YorkieTalk.com Forums - Yorkshire Terrier Community


Welcome to the YorkieTalk.com Forums Community - the community for Yorkshire Terriers.

You are currently viewing our boards as a guest which gives you limited access to view most discussions and access our other features. By joining our free community you will have access to post topics, communicate privately with other members (PM), respond to polls, upload content and access many other special features. You will be able to chat with over 35,000 YorkieTalk members, read over 2,000,000 posted discussions, and view more than 15,000 Yorkie photos in the YorkieTalk Photo Gallery after you register. We would love to have you as a member!

Registration is fast, simple and absolutely free so please, join our community today!

If you have any problems with the registration process or your account login, please click here to contact us.

Go Back   YorkieTalk.com Forums - Yorkshire Terrier Community > YorkieTalk > General Training Questions
Register Blogs FAQ Calendar JavaChat Mark Forums Read

Reply
 
LinkBack Thread Tools
Old 01-11-2013, 05:18 PM   #1
Yorkie Talker
 
Join Date: Dec 2012
Location: Juneau, AK
Posts: 13
Default Anxiety/Whining when we leave the house...

Hey everyone! So I searched around a bit for an answer to this, and haven't really found one. My husband and I recently moved to a smaller apartment for and in May are moving to Florida for three years, after that who knows! My husband is in the Coast Guard so we will be moving quite a bit throughout our yorkies lives..
My problem is, before at the old place my almost 6month yorkie never whined when my husband and I left the house, there was always at least one of us home though.. He's only been left alone (with his 10 week old brother) a few times.. Last week we left them at home for about an hour and a half during lunchtime to see how they would do. They did great, peed where they were supposed to and only chewed on toys!

The issue? Now whenever one of us leaves the house, he whines for about ten minutes afterwards! My husband goes to work in the morning, so you can understand that the nonstop whining is not okay at 6am when he NEVER did this before! I am home with him along with his baby brother and he still does it.. We need to be able to leave them at home alone, and he can't be whining when my husband or I leave and there is one of us home!?

Does anyone have any suggestions on how to treat this?
When we move to Florida I need to work and volunteer and go to school.. We need to break this habit fast and as soon as possible!! And don't want his little brother to start the same thing.

We'd prefer to break it before he gets neutered next month.. I hope all you yorkie lovers can help us!!

Thanks!
Ketchikankelli is offline   Reply With Quote
Welcome Guest!
Not Registered?

Join today and remove this ad!

Old 01-12-2013, 01:56 AM   #2
YT Addict
 
My Sophia's Avatar
 
Join Date: Nov 2009
Location: Las Vegas, NV, USA
Posts: 467
Default

Soph did this also. Hated it when I would leave for work in the morning. I started cutting up a couple of her treats into tiny pieces and as I walked out the door I'd throw them on the floor. It would take her a couple of minutes to find all the pieces and because food was involved, made my leaving something she looked forward to . When we added Gulliver to the family a couple of years ago I also changed the food I feed them. Now instead of treats to distract them, each morning I make them breakfast with their Stella & Chewie patty, some green beans and carrots, coconut chips and their glucosamine treat. If I've cooked some chicken or turkey I might add a couple of little pieces of that also. They looooove their breakfast and from the way they act, they can't wait for me to go to work because they know they get their favorite meal. Find something that your babies like and then find an extra special version of it that you will only give them when you leave the house. Try to make it something that will last for a while after you go, whether it's a meal like I do or a special treat that you can put in a Kong or somehting similar that they have to work for a while to get. These kids are smart and they'll learn very quickly that you leaving means something good
My Sophia is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 01-12-2013, 08:48 AM   #3
♥ Love My Tibbe! ♥
Donating Member
 
yorkietalkjilly's Avatar
 
Join Date: Feb 2011
Location: D/FW, Texas
Posts: 22,140
Default

It's a long post to read but I have used this technique so successfully on my dogs and rescues. It was originally posted about an adult male dog but could be adapted to a younger dog. Sorry that in the copying & pasting some words may have run together. You are welcome to read it, adapt all or some of it and see if that will work for you.


SEPARATION ANXIETY:

Most anxious dogs that aren't used to it get nervous and anxious when their owners leave the home. First, take all emotion out of your leaving. Do not feel 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 and nobody freaks. They are impersonal and matter-of-fact in how and what they must do. So no emotional goodbyes or hello's when leaving or arriving home. Act like a pack leader. Your dog is a pack animal and is genetically in tune with a firm but fair leader who comes and goes at will as necessary without fanfare or goodbyes.

