View Single Post
Old 03-24-2013, 04:50 PM   #5
yorkietalkjilly
♥ Love My Tibbe! ♥
Donating Member
 
yorkietalkjilly's Avatar
 
Join Date: Feb 2011
Location: D/FW, Texas
Posts: 22,140
Default


I have used the below technique to train anxious and barking dogs how to accept being left alone without misbehaving or becoming destructive. It is long, wordy and thecopy/paste from my Word program can cause some of the words to run together but you might read it over and see if it might work for your girl. It was originally posted about an adult, male dog with female owner. When enough timeand repetition is used to teach this method, it has worked every time todesensitize the dog to the concept of being left alone and they learn to relax and accept this fact of their lives. But it takes a lot of dedication and repetition by the owner, working faithfully with the dog. I hope it can helpyour sweet dog feel less anxious when you leave her/him home alone.

Separation Anxiety

Most anxious dogs that aren't used to it get nervous and anxious when theirowners leave the home. Firstly, take all emotion out of your leaving. Do notfeel sad for him or tell him goodbye - just like pack leaders in the wild don't
when they decide to go on a hunt or take a walk - they just walk away andnobody freaks. They are impersonal and matter-of-fact in how and what they mustdo. So no emotional goodbyes or hello's when arriving home. Act like a packleader. Your dog is a pack animal and is genetically in tune with a firm butfair leader. As far as your actual leaving, just slowly desensitize him to yourleaving and soon he will come to accept it. But you must desensitize him to it slowly and allow him to adjust to each step. Be patient with that baby -his anxiety can be overcome with time and patience and knowing what to do. Keep your training sessions short and impersonal, matter-of-fact. (You can reward him once each exercise is over with a big, loving play session and lots ofloving 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 has acceptedyour getting your things together, get your keys/purse, watch him for a 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 things away and sit back down where you usually sit when you watch him with his kong toy. Repeat this over & over and keep increasing your times outside to 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 his life 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 be backand he'll accept it. B4 long, he will just accept your leaving without any toys 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 and coming inthe house without noticing him. Repeat repeat repeat - sitting in the car awhile with it running. Eventually, drive around the block and then back home,inside, not noticing your dog and putting your things away, coming to sit in the same place on the couch where you always sit during this training. Once youhave sat there a while after each training session, now it is time to play andreward 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 rewards for his efforts are definitely in order!

If you are patient enough to do this, it works EVERY SINGLE time and turns ananxious, crying dog into one that accepts leaving as just a part of hisday.They soon learn to adjust their day to sleep while we are away and be ready to go when we get home.

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

__________________
Jeanie and Tibbe
One must do the best one can. You may get some marks for a very imperfect answer: you will certainly get none for leaving the question alone. C. S. Lewis

Last edited by yorkietalkjilly; 03-24-2013 at 04:54 PM.
yorkietalkjilly is offline   Reply With Quote
Welcome Guest!
Not Registered?

Join today and remove this ad!