Friday, June 4, 2010

Any ideas on Breeze's latest quirk?


Look in any dictionary and right there next to the definition for QUIRKY will be a picture of my Breeze. Breeze is a great dog but she does have her little quirks for sure. So the newest quirky is a twist on an old quirk.

I really could use some ideas on how to handle it so she does not get hurt and so this behavior doesn't become a ingraned habit that will be harder to handle. It is quickly becoming a habit and I did try to tell her to stop it, but she was not listening, LOL.

Breeze has always had a bit of seperating anxiety. She used to have some full blown seperation anxiety as a pup but I worked with it and she does fine when I am gone, but she will panic when I am leaving her say in a crate in the car when I take one of the other dogs out, or when I leave our little camp at a trial and she is in her crate and even the last few days when I walk the course in class. She was always a little panicky but did ok if I sort of covered her and did not make a big deal of comings and goings-the things we origionally did to handle her seperation anxiety as a pup. So that has worked fine until lately and now she is getting in the habit of sitting and rubbing her nose against the bars or side of the crate until it bleeds. It looks horrible and she is really making the cut deeper and deeper. This just started and I do not want it to become a real habit. She is uninterested in chewing on bones or anything like that when this is going on. I had the vet look at it yesterday and she told me what I could put on it, but it sure seems like it is quickly becoming a habit of hers. She has only been doing it a week or two but now she is doing it every time I leave her. Yesterday I had to leave her in the crate while I took Skyler in to get blood drawn and came out to fresh blood all over her now. I have thought of just mostly leaving her out on a mat in a stay for when I can do that but I can not do that all the time. Last weekend at the trial I put her in a soft crate and she still got her nose bloody.

As far as good news for the Breezie girl, ...I took her for her acupuncture and chiro adjustment and keep in mind she has been working more then she ever has...and Dr. Modglin said she feels more in alignment and better balanced then she ever has. YIPPIE, she is holding up really well even with the increased amount of agility. I think the warm weather is really helping.





SPARKY UPDATE-I have worked my little computer to the bone and think I may have found something to help little Sparky from my post yesterday. Please everyone say a little prayer because this could be cool for the little guy...I think I have figured out who his owner is and now just to find how to get ahold of them...and if I am right Sparky came from a very good life, so hopefully we can get him hooked up with is old life-I just have a feeling about poor Sparky so I am praying this all works out.

6 comments:

Jules said...

I will absolutely say a prayer for Sparky. Poor guy.

I am so glad to hear Breeze feels so good to your vet. That is HUGE! You must be so relieved.

My first thought was to try a soft-sided crate, then I read further. Hopefully someone else will have a good suggestion - I'm not sure, but I hope you figure it out soon.

Diana said...

Is she ever crated at home when you are there? Does she do the behavior then? Do you have a minders manner? So you could put that in there and then c/t for good behavior. How about crate games? Seems like that would be perfect and then do crate games on the road. Or what about an ex-pen? Or the pen Sara has which is soft. They come with a top. Or crating two dogs in the same ex-pen? Maybe if another dog is with her she will be calmer. Diana

Sara said...

I hope everything works out for Sparks.

Has the acupuncturist hit any anxiety points? It has made a huge difference for Oreo.

Poor Breeze.

Chris and Ricky said...

Poor Breeze! I wish I had some great advice for you but I don't. Too bad she just won't quit hurting herself on her own.

We're keeping our fingers/paws crossed for Sparky!!!

Sam said...

I just caught up and read Sparky's story - how absolutely horrible. I hope you are able to work something out. What a great person you are to help him this much..

As for Breeze, I'm sorry, I don't have any good suggestions :( Try spraying DAP on her bedding, maybe? I was trying to think of some way that you could cover the crate from the inside rather than the out, or maybe put something on the bars that would keep her nose from getting bloody (some kind of smooth plastic?).. but I'm coming up dry..

Dawn said...

Oh Sparky! I hope you can find the owners, and I hope the owners are good people that are looking for him!!!

I don't have a solution for Breeze..poor baby! This is going to be a big problem! I hope someone has an idea or two for you!