My eight month old dog keeps on crying when we don't pay attention to him. How can I stop this?

Question

I have an 8-month old cocker spaniel mix. We recently moved to a new home. Since we are not the homeowners, we have to tie him up so he is only limited to the kitchen area and away from the carpeted rooms. His leash has a clearance of about 8-feet, so he can roam around just fine.

Whenever we are sitting in the dining table watching TV, he keeps crying constantly until we pay attention to him. This has gone non-stop for the past month. We have tried ignoring him whenever he does this, but it has been a month. He still has not given up this behavior.

He also stopped eating his food and will only eat it if we hand feed it to him. I've tried mixing his IAMs Smart Puppy food with some beef sauce, but without any luck.

Any tips?

UPDATE 1: Just for everyone's information the dining table is in the kitchen area. We can see him and he can see us while we are watching TV. We take him to visit my parents dog at least three times a week, and we have noticed that he gets tired after we get home from all that playing. However, he still has the tendency to whine and cry even after a few hours of play time.

Also, there's nothing physically wrong with him. We've taken him to the vet as recently as last week, and she said that he is healthy. He does have some flaking problems, but he'll be using medicated shampoo from now on.

Answer 1

Sounds like he has you trained. I had to do this for crate training my pup, you have to let your pup cry it out, don't give it any attention until it is quiet. No matter how long it takes if it's crying for a long time don't give in cause if you give in it will figure oh if i cry for a long time someone is going to come to me. Or you could try when she whines go over to the crate and say "Quiet!" and shake can that is filled with pennies or whatever. he won't like the noise and should stop. Always say Quiet! first, then shake. Soon, she will know that when you say Quiet, the loud sound will come next, so just Quiet should eventually be enough without the can. Don't say NO, say Quiet, because no is too generic. Or you could use a water gun, spray it when he whines and say quiet and praise your pup when it stops. Take your pup out for a good run or walk, tire the pup out, a tired dog is a happy dog.

You started the habit of hand feeding and created a picky eater so it's up to you to stop. The puppy will NOT starve itself. Present the food and give your pup 20 minutes to eat.If the pup doesn't eat,take the food up and do not offer it or treats until the next regular meal. The pup will soon learn to eat when food is presented.


Puppy Whining Do's
-When confined to a crate or small room or pen, always give your puppy the benefit of the doubt. When she begins whining, immediately take her to her toilet area.
-Teach your dog to accept isolation and privacy. Accustom your puppy to being left by herself, even if you are home. This will prevent separation anxiety and all the problems that accompany it.

-Make sure your puppy is comfortable. Is your puppy hungry, thirsty, too hot, too cold, uncomfortable, sick, or has lost her toy under the furniture?

-When you know that all your puppy's physical needs are met and you have taken the time to accustom her to isolation, then teach her that whining is unacceptable.



Puppy Whining Don'ts
-Do not give in and reward your puppy for whining.
-Do not hesitate to appropriately reprimand unnecessary whining.

-Do not let your dog feel abandoned.

-Do not let your dog soil her crate.



