Sideways video of panting Cash right now:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k8cvEx2GzV4
Make. It. Stop.
12 year old Cash's (Lab) panting is driving the whole house nuts.
She's become increasingly thunder storm phobic over the past few years, complete with clingy behaviour, extreme panting and restlessness. We're in the middle of thunderstorm season here, and it's getting old, real fast. Now, I know what my annoyance buttons are, and she's hitting a lot of them with this behaviour. Her constant following of me (button), wanting to lean on me (big button), inability to settle (button) and pant pant pant panting (super annoying button) is wearing thin.
It may be more annoying right now because her panting in general has increased over the last few months. You may recall she's not in the best of health, and I strongly suspect that her heart and or lungs are not functioning to full capacity (she's been vet checked recently and vet is happy with what she sees, nothing that is overly concerning her. She is aware of the panting). Cash pants pretty much all the time--not just since the weather got hot--when excited, stressed or any kind of exercise is given. Again--I understand, but after an hour or so of listening to the never ending panting it really does put you on edge. And then I feel guilty, because really, it's not her fault, but it doesn't make it less annoying.
Recently she's taken to sleeping outside of my bedroom door at night. Panting.
Now that we've got storms complete with thunder coming every week or so it seems, of course the panting and panicking are increasing. Nothing seems to help her. I've given rescue remedy, I've crated her (she's fine if I"m in the room with her, but panics and scratches if I leave her alone), given down stay commands...everything serves to manage the behaviour, but nothing stops the panicking or PANTING.
I'm really just venting. I know there's no real solution here, I'm dealing with 2 separate issues, and both just require management with no real fix, as it's not a behaviour she's in control of in either case. She's now locked up in the back bedroom at night, so we don't need to listen to the panting at least, which is an interim fix at least. Sigh.
Did I mention it's Canada day here, complete with fireworks tonight? Double sigh.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k8cvEx2GzV4
Make. It. Stop.
12 year old Cash's (Lab) panting is driving the whole house nuts.
She's become increasingly thunder storm phobic over the past few years, complete with clingy behaviour, extreme panting and restlessness. We're in the middle of thunderstorm season here, and it's getting old, real fast. Now, I know what my annoyance buttons are, and she's hitting a lot of them with this behaviour. Her constant following of me (button), wanting to lean on me (big button), inability to settle (button) and pant pant pant panting (super annoying button) is wearing thin.
It may be more annoying right now because her panting in general has increased over the last few months. You may recall she's not in the best of health, and I strongly suspect that her heart and or lungs are not functioning to full capacity (she's been vet checked recently and vet is happy with what she sees, nothing that is overly concerning her. She is aware of the panting). Cash pants pretty much all the time--not just since the weather got hot--when excited, stressed or any kind of exercise is given. Again--I understand, but after an hour or so of listening to the never ending panting it really does put you on edge. And then I feel guilty, because really, it's not her fault, but it doesn't make it less annoying.
Recently she's taken to sleeping outside of my bedroom door at night. Panting.
Now that we've got storms complete with thunder coming every week or so it seems, of course the panting and panicking are increasing. Nothing seems to help her. I've given rescue remedy, I've crated her (she's fine if I"m in the room with her, but panics and scratches if I leave her alone), given down stay commands...everything serves to manage the behaviour, but nothing stops the panicking or PANTING.
I'm really just venting. I know there's no real solution here, I'm dealing with 2 separate issues, and both just require management with no real fix, as it's not a behaviour she's in control of in either case. She's now locked up in the back bedroom at night, so we don't need to listen to the panting at least, which is an interim fix at least. Sigh.
Did I mention it's Canada day here, complete with fireworks tonight? Double sigh.
Yes, the crate is covered, but
again, she's not so much feeling secure in there, as it's a place to confine her and just get away from the panting for a while. She's still doing
it to the same degree whether in a covered crate, or the back bedroom, or under my desk at my feet, or in a down stay, or in the office garage.... 
I can relate. I would pay a million bucks right now to hear Kira panting up a storm(and hers wasn't weather related) BUt in
Jaeger..might not be so endearing. 
