Calling All NAS Enablers, Need Help - Update: Decision Made

[annnewjerz]

It sounds like your chocolate lab is going through some bad separation anxiety. Here's a pretty decent article that offers some tips on dealing with it: http://www.2ndchance.info/sepanxiety.htm

Obviously this is getting way OT, but I can see that being a cause. Our Rocky is a special dog in many ways. We swear he was taken from his mother too soon (we got him at 6 weeks). Every day before he goes to sleep at night, he grabs one of his blankets and sucks on it like he is nursing. He is VERY fearful of stupid stuff (like walking through a space that's too small) and barks all the time. If I go upstairs just to get a 15 minute shower in the morning, I can usually guarantee that after about 5-10 of those minutes pass, there will be something getting ripped apart---magazines, shoes, couch cushions, cardboard. He doesn't do any of those things when we are downstairs with him. Occasionally he'll walk into the room we are in with a piece of junk mail in his mouth, but nothing like what happens when we aren't home to supervise.

I've talked to the vet about it before and they suggested some sort of pill that I wasn't interested in. I just don't want to start him on any medication that isn't completely necessary. The vet didn't really suggest any things that are non-medicinal to do at home, but unless I want a new couch every year, I think it's about time I considered doing something about it. Either lock the dogs in our bedroom while we sleep or buy a sleeper sofa for the living room.