Senior Pug Has Separation Anxiety Every Time Dad Leaves So Mom Uses Life-Sized Dummy To Comfort Him

Apr 17, 2019 by apost team

Eleven years ago, Marc rescued a young pug from a local animal shelter. The pair have been inseparable ever since that fateful day. Marc named the goofy pug Shorty.

According to people.com, The two developed a close bond immediately and do everything with each other. Although Shorty is 15-years-old now, he is still very close with his owner. However, Shorty isn't as mobile as he was a few years in the past.

“The relationship between Marc and Shorty is very special. Marc is Shorty’s person." Marc's wife, Kristen, tells people.com. "He just adores him and is the happiest when he is in Marc’s arms. When he was younger, Shorty would travel with Marc everywhere, but it’s not possible now with his age. Marc calls Shorty his ‘angel’ dog. Shorty really taught Marc how to love and care for another living thing,” 

Marc and Shorty used to go to work together most days. As Shorty began to lose his youth and agility, Marc decided to start taking his pug to work less and less. Eventually, Marc knew that it was best to leave Shorty at home to rest on the couch. Although this decision is best for Shorty's health, he would much rather go to work with his dad.

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Due to the extra time spent away from his best friend, this senior pug has been suffering from an extreme case separation anxiety. Every time that Marc would leave for work, Shorty would spend his days waiting in anticipation for his dad to return. 

"Shorty will bark and cry and nothing will calm him down. He won’t even calm down if I am holding him. In the past, I tried putting one of Marc’s shirts on a pillow, but it didn’t really work. I felt so helpless trying to calm him down when Marc was away,” Kristen said. 

According to the ASPCA, Separation anxiety is a very common behavioral issue that exists among dogs and can lead to them expressing what we humans might perceive as bad behavior. 

Marc's wife, Kristen, was heartbroken to see her beloved pet so distraught during the day. She decided to figure out a way to help ease Shorty's separation anxiety. Her first idea was to put one of Marc's old shirts over a pillow. Kristen hoped that the smell would be enough to help ease Shorty's sadness. Unfortunately, the strategy didn't work well.

Kristen didn't give up after this first attempt. In fact, her mother came up with a creative and unlikely idea that would ultimately solve Shorty's separation issues.

“She was over one day and saw how upset Shorty was. That day she went home and ordered a life-size mannequin from a Halloween store. When she told me about it, I thought she was nuts! But, it was worth a shot,” she said.

They dressed the mannequin in Marc's clothing and placed it on their couch. They decided to call the mannequin "Farc", as in "Fake-Marc". According to Kristen, Shorty had an amazing reaction when seeing the mannequin. 

“Shorty’s reaction was truly incredible. He had been crying and barking all day. I put him on Farc’s lap and wrapped the arms around him. He snuggled into the shirt and he was asleep within a half hour. He slept like that through the night. I was amazed. I really could not believe that it worked!”

Marc and Kristen run their own rescue shelter in Rhode Island. Vintage Pet Rescue is dedicated to rescuing older pets from kill shelters and assisting owners who are unable to care for their senior animals.

Do you have a pet who also suffers from separation anxiety when you are gone? How do you help them cope with it? Let us know in the comments - and make sure to pass this along to your friends and family!