100th Post - Probert Problems

Wow, our 100th post! Well, funny that it is more of a serious post today. It is something that has been kicking around in my brain and our lives here for a while, though I haven't been sure how much of this I would share with the world because these kinds of decisions are often criticized by people, but here we go.

(In case people are jumping to conclusions already: no, I am not getting rid of any of my dogs.)

Probert came into our lives about 3 years ago now. He was a sweet, but skittish dog with a lot of issues stemming from his puppyhood. He had been severely abused by his previous family and was likely taken away from his mother and littermates too young. He never learned the right way to be a dog, how to interact with other dogs, and overreacted about mundane situations that he perceived as threatening.

For a few years, we were able to deal with his quirks, but in the past year he has gotten distinctively "worse." He is escaping his crate in a panic on a regular basis, becoming destructive in the crate (moving the crate to pull items in, destroying the crate itself), having obvious anxiety/panic attacks, and has attacked Wrigely and Addy with no provocation on seperate occasions. Something needed to be done.

So, a few weeks ago I called up a new vet and asked the receptionist if the doctor was OPEN to the idea of medication for these kinds of issues. I did not want to make the decision right off the bat that Probert needed to be medicated, but I at least wanted to speak to someone who considered it an option. I did not want to see a doctor who gave me the shoulder shrug and the explaination that "some dogs just don't like the crate." Our problems were bigger.

Our vet visit was on a weekday afternoon. Brown Dog Dad brought Probert and I took a late lunch at work to meet them there. We had a nice long meeting with the doctor who fully grasped the magnatude of our problems with Probert. She agreed that in order to teach Probert appropriate behavior, we needed to reduce his anxiety. A dog who is having an anxiety attack does not listen and can not learn to respond properly in any situation.

At that visit, the doctor determined that Probert likely has anxiety as a result of his experiences as a puppy. Having talked to a (human) friend who has similar anxiety about past abuse, I was surprised by how much she could relate to him. He senses something that triggers a memory about his past and he panics and disassociates. He loses all sense of his body and the present moment. Additionally, it is very likely that he was removed from his mother and littermates much too young as he doesn't know how to interact with the other dogs appropriately. He often seems to us like a "loner," when really he is not sure what the right interaction is. To add to all of that, he also shows signs of OCD, which we are trying to break (he will run around the house collecting every shoe he can find and pile them all up in the living room happily).


And so, after that vet visit and a 7-page questionnaire, we have been given our treatment program. On the surface, it is an 11-point program that involves medication, behavior modification, and lifestyle changes for Probert. We also have a big packet of papers that I have to tackle and follow their instructions. Probert started his medication this week. He is currently on a clomipramine, a medication for his anxiety that will not take full effect for 4-8 weeks and another sedative medication called lorazepam which is used during "scary" situations like storms or fireworks and is also used in the short term during those times that Probert is home without human supervision.

Some of the other items involved in the program are daily exercise and "pack walks" (walking with one of the other dogs to establish a sense of being in the pack), which are going extremely well. We will end up having to relocate Probert's crate once we determine a good location and need to work on a NILIF-type obedience program. Probert is also not allowed off-leash around the other dogs while on the lorazepam, as one of the potential side effects is "diminished inhibition" and he has a history of biting other dogs. Fortunately, we have the pack walks and he and Maizy do go out together in the morning and the evening when he hasn't taken his pill or it has worn off. Another feature, which an online friend has reported success with for her anxious dog, is that during anxiety attacks, Probert should be put in a tight tshirt to give him a feeling of his own skin as a reminder to come back to his body. We don't currently have any tshirts for him (need to shop for bully-body friendly shirts, any suggestions?), but do have the previously pictured hoodie and have been using it for now (luckily, the house is air conditioned).

Overall, I am confident that is a good prgram and is the best thing that we can do for Probert. I know that there are going to be some growing pains, but I am hopeful that we can get things under control and get our pack back in order. We are fortunate to have found a great and supportive vet and also to have loving friends and family who are wishing us the best. Thank you all so much for caring about my brown (and not-so-brown) dogs!!!

(We will make the 101th post a little more light hearted, I promise!)