# Anxiety, water binging and throwing up



## stardoc (Jul 18, 2011)

My issue is pretty much explained in the title. Desiree has major abandonment issues. She follows me around the house all the time and even naps in spots where she can clearly see me. On the drives she has to sit on my lap, even if I'm the driver. When left alone or if she feels she isn't getting enough attantion she binges on water and then she throws up. I can't leave her anywhere unattended for even 5 minutes because there will be a pile of vomit awaiting my return. Yesterday we thought to try and leave her out of expen during the day, she was fine until noon since we had someone at home until then, but at 4:30 I found 3 pee puddles, 2 poop piles and 1 vomit pile. normally she just pees in her expen onto a pee mat without issues, can hold her bowels until I get home and no vomit. What is it? A stage in development? Behavioural issue? Medical condition?


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## liljaker (Aug 6, 2011)

Hi there. Sounds like your little one is definitely having a difficult time. How old is she? How long have you had her? Was she a rescue (or not)?


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## stardoc (Jul 18, 2011)

Desi is almost 5 months old ant we got her from the breeder just over 2 months ago. She seems to adjust well to her new home, exept for feeding issues, which we successfully resolved. The water binging is a new thing, from what I noticed started a week or two ago.


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## PaddleAddict (Feb 9, 2010)

Without seeing the dog in person, it COULD just be normal puppy stuff. My mini was very whiney as a pup and wanted to be with me at all times (he still does). If I put him in his x-pen while I was cookiong dinner (because I couldn't supervise him) he would whine and carry on like it was the end of the world. We just ignored it and waited until he was quiet to let him out of the pen. He outgrew all that behavior. 

I don't know why you would even think of leaving a 5-month-old puppy out to roam the house while you were away. I am not surprised you came home to potty accidents. My mini is 2 years old this November and I still wouldn't dream of leaving him free to roam while we are away, and certainly not at 5 months.

If she drinks so much water she vomits, just don't give her free access to water. You can control how much she is allowed to drink. When my mini was a puppy he often drank way too much water and then either vomitted or had potty accidents because his bladder was so full. He wasn't sick or anything, it was just puppy silliness.

Finally, I would caution you against labeling your puppy with anxiety or abandonment issues! She is just a baby, I assure you she does not suffer from abandonment issues. She is still new to your home and new to you, she is learning how to live with new people in a new environment away from her mom and littermates. It's probably just puppy behavior, however, it could escalate into bigger issues if you aren't careful. Make sure you are leaving her briefly throughout the day (maybe even five or ten minutes in her xpen while you are in the other room) and don't speak to her or pick her up when she's being whiney.


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## PaddleAddict (Feb 9, 2010)

I would also ask, what kind of exercise is your puppy getting (how much, how often) and what kind of training are you doing with her? Puppy classes? Training at home? It could be that she simply needs more exercise and training.


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## catsaqqara (May 20, 2011)

I would really supervise water intake for the next couple weeks to get it under control if it is anxiety related. And I would start crate training or at least demonstrating that you are not leaving forever by leaving for a second a bunch of times then 3 seconds and build up the length of time slowly.
With Jaden I would leave shortly and if he stated whining I would say no out of the room, wait for him to quiet and then go and let him out. He loves his crate.


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## fjm (Jun 4, 2010)

Sophy was very anxious about car travel - and we briefly went through the "sitting on lap even when driving". Fortunately she was still a tiny pup, but even so I knew how dangerous it was. I got over it by lots and lots of time in the stationery car relaxing with music and a book for me, and a chew for her, until she would settle on the passenger seat. Then I put her in a travel harness on the passenger seat, and did lots of very short runs to the end of the drive and back. From there we quickly progressed to longer journeys, a harness on the back seat, and then a crate.

Messes at home may damage your carpets; driving with a dog on your lap may seriously damage your health, and that of your dog and other people!

I second the advice to consider this as a puppy issue, and work on it as such. 5 months is just when most pups go through a fear period and get very clingy - mine both improved as they got older. But both of mine are companion breeds, for whom it is normal to want to be with their humans - we are all three sharing an armchair as I type!


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## phrannie (Jan 8, 2011)

*Lots of good advice above. Severe separation anxiety doesn't get better on it's own. The crate training would be good....she will eventually find solace in her "den"...

Agree also, letting a 5 month old pup have free reign when you're gone is begging for some kind of mess...Starting at about a year, I'd let Moj be free but for no longer than 30 minutes at first, and then built into about 2 hours...but never longer until he was 2'ish.

p*


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## outwest (May 1, 2011)

I agree that leaving a 5 month old puppy alone in the house is asking for poop/pee/shredded newpapers/chewed chair legs and the like. I don't leave my dogs to roam in the house unattended until over 2 years old and only then when they have proven themselves for 15-30 minute stretches while I run to the store. My 8 month old puppy gets put in her crate just when I run to buy stamps or something. My 6 year old whippet lays in front of her crate while I am gone like he is saying, "Neener, neener neener." 

It sounds like normal puppy behavior. Consider taking a puppy training class. They are great fun and will help you with all these issues, too.


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## Ginagbaby1 (Aug 1, 2011)

Casper is 4 1/2 months old and when we first got him we had major issues with him being seperated from me. I was driving everyone on the forum crazy with all my complaining . If the entire family was in the living room and I'd go to another room he'd cry and whimper and panic. We placed the crate in the living room, then the laundry room, then got rid of the crate altogehter and tried the laundry room gated off, then went back to the crate, then back again to the laundry room. What finally worked was putting him in his crate at night, next to my side of the bed. Being in his crate for 8 hours overnight really helped get him used to being in the crate and knowing that I was right next to him also made him feel secure. The first two weeks I'd set the alarm for 2am and take him out to potty. Now he goes all night without potty trips. We "practiced" leaving the house for short errands and gradually built up our time away. I made sure that no one (mostly my kids) wouldn't make a big production of coming and going. Another thing that helped was when he'd finally had all his shots and could go for walks. At first a 15 minute walk would knock him out for two hours. Oh and he also drank lots and lots of water as a young puppy so I'd limit his water intake. At night I pick up his water bowl around 8:30pm. Things will get better with time. He's still a puppy.


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