Stressed terrier goes into barking rage

Q.: We rescued a male mixed terrier a little more than 3 years ago. He will soon be 7 years old. He is the most loving and sweetest dog one could ever ask for. But, every time my husband or I open the door to go outside or leave in the car, this little dog goes into this crazy barking rage. Thank goodness it only lasts for just a few minutes. We don’t know if he did this before we got him or not. We have tried the kind, sweet way to get him to stop, as well as the firm NO word but NO luck. We hope that you could give us some advice on what to do.

A.: It sounds like your terrier gets very stressed when you leave the house. Because the barking only lasts a short period of time, you have a good chance of helping him. A videotape of what happens after he stops barking would be very helpful, because you are not only measuring the barking but also the level of stress of the animal overall when they are left by themselves.

Barking is just one sign of stress. For example, what if he paces and pants the entire time that you’re gone? He is still showing signs of stress, he just isn’t working. We want to know how stressed the patient is when the owner is gone, so we can work toward providing a better quality of life, not just alleviating the barking. So, first get that videotape.

Once you know the duration of your dog signs, it will be easier to treat him. If he truly just barks for a couple of minutes and goes to sleep, you can probably handle that by simply giving him a food toy with yummy treats and it about 15 minutes before you leave the house. Also, you want to make sure that you ignore any and all barking that he does. Finally, you can practice simple exercises such as the down/stay, where you work on walking around the house so he can learn to be independent from you.

If the video shows your dog is highly distressed for long periods of time, you should seek help from your primary care veterinarian or a board-certified veterinary behaviorist. You can find one at www.dacvb.org.

Dr. Radosta

Lisa Radosta DVM, Diplomate ACVB
Florida Veterinary Behavior Service
PO Box 210636
Royal Palm Beach, FL 33421-0636
561-795-9398
www.flvetbehavior.com
Read more articles by Dr. Radosta | Ask her a question

Source: http://blogs.palmbeachpost.com/pawshere/2013/08/08/stressed-terrier-goes-into-barking-rage/

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