China is my coon hound who suffers from separation anxiety, among other neuroses.
When we used to leave her in the house when we were gone, she trashed the house. Got into the garbage, knocked over furniture, plants and bookshelves. She even managed to empty the trash compacter, which is not simple. You have to step on a lever to make the door open. It weighs about 200 pounds not counting the trash compacted inside. I couldn't move the trash compacter. China managed to open it and strew compacted trash from one end of the house to the other. Imagine tea bags, coffee grounds, dirty paper towels and napkins and dirty diapers a week old all over your house.
Yes, she is still alive, but barely.
We have since taken to tying her out in the yard when we are not home. This is not as cruel as it sounds, as we are dog lovers. I have become frightened that past wrecking our house in her anxiety, she will hurt herself, trying to jump through a window or get out otherwise to follow us. She is tied to a pear tree in the backyard that provides shade and there is a bowl of water nearby. We're never gone all that long anyway.
Last week, Martin and I took Mia to the fair. Although there was no rain at the fair, there was a chance of rain where we live. When we pulled into the driveway, all of my hanging baskets were strewn all over the yard. Our screen door was hanging open. The trash dumpster outside was overturned and spread all over. And the biggest surprise of all, one of the pillars holding up our porch, which is mostly decorative, was torn off and lying in the flower bed.
My first thought was, "Damn, must have been some wind through here!" As we were getting out of the car, however, China greeted us dragging her chain. She had apparently broken the chain and was trying to get into the house when she created all this havoc.
She is afraid of strange men, thunderstorms, gunshots, cars backfiring, the microwave beeping, the vacuum cleaner. She is a bundle of nerves. She sleeps next to me every night, very close to me and gets annoyed when I try to roll over and disturb "her" space. She shakes in abject terror at times.
Yes, we are keeping her.
Wow! Your situation reminded me of what was just on PrimeTime regarding canine anxiety.
http://abcnews.go.com/sections/Primetime/SciTech/dogs_040708-1.html
Posted by: Lady J | July 20, 2004 at 10:12 PM