How to train her to stay home alone???

[Akina]

Hi all, My Momiji is 13 weeks old and she is just perfect. She is still learning potty train but I think she is doing great.
Now I am think ahead and planning about how to train her to stay home alone.
Currently I take her to work every day and take her everywhere with me. (Yes, I haven't been grocery shopping for 2 weeks now...)
Question is;

-When and how can I start to train her stay home alone??
I feel she is too young to be alone right now and I would like to build stronger bond between us before I leave her alone.
But my plan is I will be section off the bathroom area for her area. She has her crate, water bowl, and pee pad there. I will be coming home for lunch. I am planning to have Kong with little peanut butter or some smart toy for her while she is alone. Is this enough???

I would love to get any advice, feedback, or your story regarding this topic. Thank you!!!!

[Bnot]

Since today is Friday, you might want to start leaving her alone some this weekend for short periods, and see how that goes. I feel if she's eating and drinking good, 3 months isn't too young to leave several hours at a time. Just make sure her food and water are in the same room.

[RLC12345678]

I completely agree with Bnot.....just leave her for a few hours at a time this weekend and see how everything goes. When you leave, leave a radio or TV or some noise on for her so she won't have separation anxiety. Make sure you leave her with plenty of toys, food, water, ect. I am sure she'll be fine! She may have a little separation anxiety at first since she's never been left alone, but that is completely normal. Leave her for a little while and go grocery shopping. She'll be fine!

[Akina]

Well, I guess I am an over protective, over bearing mother!!! Or maybe I have the separation anxiety.... I'll leave her for an hour tomorrow and Sunday. And I'll extend the hour gradually!!! Thanks all!!!!

[Patti]

From the day I got Cali I but her in her playpen each day and left for an hour so she would get use to it. I gradually worked up to 3 hours and she was fine. I use to just say I have to go to Nana's( I take care of my elderly parents each day) and she would run into her playpen and snuggle up. I really believe you have to get then use to being alone from the beginning as you can never be there 24/7. Once Cali was a year old and could be trusted she has full run of the house when I am gone and usually sits on my dtr's bed looking out the front window waiting for me to come home.

[Akina]

Did Cali cried at the begining?? Momiji was crying when I got home. (I was gone for about 50 minutes ) I even hide some treat in her crate but I don't think she didn't go inside... I hope she will get used to being alpone soon!!

[Patti]

Cali never cried but she was use to being in a playpen at the Breeders and I have a 9 year old Pom who was also home with her.

[jso36]

Hi! I am so excited because I pick up my baby on the 15th. My Christmas present to myself. I named her Faith. Well, I work M-F and I wanted to pick her up on Friday so she wouldn't have to experience being alone so long right away. I will take everyone's advise and do an hour. I am so excited.

[SnowWa]

I'm sure that the longer we keep our little pups with us constantly - the harder it will be for them to be left alone.

When my pup was only 8 weeks old - I put a belly band on him and let him have run of the house.

It's true that he generally sought me out and wanted to be with me.....but he also often went to his own bed in another room and would sleep there (without me) or would go off to some other area in the house and play by himself for a while or nap for a while (again without me).

So - from a very young age - my puppy learned to be happy being away from me. He never experienced being with me "all the time" -- and he learned at a very young age that he could have fun "without me."

**** He has never had separation anxiety in any way and has never cried (not even one little peep) when I have left him home alone.

He's 14 months old now - and, since he was a pup, when I go to work - he watches me turn off the TV, turn,on the radio - and then turn on a light (for him) and then head for the back door (the garage). Whenever I do these things - he runs and jumps in his bed and lies his head on the edge of his bed and just watches me go. Never a peep, whine, or anything. In fact, he's practically asleep for his first nap of the day when I walk out the back door. And, of course, he is ectastic when I get home.....

***** I don't think I have ever had a dog suffer from separation anxiety - but like I have done with my little Yorkie - I have always given my puppies space and encouraged them to become independent and learn to have fun and be comfortable without me -- even if it is only in a different room in the house.

