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11-22-2011, 05:11 AM | #1 |
YT Addict Join Date: Oct 2011 Location: Michigan
Posts: 431
| Am I going to cause permanent emotional "scars" ? I know we all have to leave our furbabies at home once in awhile at least. However, when I leave Lexi (in her puppy play pen with plenty of toys, food/water, bed & potty pad) she will be SO distraught when I return that I am concerned it will cause some type of permanent "scarring" & possibly issues throughout her life which I definitely do NOT want to do. She will be "screaming" when I leave & "screaming" when I return (even when I try sneaking in just to see if she is still crying). This obviously exhausts her. When I return, she will be just panicky, acting scared & not her normal self at all. She will act very timid then & not play for hours & be stuck like glue to me. She usually won't eat much at all the rest of the day. Is this typical behavior or something much more deep & concerning? It certainly has me concerned. I HATE seeing her this way but I just can't always take her with me. Help!
__________________ Sandi Yorkies Lexi Riley & Dillon |
Welcome Guest! | |
11-22-2011, 05:27 AM | #2 |
Donating YT 500 Club Member Join Date: Apr 2011 Location: montana
Posts: 2,945
| i have a papillion that does it//she is 9 yrs old// she used to scream when i left but she did get better. her vet told me dont make a big deal of leaving just put her in her playpen and leave and dont make a big deal when you come back it took a long time but it did get better |
11-22-2011, 05:40 AM | #3 |
YT Addict Join Date: Oct 2011 Location: Michigan
Posts: 431
| Thank you Jeane. That is reassuring. That is what I try to do - matter of factly when leaving Lexi but I am sure she can "feel" my emotional upset as I feel SO guilty knowing what this does to her. I have a Shih Tzu that we got at 6 mo. & he is very high anxiety. He was kept in a cage pretty much his whole first 6 mo. before we got him and so was horribly fearful of being left once he came into our home. He also got better but still has SO much anxiety over not only "bad" things (what he perceives as bad) but good. He is fortunately not destructive or peeing or vomiting when upset. He is 12 y/o now. He has come a long way but still has emotional issues. So sad as it should have never happened in the first place. He is on Prozac for it.
__________________ Sandi Yorkies Lexi Riley & Dillon |
11-22-2011, 05:42 AM | #4 |
Cedric♥Lola♥Keylo Donating Member Join Date: Nov 2011 Location: Gilford, NH, USA
Posts: 9,209
| my Cedric does the samething. we have only left him alone a very few times but it does get better each time. even just trying to get him to be more independent with playtime and such is a challenge cause hes spoiled and the baby of the family. =*(())
__________________ Cedric N Lola N Keylo RIP Punkee Princess |
11-22-2011, 06:33 AM | #5 |
Donating YT 2000 Club Member Join Date: Jun 2009 Location: Georgia
Posts: 3,262
| I hate to leave my babies and Sassy my youngest ,1 year old, goes crazy if I just leave the room. She jumps at the gate to wake me up in the mornings. I bought her a Thunder shirt and this has helped calm her down some when she gets anxious. This may help for you. If I leave to go to work she is ok since she has her 3 Yorkie siblings with her.
__________________ SUSAN : TESSIE : HOBBES :CALVIN :SASSY There is no psychiatrist in the world like a puppy licking your face! ~ Ben Williams |
11-22-2011, 06:33 AM | #6 |
Donating YT 1000 Club Member Join Date: Oct 2010 Location: Lorain Ohio
Posts: 1,882
| DH says when I leave all of mine cry until I come back, That is why I try not to leave them for very long and usually ( if I can ) I take them with me.
__________________ http://thelittleyorkierescue.weebly.com/ |
11-22-2011, 06:40 AM | #7 |
Action Jackson ♥ Donating Member Join Date: Dec 2008 Location: Maryland
Posts: 17,814
| Jackson always freaked out in the crate. So, I didn't make him go in it for long. I know, I probably could have worked on it longer. But I never felt the need to crate him anyways, I know it was going to only be temporary. I moved to an expen but by 5 months, he had free reign of my bedroom, then by 6 months, free reign of most of the house. He was always well behaved. He's much happier and has been since. No separation anxiety when I'm gone -- always very calm and relaxed and happy when I get home. And it's nice to have him greet me at the door! But I would maybe consider a behaviorist, as SA can be very serious. It sounds like she has it bad. I would work on walking out the door, coming right back in. Then walking out the door, staying outside for a few minutes, coming right back in. Grab your purse randomly throughout the day and walk around with it. Grab your keys. All this little things probably trigger for her that you are leaving and stress her out more. You could probably help her become more relaxed this way. So she learns that picking up a purse does not automatically mean you are leaving, or picking up your keys. You could pick up your keys, give her a treat, pick up your purse, give her a treat. Throw treats to her on your way out the door to distract her for a bit. Etc. This will take a lot of time though, don't expect quick results.
__________________ ~ Brit & Lights! Camera! Jackson! CGC ETD TKP ~ Follow Jackson on Instagram: https://instagram.com/jacksontheterrier Last edited by Britster; 11-22-2011 at 06:43 AM. |
11-23-2011, 03:26 AM | #8 |
YT Addict Join Date: Oct 2011 Location: Michigan
Posts: 431
| Thank you everyone for your suggestions & recommendations & sharing your personal experiences. It is greatly appreciated.