As far as your actual leaving, just slowly desensitize him to your leaving 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 in your attitude rather than uptight and worried. So relax before each session with a deep breath and calming of yourself. Give him a lovely food-stuffed kong toy, sit down and watch him playing with it, take up your keys and purse and whatever else you gather as if to leave home and sit back down and just watch him. Don't go anywhere. Just sit there ignoring him. Ater a while go, put your keys, purse, phone away, and call him to you for a hug, reward and play session. Now this is key: keep repeating this for a day or two on a weekend over and over in short sessions of 3 times giving the kong, getting your things together and just sitting there, then rewarding him. Occasionally give him different things to chew on or play with as you get ready to go but don't. Use old socks, empty plastic cola bottles, anything they like.

After a day or two of this, when he's playing with his kong and has accepted your 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 his direction, just like an alpha wolf who acts in its pack without question from one of his pack members,walk out of your door and stay outside. Shut the door. Stand there 10 seconds and walk back in, DO NOT NOTICE HIM AT ALL, no matter how he's dancing around your feet or whining in joy from the crate or pen, put your things away and sit back down where you usually sit when you watch him with his kong toy. I would sit there long enough to let him calm down a bit but that is up to you. Now you can say, "Good boy" or whatever verbal praise you want, reward him with a treat, a big, loving play session and lots of loving hugs, kisses. Repeat this over & over in short sessions throughout the weekend or day and keep increasing your times outside to let him learn slowly that though momma goes out of the door, she will be back and I'm really okay. Slowly but surely as you stay out longer and longer but do come 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 back, then we can greet and kiss and he'll accept it.

Before long, as he grows secure in the knowledge that you return, 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 in the house without noticing him, put your things away, sit on the couch, read some mail and then greet, treat, loving hugs, play reward. Repeat repeat repeat - sitting in the car a while with it running, letting him hear that noise outside. Eventually, drive around the block and then right back home, come inside matter-of-factly, 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 you have sat there a while after each training session, now it is time to play and reward that anxious baby who is learning to be a goooood dog. So now have a blast with him. Lots of love, hugs, kisses, tugowar, etc. Happy, happy rewards for his efforts are definitely in order! He's worked hard to try to understand, accept and adjust, control himself.

If you are patient enough to do this, it works EVERY SINGLE time and turns an anxious, crying dog into one that accepts leaving as just a part of his day, quite secure mommie or daddy will be back. In time, dogs soon learn to adjust their day to mostly sleep while we are away and thus be ready to go when we get home.

I would also start him on a good positive-rewards training program such as in Tamar 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 always rewarding for him. Keeping calm, unemotional and upbeat during training makes it less stressful for the dog and the fun of learning and making you happy are great rewards to 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; 01-12-2013 at 08:49 AM.
yorkietalkjilly is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 02-01-2013, 09:14 PM   #4
Yorkie Talker
 
Join Date: Dec 2012
Location: Juneau, AK
Posts: 13
Smile

Quote:
Originally Posted by yorkietalkjilly View Post
It's a long post to read but I have used this technique so successfully on my dogs and rescues. It was originally posted about an adult male dog but could be adapted to a younger dog. Sorry that in the copying & pasting some words may have run together. You are welcome to read it, adapt all or some of it and see if that will work for you.


SEPARATION ANXIETY:

Most anxious dogs that aren't used to it get nervous and anxious when their owners leave the home. First, take all emotion out of your leaving. Do not feel 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 and nobody freaks. They are impersonal and matter-of-fact in how and what they must do. So no emotional goodbyes or hello's when leaving or arriving home. Act like a pack leader. Your dog is a pack animal and is genetically in tune with a firm but fair leader who comes and goes at will as necessary without fanfare or goodbyes.

As far as your actual leaving, just slowly desensitize him to your leaving 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 in your attitude rather than uptight and worried. So relax before each session with a deep breath and calming of yourself. Give him a lovely food-stuffed kong toy, sit down and watch him playing with it, take up your keys and purse and whatever else you gather as if to leave home and sit back down and just watch him. Don't go anywhere. Just sit there ignoring him. Ater a while go, put your keys, purse, phone away, and call him to you for a hug, reward and play session. Now this is key: keep repeating this for a day or two on a weekend over and over in short sessions of 3 times giving the kong, getting your things together and just sitting there, then rewarding him. Occasionally give him different things to chew on or play with as you get ready to go but don't. Use old socks, empty plastic cola bottles, anything they like.

After a day or two of this, when he's playing with his kong and has accepted your 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 his direction, just like an alpha wolf who acts in its pack without question from one of his pack members,walk out of your door and stay outside. Shut the door. Stand there 10 seconds and walk back in, DO NOT NOTICE HIM AT ALL, no matter how he's dancing around your feet or whining in joy from the crate or pen, put your things away and sit back down where you usually sit when you watch him with his kong toy. I would sit there long enough to let him calm down a bit but that is up to you. Now you can say, "Good boy" or whatever verbal praise you want, reward him with a treat, a big, loving play session and lots of loving hugs, kisses. Repeat this over & over in short sessions throughout the weekend or day and keep increasing your times outside to let him learn slowly that though momma goes out of the door, she will be back and I'm really okay. Slowly but surely as you stay out longer and longer but do come 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 back, then we can greet and kiss and he'll accept it.

