My Marley is sweet as can be during the day. We've had him a little over a year, he is 9 and was adopted from a family who felt they couldn't give him enough time. They'd raised him since puppyhood, but had kids after that and they felt he spent too much time in the yard.
I know goldens pretty well. I had another adopted golden with a few behavior issues. My ex is a veterinarian, and I've had goldens with him. I have taken Marley to several levels of training classes and he responds well. He'll sit, down, stay, leave it even with a treat an inch from his nose. He's good with everybody.
The problem is that he PACES. It starts when the sun goes down. He walks counter-clockwise in a circle in the living room, and he looks miserable. His head is down and when I say his name or try to distract him he doesn't raise his head, just looks at me out the corner of his eyes, and keeps pacing. This continues until about 10:00 at night.
Exercise doesn't make a difference. I've hired a neighbor to walk him for either a half hour or an hour every evening. He has some arthritis, and it's adequately treated so I don't think this is a pain issue. Sometimes, in fact, if he's seen a few other dogs on the walk (even across the street), he's much worse AFTER walking.
When he first came home with us, he was also very hyper for a senior, only in the evenings. He'd jump, paw my face, pant like crazy...really hard to watch, and really hard to live with. At his worst, I could hold a meaty bone under his nose, he'd sniff it, and keep pacing, just a bit faster.
We have tried many alternative treatments. Started with putting him in downstays and rewarding relaxed behavior. Made a "spot" for him to go to. Large doses of tryptophan sedate him for an hour or so. Eventually we put him on clomipramine, which brought him down a notch. He could be distracted with games or something to chew, but still essentially paced for 5 hours every evening.
After a trial of clomipramine, we switched to fluoxetine, and that helps a bit more. We have a routine: walk just as it gets dark. Feed (via a toy that keeps him busy for a half hour) after that. Later, a rawhide or peanut butter bone. That might take us to 7:30. I often leash him and put him in a downstay, give him lots of positive reinforcement, and he'll lie there and pant.
This is controlling my life. HELP. Any ideas? Has anyone had experience with this level of OCD in a golden?
Sorry so long and thanks in advance,
Sher
I know goldens pretty well. I had another adopted golden with a few behavior issues. My ex is a veterinarian, and I've had goldens with him. I have taken Marley to several levels of training classes and he responds well. He'll sit, down, stay, leave it even with a treat an inch from his nose. He's good with everybody.
The problem is that he PACES. It starts when the sun goes down. He walks counter-clockwise in a circle in the living room, and he looks miserable. His head is down and when I say his name or try to distract him he doesn't raise his head, just looks at me out the corner of his eyes, and keeps pacing. This continues until about 10:00 at night.
Exercise doesn't make a difference. I've hired a neighbor to walk him for either a half hour or an hour every evening. He has some arthritis, and it's adequately treated so I don't think this is a pain issue. Sometimes, in fact, if he's seen a few other dogs on the walk (even across the street), he's much worse AFTER walking.
When he first came home with us, he was also very hyper for a senior, only in the evenings. He'd jump, paw my face, pant like crazy...really hard to watch, and really hard to live with. At his worst, I could hold a meaty bone under his nose, he'd sniff it, and keep pacing, just a bit faster.
We have tried many alternative treatments. Started with putting him in downstays and rewarding relaxed behavior. Made a "spot" for him to go to. Large doses of tryptophan sedate him for an hour or so. Eventually we put him on clomipramine, which brought him down a notch. He could be distracted with games or something to chew, but still essentially paced for 5 hours every evening.
After a trial of clomipramine, we switched to fluoxetine, and that helps a bit more. We have a routine: walk just as it gets dark. Feed (via a toy that keeps him busy for a half hour) after that. Later, a rawhide or peanut butter bone. That might take us to 7:30. I often leash him and put him in a downstay, give him lots of positive reinforcement, and he'll lie there and pant.
This is controlling my life. HELP. Any ideas? Has anyone had experience with this level of OCD in a golden?
Sorry so long and thanks in advance,
Sher