We're Adjusting to Our Life in Rochester Hills, But What About the Dog?

Since we moved to Rochester Hills, I've noticed an uptick in our dog Snickers' anxiety.

Yes, our dog suffers from anxiety.

Like people, dogs can get wigged out over almost anything. At first, it was thunderstorms. Lately it's been...a lot of stuff.

We adopted Snickers in June 2007 from a Lansing rescue network. I'm using the word adopted, even though it's pretty obvious I didn't give birth to him. It seems a little cold to say we bought him, although we technically did that, too. Officially, we don't know what he is, so when asked, we usually just say he's 100% dog. Unofficially, we were told he's a lab/boxer mix (he was advertised as part Great Dane, but weighing in at a whopping 67 pounds, I'm thinking Great Dane is a stretch).

The thing with adopting a rescue or shelter dog is that great feeling of saving a life. The other thing is that you could be taking home a random grab bag of issues leftover from their previous lives. The first time Snickers freaked out over a storm (and I mean lost it--running around, crying, whining, barking, you name it), my husband and I were clueless about what to do. I used to love thunderstorms. Now I dread them. If it isn't a storm, it's any large, loud vehicle that sends him into a tizzy. Think garbage trucks, delivery trucks, buses, etc. He really has it out for the UPS trucks.

In Royal Oak, his anxiety was slightly easier to deal with. Our bungalow only offered one window from which he could see outside. We had a privacy fence around the backyard that kept him from attacking anything on four wheels.

Now that's all different. Our house is nearly three times the size of the Royal Oak one. We have several windows he uses to monitor the comings and goings of his rumbling enemies and any approaching storms. Our yard doesn't have a fence, so we have no choice but to put him on a lead. Yes, I have considered an electric fence, but based on how fired up he gets, I'm not totally convinced an electric current would hold him back. I mean, he goes nuts. And now we've added a 1-year-old daughter to the mix.

Something needed to be done.

Earlier this summer, at our wits' end with the thunderstorms, we got him a prescription for Xanax, which helps ease anxiety. Yep, you can give a dog Xanax (You need to check with your vet first. Only a veterinarian can write an animal-appropriate prescription). It didn't work. Last week, I took him back to see Dr. Carmona at North Hills Veterinary Clinic over on Tienken for his shots and mentioned the problems we've been having. He gave me Composure. Well, it wasn't really for me, I'm at least marginally composed most of the time. The Composure medication looks like bone-shaped treats. We give him two a day. They're supposed to contain more natural ingredients that help with anxiety.

It's been almost seven days now and I am happy to report I can see visible improvement in Snickers' behavior. Trucks still bother him, but it's much easier to talk him down from the ledge. The incessant whining has also stopped, too. He's still himself just...calmer.

The big test will be a thunderstorm, although I'm hoping Mother Nature will hold off on those...at least until next year.