Panda monium

[gwyn]

I have a new foster dog. Things are not...great, actually, and I'm having a lot of problems with her. But fortunately for her, she's really effing cute -- a Jack Russell/Chihuahua mix named Panda Bear (she and her pups are named in honor of the Build a Bear foundation grant our group received when she was taken in). I know some of the trouble stems from her coming here and leaving her babies -- she was preggers when they got her, and her pups are being adopted out, so she went to a new foster home after weaning, which is lucky me. I've never had a dog who whines like this, all the freaking time. It isn't even whining, it's more like shrieking. And there are all sorts of other behavior issues. Lucky me.

But hey, like I said, cute:






The good thing is that she's a bundle of energy, which means I have to walk fast and far with her. The bad thing is...well, everything else. Know anyone in the Pacific NW looking for a cute small dog who loves to play and cuddle?

Comments

[batwrangler.livejournal.com]

She's a cutie. Sorry she's having such a difficult time. Maybe some dog adaptive pheromones would help? I know a Puli breeder who swears by the stuff. The collars seem to have helped settle my boys somewhat.

[gwyn-r.livejournal.com]

WHAT is this and where can I get it RIGHTNOW?

[batwrangler.livejournal.com]

It comes in the brand names Adaptil and ComfortZone and as a spray or a plastic collar or plug-in diffuser. The Puli breeder uses the diffuser but I'm paranoid about them shorting out and catching fire, so I've been using the collars. I haven't tried the spray. I get mine on Amazon, but my vet's office also carries them (for significantly more than Amazon).

[gwyn-r.livejournal.com]

Oh yeah, Feliway -- it's the dog version. I have heard of it, I guess I didn't think about it because Feliway never worked on my two shitmonsters, although I've heard friends say it saved their sanity with marking cats. But I'm willing to try it, just because I don't know how much more of this I can stand. Her whining never stops, except when she's asleep or when we go for walks. And I know it must be hard to be separated from her pups, when she's still a puppy herself.

[batwrangler.livejournal.com]

This looong article on treating anxiety in dogs just got mentioned in a dog list that I'm on. It talks about a lot of different drugs but there's also a section on natural/home remedies:
http://www.dogaware.com/articles/wdjanxiety.html

[gwyn-r.livejournal.com]

Interesting. I have a real aversion to drugging animals, but who knows what might end up happening with her...I think she would really benefit from going to a home where there is another larger dog. She seems most relaxed when we encounter other large male dogs. But there's no guarantee of a home like that, so...

[tazlet.livejournal.com]

a Jack Russell/Chihuahua mix

The worst of all possible worlds when it comes to hysterical dogs. Considered doggy Valium?

[unovis.livejournal.com]

She sounds like Mabel, without the biting and hysterics. It took constant care and a few years before she calmed down, and even now, well, you know.

[barkley.livejournal.com]

Oh, she's adorable!!

[ms-artisan.livejournal.com]

Aw, cutest little girl in the entire universe (aside from my puppy, of course)! :) Who is also a Jack Russell x, so I can vouch for the fact that they're a very vocal breed. Mine has a half dozen or so different yips/barks/whines that all mean something different (like a baby and their different cries). But because I've had her 16 years I know what they all mean without even having to think about it.

I don't know if it helps you at all to hear about the breed if you're not planning to keep her, but they are smart and very loving, so if you can get past her settling in, you might yet get along.

I know mine gets most anxious when things change and she doesn't know what's coming next. She's very much a creature of habit and smart, so as a result she's happiest when she has a routine. Which, you know, can be a double-edged sword -- you do something once and she notices, do the same thing at the same twice, and that's forever. So if we don't do what we're meant to (like when I forget to eat), she's staring and wagging and whinges at me until I do in a very "you normally eat lunch now, why aren't you eating lunch?" (and btw, how about giving me something, too!). So, maybe that's what your Panda is doing -- trying to tell you ... stuff. They surely love to talk. :)

I don't know if a routine is a possibility for you, but if she's anxious about the change, then giving her one might help -- walks, meals, etc. at the same time.

Good luck, I hope it works out, she's such a sweetie!