Help, I can't leave the dog alone for 5 mins?

Question

We adopted a fox hound mix from the pound. Wonderfull dog, does not bark, loveable, very smart, has learned several tricks in 2 months. He is very very gentle. If my chihuahua is in the yard and won't come back in he gently picks her up and brings her to me. He is a monster and they are like mutt and jeff.
However, the big lummox is having some kind of seperation anxiety. He is 14 mos old and I can not even walk out to the mailbox and when i come back in he has done something naughty, like get in the garbage, empty the hamper, pull the sheets off the bed. He never chews anything up , he just makes a mess. How can I break this? I can't take him everywhere I go, in fact we can hardly get him into the car, i think he is afraid he is going to be left again.

Answer 1

Adopted dogs are wonderful, but very prone to separation anxiety, because switching owners makes them feel like they were abandoned.

My dog had separation anxiety at what sounds like the same degree of severity as your dog-- when I first had her, she would cry when I was in a separate room, even the bathroom!

I dropped a lot of money on a behavioralist, and although it helped me a lot, it was very expensive ($400). I would reccommend it if you're doing well financially. You should at least research it as much as you can, several dog rescue sites offer good information. Here's a good site to get you started:
http://www.ddfl.org/behavior/sep-anxiety.pdf

I'll try to list as many general rules here that I can think of to get you started:
-- Ignore your dog when you come home (or back inside the house). Only give him affection once he calms down from the exicitement of you being home.

-- Ignore him when you leave. Don't say goodbye. Just leave. Don't pay attention to him for 20 minutes before you leave.

--Throughout the day, only give him attention when he is calm and doing something independently (i.e. NOT sitting or laying right by you). Don't allow him to demand when he gets petted. Give him lots of attention and praise if you see him sleeping or playing independently from you. Encourage him to hang out in a different room by teaching "stay." He needs to learn what you want from him-- and this is to be calm and independent when you are not around. This sounds strange but this is the $400 secret that I basically paid for. They don't stress this step in other info sheets, but this does the most important step for your dog.

--Don't scold him for being naughty when you're gone. It makes them more anxious about your return.

-- After several weeks of only giving him attention when YOU initiate it, then you can "practice" leaving. Leave for a second and come back. Once you can do that and he doesn't panic, do it for longer.

--If he's food-motivated, give him a very special treat-- maybe a Kong toy filled with cooked chicken or peanut butter. But only give him this when you leave, and pick it up when you return. Try to get him to associate you leaving with something good! My dog only gets wet food when she's being left alone, she loves it.

Good luck! It will seem for a long time that he's not making progress, but once he starts to make a noticeable improvement, it happens very quickly. I promise! The whole process took about 8 months for my dog, so you need to be consistent and patient!

p.s. I can't help but address the answer about how this is not separation anxiety because it's been over 2 months. That is not true. I'm not saying it "remembered" being abandoned, it probably doesn't. it developed a behavioral problem from being abandoned and now it is his habit to panic. It doesn't know why it's afraid you'll never come back, it just gets anxious that you won't come back because that is what it's used to doing, and it's never been taught that it needs to act calmly. It will not get better without the proper desensitization treatment.

And I do agree that crates are good and dogs often love them. My dog loves her crate, and using it while I was training her to be left alone saved many of my personal possessions! Just make sure you introduce it in a way that makes him like it instead of just associating it with you leaving. (food helps with that!) Dogs who hate their crates can hurt themselves trying to break out of it.

Answer 2

My puppy is the same way, he hates being leaved alone and he whines and crys when the last person leaves the house. If we don't say good bye to him and tell him that someone will be home to make him some dinner then he will find a spot and do his business. So try taking him to the mailbox with you when you go, then if you need to go shopping or to work then pat him and talk to him. You need to think of him like your child, you wouldn't leave the house without saying good bye and kissing your child. So pat your dog and tell him what's happening, tell him you are going to the mail or going to by some food or going to work and that you will be back as soon as you can. Or that at least someone will be home to take him out for his walks and to get him some dinner. This will cut down if not stop on the messes he is making in the house. He will still cry and whine when you leave the house if you are the last one to leave, you got to remember that dogs no matter how old they are - are like little kids and want thier loved ones to stay with them.

