Why is my dog so anxious ?

[DeanR32]

Afternoon all

Hope someone can help me.

I have a 9 year old Shar Pei who is an excellent dog. Very docile and friendly and wouldn't hurt a fly.

Over the past year when the family head out he must sense it and starts crying and barks when we leave, and it used to be for 5 minutes or so.

Now for the past 3-4 months he's got much worse. He starts shaking when he cries and barks/cries for much longer when we leave.

Today my partner went out to the local shops (for half hour or so) and when she approached the house he was still barking. When she got in the house he'd been clawing at the carpet near the door so much that his paws were bleeding and stained the carpet.

My partner is a stay at home mum and we have another on the way and she's finding it hard to leave him as he gets so bad when she leaves the house.

As much as we love him he's starting to dictate when and how long we go out and it's making life hell. So much so that we're thinking of re-homing him, but that is of course a last resort.

What can we try to stop him acting like this? We give him treats as we leave, try being really nice and have even shouted at him, hoping he'll listen.

I must add he is virtually blind, but has been for much longer than this has been going on and we've been in this property for 5 years so he knows his way round the place, so I don't think it's that.

Any suggestions? It'd break my heart to see him go!

Thanks in advance

[mnkiboy]

Have you tried leaving the radio on for him when you go out? Being blind means he will rely on his hearing a lot more than another dog, and the radio might just distract him from the worry of you leaving.

[Anthony Micallef]

DeanR32 said:

Afternoon all

Hope someone can help me.

I have a 9 year old Shar Pei who is an excellent dog. Very docile and friendly and wouldn't hurt a fly.

Over the past year when the family head out he must sense it and starts crying and barks when we leave, and it used to be for 5 minutes or so.

Now for the past 3-4 months he's got much worse. He starts shaking when he cries and barks/cries for much longer when we leave.

Today my partner went out to the local shops (for half hour or so) and when she approached the house he was still barking. When she got in the house he'd been clawing at the carpet near the door so much that his paws were bleeding and stained the carpet.

My partner is a stay at home mum and we have another on the way and she's finding it hard to leave him as he gets so bad when she leaves the house.

As much as we love him he's starting to dictate when and how long we go out and it's making life hell. So much so that we're thinking of re-homing him, but that is of course a last resort.

What can we try to stop him acting like this? We give him treats as we leave, try being really nice and have even shouted at him, hoping he'll listen.

I must add he is virtually blind, but has been for much longer than this has been going on and we've been in this property for 5 years so he knows his way round the place, so I don't think it's that.

Any suggestions? It'd break my heart to see him go!

Thanks in advance

Dont give him a treat when you leave as you're only rewarding his negative behaviour.