[marshodge]

Last year we rescued an abandoned golden retriever.
He is a terrible listener and so needy that drives you crazy. We give him lots of attention but now he became so attached to us that every time we let him out to go to the bathroom he thinks he is going to die because he is alone outside. We don't always have time to be outside with them. (we have a fenced yard)
We have a German Sheppard that we raised from puppy and she is very obedient and confident, totally opposite of the Golden
The other day the most embarrassing thing happened I let him out and started vacuuming the living room, my neighbor came to my door to complain that my dog was barking too much outside and he couldn’t sleep (it was 7am on a Sunday oops!) Anyhow I didn’t hear my dog at the door screaming to come inside.
I don’t know what to do we love the dog but he is really psychotic.
Does anyone have any advice on how to reverse his behavior?
Thanks

Mars

[badams007]

Mars -

Do you use a crate ? It often helps dogs with that level of anxiety have a place that they feel safe and protected.

I would also recommend obedience classes - not with the specific goal of obedience, but confidence building. Or working with a behaviorist or trainer who can come to your home.

Good luck !

-Beth

[labman]

Goldens are notorious for being needy. When you put him out by himself, does he even take time to relieve himself before starting barking? If so, you might just be careful to let him back in a few minutes. It is hard to remember. My 4 month old Holly doesn't seem to be catching on to barking to come in, and I sometimes leave her out for hours. That is even with a older dog to be an example.

The crater and obedience training are part of the confidence building tools I suggest for submissive urination. Play tug of war with the dog and lose. However at the end of the game, take the rope or toy and put it up, less the dog becomes confused about who is top dog.

Ropes from the pets' store quickly turn to hazardous shreds. Ones I made
Lasted much better. Go to a hardware or home center that sells rope by the
Foot. Buy 2' of 3/4" poly rope. Melt the ends, and tie knots in it. Get
Them as tight as possible, put it in a vise and pound it with a hammer. Watch
Carefully, and be ready to discard when it comes apart.

Thank you for rescuing him. There are so many dogs needing a home. I wish we were giving you more help for this problem. Don't give up on us. We may do better on your next question.

[crazygirl13455]

well I'm not sure if this would help you but my family rescued a german shepard/pitbul mix 4 years ago and for the first two years we had him he was an anxious wreck. He would bark when we went to the store, hed bark if no one paid attention to him, he'd even bark when we put him in a room by himself for a few minutes. But we showed him so much love and kindness compared to what he lived through as a puppy, eventually he just grew out of it. We actually did the rope thing as stated above, and I think that actually helped a lot. And I think another thing that hepls a lot is regularity. A certain time for outside, a certain time for food, a certain time for play. And definitely a certain time of day where you just leave him for a little bit. Or just pay less attention to him for a little while. This builds into a routine, that keeps him in check. Well at least my dog. All dogs are different though. =\