That’s a good point. I remember when I had my Aussie anytime there was a change in water he got really bad diarrhea non stop for several days until he adjusted
I don’t mean to make you feel worse but if she was so attached to you she probably wouldn’t have run off through the fields and mountains.
Many Aussies are known for not running off, not being roamers.
The one we got out of a sad situation was reported to climb her kennel fence, walk along the top and still jump back in there, not in the next kennel or outside.
Even when she was starving, that kennel was her space in the world she felt in charge of things and she could not abandon it?
Our yard fence is 6’ chain link with concrete bottom, to deter feral hogs and when she recuperated saw her one day climbing that fence.
We put a hot wire up after that.
We were lucky that one of the three, some times more of us could always be with her, so she didn’t have to be left alone.
No telling what she would have done, maybe nothing, maybe eat a hole in the wall?
One of the worst breeds for separation anxiety I have seen are Weimaraners.
Their stories of destruction grow to epic proportions.
If a dog doesn’t fit in a household, no one is happy, the owners or dogs.
Some times, you have to make that decision for everyone’s sake.
From several dogs I had, two I had to let go when my allergies could not be controlled no matter what I tried and ended in the hospital several times.
Giving up a dog is 
, an intense heartbreak, as most that had to know, makes you feel a failure at life, no one can make us feel worse than we do.
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Though I have had 9 dogs in my life none of them ever exhibited separation anxiety. That is what I liked about Bouviers, very independent, stoic and reserved. Of course the fact that most of them had a buddy was probably helpful.
One of my two solo Bouvs did like to run
t huge circles in the field or arena but always came back shortly. He enjoyed his dog run which I had installed just for him. 6 foot high frost fence 40 feet long. He could jump to the top of the fence when he was exited usually when he saw something move. Also loved to bark. Found out by accident that neighbors, a mile down the road called him Barkley (though his name was Bentley. His disposition was quite different from the other 5.
I loved them all.
While I have been on my search to adopt or rescue I have been beginning to wonder if I am up to it. Will I do some poor critter justice? Will I be able to cope with any baggage that comes with them.
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My opinion on that last, if it is not clear yet, is that, as Grandma used to say. “if in doubt, don’t”
I would say, when young, if in doubt and you can make do whatever happen, one way or another, why not if we want to?
Once not older, but old as dirt, when every year brings even more restrictions, more patch-patch-patch, when life just becomes harder for basics?
As Grandma said, better consider what is wiser, given diminishing circumstances ahead?
It has been working for me, kind of, rationally thinking, but is hard to give in to reality, is it.
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