Our little dachshund, Slinky, is almost a year old...and what a year
it has been.

  First, as per our apartment complex rules, we had to have him
neutered...and did so when he was 6 1/2 months old...the earliest we
could do it.

  But ever since then, he has been terribly skittish. We think it's a
severe case of "separation anxiety", but we can't be holding him, or
letting him sleep with us 24/7/365. He barks and growls like mad inside
the apartment when he hears a strange noise outside...but we have to
place him in his carrier when someone comes inside that he doesn't know,
as he goes ballistic.

  When we try to take him outside to go to the bathroom (he preferred to
eat the dog litter rather than relieve himself in it), he panics. Any
strange noise...be it a bird chirp, a falling stick, a car door closing,
etc...it spooks him where he wants to run back home. Several times, he
has pulled the retractable leash out of my hand, and I have to run after
him.

  As if all this weren't enough, he decided to frequently begin
"expressing" his anal glands when we held him. He kept ruining our
clothes where we had to continually wash them, so he is at the vet at
this typing, getting them removed. While dogs and cats use these to lay
down scent marks, etc., the pungent odor is rather disconcerting.

  The vet said that he'd obviously be sore afterwards, and he'd
prescribe various medicines for his bowel and bladder habits. When our
previous dachshund has his removed, our disabled neighbor quipped "it
looks like someone painted his butt yellow, and quit!!".

  The only real good things about Slinky, is that he is very protective
of his owners, our neighbor, and my wifes health care aide...plus, he
loves riding on my wifes medical grade scooter, or in our car (he
doesn't get carsick, but loves sniffing the air conditioning vents).

  If anyone has some advice on how we can deal with this furball with
legs, my wife and I would greatly appreciate it.

Daryl

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