Please help! Cocker advice

moving_home

Desperately need some advice. Myself and hubby have a 4 year old cocker who is very closely bonded with us. The vet even commented on how the dog thinks she is human! She's been in the vet lately for an anal gland infection but I also think she is having some behavioural and separation anxiety issues. We moved house in September and went on holidays for 3 weeks shortly after. My mam minded the dog as normal while we were gone. All good.

However in the last few weeks the dog us showing signs of separation anxiety. I posted here before about her chewing our front door but there are other things like whining constantly, sitting at the door looking to get in and not going off in the grass to toilet. I left her in for a couple of days and she couldn't wait to get out when we got home and wouldn't come back inside.

She had a massive poo inside over Christmas but we put that down to her infection and being ill. I think she had a wee inside last night so I'm starting to think this is behavioural.

Since we moved we have kept her routine more or less the same with morning walk, feed in treat ball/kong wobbler, one of us home at lunch but I do admit the evening walk has been inconsistent. She is alone 9-1 and 2-5.30.

I'm trying to give as much background as possible to see what is relevant.

I need some advice as I'm at a loss of what to do with her and how to make her happy....

Back at the vet next week but I think he's beginning to think the whole thing is behavioural. It upsets me that my dog is so distressed....please help! Do I need a professional?

cocker5

Firstly on the chewing did u try the crib halt? It work wonders to stop a dog from chewing!

Can I ask how long are u walking her for? I have a cocker (nearly 9) and now he gets one hour of a good pace run / jog every evening.

However when he was 4 he would have gotten one hour of off lead running / swimming 6 days a week.

Exercise is the key to get rid of pent up energy !

Can I ask what you are feeding her?
With regard to her anal gland infection she's not getting enough fiber in her diet. The poo inside over Christmas is probably related to this and not behavioural if it was happening ever day then that's a different story.

I'm going to be honest and say truthfully cockers can be whingey and quiet vocal little feckers... My cocker the odd time still whinges ego but it's not regular only if he's feeling under the weather and he needs a few extra cuddles for reassurance etc.

To be honest I would say its a combination if her infection and separation anxiety .. Coupled with not enough exercise ...

Also if you were both home more over Xmas and now ur back to work that's another change in her routine.

My husband has been out if work sick for 5 weeks before Xmas he too went back to work last week. Result my cocker wasn't happy each evening he would cry and cling into us for cuddles... This he's ok again gotten used to the old routine again.

She's not 100% due to her glands plus she's probably feeling sorry for herself, try and give her more exercise this will help a lot.

With regard to her glands u need to look at what ur feeding her, also all some all bran into her food (just the twigs) one day per week, plus some salmon oil into her food each day this will massively help with her glands!

Best of luck

moving_home

She's on anti-inflammatories and prescription diet at the moment but she's usually fed Eukanuba with tinned sardines once a week.

She gets 30min walk in morning and evening is hit and miss since we moved. Before that I was religious about her daily walk for 5k but we moved to the country and end up having to drive to town to walk so it's down to 2/3 evenings for about 45mins to 1hour.

This was happening before Christmas too and the whining is a relatively new thing.

If upping the exercise improved things that would be amazing! I'm going back running from tomorrow and I'll just have to make the extra effort to do it with her regardless of the weather.

Do you really think separation anxiety like this could be solved with exercise? Cos that I can do!!

She peed in the kitchen last night - something she only ever did a couple of times during toilet training so highly out of character. We put the poo down to being ill until this.

I will definitely add bran to her diet on a regular basis.

I have the crib halt but haven't used if yet. We have been keeping her inside cos she's not well and didn't want her eating anything else cos of the prescriptive diet cos vet wants to rule out causes.

VonVix

All the cockers I've met have been very energetic little things, absolutely rocketing around. Exercise and playtime (basic training or playing with a ball, etc.) can solve a lot of issues like this.

Was she a rescue by the way?

moving_home

Nope not a rescue, we have had her since she was 8 weeks old so thought I knew her inside out but these last few weeks have been completely out of character. I'd be delighted if it was just a case of upping the exercise back to the level it was at pre move but I didn't think it was that simple.
We do loads of ball games in this house! She is obsessive!!

cocker5

Honestly IMO 30 mins isn't enough exercise for 4 year old cocker. At nearly 9 my guy gets min an hour a day and he'd go for longer if I went with him.

Personally I think she's just a little out if sorts... From infection, moving house and lack of sufficient exercise.. Give her some more time up her exercise to an hour a day, tire her out. It will help trust me. A well exercised cocker is a faaaar better behaved cocker - trust me.

Bring her running, I used to run with my guy 5/7km a night for years he loved it, plus when he was 2-4 years old we used to bring him out running and I'd cycle him this too really helped.

If u are running her / cycling her please make sure u add salmon oil to her food a tea spoon daily it will help greatly with her joints later on. Also if it's a night make sure she has a visi best on for safety! You can get this plus salmon oil from zooplus... U can also get a special bike attachment her to bring her running while cycling etc!

Up the exercise and after a week I promise you'll see a different dog!

