How to ensure dog is happy when left alone?

[hle8012]

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Hello all! I have just rehomed a 1 year old jack Russell and he is fab- no aggression, is not scared, and is beginning to finally master the art of 'fetch'! However, we have begun to leave him alone gradually to build up to him being able to be left for a couple of hours whilst we are at work. We have tried giving him a Kong, filled bones etc but he will ignore them and cry constantly. He is very attached and will follow us around everywhere we go- even when he is asleep he will wake when we move (however quietly we attempt to be!) so I understand that this may be the starting point.

Any ideas would be much appreciated! Thank you in advance!

 

[eingana]

Hi, and welcome to DogForum

Given that this little one has just been rehomed and is still getting used to his new surroundings and humans, it's very easy to understand when he has a little separation anxiety. In his position I'm sure that all of us would be a little insecure too.

Have you tried going back to the proper basics to teach him how to be OK with being alone?

 

[hle8012]

I have begun to leave him for a few seconds at a time and ignored him when I come back in, he begins to get bored after a few mins and wanders off seeing that I'm not abandoning him completely, but I think it will take some time before he can actually be left for even a few minutes without crying. Not really sure on what else I can do!

 

[eingana]

Fabulous- you've already started the basics Keep it up, ignore crying and get him up to a minute of being left, then move on to teaching him to return to his bed (i.e, away from you) on command in return for a treat. This one may have to be done in stages (putting him in bed, teaching him the word, teaching him to stay, coming back when called) but they're all good things to learn.

The next step is to get him a crate or a den where he can feel secure and fit it out with an old t-shirt or jumper that smells of you, a clock that ticks and a radio that can be left on low volume on a voice station. Nervous dogs feel more secure in a small space, so if you're using a crate cover it over with a blanket. Some homes have a built in space, like a cupboard under the stairs or part of a utility room which is a perfect quiet den space. Make this his bed at night (this bit may take time and understanding) and give him treats and fusses for going in there.

Leave his den open for him to go in and out during the day and put him in there at night, with a treat. Once he's happy that the den is his space then you can start pushing the leaving time forwards a little more. Dogs aren't very good at telling the time and any dog that can manage 5 minutes can usually be got to half an hour in very little time. Once they're happy with half an hour they're usually fine to be left for longer and the times can be extended because they get chilled enough to sleep.

You may be doing drills to keep him comfortable with being left for a long time, but you will be going from 20 times a day to 3 or 4 once you're through the initial phase and that will make things a lot easier

Keep the faith and keep up the good work

 

[hle8012]

I shall get on to the 'bed training' straight away- he's got 2, a plastic high sided one and just a duvet with a cover. He prefers the duvet more so we at least have a start on him liking his bed!

Thank you for the very helpful reply!

 

[goldenbear2013]

Just to add on from the great advice you have been given, is that your dog may never stop whining. Mine is crated and has no issue with being left on his own at all, as we trained him from a puppy, however if I leave the room and he cant come with me he whines!! If i go upstairs he whines. If i go outside without him he whines! it's like a child tantrum in a way as they cant follow you and get their own way, so try not to worry too much about the whining.

You will be able to tell the difference between a whine cus you are out the room and a distressed whine when there is something actually wrong!

My pooch is a mommas boy! If he isnt stuck to me when we are at home he isnt happy, but if i go out he leaps into his crate as he knows he is getting a kong! When food is involved I dont exist!! haha!

Good Luck

Sophie x

 

[hle8012]

Thank you for that, it's good to hear that mine isn't the only one! He is v whiny- he's even like it when I'm sat next to him!

 

[gypsysmum]

Learning to be alone is all about building confidence. This is learned gradually. Try not to let him follow you around. Just shut the door for a few seconds and try to return before he whines.

Don't let him rest touching you all the time. He will miss you more if he is constantly surrounded by your scent. Make sure he spends some time each day being ignored. it is best if he gets a signal that this is happening so, perhaps, hanging up some wind chimes and then totally ignoring him. Build up the amount of time gradually. He will soon learn to settle on his own when he sees the wind chimes. you can then use them when you leave him. Put them away when not in use for training.

None of this training means that he cannot have fuss and cuddles the rest of the time.

 

[hle8012]

Thank you! Am trying to ignore him for a bit every evening, and he is getting better at being left for a period of time- we are getting there!

 

[Hagrid]

There is some fantastic advice here and it sounds like you were getting there yourself so congrates! I hope it keeps going smoothly and thank you for rescuing a dog its a lovely thing to do!

 

[eingana]

Molly (over <<<there) arrived with mild to moderate separation anxiety and the only time she's ever done any serious damage I was inside the house. At the time I fostered kittens for a local rescue and my attic was turned over to housing a pregnant or nursing mum, for her to have her kits in peace, before the kittens came downstairs as they weaned and were given to the dog, then mum was neutered and rehomed and we started all over again with another pregnant mum in the attic.

Anyway, one mum that we got in was a carrier of cat flu and had ear mites, fleas badly matted coat etc. Her babies were born with cat flu and by the time their eyes they were already full of pus and their ears were already full of mites. I got her and them some antibiotics and ear and eye drops, which necessitated me soaking their eyes open 4 times a day and giving them drops and antibiotics. Doing this for a whole litter, especially ones which couldn't see or hear properly yet, and were still with a mummy who was starting to get very fed up with me hurting her babies, took a lot of time and energy and I spent quite a lot of time singing gently to them whilst hoping that they didn't hate me for the rest of their lives.

What I didn't know was that Molly was in the bedroom downstairs, directly underneath where I was, and she could hear me but couldn't get to me because the attic door was shut. This was enough to get her so anxious that she ate half of our king sized mattress and shredded the rest of the bed linen. I had expected her anxiety when we were out, and had a plan which was put into effect every time we left her, but it was a huge surprise that her being able to hear me but not get to me was more likely to get her worked up.

The moral of this story is- don't look at this from what you expect your dog to be anxious about, look at it from your dog's point of view and what they're really anxious about

I hope that he's starting to learn already that you are going to return when you leave him