My puppy suffers from extreme seperation anxiety!! PLEASE HELP!?

Question

I just got a 9 week old shih tzu puppy about a week ago. He is the sweetest baby and he has already learned to use his puppy pads. The only thing is he will not leave me alone!! I can't even go to the bathroom without him crying like a maniac. I feel bad leaving him alone but i am eventually going to have to leave him at home sometimes (right now he comes with me everywhere i go/ 24 hours a day). He doesn't care to be left with other people if im gone but he just doesnt want to be alone. I understand he is a puppy but how do i teach him that i will come back, that im not abandoning him? Should i just leave him and let him cry? or is he to young to be left alone? Another thing is he wont sleep in his bed. He will cry until i let him go on my bed and sleep with him. He is just scared to have me out of sight!! PLEASE HELP!! what do i do??

Answer 1

Don't wait anymore. Train it to be alone. My sis used to carry her pup in her handbag and never left it alone until he was much older. By that time it just barked all day long. Neighbors were'nt very happy. Make sure he can't get into anything and its safe. It will see you come back and start getting used to it.

Answer 2

Yes, puppies can suffer from separation anxiety. Mastiffs are huge dogs, so I can imagine the damage this one is capable of causing, even at only 16 weeks old. Get him a bed, and make him use it during the day, too. Like when you eat. Put it by a chair you sit in routinely. He'll understand that this is his living space, and he'll grow attached to it, and not see it as a punishment, especially if you start positively reinforcing this behavior while he's still young. He's not a bad dog, he just misses you.

Answer 3

Yes, leave him alone. Sometimes a kid's gonna get scratched up falling off a bike, but then they learn to stay on it. Same thing. That dog will be upset while you're gone, but when it gets used to the fact that you do come back, it will learn and understand.
When I go to work, I leave the radio on for my dog. I don't know if it *actually* does anything for him, but I guess it might make him feel less lonely. But, after a year of being left alone, he seems pretty used to it.
I think the best answer is to just start small - go out for anhour maybe, and then work it up to longer times. This also may help for his bladder strength too. He should be fine.

Answer 4

Start by leaving him in his crate in another room for 15 minutes he will cry but ignore him. Then let him out. Do this several times until you can leave him in there without him crying. Then increase the time to 25 minutes or a half hour. Repeat until he can be left without crying. Keep increasing the time. At night he should sleep in his crate. He can sleep in your room where he can see you but he should be in his own space. You will need to condition him to this too. You are going to have to deal with a little crying to break this separation anxiety. I had the same problem with my Bichonpoo. She is now almost 5 months old and handles being alone fine.

Answer 5

have you thought about having a crate to keep him in. sometimes a crate or "den" is eventually very comforting for some dogs. i would leave him alone for short periods, and when you get home, come back like you were never gone. don't get all excited and start talking to him as soon as you get home. just act like you never left. if you come home all excited and get him all crazy it will just make the seperation worse. also put him in the crate at night, do not let him in your bed and no matter how much he whines and crys you're going to have to be stong and leave him in there as long as he is safe. if you can nip this now it could prevent worse anxiety problems later such as chewing, going potty, and barking when you're gone. also use opprotunities such as when you're in the bathroom and he's going crazy, come out of the bathroom and do not acknowledge him, babying him and trying to use human psychology will only make him worse. he is cute and sweet, but he is a dog and thinks like a dog, so he needs to be treated and loved like a dog should. i would also reccomend talking to your vet about the problem and get him into training when he's had enough vaccine rounds, this also helps build your bond together and make him more confident and less likely to have seperation issues. best addressed now while he's a pup and not later when you're at your wits end with him. best of luck to you.

Answer 6

Using the crate is the best thing right now...it takes lots and lots of nerves to leave the crying pup alone, but this will help in the end! Leave in increments...20 secs, then come back, 1 min, then come back....keep increasing this until you are able to go out without a peep. The more you craddle the lil one the harder it will be to break the habit!

Answer 7

you see your puppy like many mammals thinks your its mother and just like a kid being dropped off at the baby sitters it does not want you to go so make sure when you leave put him in his pen with plenty of water and warm food so he sleeps he may cry but when he sees you come back he will start to get use to you leaving and after maybe 2-4 weeks he will stop crying but remember he comes first. And maybe you should get another puppy so he has a companion.

Answer 8

You are doing a fantastic job of teaching him to misbehave!!

If you want him to sleep in his crate at night - leave him there!! Do not take him out. Surely you realize that you're teaching him that if he cries, he'll get out. You need to use some common sense.

When you go out, same thing. Let him cry. He'll get over it just like millions and millions of other dogs.

He is not scared to let you out of his sight, he's spoiled and will definitely get worse unless you start treating him like a dog.

Answer 9

I agree with the 1st 2 people you also could give him one of your shirts or blanket so he has your smell theres also this bear that they have for babys that you put in there crib when you turn it on it makes a heart beat sound to help the baby fall asleep you could try that Good luck

Answer 10

wrap a hot water bottle in a soft towel "not to hot" and put an old clock which ticks in with it. this replicates a life. This is very soothing .
Good luck.
Use a glass bottle or plastic that he can't chew.