Your question - When should I start training my puppy to be alone? I would say that you should have started the first day you got him ----- even if it was his being alone only a few feet away from you or in another part of the house. I certainly would never take a pup with me everyplace I go and have it with me every minute. Your puppy needs to learn right from the start that he can be happy and content without you being with him every minute.

**** If I were you - I would immediately encourage him to be away from you and do other things (start just in the house) - and stop taking him with you every place you go. You are causing your puppy to become very dependent on you - and I'm sure now that he wants to be with you all the time - and my guess is that he will throw a fit and be very unhappy if you leave him home alone.

I have the both of best worlds -- my puppy loves to go with me - but he is also perfectly content to stay at home. We are both much happier this way.


Good luck!


Carol Jean

[Akina]

Thank you SnowWa. I guess I started wrong.... I've been with Momiji for almost 3 weeks and she is with me almost all time. (Except she sleeps in her cage.)
So I started since this past weekend, I left her alone for one hour. She was whining when I got home. This morning I left her with Kong w/ Peanut butter. When I went to pick her up one hour later, she was whining. (I take her to work right now.) She didn't even finish licking her peanut butter... I am hoping to continue extending her alone time longer by each week. I am definitely experiencing the separation anxiety.... But being responsible dog owner, I need to teach her how to be independent and socialized. (I just took her to her first puppy socialization party. She was scared to death!!!!) Boy, parenting is so difficult!!!!

[Suzy]

If we had it to do over again, we'd leave a puppy alone and get them used to it RIGHT AWAY. Someone was with Emma at all times for the first 10 weeks we had her, because right away, she would get upset if we left. We thought she would outgrow it, but it only got worse over time, because she became so dependent on us being home or taking her with us all the time. Now, Emma has separation anxiety, and living in a condo, we CAN'T leave her alone sometimes.

If I'd had YT when we first got Emma, I absolutely would have done things differently, and there's a good chance she wouldn't have the separation issues. It has taken us months and lots of hard work to be able to leave her while we went to work without her completely freaking out with barking and screaming. Some days are just bad days for her and she'll do this for awhile anyway, but all of us have come quite far and put in lots of effort to help her with her problem. And it's working-in baby steps!

Our next puppy will be left for short periods IMMEDIATELY after we bring her home, so that she gets acclimated to being by herself. Don't wait-start leaving your puppy home now so that you're not contributing to the problem. She'll be ok with you leaving, especially if you give her that "special treat" (like a Kong with peanut butter that she just LOVES) and be on your way. It will make both of you happier and healthier!

Good luck!

[SnowWa]

Yes - it just makes so much sense that if you take a new little puppy and hold it all the time and take it with you everyplace you go and never leave it alone for a minute -- it is going to be very dependent on you and very attached to you. And - it is going to be very upset if you ever leave it alone.

So - those of you who are getting new little puppies - please encourage them to run around and play and learn to entertain themselves and be by themselves . Help them learn to be away from you - at least part of the time ---- even if it is only in a different part of the house.

When my pup was little - I'd be working in my office and he'd run and play for half an hour or so in the front room - and then he'd run in here and want me to pick him up for a few minutes - then he'd want down and take off again. Sometimes, it would be 20 or 40 minutes before he come bouncing back in here to see me. He loves me and he loves to snuggle if I am sitting on the sofa - but he certainly isn't dependent on me and he loves to take off to other parts of the house and do his own thing.

***** He's a boy - and I had a bellyband on him all the time when he was little - so, we didn't have to worry about accidents, and he could have free run of the house with no problems.

The important thing is that when the time came that I had to leave him home alone for a while - it really just didn't bother him that much. He wasn't used to being with me every second of every day - he had learned to do things and entertain himself and be happy without me.

I have two dogs - and I have also never taken them with me everyplace I go. This was something I never wanted to get started. They learned from the first day I had them - that sometimes they can go with me and sometimes they can't..... and they are happy either way.....no crying or whinning or barking when I leave.

This is a good thing! For us and for our dogs..... It makes life so much easier! And - everyone is so much happier.


Carol Jean