General Topic-Seperation Anxiety with AM STAFFS - Page 1

Ok, so I have settled on a breed, besides the constant help I give with the GSDs, like rescue, and transport and stuff.. My house has settled on American Staffys and American Pitties.  I have rescued a female, 2 yrs, very gentle, sweet, passed her temperment test with flying colors, and is awesome with my kids, 9, 16 mths, and one on the way. Since I am a stay at home mom, and work only a few days a month at my local school district, Callie, the female has bonded with me.. and has really from the beginning.. (well, ok, ALL my dogs bond with me over the rest..) she tears herself apart in a crate due to seperation anxiety, no matter what crate type.. to the point of bleeding tail, ears, nose.. :o( so, I have gated off the kitchen/family room.. but HAHA on me, she flies right over the tall baby gates in one leap. I swear she is part Kangaroo. Ok, so she doesnt shred furniture or anything, but I have put my trash can under a table so she cant knock/shred, cleaned counters, picked up all the stuff I can see that she WILL shred.. due to the S/A... but smarty pants still finds something.. so again HAHA on me. I have bones with goodies in the middle, pig ears, rawhides.. all the good stuff.. with her being an Am Staff.. she devours them in like MINUTES.. again.. NANABOOBOO on me. :o( I have done the needed training to help her with the seperation, few minuted, come in, ignore, out to potty, then in to play, and moved to longer times.. but when I need to shop, or work for 6hrs.. lol.. I need something to keep her occupied. Kongs stuffed with PB, or frozen Yogurt works well too... but ewww on my wood floors, and couch... (I have since covered all my couches with blankets, and sheets, to allow them up with us) My male, Bluenose 6mth old Am Staff, Brutus  does wonders in a crate, and is fine. Typical Bully, he also, likes the bones, the Cuz toys, and balls, and to shred stuffed animals.. :o) He also, is well behaved, working on Finalizing the house training ( I adopted him a week ago) routine, and all that... Both are excercised, worked, and excercised, socialized.. oh did I say excercised? Daily.

Any other ideas for entertainment to help occupy her mind when I am gone.. would be fantastic for Miss. Callie.

p.s. Went to the AmStaff board, no one is really there, and the General Topic Board.. well, is this one too.. I know 99% of you all are GSDs.

I know just what your going though,We had a female  American Pit bull,she was a 2 year old rescue. We tried everything training,Kong's walking and walking tons of outside ball playing. She would break out of crates. She was sweet has pie and sooo loving. we found that she loved knuckled bones(helped if we were gone for an hour or two). I hate to say this but after trying everything and we wanted to keep her, our Vet gave her Xanax. It was the only thing that helped her,while working with a behavior specialist. Then we were able to stop the Xanax. Happy to say she lived 13 years. Took a year of help the specialist. I am sure others will have some ideas,hope this helps.
Warm Regards
Michele

Michele-

Thanks for the info! :o) I am absolutely in love with the breed. They are so sweet, kind, and the most tolerant dogs of rough kids I have ever known. (No, my kids are not allowed to be alone with any dog I own) I have heard from so many people that decide to own this wonderful breed, that they do bond so tight with their families, that S/A is a big factor with them. Callie, was rescued from a kill shelter in NYC, was so sick, then adopted out, then found that they had her listed on Ebay for sale, so the rescue went and took her back, and well, 3 months later, she is with me. I dont get frustrated, (ok, I do when the boy forgets to put the trash can under the small table when he leaves... and I come home to a mess, but the wagging tail and wiggling body makes me smile it away because it is his fault after all, not hers.. haha) She is wonderful, and I have no intentions of ever getting rid of her for it, its not her fault after all.. I just want her to be able to not be paniced when Im gone, to feel that need to shred. I spoke to the vet, and he doesnt think Xanax is needed (yet) , and for us to keep doing the behavior training, and looking for that some thing that helps her occupy her mind while we are gone... she will be in training for her CGC (as will the pup Brutus) and to get her therapy dog cert.. I want to enter her into the "read to me pup" programs at the schools... so she will be more occupied as time goes.
I do have someone come midday, or my fiance is home when I work to walk, and entertain, and refresh her toy/treat/bone that I left.. so I have that option as well.

Missy

Missy
Sounds like you are doing everything right with both pups. I think they  bond with whole family. We had our female when our daughter was 2 and they were just fine together.These are wonderful dogs with bad raps. Our dogs love us so much,they really want to please us. Have ever thought about doing some weight pulling with them? I heard that pits/Am stffs just love it. I think its great with theses because they are strong and like to active,also might help on the axiety she is having because she will have a job to do. I went on some website and the dogsdoing it and it looked like they are having fun. I do miss owning a pitty like I said soooo much love from them. Missy keep us up to date on both of them. If you ever want to talk about pits please keep posting.
Warm Regards,
Michele  
P.S Have got any pictures of them?

I will check into the weight pulling, and see if there is a place to do that near by here! I have done so much research into both the breed, and the proper training for them that I wanted to be sure I knew what I was doing. I just wanted some additional ideas for "occupying time" when Im gone.. lol
I have some pics, but most are on my fiance's iphone, and not downloaded yet.. Lazy me.. Got some good ones in the snow today! Blue blur.. running in the yard.
I know Callie would love the weight pulling, and Brutus.. Im trying to figure out what his drives are now that he is setteling in.. and Food.. is the major one. He is very active, and as clutzy as he is as a pup, he will be a big athletic male.. not the short squat overbred Gotti, shortstack, and Razors Edge type.. he will be the True Am Staff.. Leggy and well proportioned. Thank Goodness.

Hi Missy
You are really making miss my pits. Thoses are great pics. Never met a pit/Am staff that was not a bed snuggler. I know what you mean about the Gotti's Razors Edge, people that take this wonderful breed and make them into short unworkable dogs all for the sake of money. Makes me sick. There are so many bully breeds in the pound,its so sad. I am glad Callie has you. You may have saw my dogs on the other post if not here they are. This is her son ( she was found and rescued when she was carring pups) We took him and of course his beautiful mom.

Ohhh! Look at his face!!! He is beautiful!!! Love his markings. I like all the colors, and markings of the breed.  I am going to upload more pics tonight.. Callie has a great personality. Even has her own baby mattress with a home made blanket! With getting them CGC and Therapy certified, I hope to be able to use them in educating the public.. Its hard not to want more , its like Pringles.. cant have just one.. Lol