__________________ Sandi Yorkies Lexi Riley & Dillon |
11-23-2011, 03:58 AM | #9 |
Senior Yorkie Talker Join Date: Nov 2011 Location: Riverside, RI -- USA
Posts: 103
| I just got my Lucky about 3 wks ago. But when I left him alone, I would gate him off in a little area of my house. He would cry and howl the whole time I was gone (my neighbors told me as I live in an apartment complex). I felt bad. I could hear him from the hallway when I came back home and sometimes this went on for hours! I felt bad, so I made sure there was nothing he could get into, so when I went out I let him have free reign of my studio apartment. I went out for about an hr, just a short time at first, to see how he did. And he did great! He cried for a minute or two, just when I left. But then stopped. He didn't get into anything and was much calmer. So maybe, you could try letting him have a room or the apartment/house instead of crating him, that is if you can trust him. Try it a little at a time to see if it works. If not maybe try the Thunder Shirts. I have heard great things about them for all types of anxiety - especially separation.
__________________ Love Hugs Paw Prints Merry Xmas Keri & Little Lucky |
11-23-2011, 06:16 AM | #10 |
YT Addict Join Date: Dec 2010 Location: waco, texas
Posts: 312
| Yes....pair a negative (leaving) with a positive (treats) and get a kong and put a treat in it. It will keep her busy for ten minutes or so after you leave. |
11-23-2011, 07:10 AM | #11 |
Donating YT 500 Club Member Join Date: Apr 2007 Location: Alabama
Posts: 941
| My two are pretty good in their playpen when I leave - as long as they are together. It took a little while but I always give them a treat (in the playpen) when I leave. Now I just have to say "hop in" and they run and dive in the pen and sit and wait for their treat. Beemer does have separation anxiety but it's only when both Sadie and I leave him, and my husband isn't there. I take training classes with Sadie so I do have to leave him by himself occasionally. What I do is make what I call a fountain of treats. I take about two small treats and grind them up in my hands till they are just tiny pieces - almost crumbs. Then I sprinkle them around the pen, in his bed and around it. It's kind of the same principle as the kong. While he's running around finding the treats and eating them, I take off. I also do this with both of them when we have to leave them if we're staying in a hotel room. Usually by the time they find all the treats they don't pay that much attention to the fact that I left. It's worked pretty well for us.
__________________ Karen and the Kids Sadie and Beemer |
11-23-2011, 07:14 AM | #12 |
Yorkie Talker Join Date: Nov 2011 Location: North Huntingdon, Pa. USA
Posts: 11
| I just got my Yorkie pup, she is 10 weeks old. I work and so does my husband. She also has a puppy play pen with lots of toys. At first she would whine and yelp a lot. But now she is getting use to the routine. I don't know how old yours is. Either I am just a lucky one that mine is doing well but I say maybe give her a treat and as she is eating it walk out. That's what I do.. Good luck |
11-23-2011, 12:11 PM | #13 |
YT Addict Join Date: Jun 2011 Location: Abbotsford, BC, Canada
Posts: 466
| A playpen and a kong filled wet food, with one hard treat stuffed into it, has helped Ozzy to be calm and happy when I leave the house. He actually tries to jump INTO his playpen! I work 5 days a week, so it's important that he's ok with being alone. Now, he's so calm and quiet in his playpen that if I don't go see him and take him out, he would stay laying down and perfectly quiet even after I get home. I don't think the crate was good for Ozzy, so as soon as he was reasonably house trained we got him a playpen. He's only had one accident in it, within the first week, and none since then (had it for a few months now). Your attitude will have A LOT to do with how your dog reacts to things. You're feeling too sorry for your pup. When you are putting her in the crate or pen or whatever, do so with confidence. You need to project calm energy. It will take some time to get through this phase though, so also be patient. Good luck.
__________________ David & Denise ... proud parents of Ozzy |
11-23-2011, 12:14 PM | #14 |
YT Addict Join Date: Jun 2011 Location: Abbotsford, BC, Canada
Posts: 466
| Just thought to add that, although Oz gets some toys and chewable items and water in his playpen, he doesn't touch any of it all day. He ONLY goes for the Kong. For this type of thing, I would make it a treat that is totally irrestistable to your girl, not just the "usual" treats. Find out what does distract her and give her that.
__________________ David & Denise ... proud parents of Ozzy |
11-23-2011, 01:05 PM | #15 |
Donating Yorkie Yakker Join Date: Dec 2006 Location: Kirkland WA
Posts: 431
| Our 5 yr old furbaby used to "sob" when we left and still will, if she isn't placed inside her crate. It appears, when she is just left to roam freely in an open environment, it causes too much anxiety for her. She sleeps in her crate at night (due to the tendency to pee on the carpet if left out), and she is quite happy to be in her crate when we leave her alone for a while. I think it was Caesar, the dog whisperer, who mentioned that some dogs feel that when their pack leaders are gone, they are responsible for the entire house and that is too overwhelming. Those high anxiety types do better being in a cave type environment such as their crate. We use her travel crate which is tall enough to stand up in and has protective sides with air slits, so it gives the illusion of being in a small dark cave-like environment. She curls up and sleeps while we are gone and we never hear a peep from her, even when we sneak in and listen to see if there is any sound. That said, tho, neither of us work, so we are home most of the time and our Yorkie is not in the crate for long periods during the day. Possibly just leaving an open crate close to where your furbaby will be would be enough, or put your pup in it with the door left slightly ajar so that she can come out if she wants. |
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