It's no myth, some whippets may develop separation anxiety. But whippets are not born anxious, and most of the times this anxiety can be prevented/managed. Toys, treats, even a companion can help. Whippets need to be near their owners, which is more often than not inside the house. Wherever you are, you'll have a little shadow following you, especially if you only have one. (As I type this, my little shadows seem to have wandered off somewhere). But they are always close by. If you don't spend enough time with your whippet, if you don't allow your whippet to become part of your family they may become anxious. This doesn't mean you need to let them onto the furniture, they can be taught boundaries, just like a normal dog. And it also |
doesn't mean you can never leave home without them. They need to be taught that yes, you love them, and you will be back. When I say "Bye bye Kewie, love you" she walks away from me and goes, whatever, you're going out without me, I'll be going to do my own thing then - YOUR loss! Left alone for huge amount of times, a whippet may become so anxious it becomes destructive. Crating a whippet is not an option for those who have not been already trained, and you should not crate them for long lengths of time. Give your whippet plenty of love, hugs, inside time and walks. As whippets are very in tune with their owners emotions (as with all dogs), an owner's own anxiousness about their dog getting anxious will project onto the dog itself. This leads to a vicious circle of anxiousness. Stay calm and collected, if not for yourself, for your whippet. If you are thinking of owning a whippet, please think long and hard if this breed is suitable for you. Please have a look at www.whippetrescue.net 's wonderful "All about Whippets" PDF. It's great reading. |
Where to get help:
If your whippet is showing signs of anxiety please see a dog trainer who is experienced with whippets. If you need help with your whippet and your are located in Australia, Victoria, please contact my friend Sharon Sempel of Krigare Whippets, who has been training dogs for over 25 years. In rare cases, your whippet may have anxiety issues so bad you may need to use training in conjunction with medications (ie. in the case of firework anxiety). In my opinion, only use medications as the last, last, last very last resort.
For those of you that already have anxious ones:
1) Thundershirt - works by giving your dog a permanent hug
2) Adaptil - Pheromone therapy, works by spreading happy feeling chemicals for your dog in the air | 3) Music to relax and calm your dog (and yourself) |
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4) Zylkene - Complimentary feed, this is not a drug, therefore does not require a prescription. I've heard very good things about this product from working within the veterinary industry. It wouldn't hurt to give it a go.
Please let me know if there are any inaccuracies or mistakes in what I have written, or if you think my blog is good or crap.
If you have had success with a whippet that has separation anxiety, please feel free to contact me, I would love to hear from you.
If you have had success with a whippet that has separation anxiety, please feel free to contact me, I would love to hear from you.