My first foster, Snoop the Sheltie

losthope236

He's a cutie good luck with him!!!

Sheltiemama

Thank you!

My Velcro baby has diarrhea. MEGA MASSIVE I just cleaned the rugs again diarrhea.

I gave him some pumpkin awhile ago and we've had one massive blow out since so I'm hoping that will be the last one.

And thank you to the Hoover company for making a good carpet cleaner. *sigh*

It's so nasty hot and humid that he doesn't want to go outside. Period. I took him out 4 times this morning to no avail. Only to have the latest blow out on the rug.

We're not doing well in the potty training dept. And I CANNOT put him in a crate. He makes noises I've never heard before let alone from a dog! Screaming, crying, howling, yodeling, other strange noises....that all end as soon as he's out of the crate. Oh...same noises occur if I close the door and leave him in the utility room.

I can't stand them. So crating and closing in the laundry room are not options.

Since I can't get him to poo outside, there hasn't been any opportunity for praising him like he just won the gold medal at the Olympics.

Ideas welcome!!!!

Jo

Criosphynx

Would you like som' ideas to get him used to the crate?

Sheltiemama

Yes, I would! But I can't promise that I'll follow through with them if he gets really loud again.

He literally sounds like he's being skinned alive and I can't take much of that!

I even told the Pres of the Rescue that if he continued it, I wouldn't be able to handle it. Luckily, he quit as soon as he was uncrated!

However, I will listen attentively and see if we can make some progress with it! AND I will be very appreciative!

Also I think the pumpkin may be working. Thank goodness!!!!

Jo

Chaz

It sounds like he has severe separation anxiety poor baby, which could also be why he is a 'velcro' baby.

Criosphynx

well basically crate = scaryscary im gonna die. You need to change the association to Crate= awesome. This can take a while, so don't give up and get frustrated.

Start feeding is meals as close to the crate as he'll get. If hes kosher with that already you can skip to the second step. Sit on the floor and toss his whole meal, one kibble at a time on the floor near the crate...then try tossing a few inside the crate (just barely) play this game for several days until its second nature for him to go inside (no matter no slightly)

Once hes comfortable begain feeding him in the crate. Door open. Do that for a few days. When you feel hes ready start closing the door more and more while he eats in the crate.

Once hes eating whole meals in the crate with the door closed you can start working on the amount of time...and when you get to that point let me know and i'll walk you through it.

Key is never force him into it and with som' dogs it takes a while for them to change their minds.

rubyred92

My dog has pretty bad separation anxiety too. How do you help them cope?

Criosphynx

you have to very slowly help them understand its ok to be alone.

You might start with closing a door for a half second and then popping back in before they can react and giving them a treat.. repeat 100 times (lol not at once) eventually building up to leaving the room for hours at a time.

Or if say the jingle of your keys signals your leaving, just randomly go get your keys and jingle them but don't leave. So the keys loose meaning.

rubyred92

Thank you. Now what do I do when I have her in the car and go into a store really quick? She barks like crazy so I don't take her with me much.

Sheltiemama

Thank you! I'm going to work on that but am going to wait a day or so.

We just got back from the vet. I have cleaned carpets 3 x today. LOTS of carpet. He walks while he poos so he leaves a long trail. *sigh*

He got a shot, some goop in his mouth and some meds to take for 10 days. Doc said his little belly is just rolling and rolling so this should help that. I know that's due to the fact that he's getting good food for the first time probably. His little system is just not used to is.

I went through the same thing with my own Sheltie, Scotty and continue to go through it any time there is any kind of food change.

We also had a T4 done on him for his thyroid. He itches the same places Scotty does. No other symptoms but Doc said he might just be starting to need meds.

Oh and I didn't put him in the crate, just put him in the van and he didn't make a sound. It's definitely the crate. Must have been something horrible that happened to him in one!

I can leave the house and he's ok. No crying. Unlike my own Scotty, who pitches a fit when we leave. But it's just for drama because we don't get 3' down the sidewalk and he's quit already.

Jo