Any tips on dealing with a dog that has separation anxiety?

[SurreyGuy]

I've recently got a 9-month-old labrador/staffy cross and he's LOVELY!

The only problem is that he doesn't like being left on his own. He goes mad (barking and scratching at the door) when I leave the house, although I don't know how soon afterwards he calms down. I am planning to sit (out of his smelling range) and listen to discover that soon.

At the moment, he is being left for up to four hours and I want to train him to "last longer". However, a couple of times already, I have come back to find that he has chewed something - a peg bag, a towel and (today) the packaging off of a brand new TV remote!

He gets a 15-minute walk in the morning and again in the evening and has lots of toys to play with when I am out. He also has the run of the house (execept the bedrooms) and is left with plenty of food and water.

Is there anything else that I can "try"?

T.I.A.

[Schutzengel]

No dog should be left alone for more than 4 hours, can you find some either to give him an extra walk midway through the time he is to be left, or even get someone to come in just to play with him.

[rinkins]

My dog had severe seperation anxiety. Can you organise it so that you leave him first for say 20 minutes, and build it up from there? My friend said it took her two weeks but it's got to be a gradual thing really. Remember he has probably never been alone before. Kongs are really good to keep them occupied, fill with low fat cream cheese and some biscuits. See how he gets on. Lots of dogs end up fine being left for ages but they need to feel secure and even a bit distracted.

Good luck x

Get on google or speak to a trainer they will be able to help you I'm sure xx

[madmaggot]

Can I ask what possessed you to get a dog if you have to/want to leave it for such long periods on its own? Did you stop to consider this at all, first?
This is a young dog, in a new home and it's being abandoned for hours on end. This is a receipe for disaster. Don't be surprised when it develops habits such as chewing the furniture, ripping up carpets and generally finding things to pass the lonely, boring hours on its own.
You should seriously consider whether you should find this poor dog a new, caring home.

[kita1]

Try not to let him see you leave the house and try not make a big deal out of leaving him (don't wake him up to say goodbye!).

You could get a Kong toy and stuff it full of his food/treats etc. and give it him when you are going out, that should keep him occupied for a while.

Also stop giving him the run of the house - could you confine him to one room?

Make sure that he is safe - if you leave him in the kitchen make sure he cannot open cupboard doors and get at bleach etc. or turn the cooker knobs on if it is gas!

These articles may help:

http://www.4pawsu.com/Serene.htm

http://www.clickersolutions.com/articles/2002/ sa.htm

[Coppertop84]

Madmaggot, people who work do have dogs such as my husband and I and they are very happy as is our little one. It is better a dog having a loving home than being stuck on the streets or in overcrowded dog homes. they just need regular company, toys, cuddles and walks and of course plenty of fresh water etc.

TIA, mine and my husbands dog is just over 1 year old and we got him from a rescue home back in March. He started chewing but he got over it and now realises it is naughty and has been good for about 6 weeks. He gets checked on regularly in the day time, not only for wees but cuddles too, so he knows he is not on his own. We also got him a kong toy which we fill with kong treats and he loves working the treats out. We also got him a nylabone which is flavoured like chicken and it also keeps his teeth occupied. He also loves his tug rope with ball on the end. Plenty of toys like this help with chewing and keeping him active. My husband walks him for 20-30 minutes in the morning, so as yours is a larger and younger dog maybe a longer morning walk would help so he does not have lots of energy pent up. He then has a good hour walk of an evening at least so again maybe a longer evening walk before bedtime would help.

If he is naughty, try pointing to what he has chewed and say naughty and give him a toy he can chew. He should learn to chew what you give him instead. Also before I leave the house in a morning, I make sure the last things I touch are his toys - getting them in the open room, so then if he goes to chew something it will be what I touched last. May sound daft but it seems to have worked.

Being a puppy still he is still going to be in the chew everything stage, but do persevere and over time he should learn. Try and get a routine in place like my husband and I have and hopefully your dog will take to the routine.

Hope this helps.

Good luck xxx

[Coppertop84]

Oh sorry forgot to mention denta rasks are also good to help with chewing. We give our dog one each Thursday morning as part of his routine for being good the first 3 days of the week and he loves it. They come in different size based on the weight of your dog but they are full of calcium which is important for your dogs development too.

xxx

[madmaggot]

Coppertop I agree entirely with what you have said. When reading your post it is obvious that you try to provide everything that your dog needs to occupy him whilst you are gone and also give him a walk beforehand and when you get back.
The original poster seems to have got a dog with little thought of what happens when he is at work. He immediately left the dog for long periods instead of starting with just a couple of minutes so that the dog knows that he will always come back. And he chose a lab cross; the lab is a dog that will always chew, not just as a puppy but all of its life it will want something in its mouth, not a good breed to leave alone for long periods. It's crossed with a staffy, this is also a dog that loves the company of it's owner and is an active breed.
This person should have done more research before choosing a dog and done a lot more preparation before actually getting it.

