Problem With Ptsd In Dogs? Any Advice?

[Kintsugi]

Excellent idea from @seedling about taking the harness out periodically just to have it around without using it. I have seen dogs desensitized to muzzles by taking the muzzle in one's hand and using the fabric of it to just gently stroke by their muzzle and nose without putting it on.

Also, some battles just aren't worth it. My beagle does not do well in crates but is fine when left at home outside of one, so I never use them unless she stays overnight in the hospital and *must* be crated while there. There are vests that double as harnesses and clip around the dog's body instead of going over-the-head you might want to try.

I second @desiderata310 about DINOS!

 

[Heather]

I think my cat has ptsd from being traumatized by mobile vet. when they shaved her backside. She's awful with strangers. Cable guy got a little to close and she hissed and swatted at him.

I guess Prozac can't fix everything.

 

[Kintsugi]

I guess Prozac can't fix everything

Funnily enough, the most anxious rescue I ever met (an absolutely adorable pocket beagle) became a completely new, happy-go-lucky dog after getting on Prozac. :woot:

 

[lostforgottensoul]

I think my cat has ptsd

I seriously have never heard of animals w/ PTSD, they just dont process 100% trauma like we do but its an awesome way to look at it! They DO become traumatized by many things and most owners dont really see it as an issue. I'll cross someone that say "oh he has an issue w/ this, we think he was abused"...im thinking "why arent you working w/ them on it, how would you like to afraid of [fill in blank]?"

I took in my sister's cat and was scent swapping while introducing them but he got away from me while closing the door and just went after my calico (the one that had been thrown up against walls) he literally took a chunk out of her butt.

Obviously was much more careful and sadly i had to rehome him (i turned him into a lap cat when he wasnt before, he's a great cat and made sure he went to a great home) but my calico is normally attached to me, the most dependant cat i have ever known, and its the first time i have ever seen her do this but she had wedged herself w/ the elizabehen colar flipped backwards under the bed. In order to get her unwedged i had to get the collar off her but she turned completely feral on me. I somehow got her in the bathroom and somehow got the collar back on her (as much as i didnt want her to hurt me, i didnt want her to hurr herself more) but doing so she was so scared (very VERY fear aggressive) that she peed & pooped all over herself, which i didnt notice until i had the collar back on.

I felt SO bad and looking back i should have waited a bit but at the time didnt know why she had flipped feral on me until i saw her going all over her self.

My point to that was my cat, and a lot of rescues ive worked w/ seem to have flashback as well. If was my very dependant on me and seeming 'in love with me' cat had a flashback of when she was 4 months old or younger and being hurt by being thrown up against walls thus flip 'feral' out of fear and seemed ok a bit after, to her old self, then im sure other animals do that too. Shes done it a few times since, its when she thinks im trying to hurt her, so since ive leff her alone and wenf slower.

I dont know, i dont like medications for anxiety for animals unless its VERY bad and would be cruel not to or until ive tried everything else. Thats just me and they do seem to work but its sorta like my dislike of putting children of medications and i see it even worse because you cant always see side effect or an effecr w/ combinating meds and the animal cant tell you. Again, thats just me though, i dont condem people that do.

Anyway, my cat doesnt like her backside being touched even by me now. I dont think she ever did really.

I think your cat is gonna have to be like mine, the more people that come over and just ignore her, the more she will start to get used to strangers, them letting her come to them.

I will admit though, i know way more about dog behavior than i do cat behavior and i learn SO MUCH when i watch the only cat behaviorist show on TV "My Cat From Hell" you ever watch it? I learned my other cats was showing me he needed a bigger litter box on there. Its great about learning how to adapt to the needs of cats (verticle spaces) and how to apply behavioral helps to a traumatized cat. I adore that show as i have 1 cat that was thron against walls and the other was bottle fed by me (comes w/ its own issues), and then the 2 together for 10 yrs and all of a sudden i bring in this big dog in their territory (started peeing on one of my couches though they are both fixed as is my dog). I find that show a lifesaver!

Sorry, didnt mean to ramble...

I hope your cat starts to trust people again!

 

[lostforgottensoul]

@seedling thats partially how i got the harness on my parent's chihuahua whom hates it, i had it touching him, let him smell it, then used treats with my hand through it to get it on him.

He used to then wear it 24/7 but the way he's shapped, no matter how tight you make it (unless too tight) he can get his elbow and then his whole leg through it and can back up and get out of it (very annoying because he's very untrained and unruley and he goes after other dogs though he's best friend's w/ my pitbull which is very cute!) Anyway, one night he got himself tangled in it and it was cutting info his skin and he wasnt letting people close to him. I very quickly grabbed his scruff (to be safe to me, and it didnt hurt him) and flipped him upside down in my lap, one hand holding his scuff so he couldnt bite me and the other one taking it off of him. Dogs are pack animals, just life wolves the pack leader shows his dominance by flipping the other on its back and biting its neck. Ive claimed dominance over him already by making him submit on his back (relax) minus the biting on the neck obviosuly lol, so it was easy to get him out of it that way.

