Problem With Ptsd In Dogs? Any Advice?

[Deleted member 35133]

This might seem a little odd and off-topic to some of you but here is the thing: My dog is a rescued stray...

I'm just replying to this original post to share a dog story or two.

I just adopted a puppy, pit/husky mix. She was adopted and starved and abandoned, then fostered for short time by some kind hearted people who...Weren't really prepared but knew they had to do it. A lot like I did when I saw her classified ad. The first thing the puppy did when I brought home was try to jump out a second story window I didn't even know she could get to (she seemed do small) while I was out in the yard just five minutes or so to take my older dog for a potty. It scared the hell out of me. I ran screaming up my stairs my grown dog not even leashed but following right at my side (she is always supposed to if I am having any kind of panic attack...be right at my side, that is, 99% of the time she is) I ran across the house and scooped the new puppy right from the window sill. I held her a long time crying. After that there were no open windows in my upstairs apartment for the rest of the summer, except one with a small a/c securely screwed in. We all dealt with the heat. She is very young so she recovered from those extreme behaviors very quickly. It helped a lot that my older dog really took a liking to her so, the puppy never had to feel completely alone since I adopted her...She does have a tendency to somehow open the bathroom door to...I don't know see if I'm peeing? stick her puppy head in my shower?

It sounds like your dog had a really tough life before you got to him. So I'm going to make a serious suggestion. I'm suggesting what I am because my dogs and I have endured trauma together and I have used this for my self and my dogs. Consider herbal therapy. They make spray bottles of smells from plants etc. and also what is essentially vitamin supplements for dogs. If my animals and I have been under a lot of stress or there was a recent break-in/serious stress, I try to by fresh lavender sometimes mixed with lemon thyme and I simmer it in a small pot (yes, watched, :P) for as long as the water doesn't go to low and the herbs are releasing their scent. "Steaming" the house is an important ritual for me and my animals following serious stress. The steam won't bother the lungs of my small animals (in a separate room than my kitchen) like incense would and lavender can be a powerful herb to help reduce anxiety.

The bottles of things like these that they make for dogs can be expensive, but it might be good bonding for you and your dog to try.

If you can find a store that sells "dog anti-anxiety sprays" try picking up a scent you might enjoy with your dog. the sprays are made to be safer for animals than colognes etc. (which mostly smell like alcohol, really) Spritz one a little bit before harnessing/leashing your dog for a walk. It's something that a lot of people end up swearing by and...smell is the most powerful sense tied to memory...it might end up helping you and your dog out both. :) Best of luck.

Also: Putting a very visible yellow ribbon on your dog leash is supposed to be a semi-universal sign for "do not approach my dog" if your dog is not socialized with strangers because of his past living experience, it might be best (and for your dog's protection) to kindly ask people not to approach or try to pet your dog while you are walking him, simply explain that he is still being rehabilitated. I had to do this for one of my dogs in the past for some time, it worked out fine.

You just might have a lot of years of friendship ahead of you.

(the sprays are expensive sometimes, so they're just a suggestion.)

 

[Deleted member 35133]

Also, there are documented cases of doggy PTSD, however...they're dogs, dogs are dogs, and some dogs have problems and all we can do sometimes is try to make those problems easier and easier for the dog until those silly p-word things just disappear.

 

[Muttly]

I do dog training, rescue work, etc and work specifically with critters with special needs whether they be behavioral or physical. Veterinary behaviorists can and do diagnose dogs with PTSD and there is other research out there that descibes animals with PTSD. A dog is about equivalent to a human two-year old, and children can certainly get PTSD.

Anyway, back to the discussion. You've gotten a lot of great advice. My one rescue dog was much worse off than yours from the sound of it and through long, slow work he's come a long ways. He also has problems with his harness. Getting his harness on means he gets to take a walk so there's a huge reward for him but it's still hard for him. A couple things that have helped relate to how I put it on. Now that I know he positively associates it with a walk, I crouch down, don't look at him and wait for him to come to me. That can take some patience but it gives him a sense of safety. The other thing I adapted from what I do with my blind dog. For the blind dog, verbal communication is super important. Before I put a harness over her head I say "head". One of slip her leg in, I saw "leg" and the same with buckle. I decided to start doing that for my PTSD dog and it helped. It makes the routine more predictable for him. Will that work for your dog, who knows but it's something else you can try.

 

[Gs172003]

Animals absolutely get traumatized. Whether it's actually ptsd ( nightmares flashbacks etc) I don't know how they'd know.

That said we used to have a Jaguar that at one point was a mascot for the Jacksonville jaguars. He didn't like people and would stay in the back of the enclosure. Why? People before we got him would throw things at him.