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BLGuterl 01-26-2013 02:44 PM

Help!!! Separation Anxiety
 
Our little Camrey has such a difficult time when my daughter and I have to leave her home alone. We try to make sure one of us is home with her at all times, but sometimes that is just not possible. My neighbor can hear her and she whines, cries, and barks the whole time we are gone. Any advice or suggestions on how to get her used to being alone? I feel horrible when I have to leave her!

gontygirl 01-27-2013 05:05 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by BLGuterl (Post 4117443)
Our little Camrey has such a difficult time when my daughter and I have to leave her home alone. We try to make sure one of us is home with her at all times, but sometimes that is just not possible. My neighbor can hear her and she whines, cries, and barks the whole time we are gone. Any advice or suggestions on how to get her used to being alone? I feel horrible when I have to leave her!

I had the same problem with my little boy. He too has separation anxiety... He's a rescue and it is my first time dealing with a dog at 1 year of age, rather than raising a dog from a pup so I had no idea how this developed as I didn't raise this boy. He's still barking a ton and may always have this kind of separation issue, however I did notice a HUGE change in him once I taught him to love his crate. I crate him each time I leave and also he has a little radio or tv on. If it's the evening I make sure there is a lamp on. He also is lucky enough to have a "sister", our shih tsu mix, so they're together, but she's on the bed. I put him up on a sturdy chair that wraps around his crate so he's up at the same level as the bed and can see his sis. I mean, this has not stopped him from barking completely but it has calmed it down. I live in a house so he can bark inside of it as loud as he'd like... He does see me come back and is barking less and less. I know this because I have left him in the bedroom with my other dog while I watch a movie downstairs and over time I can hear the barking become lessened. I have had him a little over a month now. It also begins with controlling how much he barks when you are WITH him. I don't allow him to full on bark at all...he's allowed to watch and growl but NOT bark at all. I'm teaching him that there are boundaries and that I'M the one that will be in charge of things and that he can relax and trust that "I got it". He IS learning. He no longer barks when I'm around unless the doorbell rings and I have approved that. I hope I have helped even just a little... :)

BLGuterl 03-24-2013 03:56 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by gontygirl (Post 4117808)
I had the same problem with my little boy. He too has separation anxiety... He's a rescue and it is my first time dealing with a dog at 1 year of age, rather than raising a dog from a pup so I had no idea how this developed as I didn't raise this boy. He's still barking a ton and may always have this kind of separation issue, however I did notice a HUGE change in him once I taught him to love his crate. I crate him each time I leave and also he has a little radio or tv on. If it's the evening I make sure there is a lamp on. He also is lucky enough to have a "sister", our shih tsu mix, so they're together, but she's on the bed. I put him up on a sturdy chair that wraps around his crate so he's up at the same level as the bed and can see his sis. I mean, this has not stopped him from barking completely but it has calmed it down. I live in a house so he can bark inside of it as loud as he'd like... He does see me come back and is barking less and less. I know this because I have left him in the bedroom with my other dog while I watch a movie downstairs and over time I can hear the barking become lessened. I have had him a little over a month now. It also begins with controlling how much he barks when you are WITH him. I don't allow him to full on bark at all...he's allowed to watch and growl but NOT bark at all. I'm teaching him that there are boundaries and that I'M the one that will be in charge of things and that he can relax and trust that "I got it". He IS learning. He no longer barks when I'm around unless the doorbell rings and I have approved that. I hope I have helped even just a little... :)

Unfortunately, the crate is not her friend either. She hates it!!! Whines, howls, and cries the whole time she is in it... Still has the anxiety issues when I am out. Now she has started jumping up on the door, too. I have no idea what to do because sometimes I have to leave her home alone. I have to work on Fridays in the office starting in April & one week out of the month I have to go in the office every day!

gardengirl77 03-24-2013 04:40 PM

I wish I knew an easy answer to that too. Mine still has issues with that and she's 4 yrs old, and I work and come home on my lunch break for her.

yorkietalkjilly 03-24-2013 04:50 PM


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.



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