Before long, as he grows secure in the knowledge that you return, 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 in the house without noticing him, put your things away, sit on the couch, read some mail and then greet, treat, loving hugs, play reward. Repeat repeat repeat - sitting in the car a while with it running, letting him hear that noise outside. Eventually, drive around the block and then right back home, come inside matter-of-factly, 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 you have sat there a while after each training session, now it is time to play and reward that anxious baby who is learning to be a goooood dog. So now have a blast with him. Lots of love, hugs, kisses, tugowar, etc. Happy, happy rewards for his efforts are definitely in order! He's worked hard to try to understand, accept and adjust, control himself.

If you are patient enough to do this, it works EVERY SINGLE time and turns an anxious, crying dog into one that accepts leaving as just a part of his day, quite secure mommie or daddy will be back. In time, dogs soon learn to adjust their day to mostly sleep while we are away and thus be ready to go when we get home.

I would also start him on a good positive-rewards training program such as in Tamar 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 always rewarding for him. Keeping calm, unemotional and upbeat during training makes it less stressful for the dog and the fun of learning and making you happy are great rewards to him.

I am def going to try this! The past two weeks I have been going on walks to visit friends and run errands for small amounts of time to let them get used to me leaving. They are now used to my husband leaving, but not me! This morning I did the treat thing, and they didn't whine until they realized I was gone (I waited outside) and only whined about half a minute. Thats an improvement!!
I will try what you had said, I appreciate the help!!
Ketchikankelli is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 02-01-2013, 11:26 PM   #5
Donating YT 3000 Club Member
 
Join Date: Dec 2011
Location: USA
Posts: 7,652
Default

Quote:
Originally Posted by Ketchikankelli View Post
I am def going to try this! The past two weeks I have been going on walks to visit friends and run errands for small amounts of time to let them get used to me leaving. They are now used to my husband leaving, but not me! This morning I did the treat thing, and they didn't whine until they realized I was gone (I waited outside) and only whined about half a minute. Thats an improvement!!
I will try what you had said, I appreciate the help!!
Me too, do you know if I can do this with an 8yr old dog?
__________________
The Above advice/comments/reviews are my personal opinions based on my own experience/education/investigation and research and you can take them any way you want to......Or NOT!!!
lynzy420 is offline   Reply With Quote
Reply

Bookmarks



Thread Tools

Posting Rules
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts

BB code is On
Smilies are On
[IMG] code is Off
HTML code is Off
Trackbacks are On
Pingbacks are On
Refbacks are Off




Google
 

SHOP NOW: Amazon :: eBay :: Buy.com :: Newegg :: PetStore :: Petco :: PetSmart


All times are GMT -8. The time now is 01:22 PM.


Powered by vBulletin® Version 3.8.9
Copyright ©2000 - 2024, vBulletin Solutions, Inc.
Copyright ©2003 - 2018 YorkieTalk.com
Privacy Policy - Terms of Use