[BeatySwalls]

cage train it. then you can leave it for hours in its cage and it will be all smug and happy

[madmaggot]

Oh, not you again! lol

[devilspawn]

If you go on the website for "Company of Animals" in the UK they have all sorts of training and behavioural toys and advise, which may give you some help and ideas. You may be able to email them this sort of question, on their website, however not sure thats right....

Hope this helps :-)

[Coppertop84]

Thanks Madmaggot. I think we all just want the best for our dogs :-)

[Ice.Maiden]

We have 3 Staffies, and one of them, who was a rescue dog, took months to settle down and stop chewing everything in sight. Even now, she's not averse to eating plants - along with the pots they're in! First of all, a 15 minute walk is no good at all. Secondly, I think confining your dog to one room is going to have an even worse effect on him. Staffies are very social dogs and love human company. If you could get someone to go in and look after him whilst you're out, then so much the better. Give him the larger size Kongs, bones and biscuits/drink, and try leaving a radio on, on low volume. Dogs need company as much as human beings do, but especially Stafies or crossed ones.

[SurreyGuy]

To everyone EXCEPT schutzeangel and madmaggot, THANK YOU for your sensible posts.

To schutzeangel and madmaggot, I asked for advice, I DID NOT ask to be condemned and vilified!! Also, as coppertop84 says, it is NOT a crime to work AND own a dog!

To madmaggot - in hindsight, I should have allowed the dog's previous owner to have him put down (as he was going to do when he was offered to me). I'm sorry for my ignorance! And, you say that you you read coppertop84's original posting about leaving stuff for the dog to do/eat and about taking him for walks? It was ME that wrote that, NOT coppertop84!

Also, madmaggot, I have had labs AND staffies before and NEVER had this problem! I have also had dogs for the last 30 years AND gone out to work and (again), NEVER had this problem!

[SurreyGuy]

Sorry coppertop84, you DID ALSO say about walks, etc - 1000 apologies, but the IGNORANT poosters on here made me angry and I didn't take in all of your nice, helpful ones. Again, I apologise.

xx

[gelda]

I personally think that Madmaggot and Schutzendel are right, a dog needs company not toys! also 15 minutes morning and evening is certainly not enough exercise for a dog of that breed or any breed come to that, it should have at least an hour twice a day, I think if you don't mind me saying, you're going to end up with an extremely frustrated and unhappy dog.

[SurreyGuy]

Not that I have to justify myself to you, but I omitted to state that the 15 minutes is Monday-Friday when I work. He gets a good few hours exercise in the woods/countryside on a Saturday and Sunday.

I've just spoken to a trainer (I now wish that I had done that in the first place!) and she disagrees with the negative remarks on here. She also suggests leaving a radio on for him, so I'll give it a go as she is an EXPERT!

[icemaiden]

Like you surreyguy, I have always had dogs and I work to. (We don't currently have one) All have been rescue dogs.

They were left up to five hours at a time when I was at work, sometimes a relative would come in to check on them and walk them but that wasn't done on a daily basis.

Once home from work the first thing I did was take them out for a long walk. (Also they had a hour walk in the morning before work). And at weekends lots more walks and attention.
I agree with Coppertop84, wouldnt dogs be far better in a lovely secure warm comfy home, knowing that soon someone will be home to walk them and love them? Better than a small cold concrete kennel in a rescue center!

Good on you surreyguy and good luckX

[SurreyGuy]

Thanks icemaiden x

[lankeela]

I don't think the term 'separation anixety' is correct in this case. It is just that the dog does not like being left on its own for long periods, which is totally different. Fifteen minutes is not long enough to take the edge of a lively cross like this, although you need to build the time up over a few weeks, as he is still young. I would not give him the run of the house, but would confine him to either the kitchen or hall, give him plenty of things he can chew and play with and leave paper down so he can pee if he needs to. Although I would not have recommended this type of dog if you knew you were going to be leaving him, the point is you have him now, so need to do the best you can for both you and him. Spend some time leaving him for short periods and then praising him when you return if he has not done anything 'naughty'. Try to build up the time and give him lots of toys, chews etc to keep him occupied. You can get a treat ball which you stuff and they roll them around to get the contents out. Some even make a noise.
A stuffed kong is also good particularly if you fill it with something like peanut butt so he has to spend time licking it. By far the best way though is exercise, so he is happy to sleep for a while while you are out.

[lankeela]

Meant to add, I am also a trainer, but what you class as an EXPERT I am not sure!