PLEASE HELP! Separation anxiety!!!!
 

Hi, I'm new to the forums...lots of interesting stuff here!

We have a 17 week old little girl-Emma-who HATES being left alone.

We tried crate training-yeah right, she wasn't having it. We bought her a playpen that has her toys, pee pad, blankets, and bed in it. She sleeps in there pretty good at night, and will go in it for "time-out" ok if she's been naughty, but when we leave during the day, for ANY amount of time, she FREAKS out and yelps, cries, and barks uncontrollably. This is particularly a problem since we have a WITCH of a neighbor in the condo downstairs who has complained about her barking once before, among other really nitpicky things. (There are lots of other dogs in our building, and they ARE allowed.)

My husband has been home the summer since we got her, but will be returning to work Monday. He's been home studying for the Bar exam-so it's not like she's had constant attention all day, but has at least had a companion and some brief, periodic attention. This week he's been taking the exam which is 3 days. She's much more attached to me, so I've been going to work an hour early, letting him put her in the pen before he leaves to take the test. Then he comes home during the break and lets her out, and then puts her back in. Then I come home an hour earlier than normal to let her out. He says she's quiet when he comes home at lunch, but when I get home in the evening I can hear her all the way down the hallway!

We give her a peanut-butter bone/kong, toys, a buster cube, and all of that good stuff, but she will 1) freak if I put her in the pen and 2) yelp and cry for who knows how long during the afternoon.

The ultimate goal is to put her in her pen in the morning, come home at lunch and let her out for awhile, and then put her back until our return in the evening. Eventually, we'd like to not have to come home at lunch, but we realize that won't be for awhile. We'd at least have a friend or neighbor come and check on her if we were going to be away more than 4-5 hours.

I feel like we've tried everything: We put the "special" treat in there and make sure she's interested in it before we go, have the ComfortZone plug-in thing, give her a T-shirt that I've slept in, play a "Baby-Einstein" CD or the radio to calm her, even have an "ultrasonic" bark zapper thing-on the floor, not on HER-but NOTHING WORKS!!!

Any ideas, anyone? Please HELP!!!!!!!!!!

Suzy

I don't have any other suggestions, but wanted to welcome you to YT. Hope you have some better luck.

Welcome to YT!! Have you tried to gate her in one room, and leaving a tv or music on...This might help, leave toys, and her pee pad with food & water..the noise of the tv or radio might make her feel like she not alone...

Sounds like someone needs a playmate :p

I wish I could help you - Cheri was the same way in her playpen - Maybe changing locations will help but I feel for you guys....and her - she misses you.

Molly does the same thing and we pick her up and love on her and usually that's the end of it but sometimes she will still bark so we pick her up and say "Now stop it that's not necessary!"I hope that you get some help with her!!!

We DO give her toys, treats, bedding, stuff that smells like us, pee pad, and her own radio, TV, or "Baby Einstein" CD to listen to!!! It still doesn't completely help! She still misses us, and barks/whines/yelps until we come and rescue her from her playpen. We make sure she plays hard with us, another Yorkie or one of her small friend dogs at night to wear her out and give her something to look forward to, but still during the day is a challenge.

Do you think she'll just outgrow this?

Is it just a matter of time?

Thanks,
Suzy

Another thought - how about an expen or blocking off a doorway and giving her more space? Maybe that would help.

I've wrote on the same topic a week ago... I have the same problem with my 7 m.o. yorkie... and also living in a condo with a not so patient neighbour!

Have you read on separation anxiety on the internet? A few websites suggest good ideas of how you can deal with that. Unfortunately, I must admit that I haven't find the solution yet... Mine lives with my parents (where there is another dog) in the meantime. I have a good feeling that being with another dog helps a lot, but I just can't afford to have 2 dogs!

And no, I've read that this behavior doesn't necesseraly tend to disapear with time...

Anyways... we should keep in touch, and try to figure out something!