Best of luck

moving_home

No it's 30mins in morning (Monday to Friday) then 45mins -1 hour for 2/3 evenings per week. Weekends are better with off-lead/swimming combo. But I'll definitely up the exercise to a consistent hour every week day. She was getting an hour every evening for the last 3 years (until Sept) so I only have myself to blame for letting things slip. I've always said with our dog that routine is key so I need to back to that stage.

How far would you have cycled your guy? Myself and hubby would do 20-40km in summer so obviously much too far but I don't know how far would be ok? She will never stop herself and show tiredness so I'd be afraid of going too far!

Will definitely get some salmon oil too.

I have a lovely hi vis for her alright! Back to the running tomorrow after a 4 month hiatus eek wish me luck!

Thanks for the replies!

cocker5

moving_home wrote: »

No it's 30mins in morning (Monday to Friday) then 45mins -1 hour for 2/3 evenings per week. Weekends are better with off-lead/swimming combo. But I'll definitely up the exercise to a consistent hour every week day. She was getting an hour every evening for the last 3 years (until Sept) so I only have myself to blame for letting things slip. I've always said with our dog that routine is key so I need to back to that stage.

How far would you have cycled your guy? Myself and hubby would do 20-40km in summer so obviously much too far but I don't know how far would be ok? She will never stop herself and show tiredness so I'd be afraid of going too far!

Will definitely get some salmon oil too.

I have a lovely hi vis for her alright! Back to the running tomorrow after a 4 month hiatus eek wish me luck!

Thanks for the replies!

Hi there

sorry for the late reply! With reagrd to cycling with your dog I would def get the bike attachment I got this one:

http://www.zooplus.ie/shop/dogs/dog_cages_carriers/biking_accessories/biking_leads/146366

This will keep her well away from the wheels, also dont connect to their neck collar use a harness.... just in case you have to stop suddenly, just so your dogs neck doesnt get hurt etc... even if its broad daylight, i always put my guys visi vest on etc.

http://www.zooplus.ie/shop/dogs/dog_collars_dog_leads/harnesses/trixie/366015


Also always make sure your dog is on side on the road closest to the path / ditch etc, NEVER exposed to traffic as drivers are stupid and wont see your dog, I always had my dog, then me, then traffic etc. so I was a buffer between the dog and traffic.

But in saying that I lived in a massive estate so wasnt really cycling him on very busy main roads.

Time wise I would cycle him for 30 mins each evening, now he would tear around he ADORED it, but i would only cycle gently not at at serious speed, Just like a leisurely cycle for you , but for your dog that will be quiet fast, as in for every one step we take their little legs take 4/8 IFKWIM

Also never cycle them on a hot day (we'd be lucky in ireland) as they can over heat, plus i know with my cocker he would go and go and go, they dont know their limits... so you just limit it for her. My guy when I used to ring the bell he'd bark as he was running, even when he sees the bike his eyes light up and he gets all excited.

max 30 mins each evening this will MASSIVELY reduce a cockers crazy energy... they'll still be crazy as all cocker are but she'll be far happier -

Def get the salmon oil, this is the one I use:


http://www.zooplus.ie/shop/dogs/supplements_specialty_food/hair_skin/more_skin_and_coat_supplements/139892

during the summer months I do bring a small bottle of water with me and stop and give him some water..

Hes nearly 9 now so dont really cycle him anymore, But i did it alot from aged 2 - 7... and he loved it, plus it helped him relax far more.

Post a pic and let me know how you get on???

angeldaisy

no advice on behaviour...

but in regards to the blocked glands, our terrier suffers badly with these, but I switched her to a gluten free diet there before christmas and we have gone from needing them emptied every 4 weeks to it being nearly 7 weeks now since they were done. massive improvement - she's been on the Skinners rice and duck for the past 2-3 months.

moving_home

Sorry for delay in replying. Cocker 5 I think you may have seen photos of the wee one on another forum we both use!!! She's a black cocker with massive paws!

So update .... Behaviour is much improved from a whining/separation anxiety point of view. This coincided with a huge improvement in her form and she seemed to be really feeling better say from last Sunday - Wednesday. We started changing her back over to her old food very slowly from Tuesday. Then form started to go downhill from Thursday and some constipation so I was in touch with the vet and she's on the Hills dried prescription food called I/D for next couple of weeks and off her old food. Cue improvement in form and pooing again so think we will be finding a new food for her.

We have been religious in our twice daily exercise including running every weekday the we were all climbing mountains this weekend.

So there is a great improvement overall bar the issue of eating the door. Even the crib halt isn't stopping her!! So we moved her bed from from porch (beside front door she is eating) into the shed and have created a 'den' in the shed so hopefully she will start hanging out there rather than near the temptation of the door.

On Friday morning she had a swim and 30min walk, was alone from 8.30 - 12.30 and still had eaten the door through the crib halt!

moving_home

angeldaisy wrote: »

no advice on behaviour...

but in regards to the blocked glands, our terrier suffers badly with these, but I switched her to a gluten free diet there before christmas and we have gone from needing them emptied every 4 weeks to it being nearly 7 weeks now since they were done. massive improvement - she's been on the Skinners rice and duck for the past 2-3 months.

My sister feeds this and finds it great. Think we will probably buy a 15kg bag of the prescriptive food and then try moving to this.