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Doggy Separation Anxiety
Did anyone ever experience this with their dog?
Taylor's training is going great. She's super smart and obedient, never destructive, wants to please us and generally is just an all-around good, smart puppy. However, she HATES it when we leave her alone. If we even put our shoes on, she gets all tense and super clingy. We used to just throw a kong filled with peanut butter in the other room to distract her, but now she's caught onto our tricks and knows exactly how we're trying to manipulate her.
We've tried various tactics - saying goodbye, making her sit and stay before we close the door, not acknowledging her at all (which now I've read is the 100% right way to deal with it). We figured that after we left, she cried it out for a couple minutes and just went about her merry way. Not so much.
Last night we set up a video camera for Taylor while we were gone and she literally cried the ENTIRE time. She exhausts herself with this crazy barking, pacing around, howling, really abrupt/manic movements. It's so sad to watch, the video broke my heart yesterday! And that was only for a half hour.
So now, I've been doing research on dog separation anxiety and its saying to NOT make a big deal about comings and goings. Basically, ignore her when she cries, ignore her when you come home for at least a couple minutes. (Which is sad, but I'm fine with in the interest of the greater good.) Reward her for not barking when you leave for a couple seconds. Desensitisize her to "leaving cues" such as jangling keys, putting on coats and shoes, etc, by doing them more often even when you AREN'T leaving the house. Don't let her follow you around the house, close her in areas to be alone sometimes.
So we're going to try those tactics, but have any of you girls had experience with this? A few of the internet sites were saying to take her to a dog behavioralist/psychiatrist, which tends to make me roll my eyes because 1) She's 4 months old, 2) She's very intelligent and keen to pick up on tricks we teach her and 3) If all her other training has gone well, I see no reason why we shouldn't be able to teach her to be okay alone, as well. However, I know it's a serious problem and now is the time to help her overcome it, as a four month old, before she turns into a needy older dog.
Re: Doggy Separation Anxiety
I don't have a lot of advice, but I think that maybe more crate time might help. If you make it a "safe" place for her, over time she may get less upset when you leave the apartment when she's in there.
Also, we need more puppy pictures. That will help your situation immensely.
Oh, I feel your pain.
We're getting Rawlings back soon and he had this exact issue. We have tried what you tried...even extra exercise and attention. Left the TV on something soothing. Even anit-bark collars (which I HATE HATE HATE). We even had him fixed. He barked and bayed all day until he lost his voice. He nervously vomited, chewed, shed fur, licked paws until raw, you name it. At one point, Animal Services was called for the incessant barking and we had to move him to MIL's (where he was super-spoiled).
According to MIL, he never does this any more. I am worried that it has to do with his attachment to J and that it will return now the he's back with us. If it does, I'm thinking Prozac. Seriously.
I hope having Ginger there will keep him company and mellowed out.
Crate training will make a world of difference.
PM me if you need more help but I would really recommend you look up a Bark Busters franchise in your area.
We had very similar issues with Trudie for years . . . and finally a few months ago hired Bark Busters on one of my clients recommendations. Its made a world of difference!