They have had a letter of complaint from their neighbour about Lucy’s barking. She barks when they go out and leave her.
You would not believe that Lucy Lurcher, a cross between Lurcher and German Shepherd, is now nearly sixteen years old which in itself merits two photos!”
Lucy is absolutely no trouble at all, spending a lot of her time sleeping – that is until she is left alone. A change in circumstances a couple of years ago meant she was left alone all day, something she wasn’t used to. She barked all day.
The man now drops her off at his mum’s on the way to work, but the barking problem occurs when he and his wife want to go out in the evening or weekends.
Barking excessively isn’t good for Lucy
Not only does it annoy the neighbours, it’s not at all good for Lucy herself.
My many questions didn’t quite give us the complete answer as to why she’s doing this. There are several possibilities.
It could be loneliness – when any company would do. It could be specific separation from a person – and this would be the gentleman not his wife because Lucy follows him everywhere. She cries if she can see him talking to a neighbour through the window, even if his wife is in the room with her.
The lady says Lucy is quiet in her company once the man has disappeared out of sight.
Separation problems can be caused by boredom which won’t be so in Lucy’s case.
Seeing or hearing something?
The other thing they hadn’t considered is that she or hears sees something outside and that starts her off, and that there could be a mix of causes. Her food bowl is left just outside the window and a visiting cat and birds regularly come to eat unfinished food which causes her to bark. There is no curtain.
They will be setting up a video camera which should give a few answers. They will also put static window frosting over the garden window so she can’t see out and they will be feeding her indoors now.
Finally they will be working hard at desensitising her to the triggers that herald their departure along with other ‘separation’ strategies.
This beautiful old girl deserves to live out the rest of her life to be devoid of this distress and panic.
