Benny and Sally are stressed

[Brianne_Kathrine]

Wow, my life just got really hectic and chaotic for the next month or so. I am moving to Texas, but my plans have been unexpectedly changed and now I am moving sooner than planned. This change of plans is stressful and will involve a lot of me staying with various friends, family, and even hotels. The next three weeks will be very unsettled.

Benny and Sally know that something stressful is going on and they are definately effected by the stress. For the next week I am staying in the guest house on my dad's property. My dad will watch Benny and Sally while I am at work. This morning I went to deliver the pups to my dad's house and Sally promptly proceeded to pee on his carpet, which is uncharacteristic of her. Sally has not had an accident for well over a year. Benny would not let me out of his sight all last night and even whined and cried while I was in the shower this morning. He calmed down once I stuck my head out and reassured him I was still around.

Things won't settle back down until August 10th. Thats when I get into my apartment in Texas. Until then, its going to be stressful.

Does anyone have any suggestions for how I can ease the stress on Benny and Sally. They are so freaked out right now and have no idea what is going on at all. I have made sure to bring their bed, blankets, and two articles of my clothing with me to my dad's house. I am trying to reassure them as much as possible that everything is going to be okay. I am also planning to take them on nice long walks in them morning and evening everyday because they enjoy doing that a lot.

The thing I am most worried about is the peeing. I know its natural for dogs to pee on the floor in new places and when they are stressed out from something. They will be staying in about 5 different places between now and August 10th. I will be with them every place we go, but its still new and stressing to them. Plus, a dog peeing on someones floor is not exactly the best way to thank someone for opening up their home to me.

[hheldorfer]

Geez - just when you think you're A-OK with plans, they change again!

I understand that your life is upside-down right now, but is there any way you could find one place for you and Benny and Sally to stay during this transition? I'd think the constant moving would be terribly stressful for them. They've already started to act out and I imagine it will get a lot worse before it gets better.

I don't know . . . is it better for them to move several times (while being with you) or is it possibly better to keep them somewhere else for the duration (whether or not it's with you)? Tough question. Maybe others here have been through this scenario.

[lizcali]

I was also thinking that another option where they stay in one place for the duration may help. We have a 6 month old pup and have been taking him on weekend trips and vacation rentals so that he can adapt to new places at early age. If your dogs are not accustomed to this, it may be harder. On the topic of having accidents, our pup does have problems in new homes, especially since these are rentals that allow dogs so he picks up their scent. For our male dog, we have found using a belly band to be very helpful. Everyone can relax since we are not worrying about mistakes. For females, they have more traditional diapers.

[Brianne_Kathrine]

I will try to minimize the moving around as much as possible. I am not sure if I can find just one place for them to stay until I get into my apartment on August 10th.

However, my dad just called and he said they are having a good time spending the day with him. They will be spending the next week with him while I am at work. He had them tied out all morning and now he is taking them with him to run errands and he said they are doing much better than expected.

I will consider the doggie diapers as a way to help protect floors against accidents.

Thanks for the feedback.

[Tracy A.]

For dogs that have been crate trained, using a portable travel crate can be of comfort. I don't know if you hve two crates for them or not... but it gives them a security feeling of a 'den'.

[Idaho Cairns]

Since Cairns, like any dog, key in on their master's behavior, maybe the best thing is simply to get away from them while you are under stress. Once they are removed, they can lead normal lives. Cairns handle stress better than most of the dogs I have had and are so adaptable that being at your father's shouldn't be a problem--however, if you are keyed up, you can bet they will be.

I have watched my Daughter's dogs, one a Cairn, many times as she and her husband moved to different duty stations and after about an hour, they settled into the routine of the house. Patti would always ask "Did the dogs miss me?" and I could honestly answer "No!--dogs don't know five minutes from five days and they will always be excited when you come back to the house."

The peeing thing could have lots of meanings--simply marking an unfamiliar place, having been too excited to take care of it before you packed them in the car, old residue in the carpet, probably wouldn't worry about it or consider diapers unless it continues--just clean it up completely remove the spill and your probably covered.

[hheldorfer]

I agree with Idaho Cairns regarding stressful situations. 3 weeks ago a "microburst" hit our neighborhood and brought a big old tree down on our house, resulting in much damage (but no one hurt). The dogs weren't even home when it happened but, when they returned, they both started acting up. Buffy peed on the floor right in front of me and she hasn't had an accident in over a year. Both Buffy and Ziggy would start a bark-a-thon at the smallest sound and were generally acting like little monsters. In addition to the "rearrangement" of the house, I think they both sensed our stress over the situation despite our efforts to stay calm.

Dogs have great intuition and it's fruitless to try to hide stress or any other deep feelings from them. They know FAR more than we give them credit for!

[sanford]

3 weeks ago a "microburst" hit our neighborhood and brought a big old tree down on our house, resulting in much damage (but no one hurt).

So sorry to hear about the damage. It must have been a terrible shock to come home to that and apparently your dogs picked up on it. I hope you get through this OK and that your insurance is in place to help get your life back to normal!

[TazTalk]

Dogs have great intuition and it's fruitless to try to hide stress or any other deep feelings from them. They know FAR more than we give them credit for!

They do have a keen intuition. Yesterday my father-in-law passed away and Taz was so attentive towards my husband. Licking the tears on his face and later sitting on his feet. It was so sweet.

How great that your dad is helping out for the next week - sounds like a big help. Good luck with your move.

[Brianne_Kathrine]

My dad has been such a blessing the past few days. He's watching Benny and Sally while I am at work. They have to be tied up on ropes at his house. However, they do not mind as much as I thought they would. My dad is then taking them with him in the car while he runs errands. They LOVE being in the car. By the time I picked them up from my dad they were exhausted. I took them on a walk to the beach to let Benny swim and watch the sunset. Oh my, they just about passed out on the way back home. They are much less stressed today.

I realized that keeping things as calm as possible is not only better for them, but its better for me. Things got unexpectedly crazy this week...but isn't that a part of life. Knowing that Benny and Sally are okay makes it a lot easier for me.

Thanks for the suggestions. I'll keep everyone updated as the move appraoches.

[hheldorfer]

3 weeks ago a "microburst" hit our neighborhood and brought a big old tree down on our house, resulting in much damage (but no one hurt).

So sorry to hear about the damage. It must have been a terrible shock to come home to that and apparently your dogs picked up on it. I hope you get through this OK and that your insurance is in place to help get your life back to normal!

Thanks! It's been a hassle but we're coping. Insurance has come through and work began on the repairs this week. Today was the first day of carpentry work so DH tells me there's been quite a bit of barking. I'm hoping Buffy and Ziggy will get used to it before the roofing work starts next week.