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 35 36 37 38 39 40 41 42 43 44 45 46 47 48 49 50 51 52 53 54 55 56 57 58 59 60 61 62 63 64 65 66 67 68 69 70 71 72 73 74 75 76 77 78 79 80 81 82 83 84 85 86 87 88 89 90 91 92 93 94 95 96 97 98 99 100 101 102 103 104 105 106 107 108 109 110 111 112 113 114 115 116 117 118 119 120 121 122 123 124 125 126 127 128 129 130 131 132 133 134 135 136 137 138 139 140 141 142 143 144 145 146 147 148 149 150 151 152 153 154 155 156 157 158 159 160 161 162 163 164 165 166 167 168 169 170 171 172 173 174 175 176 177 178 179 180 181 182 183 184 185 186 187 188 189 190 191 192 193 194 195 196 197 198 199 200 201 202 203 204 205 206 207 208 209 210 211 212 213 214 215 216 217 218 219 220 221 222 223 224 225 226 227 228 229 230 231 232 233 234 235 236 237 238 239 240 241 242 243 244 245 246 247 248 249 250 251 252 253 254 255 256 257 258 259 260 261 262 263 264 265 266 267 268 269 270 271 272 273 274 275 276 277 278 279 280 281 282 283 284 285 286 287 288 289 290 291 292 293 294 295 296 297 298 299 300 301 302 303 304 305 306 307 308 309 310 311 312 313 314 315 316 317 318 319 320 321 322 323 324 325 326 327 328 329 330 331 332 333 334 335 336 337 338 339 340 341 342 343 344 345 346 347 348 349 350 351 352 353 354 355 356 357 358 359 360 361 362 363 364 365 366 367 368 369 370 371 372 373 374 375 376 377 378 379 380 381 382 383 384 385 386 387 388 389 390 391 392 393 394 395 396 397 398 399 400 401 402 403 404 405 406 407 408 409 410 411 412 413 414 415 416 417 418 419 420 421 422 423 424 425 426 427 428 429 430 431 432 433 434 435 436 437 438 439 440 441 442 443 444 445 446 447 448 449 450 451 452 453 454 455 456 457 458 459 460 461 462 463 464 465 466 467 468 469 470 471 472 473 474 475 476 477 478 479 480 481 482 483 484 485 486 487 488 489 490 491 492 493 494 495 496 497 498 499 500 501 502 503 504 505 506 507 508 509 510 511 512 513 514 515 516 517 518 519 520 521 522 523 524 525 526 527 528 529 530 531 532 533 534 535 536 537 538 539 540 541 542 543 544 545 546 547 548 549 550 551 552 553 554 555 556 557 558 559 560 561 562 563 564 565 566 567 568 569 570 571 572 573 574 575 576 577 578 579 580 581 582 583 584 585 586 587 588 589 590 591 592 593 594 595 596 597 598 599 600 601 602 603 604 605 606 607 608 609 610 611 612 613 614 615 616 617 618 619 620 621 622 623 624 625 626 627 628 629 630 631 632 633 634 635 636 637 638 639 640 641 642 643 644 645 646 647 648 649 650 651 652 653 654 655 656 657 658 659 660 661 662 663 664 665 666 667 668 669 670 671 672 673 674 675 676 677 678 679 680 681 682 683 684 685 686 687 688 689 690 691 692 693 694 695 696 697 698 699 700 701 702 703 704 705 706 707 708 709 710 711 712 713 714 715 716 717 718 719 720 721 722 723 724 725 726 727 728 729 730 731 732 733 734 735 736 737 738 739 740 741 742 743 744 745 746 747 748 749 750 751 752 753 754 755 756 757 758 759 760 761 762 763 764 765 766 767 768 769 770 771 772 773 774 775 776 777 778 779 780 781 782 783 784 785 786 787 788 789 790 791 792 793 794 795 796 797 798 799 800 801 802 803 804 805 806 807 808 809 810 811 812 813 814 815 816 817 818 819 820 821 822 823 824 825 826 827 828 829 830 831 832 833 834 835 836 837 838 839 840 841 842 843 844 845 846 847 848 849 850 851 852 853 854 855 856 857 858 859 860 861 862 863 864 865 866 867 868 869 870 871 872 873 874 875 876 877 878 879 880 881 882 883 884 885 886 887 888 889 890 891 892 893 894 895 896 897 898 899 900 901 902 903 904 905 906 907 908 909 910 911 912 913 914 915 916 917 918 919 920 921 922 923 924 925 926 927 928 929 930 931 932 933 934 935 936 937 938 939 940 941 942 943 944 945 946 947 948 949 950 951 952 953 954 955 956 957 958 959 960 961 962 963 964 965 966 967 968 969 970 971 972 973 974 975 976 977 978 979 980 981 982 983 984 985 986 987 988 989 990 991 992 993 994 995 996 997 998 999 1000 1001 1002 1003 1004 1005 1006 1007 1008 1009 1010 1011 1012 1013 1014 1015 1016 1017 1018 1019 1020 1021 1022 1023 1024 1025 1026 1027 1028 1029 1030 1031 1032 1033 1034 1035 1036 1037 1038 1039 1040 1041 1042 1043 1044 1045 1046 1047 1048 1049 1050 1051 1052 1053 1054 1055 1056 1057 1058 1059 1060 1061 1062 1063 1064 1065 1066 1067 1068 1069 1070 1071 1072 1073 1074 1075 1076 1077 1078 1079 1080 1081 1082 1083 1084 1085 1086 1087 1088 1089 1090 1091 1092 1093 1094 1095 1096 1097 1098 1099 1100 1101 1102 1103 1104 1105 1106 1107 1108 1109 1110 1111 1112 1113 1114 1115 1116 1117 1118 1119 1120 1121 1122 1123 1124 1125 1126 1127 1128 1129 1130 1131 1132 1133 1134 1135 1136 1137 1138 1139 1140 1141 1142 1143 1144 1145 1146 1147 1148 1149 1150 1151 1152 1153 1154 1155 1156 1157 1158 1159 1160 1161 1162 1163 1164 1165 1166 1167