Answer 3

I had this problem with my dog. For him, it was just the age he was going through, which he felt he had to be distructive. He would pull out all my VHS tapes and tear up the boxes to them, or tear off the front cover to my books or shred the phone book while I was gone. I'd come home, and he'd turn over as if he knew what had happened. I started purchasing flavored bones that he could ONLY have while I was away, such as those rock-hard white bones with the mint, beef, or chicken flavor in the middle; or while he had regular rawhides all the time, another one would be a rawhide with beef flavor. You give it to him before you leave and when you come home, you pick it up off the floor so he doesn't get tired of it. Some other things are buying him a crate for times when you leave the house; giving him extra attention before you leave; let him walk to the mailbox with you; buy him things to chew on.

Answer 4

I have a female pit bull that is the same way. She used to chew on my shoes and make a mess in the house! If I leave for 5 minutes, she acts like I have been gone for 5 hours!!! When I would get home and she had made a mess I would calmly verbally reprimand her and sit and talk with her she may not understand the words, but she understands the feelings and what I mean. (I know that might sound crazy). But she eventually stopped. It took a few weeks. Still every once in a while she will have a slip up when she is especially mad, but all she does is grab one shoe and put it in the middle of living room to tell me how she feels!

Answer 5

Crating is good and it works - it isn't a punishment like it would be for a child, it is a safe haven for a dog! This behavior isn't separation anxiety after two months, dogs' memories aren't that long. The dog is simply trying it on with you to assert its dominance over you and the other dog. Don't listen to the ninnies who twitter on about "poor babies" as though a dog is a child - it's not, it's an animal and not only can this animal be trained, it MUST be trained. It's a pack animal and HAS to respect you as its leader, or you will have major problems as it gets older.

Answer 6

You could buy a kong and put his crunchy dog food in it to help his anxiety and keep him occupied, trying to get the food out. Also, crate him if he won't behave while alone. This teaches him a safe place to be when you're not there. My sister did it with a Jack Russell and tho't it was mean at first, but he's terribly destructive. It turned out he feels safe, and when I've brought him from the bad weather outside, he lays down and doesn't make a peep. He's calm and chills out. Safe place. I don't allow my little girl to poke fingers in the crate, b/c it is his safe place and he could become aggressive and bite her. I don't think he would, but I tell her it's not safe. He will learn to behave to be out, or be in his safe place. it's not as terrible as it sounds. Having the run of the house should be privilege.

Answer 7

the car problem - forcing him would be the worst thing you could do. make it a game. sit in the back seat with some toys and let him come to you the first couple of times. he will get used to it and after a few weeks should jump in by himself. dont let him associate anything negative with the car - by which i mean dont discipline or yell at him if he doesnt want to get in. coax him in instead.

it is possible he may have seperation anxiety, but it sounds like he is just bored. firstly, dont make a big deal about you leaving the house by saying long goodbyes to him - just leave. he is young and big and needs exercize and a lot of toys. get him some (not just one) and make sure you encourage him to play with them when he is tempted to do naughty things. he will learn to associate those playful feelings with the toys instead of your bedsheets. shut the bedroom doors while he is still learning.

Some of the replies to this post made me cringe. I am a registered breeder of serveral dog types. 99% of dogs with bad habits stem from poor training. poor training is the owners fault. You do not need to lock him in a crate.

Answer 8

You should try to crate him while you're gone even if it's only for a few minutes. I have a 7 month old black lab and he's very rumbuncious. He doesn't chew anything...anymore...but if we leave him in a room by himself he'll tear it up. I bought a crate and felt so bad leaving him in it but now he absolutely loves it...he just walks in it on his own. You should give crating a shot. It really works!

Answer 9

Poor guy it sounds like he has separation issues.Let him know what he has done is bad and not acceptable. Try taking him outdoors with you ,the Dog Whisper on animals planet deals with issues like this all the time he use ally suggest walking on the leash and letting the dog know who is in charge. Sounds like he could be a great dog work with him.

Answer 10

One thing:
A book called "I'll Be Home Soon" by Patricia McConnell

She's an animal behaviorist and a dang good one! Her books have helped my own dogs and a string of my foster dogs. If I ever met her in person, I'd hug her!