Separation Anxiety is one of the most common complaints of dog owners, although some don't even realize it. What they do notice, is that they often come to destroyed objects and neighbors complaining about the howling and barking.
Dogs are pack animals, and and don't like to be left alone. Some dogs will simply sigh and wait patiently for you to come back, and others will go into panic mode, crying and barking, trying to get you to come back. Some destroy things, such as plants, books, pillows, anything that was "yours", even to the extent of defecating on the floor.
Severely dependant dogs, a.k.a. "velcro dogs", and dogs who have either been passed around, or have been abandoned are more likely to have separation anxiety than others. The thought of being abandoned again is terrifying. Most owners unwittingly reinforce this anxiety. Making a production of leaving, and trying to reassure the dog has the opposite effect. Nothing enforces a dog's belief that he has something to worry about more than somebody trying to keep him calm.
Like all fears, desensitizing your dog your comings and goings will help him get over his fear of abandonment. It is best to stretch this process out, but if you need to, you can try to compress it into a couple of days.
Step One:
Prepare yourself to walk out the door and practice ignoring your dog completely. Do NOT say good-bye, do not cuddle her, do not let on that you are leaving at all.
This is a very common mistake people make. By reassuring your dog that you will return in only a little while, showing her affection, hoping she calms down, you are really only reinforcing the fears that your dog had to begin with. Just ignore her completely, and prepare yourself to do this from now on. However, if she sits nicely and watches you calmly, this is the time to reward her lavishly. This is the behavior you want to reinforce.
Do this, several times for a day. That's all. Just get yourself ready to go somewhere, but don't actually leave, unless you have to, of course, but in that case you might want to stretch the "false alarms" out over a few days. Once she's taking the "false alarms" in stride, and can no longer tell if you are actually going to walk through the door or not, and is relaxed and calm when you put your shoes on, move on to Step Two.
Step Two:
Follow your "false alarm" routine that you have established. Put on your shoes, put on your jacket, and reach for the door. Open it. Walk outside, calmly ignoring the alarmed look on your dog's face as you shut the door behind you. Count to to fifteen, fairly slowly.Listen carefully, trying not to give away your position on the other side of the door. Do you hear whining, crying, barking? If you do, prepare yourself for one of the harder moments of dog ownership ...
Whimper ... Whine ...:
Once you've successfully escaped your dog, and you have left the building, listen carefully for any signs of distress. If you hear any kind of whining, or worse, barking, you need to wait it out. I would love to be able to tell you to just open the door, but if you walk back in when she's making a fuss, you are actually rewarding the fuss, and one day, when you leave for more than a couple of minutes, your neighbors will hate you. Rewarding the fuss makes the fuss longer and louder.
Avoiding the Fuss:
Once you've discovered that dog is a screamer, it is best to stretch the time out as much as you possibly can: between the closing of the door, and her vocal heartbreak. To do this, do it quickly. Walk out the door following Step One's False Alarm Procedure. Before she has a chance to howl her misery, walk right back in. The desired reaction is, of course, a look of utter astonishment "Hey! You came back!", and happy greetings. Give your girl a treat and some effusive praise, it's only just begun.

To keep her from having a fit moments after you leave, you need to keep doing this; extending the length of time you wait outside, but trying to time it so that you enter before she starts to cry. Remember, this is a very important thing. A few days of inconvenience now will result being able to enjoy having a dog that much more, when you no longer have to worry about leaving for an hour or more. No more eaten books, no more potty "accidents", no more howling until you get back (your neighbors will thank you).

All is Quiet:
The best case scenario is not having a fuss at all, but rather just a bewildered dog who can't figure out how you managed to escape. If you are lucky enough to have this happen, take advantage of it, and walk back in after a short, fifteen second interval. Repeat this many times over an extended period.

Step Three:
Okay, you are doing great! After a few days' time, you should be able to walk down to the end of the driveway, pick up your mail, or wander down the street a little ways. Once you've extended the time between leaving and returning to a fair amount (I recommend about twenty minutes at least), you should start to scatter your return times. Walk out, and walk back in after only five minutes. Always remember to leave without fussand reward for quiet patience.

Your goal is to bring her to the point of thinking that you'll walk back at any second, and if she waits quietly, you'll be very happy to see her.

Good Luck!

Answer 2

You shouldn't have a dog is he has to be tied up in the house. Instead of watching tv, try playing games with your puppy. If you are working during the day and then coming home at night and tying him up....what dog would like that? It is extremely important to get your dog out...socialize him...walk to the store with him...taking him to training classes. You could also try to get a gate or something so at least he doesnt have to be on a leash. If you are consistent taking him out, I would let him in the other room with you...he is getting old enough. A dog wants to be around people as much as possible.

I don't know why people would suggest getting another dog...the dog needs attention from you as an owner. You don't want another dog that is going to have to be tied up as well.

