My rescue staffie mix Penny is my absolute world. She is so wonderful and has the best temperament but her SA and anxiety is causing me more and more stress each day. I’ve had her 3 months, and I know it hasn’t been long but we seem to take 2 steps forwards and then 5 steps back - is this normal? She has an abusive background so is super nervous and is still showing fearful signs towards me (even though she’s obsessed with me) she will flinch from my hand and run away if I move too quickly and it breaks my heart. Will she ever improve? She’s also unbelievably excitable - she never stops trying to play, greet or jump up at people even though she knows ‘off’ at home. Will she ever calm down? She’s currently 14 months and although I love her to pieces I don’t know if I’m the owner for her. She never seems satisfied with her exercise, play time and mental games and I’m doing the best I can. When I leave she barks, howls and jumps all over the place for up to 45mins on a bad day, 15mins on a good day. She loves her crate and is so good at night time and sleeps straight through the night - should I try locking her in the crate when I leave or will that ruin the relationship? I’m doing the step by step training but im single and live alone so I need to go to the shop or the gym sometimes and leave her alone I can’t just stop living my life, can I still leave for these periods and make progress with the daily training? I’m really spiralling because I want to keep her so badly - help, comfort, advice needed!
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Rescue Staffie SA & Anxiety
- Thread starter svf1988
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Hello and welcome.
Let me start by saying that three months is a very short time, it's only after about three months that rescue dogs start to truly belong.
That said, with separation anxiety, it can be a very slow process, and it's one you need to really work on - it doesn't just get better by itself. While a dog is in a state of anxiety, she cannot learn to not be anxious. So the key is to find out what her tipping point is, and come back before she reaches it. You need lots of repetitions of being back before she gets anxious, before starting to stretch the time by literally a minute or so.
There's more here - Separation anxiety
Perhaps using her crate would help - give it a try, but set up a phone or something to record her so you can see.
For the over-excitement, we also have a thread here - Jumping up/getting overexcited on walks
Have a look and see if any of that helps but please do come back with any questions or if you think anything in the guides doesn't fit your situation.
Let me start by saying that three months is a very short time, it's only after about three months that rescue dogs start to truly belong.
That said, with separation anxiety, it can be a very slow process, and it's one you need to really work on - it doesn't just get better by itself. While a dog is in a state of anxiety, she cannot learn to not be anxious. So the key is to find out what her tipping point is, and come back before she reaches it. You need lots of repetitions of being back before she gets anxious, before starting to stretch the time by literally a minute or so.
There's more here - Separation anxiety
Perhaps using her crate would help - give it a try, but set up a phone or something to record her so you can see.
For the over-excitement, we also have a thread here - Jumping up/getting overexcited on walks
Have a look and see if any of that helps but please do come back with any questions or if you think anything in the guides doesn't fit your situation.
Just to add to that very good advice - don't lock her in the crate. If you did, it would then become a huge stressor and it needs to be her Safe Place.
While she will improve with her anxiety in her own time, she will never morph into anything other than full-on full-time wants to meet everyone do everything Right Now. All Staffords are like that. I know plenty.
While she will improve with her anxiety in her own time, she will never morph into anything other than full-on full-time wants to meet everyone do everything Right Now. All Staffords are like that. I know plenty.
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