Barroo

Our dog Ernie has separation anxiety. A 2-year-old dachshund mix, he is emotionally distant in all situations except one in which he is about to be left behind.

The river came into our lawn on Saturday. We had to leave the dogs at my sister-in-law’s. During the trip across town, Ernie wailed, he yodeled, he had an asthma attack.

He likes SIL’s house. He has our other dog Bruno and her dog Chloe for playmates. This is clearly not adequate.

When I went for a visit yesterday, he crawled into my lap, tucked his muzzle under my chin, and went to sleep. It’s an uncommon behavior, endearing, and I felt terrible for him.

We have a special needs dog. I’m sure there’s a support group, but the time is better spent lavishing attention on the little guy, and that’s what I’m doing.