Seperation Anxiety?

Question

My new puppy, is great when you are there, but as soon as you leave, he manages to jump the child gate to the kitchen and do his business in the house, even though he has just been out. He also is quite distructive. He follows you everywhere and i believe that his previous owners left him on his own quite a lot. I go back to work next week and need him to be on his own. I live where i work so i can keep popping up and taking him out but he needs to learn that being alone is ok!
I have been leaving gradually this week and a little longer each time but he really does not like it!!

Answer 1

You are approaching this in the right way so keep it up. Build up the time that you leave him little by little. As you'll be popping in and out so he can go toilet in the day there won't be a problem in your going back to work in the end- when hes used to it - but in the meantime some tips to help you out:

1. don't let him follow you around the house. if he can't settle in a room when you are in the building - he won't when you go out. Sort that child gate out so that he can't jump it. Keep him behind it when you are in so he can see you moving around the house going about your business but can't physically follow you. It'll help him learn to relax when you are not in the room.

2. give him something interesting to do when you leave him. For example, stuff a plastic bottle with dangerous plastic loose bits removed, with interesting treats and chews. Leave some toys around to get his attention or he'll entertain himself - by destroying stuff!

3. dont leave the room or house until he settles - if you leave him when he is anxiously watching you and tries to follow you - his anxiety will grow when youwhen he is alone and then destructive behaviour follows.

4. put the tv or radio on when you leave him so that he can hear human voices - lots of dogs find this comforting.

5. When you return to him, don't make a fuss of him or even acknowledge him until he has stopped leaping around and greeting you. The point is that you coming and going is not a big deal. When he calms down, call him over to say hi calmly.

Try not to stress about it - you will be meeting his needs as you'll be popping in and out in the day - so he will eventually settle. You aren't expecting too much from him. Keep up your patient approach.

Answer 2

Patricia McConnell is the author of the book suggested by another poster. It's very good and a quick read.

Do not let the pup follow you everywhere when home. She can't accept you being gone for four hours if she won't let you leave her sight when you're home, right? Use the baby gate or a tether to keep her in a room while you go to another room for 30 seconds or so. When she is okay with this, leave the room for one minute, then two minutes, then three to four, etc.

Do not "apologize" for leaving. If you act like it's a terrible thing to leave, she will think the same. Also, don't make a big fuss over her when you return. This only encourages her to be anxious and over-stimulated.

Answer 3

No puppy likes to be left alone. My 4 month old Bichonpoo gets very upset when I leave but then she settles down and goes to sleep I know this because very often when I come home she is still asleep and doesn't even realize that I am home. You are doing the right thing as far as leaving her alone gradually. I left my little girl alone for 15 minutes at a time then when she could tolerate this I increased it to 20 and then to 30 then to 45 and so on. I am fortunate (well not so fortunate I have Multiple Sclerosis) that I am not working and only leave to run errands, go to doctors, or therapy so she is never alone for long. As for him jumping over the child gate get a second child gate and put if over the first one. In other words one on top of the other. then it will be too high for him to jump over.

Answer 4

The treatment for seperation anxiety can be used to prevent the condition as well - start now!
It involves settling the dog in his bed with a chew, then you also settle down to watch tv.
You keep an object - I use an ugly brass ornament - which you keep hidden away in the cupboard. The point is to make the object a symbol of security, like a childs blanket.
You get the object out and put it in view, and as long as the dog can see it you ignore him. Then you put it away and you can then notice/see him.
Start off with sessions from 20 seconds up to 2 minutes. At some point he'll twig. At this point some dogs 'test'' you to see if they have understood; they'll come and stand in front of you and look, or do something to try to get your attention. You must always put the object away before you look at, notice, or pay attention to the dog.

When he has the hang of it you can work up to 20 mins.
Then try putting it out and standing up, then sitting down again.
Gradually work towards being able to leave the room, then the house.

It does work but you have to be consistant.

When you first leave this pup, crate him with a comfy bed. Give him a walk and a chance to empty his bladder.
Leave the radio on a quiet talk station, and try leaving a worn t-shirt with your scent on it, plus something to chew.
Put the object in view and go, return almost straight away and don't make a big deal about coming back.

http://www.apbc.org.uk/
http://www.apbc.org.uk/booklets.htm

The association of pet behaviour counsellors can provide you with a training program but you need to start now - I would have recommended starting 6 weeks before you intend to work.
Its very difficult to prevent or train for seperation anxiety if at the same time you have to leave the dog!

