For the last several months, a Doberman puppy next door lets everyone know when his people are away running errands and such. As dog-people, we tolerate the whining as we know training a young dog takes a lot of discipline – and he has to build character as Dobermans are a breed that people trust to be watchful and secure in themselves. But what if a Doberman has separation anxiety?
When their eldest of two Dobies died last year, our neighbors sought out a puppy several hours drive from home. Their elder female Dobie was not amused by a rambunctious puppy, so the “companion” idea did not take hold. Then a couple months later, after a playtime in her favorite park, the female succumbed to old age. In recent months, as the solitary puppy was growing ever larger, he revealed that he could not be left unattended. Though a friend was supposedly house-sitting the dog most of each day during the neighbors’ two-week cross-country motorcycle trip, a text message my wife received asked her to look in on the dog.
That house-sitter may not have been as patient as was needed for an energetic, rather-large puppy. The house-sitter was not home when, via the travelers’ “puppycam” app, they noted that R_ “ate” the couch. We helped clean up the shredded foam all the while R_ thinking it was part of a new game. And apparently, the house-sitter was sent packing. The wife flew home to be company for the dog. Sometime in the last month, with a new couch installed in the living room, our neighbors decided a new companion for R_ might help with his separation anxiety.
A couple days ago, R_’s new companion arrived. And his exuberance was not in the least appreciated by the female puppy, L_, a few months younger than himself. She yelped and ran to the wife for protection over and over again during the brief time we witnessed them in the neighbor’s front yard. At least L_ is crate-trained so she will have a safe space for some peace. Though we do not presently have a dog to call our own, I feel we may offer to be doggie “uncle” and “aunt” if our neighbors choose to go on another road trip. Until then, viewing their experience corralling two doggy kids over the next decade might fill that present dog-hair void in our lives.
It's a Dog's Life 