[oregonrealtor]

We recently acquired a one-year-old female shiz tzu. She has, or has developed, severe sepration anxiety - to the point she bloodies her mouth and paws if left in a crate for even a short period. She panics wherever and whenever left alone. A vet has prescribed a mild tranquilizer but we hate to use it every time we leave the house for an hour to leave her in the car while eating in a restaurant. We need help.

[BDouxgren]

Well, first - don't leave your dog in the car. Period. Use the tranq when you have to leave the house, but work with the dog while you're home to soothe her anxiety.

1. work with her while you're both at home. Teach her sit/stay/down, and have her hold the down position while you leave the room (this will take time for her to learn). As she learns it, you should be able to leave her eyesight for longer and longer periods. Don't encourage extreme attention-getting behavior like jumping, barking, etc. You're looking to even out her emotions and teach her that she doesn't always need to be right by your side.

2. Figure out what gets her upset before you leave, then do those actions when you're not planning to leave. Walk around with the car keys jingling, then put them down and spend time with her. Carry the pocketbook around the house - then spend time with her. Crate her for short periods during the day, with a treat and a favorite toy. (Crates can be amazing for dogs - mine loved his; it was his safe place when scary things were going on like the vacuum, it was relatively inaccessible by me so he had control over it, and it smelled like him.)

3. It may be helpful to tone down any aggressive play. Does she have chew toys? Is her crate comfortable (a pad, a thick blanket, water, big enough that she can turn around - a small dog can be very happy in a good-sized crate).

4. When you come home, don't be the excited owner - greet her calmly (even leave her in the crate while you take off your coat, etc.) clip her to her leash and take her straight outside for a potty break.

Basically, go for an overall calming - and use the tranqs until she's secure that you WILL come back and that she doesn't need to be glued to your side. If she's hurting herself, then she needs them for now, but she shouldn't need them long-term. Good luck! Time, patience, and love will help your dog acclimate. You say you recently acquired her, so she's probably still adjusting to a new home and new owners.