[yorkietalkjilly]

Below is the usual post I use for Separation Anxiety when you have to leave the home and the dog alone. Make no mistake about it, though you have a little puppy that is still an infant, you can still use some desensitization training with that little one to help it deal with the stress of separation and it can learn from the training as young as it is. Just go a little slower and keep sessions even shorter with the very young. Mamma dogs leave their babies at times - leave them all alone. These techniques are to use in her stead and actually intended for an older dog but the training is still okay for an infant if you go slow. In Service Dog training they start Separation Anxiety desensitization training very young so that the dog is imprinted at a very young age with the concepts.

Mind that this addresses a male puppy and you might read and consider using some of these techniques for your own puppy if you want. They are taken from things I've read and experiences I've had over the years.


SEPARATIONANXIETY:
Most anxious dogsthat aren't used to it get nervous and anxious when their owners leave thehome. Firstly, take all emotion out of your leaving. Do not feel sad for him ortell him goodbye - just like pack leaders in the wild don't when they decide togo on a hunt or take a walk - they just walk away and nobody freaks. They areimpersonal and matter-of-fact in how and what they must do. So no emotionalgoodbyes or hello's when arriving home. Act like a pack leader. Your dog is apack animal and is genetically in tune with a firm but fair leader. As far asyour actual leaving, just slowly desensitize him to your leaving and soon hewill come to accept it. But you must desensitize him to it slowly and allowhim to adjust to each step. Be patient with that baby - his anxiety can beovercome with time and patience and knowing what to do. Keep your trainingsessions short and impersonal, matter-of-fact. (You can reward him once eachexercise is over with a big, loving play session and lots of loving hugs,kisses.)

Give him a lovely food-stuffed kong toy, sit down and watch him playing withit, take up your keys and purse and whatever else you do as if to leave homeand sit back down and just watch him. Don't go anywhere. Just sit there. Nowthis is key: keep repeating this for a day or two on a weekend over and over,giving him different things to chew on or play with as you get ready to go butdon't.

After a day or two of this, when he's playing with his kong and hasaccepted your getting your things together, get your keys/purse, watch him fora while then get up and without saying one word to him or looking in hisdirection, just like an alpha wolf who acts in its pack without questionfrom one of his pack members, walk out of your door outside. Shut it. Standthere 10 seconds and walk back in, DO NOT NOTICE HIM AT ALL, nomatter how he's dancing around your feet or whining in joy, put your thingsaway and sit back down where you usually sit when you watch him with his kongtoy. Repeat this over & over and keep increasing your times outsideto let him learn slowly that though momma goes out the door, she will be backand I'm really okay. Slowly but surely as you stay out longer and longer but docome back in, he'll have grown to accept this action as inconsequential in hislife and soon grow to accept your leaving without thinking a thing of it -he'll know he gets a good thing to play with and some good food, momma will beback and he'll accept it. B4 long, he will just accept your leaving without anytoys or kongs or anything. After a while, include getting in the car in this training exercise, even starting it up and getting right back out andcoming in the house without noticing him. Repeat repeat repeat - sitting in thecar a while with it running. Eventually, drive around the block and then backhome, inside, not noticing your dog and putting your things away, coming to sitin the same place on the couch where you always sit during this training. Onceyou have sat there a while after each training session, now it is time to playand reward that anxious baby who is learning to be a goooood dog so now have ablast with him. Lots of love, hugs, kisses, tugowar, etc. Happy, happy rewardsfor his efforts are definitely in order!

If you are patient enough to do this, it works EVERY SINGLE time andturns an anxious, crying dog into one that accepts leaving as just a part ofhis day. They soon learn to adjust their day to sleep while we are away and beready to go when we get home.

I would also start him on a good positive-rewards training program such as in TamarGeller's The Loved Dog book. This will teach him to bond well with youas you develop a strong relationship that he will not question, no matter whatas he knows momma is always gonna keep it fun, loving and always rewarding for him.

P. S. Sorry in the copying and pasting process, some of the words run together. Hope you can make it out okay anyway.