Doing Much Better!

Stella has been on Clomicalm for over six weeks, and she is making great progress. I first started to notice small changes in her behavior after two weeks, but it took the full six weeks to see her return to "normal"--which for her, still includes noise phobias. However, her bed time phobia about the heater pinging is gone! She goes to bed with no problem at all. She went from having a bad night every night, to having a few good nights with some recurrence of bad nights, to going to bed looking a little nervous, to finally to asking to be put in the bed and sleeping soundly all night.

She has also made amazing progress with separation anxiety. From screaming, trying to escape, and refusing food treats, she has gone to a much calmer state, and even takes food treats when I leave. I won't say that she's excited when I get ready to go in the morning. She still watches me very vigilantly, but she is able to respond to her counter-conditioning program, which involves aromatherapy (lavendar and vanilla), dog music, a warm room with a light on, novel toys and a food treat. She also has a cozy crate for retreats, but I'm not sure how much she uses it. I'm planning on designing her a new one with bumper pads, a really soft bed (maybe in chenille), and a custom cover in a pretty design that will match the decor in my study. My grandmother is an avid sewer, and all she needs is fabric and dimensions. Nothing is too good for my girl.

And if Stella doesn't use it, Douce might! He likes all of the foufy wicker and floral dog beds. He was so jealous when I got one for Stella that I had to call the store and put another on hold for him, in blue instead of pink and green. And he was very happy when I brought it home.