Separation anxiety
- Thread starter first puppy
- Start date
yup ignore it. A lot of owners who get a puppy take time off of work or spend a lot of extra time with the puppy and spend every minute with him. Then when things get back to normal and you start leaving the puppy gets SA because he was used to you being around all the time. I do think you should take time off when you first get him but I think you need to leave th puppy for short intervals (and work up to longer ones) so he knows it's OK, you leave but you come back every time, it's normal.
Are you crate training? If so put the pup in his crate with a kong or other toy that will keep his attention and walk into another room. Wait until you think you have been gone long enough and listen into the room where the puppy is. If he is crying just wait there. If he is silent go in and let him out of his crate. If he was crying wait until he stops then go in. Continue doing this until he is comfortable with you leaving the house for a couple hours and you come home to a silent house (no whining).
Are you crate training? If so put the pup in his crate with a kong or other toy that will keep his attention and walk into another room. Wait until you think you have been gone long enough and listen into the room where the puppy is. If he is crying just wait there. If he is silent go in and let him out of his crate. If he was crying wait until he stops then go in. Continue doing this until he is comfortable with you leaving the house for a couple hours and you come home to a silent house (no whining).
Eventually you will be able to distinguish between the two whines. Make sue you are taking him out often anyways so his bladder will not be able to get too full. Are you sure there is no difference between his I have to go out whine and his I want attention whine? I know my dog's I have to go out whine was far more urgent and over time it increased in volume and he got new sounds lol (he sounded like a turkey) and when you stood up and walked towards him he would hop backwards towards the door. Try to find those differences. When you are teaching him to be alone try crating him so you know he will not accidentally go potty if he is indeed whining to go outside. Then when the lesson is over take him out of the crate and then outside to the bathroom. When he has to go out does he do his whining in a specific place (at the door or at you) try to find something that can help you distinguish between the two whines.
When you say he won't go to sleep unless someone is with him what exactly do you mean? Does he sleep with you? or do you stay with him until he falls asleep?
Do you have him sleep in a crate at night? How long have you had him? if not in a crate then where does he sleep?
When you say he won't go to sleep unless someone is with him what exactly do you mean? Does he sleep with you? or do you stay with him until he falls asleep?
Do you have him sleep in a crate at night? How long have you had him? if not in a crate then where does he sleep?
My puppy is 9 weeks old and I've had him for 6 days. I don't have a crate for him yet so he is sleeping on a blanket in the laundry room. I guess I'm doing the wrong thing in staying with him until he falls asleep, but my dad has to work in the morning and he can't sleep with Micah's whining.
Should I make sure he's gone to the bathroom and then put him on his bed...alone?
Thanks so much for the advice!
Should I make sure he's gone to the bathroom and then put him on his bed...alone?
Thanks so much for the advice!
My puppy is going through seperation anxiety also. I work at home and it helped with his crate training for me to find some place to work for a few hours a day rather than at the house. Then over the weekend we had some regression. It's hard for me to leave him in the crate when I'm here but if I don't then he reverts back to barking and crying when I do put him in there. Not real good for sleeping at night. 
Now I have started working on getting him to stay in the fence by himself so that if I have to do something in the rest of the yard I can do it without the constant barking and whining. He doesn't like to be in the fence even if I'm in plain site of him. This morning I just out him in the fence with some toys and watched through the window to see what he would do. He barked for 30 minutes solid. As soon as he hears the back door open he quietens up and I let him out to come in the house. I plan to increase this time a bit every day.
I feel so guilty just leaving him out there running crazy and barking. Am I wrong to do that?
Now I have started working on getting him to stay in the fence by himself so that if I have to do something in the rest of the yard I can do it without the constant barking and whining. He doesn't like to be in the fence even if I'm in plain site of him. This morning I just out him in the fence with some toys and watched through the window to see what he would do. He barked for 30 minutes solid. As soon as he hears the back door open he quietens up and I let him out to come in the house. I plan to increase this time a bit every day.
I feel so guilty just leaving him out there running crazy and barking. Am I wrong to do that?
It is normal; Cruiser was the same way. We started out by leaving him alone for small periods of time, like when we'd make a quick run to the grocery store. When he did good with that, we increased the time, maybe now to go out and play a few games of pool. Eventually it got to where we could leave him home all day while we are at work! Good luck!