mark and treat her for the interaction without doing damage. Anyway, it worked out nicely, the trainer was great with her and very polite in his actions towards her, which made me feel better in general. But he was saying how clicker training was a gimmick, and he doesn't use it, but it might work for Sonny. In the same breath he was saying how wonderful Roxy was, and how well she was trained, etc... so I politely let him know that she was clicker trained, with a marker word instead of the click... he didn't know what to say. I giggled.)
Anyway, at the vet Thursday, I explained Sonny's situation, and we spent over an hour discussing his behavior, our struggles, and his overall anxiety. I explained how Sonny is too afraid to learn, that I haven't had success with any desensitization or counterconditioning, that I couldn't even teach him to sit or target my hand, that he wouldn't reliably approach me or anyone for food or anything, we can't approach him at all, etc. I also explained to her about his loose stools that he's had since he came home with me, and she decided to put him on a prescription diet in order to "reset his digestive system." He can't have any other food or treats for the next week while we work out his stomach issues.
When it came to discussing his behavior, it culminated in the vet telling me that she didn't want to medicate him because he wasn't showing any signs of aggression -- she told me how she has several fear aggressive patients that she's chosen not to medicate, and they are much worse than Sonny. I asked her how long she wanted to wait, and she said he might need to be medicated "down the line." So I told her I honestly didn't care about any other patients, that we're not here to discuss how Sonny's behavior compares to other patients, we're here to discuss the fact that Sonny's quality of life sucks, and will continue to suck since we can't make any progress training wise. I don't understand, does she want to wait until after he bites someone? Medication is not a solution to aggression, it's a training aid meant to bring Sonny's mind to a point where he's relaxed enough to actually learn to prevent him from becoming fear aggressive.... And as she forcibly pet Sonny, she told me, "he looks like he's going to be just fine," and then told me that when he's afraid, I should have him sit. Right. Because he knows how to sit, or I'm able to teach him to sit. I can't even approach the dog, let alone attempt to teach him to sit!
Then, when we were leaving, Sonny was running back and forth in his typical panicked state of mind, and I was just talking to him, "It's okay, Sonny," and "Let's go see Roxy and Buster," and "It's okay, buddy." I know ultimately if he's that afraid he probably doesn't hear me, or doesn't get any benefit from what I'm saying, but it's natural to want to console your pet. And the veterinarian told me not to do that because it was rewarding his fear. I politely told her that you can't reward fear. I don't think she expected it, to be honest. But she said she would send me the behavior evaluation and we would see about putting him on meds, but I got the impression she wasn't interested in medicating him.
Late last night, the vet emailed me information on desensitization and counterconditioning, and a tranquility protocol that was similar to Dr. Karen Overall's Protocol for Relaxation.... I wrote back letting her know I've more than familiar with d/cc due to having my own fearful dog at home, and I'm working with her on the Protocol for Relaxation right now, but that Sonny is not capable of handling any of that work at this point because he's always in an anxious state and I can't even approach him or toss or roll treats in his general direction without sending him running.
We're supposed to go back for a follow up next Thursday. I expect that once she's read my email, her mind will be a bit more open to the fact that Sonny is not going to just "be fine" and even if he would be "fine" in several months, that he will be mentally suffering in the meantime and that's unacceptable.
Even today... he was laying in the Papasan Chair, with one of his ever-so-watchful eyes open.
Monday, March 7, 2011
poor sonny
We are off to the vet with Sonny on Thursday.... He was treated for Giardia (with Metronidazole) when we brought him home. His diarrhea didn't clear up, and then I saw some sort of worms in his feces, so he was treated with Panacur. Everything seemed fine, but he was still have loose stools, and I'm guessing it was from stress. The vet tech at the rescue wanted to treat him with the Panacur again, to make sure we got everything (parasite- and Giardia-wise). He's also been on a bland diet (ground chicken/beef and rice) and that hasn't done anything either. It's been over a month and the poor dog hasn't had one solid stool.
I have to think it's a big possibility that Sonny's loose stool is stress-related. This poor dog is in a fairly constant state of panic and anxiety.
I've asked that we talked to a veterinarian about putting Sonny on an anti-anxiety medication, but I haven't gotten a straight answer. I've been told Sonny should see a trainer for an evaluation first, and of course, the rescue uses an aversive trainer and they want Sonny to see him despite my objections. I'm not sure how that will help, but doG help me, if he does anything force- or flooding-related, there will be a problem. This dog has been through enough and I am not going to risk this dog or ignore science-based research on learning theory and behavior modification to appease someone else.
What do they think this will accomplish? Why does an aversive trainer need to see the dog's fear in order to understand the need for a different approach? What I've said about him being so afraid when he hears noises outside that he literally attempts to run while pooping, and in effect, poops on himself, isn't enough to warrant talking to a veterinarian about his mental state and the damage the anxiety is doing to him?
It's not fair that this dog is so anxious all the time. I can't imagine the effects on his mind and body.
I have to think it's a big possibility that Sonny's loose stool is stress-related. This poor dog is in a fairly constant state of panic and anxiety.
I've asked that we talked to a veterinarian about putting Sonny on an anti-anxiety medication, but I haven't gotten a straight answer. I've been told Sonny should see a trainer for an evaluation first, and of course, the rescue uses an aversive trainer and they want Sonny to see him despite my objections. I'm not sure how that will help, but doG help me, if he does anything force- or flooding-related, there will be a problem. This dog has been through enough and I am not going to risk this dog or ignore science-based research on learning theory and behavior modification to appease someone else.
What do they think this will accomplish? Why does an aversive trainer need to see the dog's fear in order to understand the need for a different approach? What I've said about him being so afraid when he hears noises outside that he literally attempts to run while pooping, and in effect, poops on himself, isn't enough to warrant talking to a veterinarian about his mental state and the damage the anxiety is doing to him?
It's not fair that this dog is so anxious all the time. I can't imagine the effects on his mind and body.
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