Since i bought him a velco fabric one that if he gets his leg through wont hurt him.

 

[Socha]

For fantastic positive training methods, check out Kikopup on YouTube. Zak George is also awesome but not as in-depth. Tab Shamsi is also good but probably doesn't have enough material and doesn't seem to be active anymore.

There's a book that comes highly recommended on my dog training forum called Training Unleashed that may be a good resource for training games that are great positive training methods, like the Look at That! game.

I watched some of the videos by Kikopup. This girl is awesome! Thank you Simon! :happy:
I'll also check out the book.

Also check out DINOS (dogs in need of space)
They have some great ideas and exercises and support'

I take my dog with me to university most of the time and my fellow students are all awesome! They like him and I get the feeling some of them want to sit next to me because of him but everyone respects that he doesn't want to be touched and no one ever tried to touch him without asking me first. :)

Not sure if this would help with the harness issue or not. You could try having the harness around you and your dog when you are doing other things. Just have it there without trying to put it on him.

Thanks for the advice! I kind of thought about it like that myself but never tried it. Now I will try it!

I don't have a lot of people come to my place so it's not that easy to make him get used to it. But that's not a real problem. He loves everyone who visits us regularly. My boyfriend, his family and my best friends and their dogs. He's fine with being pet by them after a couple of times and have them around.
I think it's ok for both of us that he doesn't want to be touched by strangers. When he's on his leash outdoors and someone gets too close I give him space to get away and most of the time he hides behind me so I can manage it pretty well telling people to stop. When he's off leash he can get away whenever he needs to. He's not aggressive at all, he'd rather go.

 

[Socha]

My dog and I can't trust each other enough!

What I meant by that is not that we don't trust each other. I think we already achieved an amount of trust, friendship and partnership I never thought would be possible in such a short period of time (10 month) with all our issues and I have to admit I'm a little proud of both of us for that. But an even more reliable and trusting friendship can never be a bad thing ;) Just wanted to make that clear.

 

[Sandstone]

I can only tell you it a question of slow steady consistent kindness. I have a rescue dog who is now nearly 15 and has been with us for over 10 years. He is still learning how to be a dog, and surprises us with his progress. The latest thing is learning to roll indoors, which is just beginning in a very cautious way when he thinks no-one is looking.

His two biggest problems are passing through any sort of confined spaces - to the extent that he couldn't eat from a bowl as it was confining the sides of his face - and exposing his belly. He still panics if he has to go through a stile when we are out for a walk, but can be persuaded.

Like you I've often wondered if he has PTSD; we do seem to share a lot of symptoms

 

[Socha]

Just a quick update...

I bought a new harness. It's a really light one, it doesn't make any sounds and can be adjusted so that the part where he has to put his head through is really wide. I keep it near me a lot and put it in different places when I'm getting something to drink from the kitchen or whatever, so he knows it has nothing to do with him most of the time. I also introduced it to him during a clicker session. I think that has helped also.
He's not as happy as I wish he would be about it yet but his heartbeat stays normal mostly and he doesn't hide under the coffee table. It's a huge step in the right direction and I'm really happy about it :happy:

 

[Deleted member 28740]

@Socha I use a harness sometimes too. Came into to my life as a stray, could not find owner. Best gift I have ever received. Peanut butter stroke some on the paws. They get busy licking and loving the PB, calm. And look forward to any new routine.:):)

Keep training to small intervals 15 mins or less. They get bored. Work on one aspect of training at a time.

 

[desiderata310]

If the harness makes him anxious, you can also do a lot to make sure he associates it with positive things. For instance, clicker training and holding the harness. You pick up the harness, click, give him a treat and lots of praise. Hold the harness up, and hold a treat where he has to put his head through to get it. Tons of praise.

Once it's on, play games, or whatever makes him happy so that he starts associating it with good things. Belly rubs, tasty treats.
Probably already know and do these things but I saw this pop up in my feed and the brain is firing on all cylinders so thought I would share.

 

[Socha]

We worked a lot since I posted the last time on this thread. We made a lot of progress. He still gets a treat for putting his head through the harness. One right after putting his head through and one after it's buckled up. I also put it on him in the middle of the room to not corner him so he feels like he could escape whenever it's too much for him but he's starting to even like it :inlove:

Thanks everyone for your help! :)