I am happy as long as Mikey is

Just two weeks ago I gave away my 15 months old German Shepherd, Mike. The whole thing seemed so sudden. One minute I was bringing him to the vet to have an x-tray and the next thing he’s gone. 

Mikey has been suffering from separation anxiety for a while now. When I told a friend that, she couold not believe it and said there couldn’t be such a thing. But there is. It is estimated that 10 – 15% of dogs suffer from varying degrees of separation anxiety just in Australia alone.

Our dog trainer, Yvonne once told me a story to give me an idea of what dog separation anxiety really is.

“A father heading to war tells his young son he is now the man of the house and to look after his mother and little sisters. The child is left with not only the trauma of possibly never seeing his father again but with the added pressure of being given a daunting task that is not equipped to handle”.

For Mike who is suffering from separation anxiety, every morning is just like we, the owners are going off to war. He does not understand that we will be home eventually, unharmed and smiling, nor does he understand that all that is required of him is to relax for the day.

According to aboutdogs.com, the ancestors of our domestic canines, wolves and wild dogs, live in a pack, hunt as a team and raise their young with assistance from others within the family. Rarely, if ever, is a wolf left completely alone for any more than a few minutes – even a mother left behind during the hunt will have her litter for company if not another female to help with the young. When a wolf is alone, they pace, whine, salivate, howl and make every effort to reunite with their pack even if they cause themselves harm in the process.

In our busy modern lives, it is not uncommon for our pets to be left on their own for 8 to 10 hours a day. Their ‘pack’ deserts them and just like the wolf, the worry of being left alone brings on the unique behaviours of separation anxiety.

And poor Mikey has all the symptoms for it.

• Whining, barking
• Inappropriate pooing
• Destructive behaviour – Mikey was the best at this. He digs, chews and more recently pulled our pavers
• Depression
• Overenthusiastic greetings when we return

With our long working hours and commitments, it was impossible to provide constant companionship to Mikey. After long and sleepless nights filled with debates and tears, we decided that it was the best for Mike if he moves in with Anne and Stuart (his new owners) who have more time, experience and resources to better care for him. 

I can honestly say it was the worst thing I’ve ever experienced. I had to do the right thing and had to give him away. He is an amazing pet, gentle, playful and my little shadow.

How do I get over this? Well I have not. I love Mikey with all my heart and not having him part of my daily routine anymore is heartbreaking. 

Mikey's new owners are too good to be true. Anne is a stay at home wife with years of experience taking care of big dogs like Mike. Their house is always filled with family and friends, kids running around and their daughter is a vet who also owns a golden retriever who is the same age as Mike.

Mikey is never alone now. He is blessed with people around him all the time, 24/7. 

Anne just sent us some recent pictures of Mike. Looking at the photos, it brought back this huge wave of emotions. 

 






Oh how the time has passed, I remember the day Mikey walked into our lives. I was extremely overwhelmed with such great emotion & joy. Watching him grow since that day, has been nothing but joyous! 

I will never forget Mike.