Answer 3

Please find your dog a new home.

I'm being absolutely serious. By their very nature, dogs are pack animals. Their instincts tell them that they should be with their pack, in this case, that's you and your family.

If your family is like most families, the majority of your time is not spent in the kitchen - it's spent in the living room, watching TV, doing homework, and all that sort of thing. With this, you have created this problem - your dog's only allowed in the kitchen on an 8 ft tether, and cannot follow its natural instinct to be with his family pack in the rest of the home.

Tethering a dog on an 8ft leash in the kitchen is not any more healthy for a dog than being tethered to a chain in the back yard. Both keep the dog from acting and behaving like a dog.

If you cannot move to a different home, please do the right thing for your dog and give it to someone who can care for it in a way that is fair to the dog and appropriate to its species.

Answer 4

Not to be funny but have you ever considered watching the Dog Whisperer. The host is a very talented man and there are people on his show every day and I believe that you may come across someone that is experiencing the same problem as you. Just watch and take notes of what he does, it's really helpful.. That's how I got my male puppy to behave.

Answer 5

UNTIE the dog.... that is cruel,,, you have a Hunting dog!! spaniels are very people oriented ( as they have been bred for years to work with man) to tie hiim on an 8 foot rope in another room - away from you - is very cruel..... at 8 months he should be completely housetrained,, so there is no reason he cannot step on a carpeted floor...... why did you get a dog if you don't want him to be in the same room as you.... i suggest maybe finding a new home or finding a new home for the dog.n toooo saaaad

Answer 6

Aww the poor pup just wants to be petted and loved. We used to keep our pup chained up outside at night but she wined her way all the way to sleeping in the bed every night. Dogs also hate to be chained up, i know 15 year old dogs that still whines when they are not getting petted. Dogs get board really easy exspecaily puppys. Dogs are ment to run around and play. At least give your pup a few hours a day of play time and keep ignoring her when she is whining, she will learn.

Answer 7

so he cries until you pay attention to him? that means you are paying attention to him while he is crying, so you can't be ignoring it! i know it is frustrating, and terribly annoying, but you need to just let him cry. if you give in to his crying, you are teaching him that it works! start ignoring his crying completely. all the time. NEVER go to him when he is crying. wait until he pauses his crying and then go to him. at first, it might be just a brief pause in the whining. just make sure he never gets attention when he is doing it (that includes eye contact, scolding, any kind of attention at all). when he stops for a breather, that's when you pop in and say hes a good boy. maybe give him a treat.

as for the eating. stop handing feeding him, and don't dress up his food. that will just cause him to be more picky. a healthy dog won't starve himself, so as long as you are sure it isn't a health problem, give him his food, give him 20 minutes or so to eat it and then take it away. he will eat when he is hungry. it sounds harsh, but otherwise you are letting him train YOU to baby him and hand feed him!

Answer 8

He sounds depressed! Knowing that he cant really be part of the family and bond like he was when you lived at the other place.... who ties their dog up in the kitchen... i heard of using a kennel but not a leash...anyways... do you play with him alot? take him for walks? give him lots of toys? He just sounds really lonely and that could be the reason he's not eating... maybe find him another home where he can be with the rest of the family... it sounds like pure torture since he cant interact with the rest of the family....

Answer 9

It seems like you need to take your puppy out for exercise, either a long walk or to play with other dogs. I am pretty sure he will waste some energy and by the time he is back home he will fall asleep quickly

Answer 10

that's sad.:-( He wants attention. He should not have to live tied up in a house! hand feeding,, hello,, he wants attention. would You like to have a 8' clearance too!? At 8 months old he should be potty trained. Isn't he? If not, that's a people ignorance for not training him. Has he been neutered? I think he needs to go to a home where he can be freed.

Answer 11

take him out for long walks, play with him, show him some attention. Puppies have a lot of energy and need some stimulation, if you don't help him get is pent up energy out he will let it out in other ways and crying will be the least of your worries.