To calm down scared future and present owners, I can say, that csw
can live with ppl without special problems. Depends only on patience,
training and attempts to understand the dog.
Cira is now 3 years old. Since I brought her home in beginning of winter, up
to six months of age she lived with us in the flat. (At that time I lived
with my bf, so there was more ppl in the house). As small puppy, she didnīt
want to stay alone in the room, but she did no big damage. She had toys to
chew and so on. Later, around 4 months old, she was bigger and she started
to try to escape. She was scratching doors, she always put all my things
(pullovers, coat or whatever she could reach) down, sometimes she peed it
over :(( and also she used to turn over her bowl with water. She also riped
off walls some posters, and she was whining and howling little bit. But she
really didnīt do a big damage. In spring, we finally started to build a
kennel. We made 4x2 kennel, 2 m high, with concrete/brick floor, from very
had wire mesh in frames, and also with firm roof. So she couldnīt escape,
however, she learned how to open the doors of kennel, so we had to use also
chain and lock on it.
She was in this kennel whenever we had to left house without her (for
cinema, shopping and so on). So it were always short periods, and although
she howled for a while, she got used to that. I also always gave her
something to chew on, a bone, or dried pig ears or paws.
Later, we broke with my boyfriend and I had to move to small flat in a block
of flats house. It is just one small room with balcony, no garden. Cira went
with me of course, and I took one week of holidays to help her to get used
there. The whole week I trained her to stay alone there. First time just ten
minutes and I waited behind doors, and when she howled or scratched doors, I
came back and told her not to do it (very loudly and angrily). Once she was
able to stay calm alone for a while, I made the pauses longer. In the end of
week, she was able to stay calm for about six hours. I also always let her
on radio, so the flat wasnīt totally silent. I thought all is ok, but hmm ..
after about a month or so, she started to howl again. I asked my vet for
help, and she gave me Sedalin, which is a pill to calm dogs before for
example operation or during a storms and so. About five or six days, I gave
her this before I went out with her in the morning. First time (once) whole
pill, but she was sleepy whole day after that. So next time I gave her only
half of the pill, later just a quarter. She got used to sleep in the
morning, and after a week I stopped to give her this. I didnīt want to keep
her under drugs, and she already was ok again. I know it might seem
horrible, but it worked.
Later, I got a chance to built a kennel next to building I work at (I work
at the zoo). I brought back the parts of old kennel, and build it here. She
hates it. She started to howl there, when she is closed there .. In fact, I
put her there every day for more than a half a year, and every day she
howls. Luckily, she can howl here as she wants, because in the noise
chimpanzees, gibbons and other animals do here, it is lost.
But she no more howls at home, and when I leave her in my car, she is
totally satisfied too and she sleeps there.
Mirka Simunkova
|