Answer 5

Hi!

You really must get him a crate.

This way he'll feel secure when you are out.

He's just like a little toddler who doesn't like it when his Mummy goes out of the room! But eventually your puppy will get used to being on his own.

His crate will be a safe haven for him. I have two dogs who are crated. I place a large throw over the crate fully at night so that the dogs are totally 'enclosed'. During the day, I leave one side of the crate uncovered.

Hope this helps!

Answer 6

New puppies need toys and I have always bought soft washable stuffed animals (at garage sales and thrift stores)and always check to make sure the nose nor eyes and ears cannot be chewed off. Your new puppy when alone is bored and he/she needs distraction. So stuffed animal toys, one might have sound effects in it and some knotted up socks to flip around and chew on as teeth are cutting for the next few years (the socks need to be your old white cotton socks not washed but with your scent) throw in an old rug and blanket that he/she can mess up and a cushion from an old chair or couch and lastly soft music or the radio on a station that is not loud nor booming as it agitates the animals. I have a variety of nine animals and they stay calm with this method. Good Luck and be patient as they give their love unconditionally and rely on you for love, food, water and shelter.

Answer 7

true seperation anxiety can be a serious problem. things that can help are:

Read the book: I'll be home soon (i don't remember the author, but read it if you can find it)

Leave him things to keep him busy while you are gone, chew toys, a kong filled with kibble, toped off with penut butter and then frozen, nylbones, etc.

try not to leave him for very long amounts of time in the beginning. then work up to longer and longer times (like you are doing) go slow

Get a taller gate!
good luck!

Answer 8

Crate training is your answer.

I adopted a dog that my friends found stray, and because I felt sorry for her, I took her everywhere, even to work. But she was a maniac if I left her sight. I was once paged back to my office because she was having such a fit and I was only gone 5 minutes. I went to the movies with my son and inside of 2 hours while she was confined to my bedroom she tore down my miniblinds and ripped up the carpet.

Like you I didn't have time to gradually introduce the crate to her. It was simply a matter of, sorry girl, here's where you get to stay from now on. The easiest way to get them adpated to the crate in a short amount of time is to leave them in it, even when you're home. I know, it sounds mean, and your dog is going to pitch a fit and send out howls and screetch, but really, it's the easiest way.

Put the crate in the room you spend the majority of your time in - ours was in the great room where we watch tv and eat and socialize. I put my dog in the crate so she could see everything that was going on (they want to be a part of things), but she was closed into the crate. When I walked by the crate, I'd drop a treat or two into the top of the crate and tell her she was a good girl - GOOD CRATE I'd say. I'd put her on a leash to let her go outside and we'd play out there. But when we came back into the house, right back into the crate she went.

When I had to leave for work, I put her in the crate and gave her a treat and some busquits and a kong to keep her occupied. I also left the TV on to keep her company. She ripped up her bedding and pulled her crate cover thru the bars (expect this for a little while). It took approx. one week for her to stop thrashing her crate.

Soon she knew the routine and once we came into the house, she went directly to her crate (without command) and simply plopped down.

Another important step is to feed them in their crate so they associate the crate with good things, not bad things.

I also make it a point of going home at lunch to let her out and walk her. A long walk before crating also helps cut down on their destruction.

Do not leave your dog loose in your house because it will reinforce bad habits. Crate training is the key to your peace of mind, and the dog's peace of mind. Dogs need a den, and a crate is the greatest substitute.

http://www.leerburg.com has a lot of info about how to train your animal.

If you want more details about how I got my severe seperation anxiety girl to love her crate, email me because this post is long!

[e-mail]

Good luck - you CAN do this!

Answer 9

Separation anxiety is where your puppy dog gets nervous when u arent home... By the sounds of it shes got it... Not very bad but she definately has it... Shes just scared that when u leave u might not come back. U should get a crate or get a a couple of baby gates but id crate her. I know its tough to do but it will teach her not to pee on the floor or be destructive... Thats if she is destroying things. Hope this helps :D btw Your puppy dog has the same name as me.

Answer 10

If he's jumping the baby gate, you should probably consider crating him. My dog is crated while I work and she doesn't mind it at all. My DH is able to take her out for a bit early afternoon, but back she goes until I'm home from work.