We have a nine-year-old German Wirehair Pointer that lost her partner, a German Shorthair (17 years old), about seven weeks ago. The first week was awful for her, and then she seemed to come around. Now, seven weeks into missing her friend, she’s a psycho dog. Whimpering all the time, needs to be by us… and we’re away from the house for 10 hours. She’s decided that chewing door casings may help her find us. I’ve read about separation anxiety, and this behavior seems part of that, but what do we do? We now have left her with food, extra pillows in her dog run, with the door open, and now the door to the garage open as well, with extra dog biscuits and chewies and the t.v. left on, but she’s still quite agitated when we get home. Any advice would be helpful. Also, she has decided that eating is not that important, either. She has lost weight, and that disturbs us. Thanks for any suggestions.

From: Kimberley, in Benicia, California

Dear Kimberley,

This is all terribly sad, and my heart goes out to her, and to you. She’s clearly suffering from heart-breaking mourning. Here are some suggestions.

1. Get a plug-in diffuser of Comfort Zone D.A.P. (dog appeasing pheromone), which is a synthetic hormone explained in THE DOG BIBLE. It really helps with separation anxiety. Get several diffusers, and plug them in where she spends the most time.

2. If she has to spend ten hours alone and there’s no way to amend that, so she doesn’t feel so abandoned, how about taking her in the car to work and setting it up really comfortably in back for her, and then walking her every few hours. Most dogs feel really secure in the car, because they feel connected to you, and not left behind. (This works at this time of year -- not in summer heat, obviously.)

3. She REALLY needs a companion. It will change everything. A shoulder to cry on for her, and stress/guilt relief for you. The best way to do this is to go to Marin Humane Society (they are just a brilliant shelter, with behaviorists and a knowledgeable staff -- tell them I sent you!), and see what dogs they have who might be a good match for her. A male might be best, but not necessarily. Not a puppy -- too much trouble for you and for her -- a mature dog would be a good deed by you, and just what she needs. Someone to play Mah Jong with while you’re out.

You may not feel ready for a second dog, but I do not believe that a dog this high strung and desolate will get any relief any other way.

And please, Kimberley, let me know how it goes.

Thanks for writing!

Tracie